Rich, flavorful foods combined with creamy, hearty sauces help you lose weight!It seems absurd at first glance, but a low-carb, high-fat diet is an excellent way to eat with pleasure and lose weight at the same time.
Keto diet - a fat fight in the name of thinness
Fat is a unique flavor enhancer that makes our food especially appetizing.After all, how can a dry chicken breast be compared to a juicy piece of pork with cheese sauce?The same thing.
If you eat enough fatty foods, keeping carbohydrate intake to a minimum, dietary nutrition will open up to you from a new side - tasty, juicy and nutritious!
Very soon we will move on to the TOP 10 methods, but for now let's take a quick look at the principle of the keto diet - how it works, forcing the body to lose weight, but at the same time eliminating the feeling of hunger and bad mood that are so typical of dietary restrictions.
The basis of the ketogenic diet are foods with a high fat content, an ideal amount of protein and a minimum amount of carbohydrates.The portion of the latter should not exceed 25 g per day (the ideal amount is in the range of 20 to 25 g).
The easiest way to produce energy for our body is glucose, the source of which is carbohydrates of all types (such as an apple containing two dozen carbohydrates, as well as bread and sweets).But as soon as the supply of this substance is limited, our system switches to using ketones, which are produced in the liver, as fuel.
Ketosis is triggered, a natural process within the body that usually kicks in during extreme hunger.For example, if even the smallest piece of food does not appear in the stomach for several days, the body begins to lack glucose (the energy source has dried up), so it recruits ketones to work.
In this way, the keto diet helps you lose weight, not due to hunger, but due to the low supply of carbohydrates in the “processing workshop”.As soon as the body switches to using fats as a source of energy for life, it begins to actively “eat” fats from food, as well as those that “decorate” our sides, stomach and other parts of the body.
Therefore, on a keto diet, it is important to remember the main thing: your diet should contain as much fat as possible - they will lead the body to slimness.Contrary to prejudices (fat makes you fat, is bad for you, etc.), do not be afraid of fatty foods, as part of a low-carb diet, they will be extremely beneficial for the body.
On a ketogenic diet, you will always feel full, cheerful and in a great mood, because fatty foods satisfy your hunger perfectly and for a long time, and the pleasant creamy taste of food does not allow you to feel deprived of delicious dishes.
This is exactly what happens in other diets with a strict restriction on the amount of cheese, for example, or a complete ban on juicy kebab made from a fatty piece of pork.
TOP 10 – we eat fatty and tasty!
In some cases, the keto diet can be problematic for people who are not used to eating a lot of fatty foods.So we are talking about 10 ways to consume more natural fats, receiving comprehensive benefits – both the pleasure of eating and effective weight loss.
1. Start with whole foods high in fat
It's time to say goodbye to low-fat or low-fat foods.Clean your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets of dry egg mixes instead of real eggs, artificial cream, and low-fat peanut butter.Now your breakfast, lunch or dinner will be truly delicious!
Get rid of any foods labeled “light” or “diet” – they have no place in your stomach on the keto diet.Replace skimmed milk with fattier milk, enjoy sour cream with a fat content of 20% or more, eat cottage cheese with a fat content of 9% and enjoy the delicate creamy taste of food.
By the way, if you don't find whole milk or yogurt in a nearby store, feel free to buy a low-fat product, as you can increase the fat content yourself.For example, add a few tablespoons of heavy cream or 1% sour cream to drinking yogurt.
Review your entire shopping list.Your goal is to stock your refrigerator with high-fat, whole foods, including avocados and chicken eggs.
When preparing dishes, try to add natural fats and do not avoid them out of habit.Fry eggs in melted butter and eat your favorite high-fat hard cheeses.
In short, do not deny yourself the pleasure of eating tasty and fatty foods!By the way, you can easily make natural ice cream with cream - just beat it and put it in the freezer.In an hour your delicacy will be ready.Use strawberries or apricots as a sweetener - they contain a minimum of carbohydrates (5 g for half a cup of strawberries and 8 g for 2 large apricots).
From now on, give preference to fatty meats.In addition, it is more aromatic, soft and cheaper, unlike its low-fat counterparts.Include fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines in your diet - they are rich in fat, so they will be an excellent addition to your menu.
2. Cook with added fat
Don't be afraid to add so much oil to the pan that the pieces of food are literally swimming in it.There's no more need to steam vegetables or bake dry chicken breast without a drop of fat in foil.Cook low-carb vegetables, fish, meat, or eggs with natural fats.
This will make your food even more appetizing and nutritious.Use only the amount of fat needed to prepare the dish.You can always throw away leftovers – there's no point eating them with a spoon.
3. Use different fats - this will diversify the taste of food
Fats can easily change the taste of foods, and this is a great way to expand the range of taste sensations for each day of the ketogenic diet.The easiest option is to boil the green beans and season them with a pat of butter to obtain a pleasant flavor.
Do you like fatter?Then fry the beans in oil and finally drizzle with sesame oil - you will get a wonderful dish.It is not forbidden to sprinkle the beans with a spoonful of sesame seeds (this will enhance the flavor and add a little more fat, which will help the body lose weight).
Experiments are welcome!Don't be afraid to try new combinations of foods and natural fats to see which foods you like best.Make a healthy supply of several types of fat at once, which can be stored in the refrigerator or kitchen cupboard:
- vegetable oil;
- olive and coconut;
- lard (in any form);
- sesame oil;
- avocado and peanut oil;
- pumpkin seed oil;
- nut oils (macadamia, almond, etc.);
- chicken, duck fat and other types of animal fats.
Use oil everywhere - on sandwiches, in salads, when boiling, stewing or frying food.
4. Stock up on a list of low-carb recipes
It's not as difficult as it seems.Write down a dozen simple recipes in a separate notebook so that you don't have to rack your brains every time over what delicious thing to cook for breakfast or dinner.The most important thing is that there are practically no carbohydrates in the dishes.
Here are some first ideas for your dishes:
- Chicken casserole with feta cheese and olives.Just 6 g of carbs, and cooking is as easy as shelling pears - mix the ingredients and bake until golden brown, not forgetting to coat the chicken with seasonings and butter.
- Beef chops in a creamy tomato sauce with a side of sautéed cabbage(in butter, of course).Only 10 g of carbohydrates against the enchanting taste of a fried cutlet with a rich and fragrant sauce.
- Keto Pancakes with Roast Pork.Just 8 g of carbohydrates and a delight of mind-blowing flavors!Use heavy cream and almond flour to prepare these pancakes and don't forget to season the final dish with melted butter.
- Burger with airy egg bun, fried meat, cheese, vegetables and herbs.This dish will replace any fast food and will bring you only 7 g of carbohydrates!In fact, the “bread” itself is very easy to prepare: just beat the egg yolks and egg whites separately, then mix until a single dough forms and bake.You probably already know how to fry meat.Enjoy!
Low-carb recipes will help you eat deliciously and, most importantly, consume a lot of fat, which is so necessary for losing weight on the keto diet.
5. Coat prepared foods with oil, sauce or rich sauce.
Do this with everything you eat.There is no need to swallow olive oil with tablespoons, but adding it to a vegetable salad is your sacred duty.Even avocado, known for being a very fatty food, goes well with oil dressing.
There are countless sauce options:
- pure vegetable oils mixed with herbs and seasonings;
- cheese and cream sauces, as well as their combinations (tomato, mushroom, etc.);
- melted butter or everyone’s “cursed” mayonnaise.
Always add natural fats to your diet as this is the basis of the keto diet.
6. Beautiful food = greasy food.Decorate your dishes with fatty foods!
For some reason, when we hear the word “fat,” our mind draws clumsy images of an ugly piece of lard or, even worse, fat on our own body.So now is the time to shift your thinking in the opposite direction, because fat sometimes tastes great, not to mention taste!
See what you can use to decorate your dishes:
- fatty cheeses;
- avocado slices;
- olives and seeds;
- dried meat;
- chopped macadamia nuts;
- toasted sesame, almonds;
- avocado, tomato and herb puree;
- slices of bacon or brisket;
- pine nuts.
These simple foods add variety to the taste of your food, provide your body with nutrients and, of course, lots of fat!They can be added to almost any dish and are a great support for your keto meal plan.
7. Check snacks - are they sure they contain fat?
Snacks and various appetizers are best avoided on any diet, but they are sometimes great for curbing hunger, allowing you to feel full until your next meal.If you happen to be hungry, choose fatty snacks.It can be cheese, nuts or boiled chicken eggs.
8. Always keep a stock of cheese in the fridge
Because cheese is the best complement to any food.It works great as a snack and can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack.Use cheese as a topping - it works great both as an independent dish (for example, a spicy cheese topping in the form of tightly rolled cutlet balls) and as an aesthetic touch to the main dish (in the form of sprinkles).
Prepare incredible creamy cheese-based desserts and enjoy them for breakfast or dinner.Choose any type of fatty cheese with minimal carbohydrate content - this high-calorie product will quickly fill your stomach, leaving you satisfied with your meal.
9. Add fat to drinks
Your tea, coffee or hot milk will shine with an inimitable flavor if it contains a spoonful of aromatic fats.For example, melt some butter or coconut oil in a bowl.It won't take more than 30 seconds, but the taste of the drink will delight your taste buds for another 15 minutes.
Heavy cream or heavy cream purchased from farm stores goes well with hot drinks.And if you add butter to a glass of hot milk, you can not only lose weight, but also forget about seasonal colds.Such a simple snack will solve two problems at once: quench your thirst and fill your stomach.
While you indulge in fatty foods and dream of a slender body, do not forget about a reasonable approach to business.After all, excess fatty foods, in some cases, risk giving the opposite result - stopping the weight loss process or drastically increasing cholesterol levels.
Especially if you drink the drink on a full stomach, providing your body with tons of excess energy.This tool is powerful – use it wisely.
10. Which dessert to choose on the keto diet?
The first tip for all diets is to skip dessert.But, as in the case of snacks, sometimes it's difficult to deny yourself the little pleasure you're sorely missing when it comes to losing weight.
If you're determined to enjoy something delicious, choose recipes that are high in fat and low in sugar, including artificial sweeteners.Unsweetened whipped cream (30% fat or more) with raspberries is the ideal choice for a keto dessert.
You can diversify the menu for those with a sweet tooth with fat bombs with vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom.These “sweets” go well with tea or coffee, invariably lifting the spirits of those who are losing weight.By the way, these “bombs” contain only 0.4 g of carbohydrates.Write down the recipe, as they are prepared simply and very quickly!
What you will need:
- 85 g of butter (preferably yeast-free);
- 0.5 grated coconut (no added sugar);
- 0.5 teaspoon of ground cardamom (green);
- 0.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract;
- 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
How to cook:
- Heat the oil to room temperature.
- Fry the coconut flakes until golden.
- Mix the butter, most of the chips, seasonings and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture hardens a little, form into balls, roll in the rest of the toasted coconut and enjoy!
This dessert can be conveniently stored in both the refrigerator and freezer (the expiration date is the same as the oil you used).
How to increase the weight loss effect with a keto diet?
Fat makes our life tastier, healthier and easier in the truest sense of the word, but moderation is important in everything.At each meal, eat moderate portions, do not eat too much.The best advice is to leave the table a little hungry, as the feeling of satiety arrives a little after the end of the meal.
If you are hungry, this can always be corrected with a small portion of fatty foods, but if you eat too much, the diet can be considered a failure.Watch your diet: make sure it's high in fat and low in carbohydrates.Do not deviate from the designated course, as this is the basis of the keto diet.
If you want to get maximum results, take a look at some helpful tips below.
1. Make onboarding easy.
At the beginning of a no-carb journey, fatty foods run the risk of appearing too high in fat to the body - this is normal, so your task is to wait out the “storm”.When switching to a new food system, the body and taste buds begin to adapt gradually, you just need to give them a little time (on average 2 to 4 weeks).
During this period, try to eat more neutral fatty foods (e.g. avocado, cheese and meat fried in a little oil).A smooth transition to higher fat foods will alleviate hunger and allow your body to get used to a new source of energy without unnecessary stress.
After achieving balance on the path of addiction, the feeling of hunger after a “light-fat” diet will decrease.From the body's point of view, this indicates that the adaptation has been successful and that access to processing fat as fuel is completely open (there is no longer any supply of glucose accumulated from carbohydrate foods).
2. Watch your appetite
If you have adapted more than perfectly to the keto diet, but your stomach has become excessively picky about the volume of food, then it's time to experiment: try to reduce the amount of natural fats added to food (at the cooking stage or in the finished dish).
When you're hungry, choose foods high in fat rather than carbohydrates.The latter will reduce your weight loss efforts to nothing.Eat exactly the amount needed to satisfy your hunger - let your body burn its internal fat reserves, not an extra spoonful of butter on your plate.
3. Add more fat to your diet as you lose weight.
As soon as you achieve the result - the desired number on the scales, for which you gave up carbohydrates, there are no fat reserves left in the body, which were used day after day as a source of energy.
During this period, it is important to listen to your body, tune in to the same wavelength to learn to read the signs of physical hunger.This is the period when the amount of fatty foods should be gradually increased.Until you “find” balance, that is, the ability to maintain weight without feeling hungry.
Don't worry, you won't listen to your own body and there will be excess fat.During your weight loss process, which will take at least 2 months (depending on your starting weight), you will gain good communication skills with your stomach.
The body itself will tell you how much food is enough to be satisfied.To listen to the tip, just keep your appetite under control and resist the temptation to eat too much.
4. Eat enough protein foods
Protein foods are responsible for effectively suppressing hunger.If you eat a lot of fatty foods but are still hungry, check to see if enough protein is getting into the “processing department”?A lack of protein can slow or stop weight loss.
Make sure that your daily diet contains an average of 1.5 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight (the amount of protein can reach 1.7 g depending on weight, so the calculation is always individual).If you exercise or go to the gym to get defined muscles, you should increase your protein portion a little more.
How much fatty food can you eat on a keto diet?
The ketogenic nutrition system does not provide for strict restrictions on calorie intake, so the main rule is: eat until you are a little full, choose standard portions (or focus on the volume of a 200-gram glass - eat as much as fits).
Have dinner before 8 pm - this will make the work of the whole body easier.Don't think your stomach will be happy with a beef burger with cheese sauce an hour before bed.Just like you, he wants to rest at night and not work on processing incoming provisions.
Eating well during the day will allow you to calmly survive a 12-hour interval without eating (night + night's sleep).As a last resort, eat a piece of cheese or drink a glass of milk with a small spoonful of butter.
This will allow you to satisfy your hunger and fall asleep feeling full.And remember, even light physical activity like walking will significantly improve your weight loss results.
Eat deliciously and lose weight with pleasure!