Ketogenic Diet

[Motif]

The Keto diet forces the body to burn fats rather than

carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fuelling brain function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. - Wikipedia

Benefit #1

The main benefit being that it increases the body's ability to utilize fats for fuel, which gets very lazy on a high carbohydrate diet. When on high carbohydrate diets the body can usually expect an energy source to keep entering the body. But in the state of ketosis the body has to become efficient at mobilizing fats as energy.

Benefit #2

Another nifty thing about being in a state of ketosis is that if the body has no further use for ketones they can simply be excreted through urine as a waste product. This means that at times your body will be peeing out body fat! This is a novel theme because you body is very efficient at storing energy substrates for later use.

Benefit #3

Ketosis has a protein sparing effect, assuming that you are consuming adequate quantities of protein and calories in the first place. Once in ketosis the body actually prefers ketones to glucose. Since the body has copious quanities of fat this means that there is no need to oxidize protein to generate glucose through gluconeogenesis.

Benefit #4

Another benefit has to do with the low levels of insulin in the body, which causes greater lipolysis and free glycerol release compared to a normal diet when insulin is around 80-120. Insulin has a lipolysis blocking effect, which can inhibit the use of fatty acids as energy. Also when insulin is brought to low levels many beneficial hormones are released in the body such as growth hormone and other powerful growth factors.

Benefit #5

Another small but very important benefit about the ketogenic diet is that when in the state of ketosis, ketones seem to blunt hunger in many people. I mean honestly, what is not better than being on a low calorie diet and not being hungry all the time like you usually are such as on a high carbohydrate diet. Since on the ketogenic diet you have to consume a lot of fat, which hold 9 calories, you are not getting much food volume. This makes not being hungry a very good thing when on the diet. When you add such thermogenics like the ECA stack and prescription appetite suppressants you won't even think about your next meal. It's kind of funny that when the Atkins' diet first came out one of the early criticisms was that the diet blunted hunger too much! What, is it mandatory to be hungry on a reduced calorie diet?

Benefit #6

The last benefit has to do with the fact that a ketone body is an inefficient fuel source due to the fact that when the fatty acid is converted to a KB it contains 7 calories. This means that the normal pound of fat has less than 3500 calories.

Pitfall #1

During the first few weeks of the ketogenic diet the body has to go through the "metabolic shift", as Mauro DiPasquale calls it. While going through this the body will experience a small degree of fatigue and brain fog, but once the body gets used to manufacturing ketones as the main energy substrate the body actually has more energy than it previously had, and you won't have to be fighting through all those low blood sugar crashes that your high carb meals previously gave you. Also when in ketosis, ketones are the preferred energy substrate for the brain over protein.

Pitfall #2

Blood lipid profile is also a concern on the ketogenic diet due to the staggering amounts of saturated fats in the diet, although the diet can be centered around healthy fats, what is not as fun as eating a egg and cheese omelet fried in butter with bacon on the side! The issue of blood lipid profile is experiencing much debate due to the fact that for some people following the ketogenic diet, they will experience a drop in cholesterol levels, while for some it will increase.

Pitfall #3

Another point is that since carbohydrates are so restricted during the no carbohydrate portion the issue of micronutrient deficiencies can occur. The best thing to do to avoid this is to make sure you take a high quality multi vitamin /mineral twice a day to insure that you are getting 100% of the daily value. Also supplementing with a fiber supplement is a good idea to make sure you plumbing doesn't get clogged, if you know what I mean. Another course of action one can take is to make sure that on the high carbohydrate period of the diet you consume adequate amounts of fibrous green vegetables, and also quality carbohydrate sources such as brown rice, squash, sweet potatoes, and whole-wheat pastas.

Pitfall #4

This last focus point is the danger of ketoacidosis. This occurs when the level of ketones in the blood gets out of control, this happens because ketones are acidic only as long as they are floating around waiting to be burned. If the level of ketones in the blood rises out of control it would lower the pH of the blood and this could result in death. BUT, this is not a concern for the non-diabetic whatsoever because for the non-diabetic blood sugar levels are kept low by our bodies and it will only allow so many ketones to be manufactured at one time. In the diabetic person blood sugar can rise as high as 300-2000mg/dl, where as normal being around 80-120. Also when this happens the low insulin to glucagon ratio causes ketogenesis to be stimulated, this is where the person can run into ketoacidosis.

More info:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark91.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/irontamer6.htm

Source's Bodybuilding.com, Wikipedia. (Didn't wanna claim as my own work)

Edited December 27, 2012 by Tris

[DeltaPapa]

Good interesting post.

Should rename the title to just - Ketogenic diet and sticky it. Possibly put in an example meal.

Even though its mentioned on Pitfall #1, when i done my first cut which lasted some time, the lack of carbs i never got used to, and was always out of energy and how it was described 'brain fog'

[Belgian]

The benefits seems very interesting however i cba

[ORP]

Planning on using this for next cut (in 2months)

[Tris]

Some people get amazing results off Keto, but the longer you're off carbs the more risk you put yourself at. Most people seem to usually take a month or two at the end of their cut and go on keto which makes sense.

If you're diabetic I wouldn't bother with keto, the risks are too high.

I tried getting into keto but after the first week I felt god awful, lacked energy for most day to day things let alone gym, felt weaker in the gym and cardio on top of weights was near impossible. I'm not trying to bang on keto but you're going to need to perceive through this 'metabolic shift' phase and even then with the effect keto has on your blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels it might not be the diet for you.

Other diets to consider whilst cutting could be carb cycling, carb timing, intermittent fasting or just eating at a deficit.

[Motif]

Some people get amazing results off Keto, but the longer you're off carbs the more risk you put yourself at. Most people seem to usually take a month or two at the end of their cut and go on keto which makes sense.

If you're diabetic I wouldn't bother with keto, the risks are too high.

I tried getting into keto but after the first week I felt god awful, lacked energy for most day to day things let alone gym, felt weaker in the gym and cardio on top of weights was near impossible. I'm not trying to bang on keto but you're going to need to perceive through this 'metabolic shift' phase and even then with the effect keto has on your blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels it might not be the diet for you.

Other diets to consider whilst cutting could be carb cycling, carb timing, intermittent fasting or just eating at a deficit.

Yeah keto isn't for alot of people but if it's works for you, it's really good for cutting that bodyfat.

[Hotkeying]

i tried this

so much effort

gave up after like 2 weeks

[Rihana Pm Me]

Some people get amazing results off Keto, but the longer you're off carbs the more risk you put yourself at. Most people seem to usually take a month or two at the end of their cut and go on keto which makes sense.

If you're diabetic I wouldn't bother with keto, the risks are too high.

I tried getting into keto but after the first week I felt god awful, lacked energy for most day to day things let alone gym, felt weaker in the gym and cardio on top of weights was near impossible. I'm not trying to bang on keto but you're going to need to perceive through this 'metabolic shift' phase and even then with the effect keto has on your blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels it might not be the diet for you.

Other diets to consider whilst cutting could be carb cycling, carb timing, intermittent fasting or just eating at a deficit.

ur a smart 1

[Kane]

Smart kids

[Nsc]

Very interesting. As a former wrestler and current fighter, i've tweaked my diet loads, in order to make weight and just make myself feel better overall. Never tried this one though. xd

[Motif]

Yea man never hurts to give it a try

[Crazy Aces]

Ketosis was so annoying after 3 weeks.

[Motif]

Ketosis was so annoying after 3 weeks.

i tried it recently didn't find it all that bad except the lack of energy

[Triko]

last year when i was on a keto diet i walked straight into a door

thats how fuck'd up this diet is but rlly effective

[Motif]

last year when i was on a keto diet i walked straight into a door

thats how fuck'd up this diet is but rlly effective

Yeah it really fucks with your head i noticed that as well.