Flavorful, rich foods paired with creamy, hearty sauces help you lose weight!It sounds absurd at first, but a low-carb, high-fat diet is an excellent way to enjoy eating and lose weight at the same time.
Keto diet - fighting fat for the sake of slimness
Fat is a unique flavoring agent that makes our food particularly appetizing.After all, how can a dry chicken breast compare to a juicy piece of pork in a cheese sauce?same thing.
If you eat enough fatty foods, minimizing the intake of carbohydrates, 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 briefly look at the principle of the keto diet - how it works, forcing the body to lose weight, but at the same time eliminates the feeling of hunger and bad mood that are so typical of dietary restrictions.
The basis of the ketogenic diet is food with a high fat content, an optimal amount of protein and a minimal amount of carbohydrates.The portion of the latter should not exceed 25 g per day (the optimal amount is in the range of 20 to 25 g).
The easiest way for our body to produce energy is glucose, the source of which are all types of carbohydrates (such as an apple, which contains two dozen carbohydrates, as well as muffins and candy).But as soon as the supply of this substance is limited, our system begins to use ketones, which are produced in the liver, as fuel.
Ketosis is triggered, a natural process in the body that usually occurs 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 experience a lack of glucose (the source of energy has dried up), so it recruits ketones for work.
In this way, the keto diet helps you lose weight not because of starvation, but because of the low supply of carbohydrates in the "processing plant".As soon as the body switches to using fat 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 prejudice (fat makes you fat, is bad, etc.), do not be afraid of fatty foods, because as part of a low-carb diet, they will be extremely beneficial for the body.
On a ketogenic diet, you will always feel full, energetic 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 a juicy kebab from a fatty piece of pork.
TOP 10 - we eat greasy and tasty!
In some cases, the keto diet can be problematic for people who are not used to eating a lot of fatty foods.That's why we're talking about 10 ways to eat more natural fats, getting overall benefits - both pleasure from eating and effective weight loss.
1. Start with fat-rich whole foods
It's time to say goodbye to low-fat or low-fat foods.Clean the fridge and kitchen cupboards of dried egg mixes instead of real eggs, artificial cream and low-fat peanut butter.Now your breakfast, lunch or dinner will be really tasty!
Get rid of any foods labeled "light" or "diet" - they have no place in your stomach on the keto diet.Replace skimmed milk with the fattest, enjoy heavy cream 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 can't find whole milk or yogurt in a store nearby, feel free to buy a low-fat product because you can increase the fat content yourself.For example, add a few tablespoons of cream or sour cream to 1% drinking yogurt.
View your entire shopping list.Your goal is to stock your fridge with whole, high-fat foods, including avocados and eggs.
When preparing meals, try to add natural fats to them, rather than avoiding them out of old habit.Fry eggs in melted butter, eat your favorite high-fat hard cheeses.
In a word, do not give up the pleasure of eating delicious and fatty food!By the way, you can easily make natural ice cream from cream - just whip 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 minimal amount of carbohydrates (5 g for half a cup of strawberries and 8 g for 2 large apricots).
From now on, prefer fatty meats.In addition, it is more aromatic, tender and cheap, unlike its low-fat counterparts.Include in your diet fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines - 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 pour so much oil into the pan that the pieces of food literally float in it.You no longer need to steam vegetables or bake dry chicken breasts 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 as much fat as is needed to cook the dish.You can always throw away the leftovers - there's absolutely no point in eating them with a spoon.
3. Use different fats - this way you will diversify the taste of the food
Fat can easily change the taste of food, 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 green beans and flavor them with a piece of butter to get a nice aftertaste.
Do you like it thicker?The beans are then fried in oil, and finally drizzled with sesame oil – you will get a wonderful dish.It is not forbidden to sprinkle beans with a spoonful of sesame seeds (this will enhance the taste 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 you can store in the refrigerator or in the kitchen cupboard:
- vegetable oil;
- olives and coconut;
- lard (in any form);
- sesame oil;
- avocado and peanut butter;
- pumpkin butter;
- nut oils (macadamia, almond, etc.);
- chicken, duck fat and other types of animal fat.
Use oil everywhere - on a sandwich, in salads, when cooking, 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 brain every time what to prepare 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.Only 6g of carbs and cooking is as easy as peeling pears - mix the ingredients and fry until golden brown, remembering to brush the chicken with spices and butter.
- Meat cutlets in a creamy tomato sauce with a garnish of steamed cabbage(in butter, of course).Only 10 g of carbohydrates against the delicious taste of a fried cutlet with a flavorful, hearty sauce.
- Keto Roast Pork Pancakes.Only 8 g of carbohydrates and a mind-blowing delight of flavors!Use heavy cream and almond flour to make these pancakes and don't forget to flavor the finished dish with melted butter.
- Hamburger with airy egg bun, fried meat, cheese, vegetables and herbs.This dish will replace any fast food and will bring only 7 g of carbohydrates!By the way, the "bun" itself is very easy to prepare: just beat the yolks and whites separately, then mix in one mass and bake in the oven.You probably already know how to fry meat.Bon appetit!
Low-carb recipes will help you eat deliciously and most importantly - consume a lot of fat, which is so necessary for weight loss on a keto diet.
5. Cover prepared foods with oil, sauce or rich dressing.
Do this with everything you eat.You don't need to swallow olive oil by the spoonful, but adding it to a vegetable salad is your sacred duty.Even avocado, known as a very fatty food, goes well with butter dressing.
There are countless options for sauces:
- pure vegetable oils mixed with herbs and spices;
- cheese and cream sauces, as well as their combinations (tomato, mushroom, etc.);
- melted butter or the "damn" of all mayonnaise.
Always add natural fats to your food as this is the foundation of the keto diet.
6. Nice food = fatty food.Decorate your meals with fatty foods!
For some reason, when we hear the word "fat," our minds conjure up unwieldy pictures of an ugly piece of lard or, even worse, fat on our own bodies.So now is the time to turn your thoughts in the opposite direction, because fat sometimes looks great, not to mention tastes great!
See what you can decorate your dishes with:
- fatty cheeses;
- avocado slices;
- olives and seeds;
- sharp;
- chopped macadamia nuts;
- roasted sesame, almonds;
- mashed avocado, tomatoes and herbs;
- slices of bacon or brisket;
- pine nuts.
These simple foods add variety to the flavor of your food, provide your body with nutrients, and of course, lots of fat!They can be added to almost any meal and are a great addition to your keto diet plan.
7. Check the snacks - are they sure they contain fat?
Snacks and various appetizers are best avoided on any diet, but sometimes they are 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 hard-boiled chicken eggs.
8. Always keep a supply of cheese in the fridge
Because cheese is the best addition to any meal.It works great as a snack and can be eaten for breakfast or as a snack.Use cheese as a side dish - it is great both as an independent dish (for example, a spicy side dish of cheese in the form of tightly rolled cutlets) and as an aesthetic touch to the main dish (in the form of sprinkles).
Prepare great creamy desserts based on cheese and enjoy their taste for breakfast or dinner.Choose any type of fatty cheese with a minimum carbohydrate content - this high-calorie product will quickly fill your stomach, leaving you feeling satisfied with your meal.
9. Add fat to drinks
Your tea, coffee or hot milk will shine with a unique taste if they contain a spoonful of aromatic fats.For example, melt some butter or coconut oil in a bowl.It will take no more than 30 seconds, but the aftertaste of the drink will delight your taste buds for another 15 minutes.
Heavy cream or thick country sour cream 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 breakfast will solve two problems at once: quench your thirst and fill your stomach.
While you indulge in fatty foods and dream of a slim body, do not forget about the sensible approach to business.After all, the excess of fatty foods in some cases risks giving the opposite result - stopping the weight loss process or sharply increasing cholesterol levels.
Especially if you drink the drink on a full stomach, giving the body tons of excess energy.This tool is powerful - use it wisely.
10. Which dessert to choose on a keto diet?
The first tip for all diets is to skip dessert.But, as in the case of a snack, sometimes it's hard to give up the little pleasure that is so missing when losing weight.
If you're determined to treat yourself to something delicious, choose recipes that are high in fat and low in sugar, including artificial sweeteners.Unsweetened whipped cream (30% fat or higher) with raspberries is an ideal choice for a keto dessert.
You can diversify the menu of sweet lovers with fat bombs with vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom.These "sweets" go well with tea or coffee, invariably lifting the mood of those who are losing weight.By the way, such "bombs" contain only 0.4 g of carbohydrates.Write down the recipe, because they are prepared simply and very quickly!
What you will need:
- 85 g of butter (preferably unleavened);
- 0.5 grated coconut (no added sugar);
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom (green);
- 0.5 teaspoon of vanilla extract;
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
How to cook:
- Heat the oil to room temperature.
- Fry the coconut flakes until golden brown.
- Mix the butter, most of the chips, the spices and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Once the mixture has slightly hardened, form it into small balls, roll in the remaining toasted coconut and enjoy!
This dessert can be conveniently stored both in the refrigerator and in the freezer (the expiration date is the same as the oil you used).
How to enhance the weight loss effect of a keto diet?
Fats make our lives tastier, healthier and easier in the true sense of the word, but moderation is important in everything.At each meal, eat moderate portions, do not overeat.The best advice is to get up from the table slightly hungry, because the feeling of satiety comes a little later than the end of the meal.
If you happen to be hungry, this can always be corrected with a small portion of fatty food, but if you overeat, the diet can be considered a failure.Watch your diet: be sure to have plenty of fat and few carbohydrates.Do not deviate from the prescribed course, because this is the basis of the keto diet.
If you want to achieve maximum results, check out some useful tips below.
1. Make signing in easy.
At the beginning of the carb-free journey, fatty foods run the risk of appearing too fat on 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 some time (on average 2-4 weeks).
During this period, try to eat more neutral fatty foods (for example, avocado, cheese and meat fried in a little oil).A smooth transition to foods with a higher fat content will relieve you of hunger and allow your body to get used to a new source of energy without unnecessary stress.
Once you balance the addiction path, the hunger pangs after a "low fat" diet will decrease.From the point of view of the body, this indicates that the adaptation was successful and access to the processing of fat as fuel is completely open (there is no longer a 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 too demanding to the volume of food, then it is time to experiment: try to reduce the amount of natural fat added to the food (at the cooking stage or in the finished dish).
When you're hungry, still choose foods high in fat over carbohydrates.The latter will reduce your efforts to lose weight to nothing.Eat just as much food as you need to satisfy your hunger - let your body burn its internal fat stores, 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 scale, because of which you gave up carbohydrates, there are no more fat reserves left in the body, which day after day were used as a source of energy.
During this period, it is important to listen to the body, to tune in to the same wavelength with it, to learn to read the signals of physical hunger.This is the period in which the amount of fatty foods should be gradually increased.Until you "find" balance, that is, the ability to maintain your weight without feeling hungry.
Do not worry that you may not 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 initial weight), you will acquire good communication skills with your stomach.
The body will only tell you how much food is enough for it to be full.To hear the hint, all you have to do is keep your appetite in hand and resist the temptation to overeat.
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 if enough protein is going 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 the weight, so the calculation is always individual).If you exercise or go to the gym to gain muscle, you should increase the 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 basic rule is: eat until you are full, choose standard portions (or focus on the volume of a glass of 200 grams - eat as much as you can fit).
Have dinner before 8 p.m. - this way you will facilitate the work of the whole organism.Don't think that your stomach will be happy about a meat patty in cheese sauce an hour before bed.Like you, he wants to rest at night and not work at all processing incoming supplies.
Proper nutrition during the day will allow you to calmly survive a 12-hour break without food (evening + night 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 quench your hunger and go to sleep feeling full.And remember that even light physical activity like walking will greatly improve your weight loss results.
Eat deliciously and lose weight with pleasure!