When you are low on carbohydrates, your body needs an alternative source of energy to break down protein from muscle protein. By eating enough protein, you can prevent muscle breakdown and cause your body to burn fat.
This is the goal of the ketogenic diet. It creates the illusion of starvation in the body, although it actually gets enough energy from protein and fat. This diet regimen triggers ketosis, in which the body breaks down fat primarily as a source of energy.
There can be no definitive answer to the question of which diet is the most effective for burning fat. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of a ketogenic diet.
Cons of the ketogenic diet
The main disadvantage of the ketogenic diet is that it severely restricts nutrition. You'll need to cut out all carbohydrates, including vegetables and fruits, for ketosis to start quickly and last.
The disadvantages include the appearance of bad breath, due to the abundance of protein in the diet.
Advantages of a ketogenic diet
On a ketogenic diet, you consume your usual caloric intake (or slightly less), so you are not hungry. Once ketosis kicks in, you can diversify your diet with fibrous vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and asparagus.
Also, super intense training is easier on the keto diet because the body has a store of fat ready to break down. This is useful when preparing for a competition.
Finally, the ketogenic diet produces results much faster than any other weight loss item.
Sample menu on a ketogenic diet
Before we move on to a sample menu for the day, let's define what you can and cannot eat on a ketogenic diet:
- You can: meat, fish, cheese, eggs, oils, protein products with very low carbohydrate content;
- No: sugar, cereals, processed foods, fruits and vegetables, milk (due to lactose).
Now for an example of a daily diet with a ketogenic diet:
Breakfast
- Bacon and eggs
- Late breakfast
- Cheddar cheese, ham
Dinner
- Salmon, avocado (or chicken with mayonnaise)
Before training
- Whey protein, creatine, BCAAs, glutamine
After training
- Whey protein, creatine, BCAAs, glutamine
Dinner
- Steak, spinach with olive oil
Second dinner
- Hard-boiled eggs, turkey breast (or casein protein)