The ultimate keto diet guide including sample recipes

This guide will give you an insight into the ketogenic, low-carbohydrate diet and its 3 variations and provide you with some sample recipes for a ketogenic diet.

This guide will cover the following points:

• What ketosis is and how it affects the burning of fat
• The difference between the three standard types of ketogenic diets
• The standard ketogenic diet
• The cyclical ketogenic diet
• The targeted ketogenic diet
• How to put together and fine-tune a ketogenic diet
• What foods you should eat on a ketogenic diet and how much saturated fat is appropriate

An introduction to the ketogenic diet

A ketogenic diet (also known as a "keto" diet) is nothing new, but is a form of nutrition that has enjoyed a strong following in the bodybuilding subculture for decades. In a nutshell, a ketogenic diet is simply a diet that is high in fat and protein and very low in carbohydrates (usually carbohydrates make up less than 10% of the macronutrient intake). Under this condition alone, the body is forced to use fat as an energy source because carbohydrate stores will quickly be depleted.

A ketogenic diet can be effective for many individuals and can also be easily tailored to suit personal goals - whether those goals are to build muscle, lose body fat, develop strength or whatever. Although ketogenic diets are often only used for fitness and health purposes, they are also used in the medical field to treat epilepsy (1).

You might be wondering what makes a ketogenic diet different from any other low-carb diet. The truth is that apart from the fact that some people believe that a ketogenic diet is only effective when the body enters a state known as ketosis, where the body produces ketones or keto bodies as a source of energy, there isn't that much difference. Ketosis - hence the name ketogenic diet - also requires more extreme carbohydrate restriction. However, this assumption is somewhat short-sighted, as we will see later.

In this guide, we'll take a deeper look at the physiology behind the ketogenic diet, the different types and variations of ketogenic diets and how you can put together your own ketogenic diet. To make the latter easier for you, we will present a few sample ketogenic recipes and, last but not least, answer some frequently asked questions.

What exactly is ketosis?

The ketogenic diet takes its name from the fact that a severe restriction of carbohydrate intake can induce a state in the body known as ketosis, in which the levels of so-called keto bodies, also known as ketones, are significantly increased.

Ketone bodies are organic, water-soluble biomolecules that are synthesized in the liver from fatty acids when food intake - more specifically, carbohydrate intake - is limited. These biomolecules can be used as an energy source in different types of tissue in the body.

Ketobodies are continuously produced in low concentrations in the body of healthy people, but the concentrations are normally so low that they cannot be detected by urine testing. When the concentrations of ketone bodies in the bloodstream increase (also known as ketonemia), they are also excreted more in the urine (a process known as ketonuria). Ketonemia and ketonuria together make up the state of ketosis.

Ketogenic diets are therefore methods of inducing nutritional ketosis (not to be confused with the harmful pathological ketosis that can occur in diabetics), which ultimately causes the body to rely on fatty acids and keto bodies as its primary energy sources.

The three main types of ketogenic diets

There are three primary variations of ketogenic diets that we will cover in this article:

• The standard ketogenic diet (SKD for short)
• The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD for short)
• The targeted ketogenic diet (TKD for short)

The type of ketogenic diet you end up using will depend on both your goals and your trial and error experience (more on the specifics below).

The standard ketogenic diet

This is the simplest and most basic variation of a ketogenic diet. Unlike the cyclical and targeted ketogenic diets, the standard ketogenic diet does not have carbohydrate loading phases. Instead, it is a form of nutrition with a static ketogenic food intake (moderate to high protein intake, high fat intake and low carbohydrate intake).

The cyclical ketogenic diet

This variation of the ketogenic diet involves recurring carbohydrate refeeds to help you replenish your muscle glycogen stores for a short period of time after they have been completely depleted. The time window between carbohydrate loading phases can vary depending on your preferences, training intensity and goals.

The targeted ketogenic diet

This final version of the ketogenic diet uses intermittent short periods of carbohydrate intake specifically around the training window. The goal here is to provide you with enough glucose to allow you to maintain your athletic performance without inhibiting ketosis for an extended period of time.

Which type should I use?

The type of ketogenic diet you end up using will be based on several factors. It is generally recommended that you start with a standard ketogenic diet for a few weeks and see how your performance and energy levels feel. From this starting point, you should have a better idea of what form of ketogenic diet you should use in the longer term.

You may also be wondering which type is best for fat loss and which type is best for building muscle. Well, assuming that your calorie intake is where it should be for the goal in question, the type of ketogenic diet you use to achieve your goal won't make too much of a difference to your progress.

Some people may argue that the cyclical and targeted ketogenic diets are better suited to individuals looking to build muscle, as carbohydrates have a protein-sparing effect and are insulinogenic, whereas the standard ketogenic diet is better suited to fat loss, as insulin secretion will remain relatively low. However, these short-term fluctuations in insulin secretion will not play too big a role compared to long-term calorie intake.

Below is a summary of what you should consider when thinking about which version of the ketogenic diet to use:

Standard ketogenic diet

The standard ketogenic diet is best suited to people who are generally sedentary and whose exercise performance is not affected by a sharp reduction in carbohydrate intake. This form of ketogenic diet is also a good option for those who do not exercise very intensively and/or are very insulin resistant.

Targeted ketogenic diet

If you are someone who trains very intensively several times a week and whose training performance suffers from a chronically low-carb diet, it is wiser to use short carbohydrate bursts before and possibly after training. This is also a good option for advanced exercisers who can benefit from short-term carbohydrate intake but do not do well with large carbohydrate meals.

Cyclical ketogenic diet

This form of ketogenic diet is generally considered the most advanced form of ketogenic diet, as it requires some trial and error on the part of the user when it comes to optimizing the time between carbohydrate refeeds and the amount of carbohydrates consumed during these refeeds.

If you are an advanced exerciser who trains intensively throughout the week and feel that your performance is suffering on a standard ketogenic diet and a targeted ketogenic diet, then you should consider a cyclical ketogenic diet and see if it brings your performance back on track.

How to create your own ketogenic diet

Below you will find some necessary steps to calculate your individual energy requirements and your individual macronutrient needs. This will give you a basis for your nutritional intake during a standard ketogenic diet. Users on a targeted or cyclical ketogenic diet can still use their calculations for a standard ketogenic diet with a few adjustments, which I will discuss below.

The general rule of thumb for people who want to lose fat is to aim for a calorie deficit of roughly 500 kcal per day, while those who want to build muscle should aim for a calorie surplus of 500 kcal per day. However, this is a very rough generalization that can vary from person to person depending on their physiological tendencies and other factors. In addition, if you have opted for the cyclical ketogenic diet, it is likely that you will have changed your calorie intake over the course of the week.

Here is an example of how you would calculate the macronutrient intake for a person with 68 kilos of lean body mass on a 2000 kcal fat loss diet:

• Determine your rough calorie requirements using one of the many calorie calculators you can find on the internet.
• Set your protein intake to about 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day: about 150 grams of protein
• Set your carbohydrate intake at 0.2 to 0.5 grams per kilogram of body weight: 15 to 30 grams (we will use 30 grams in the calculations below)
• Since carbohydrates and protein each provide 4 kcal per gram, this equals (150 + 30) x 4 = 720 kcal in the form of protein and carbohydrates.

The remaining calories to reach 2000 kcal per day are the daily fat intake:

2000 - 720 = 1280 kcal / 9 kcal per gram of fat =~-142g of fat per day.

The macronutrient breakdown would therefore be as follows:

• 150 grams of protein per day
• 30 grams of carbohydrates per day
• 142 grams of fat per day

Example with 3 meals per day

• Meal 1-50g protein/10g carbohydrates/48g fat
• Meal 2-50g protein/10g carbohydrates/47g fat
• Meal 3-50g protein/10g carbohydrates/47g fat

Example with 5 meals per day

• Meal 1-30g protein/10g carbohydrates/30g fat
• Meal 2-30g protein/5g carbohydrates/30g fat
• Meal 3-30g protein/5g carbohydrates/30g fat
• Meal 4-30g protein/5g carbohydrates/25g fat
• Meal 5-30g protein/5g carbohydrates/27g fat

Food choices on a ketogenic diet

There are no strict rules about which foods are allowed and which are a no-go on a ketogenic diet. Some people will insist that no starches or sugars should be eaten as these will prevent ketosis from occurring, but with very small amounts of these foods this is very unlikely - which is especially true for heavier people.

During a standard ketogenic diet and the ketogenic phases of the targeted and cyclical ketogenic diets, the following foods are good options due to their inherently low carbohydrate intake and high fat intake:

• Animal proteins (especially red meat)
• Eggs (whole eggs and egg whites)
• Full-fat dairy products such as cheese, cream, butter, etc.
• Oils such as rapeseed oil, peanut oil, linseed oil, macadamia oil, olive oil and coconut oil
• Nuts and variations of nut butters
• High-fiber vegetables and especially green vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, celery, etc.

During the carbohydrate loading phase of the various ketogenic diets, you can temporarily consume starchy foods and sugars - preferably in the form of fruit.

Changes for a cyclical ketogenic diet

At this point, we will take a look at how you can integrate carbohydrates into a ketogenic diet in a cyclical way.

In a cyclical ketogenic diet, it is wise to start with a once-weekly carbohydrate refeed and adjust the intervals between refeeds as needed. This method will require a lot of personal experimentation as you will need to assess how many carbohydrates you should consume based on how you feel on the days following the carbohydrate intake.

The most important thing to consider when starting a carbohydrate refeed is to limit your fat intake. In other words, you should not continue to consume large amounts of fat during a carbohydrate refeed. Protein intake, on the other hand, should remain the same (or even increase given the amount of calories).

Using the above example person with 68 kilos of lean body mass, here are a few basic recommendations for what macronutrient intake might look like on the weekly carbohydrate refeed of a cyclical ketogenic diet based on insulin sensitivity/carbohydrate tolerance:

• Set protein intake at about 2.2 grams per kilogram of lean body mass: about 150g of protein per day
• Low insulin sensitivity: set the carbohydrate intake to 2 to 3.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of fat-free body mass
• Moderate insulin sensitivity: set carbohydrate intake at 4.5 to 5.5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of lean body mass
• High insulin sensitivity: set the carbohydrate intake to 6.5 to 7 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of fat-free body mass
• As before, calculate the total amount of calories and divide the remainder by 9 to find out how much fat you should eat on your carbohydrate loading days.

Note: If you are on a fat loss diet and have moderate to high insulin sensitivity, you can increase your calorie intake on the carbohydrate refeed days to the maintenance calorie amount (or maybe even slightly above).

Example of a cyclical ketogenic diet for a person with moderate insulin sensitivity, 68 kilos of lean body mass during a fat loss diet with a calorie intake of 2000 kcal per day

• Monday to Friday - follow the nutrient breakdown described above for a standard ketogenic diet
• Sunday (carbohydrate refeed, 2500 kcal)-150g protein/300g carbohydrate/~78g fat
• Example of a cyclical ketogenic diet for a person with high insulin sensitivity, 68 kilos of lean body mass during a mass building phase with a calorie intake of 3000 kcal per day
• Monday to Friday - follow the nutrient breakdown described above for a standard ketogenic diet
• Sunday (carbohydrate refeed,)-150g protein/450g carbohydrate/~67g fat

Changes for a targeted ketogenic diet

Let's take a look at how carbohydrates can be used in a targeted way as part of a ketogenic diet (e.g. pre- and post-workout).

Similar to a cyclical ketogenic diet, a targeted ketogenic diet will take some time to figure out how your body responds to a certain amount of carbohydrate and what is the best way for you to time your carbohydrate intake.

Remember that the goal of a targeted ketogenic diet is to consume a sufficient amount of carbohydrates to promote performance benefits without overdoing it on the carbs. A cyclical ketogenic diet is designed to replenish glycogen stores, whereas a targeted ketogenic diet is used more for a short-term energy/performance boost.

Assuming that a person trains intensively 5 days per week, this person would consume carbohydrates with pre- and/or post-workout meals on these days. On the other two days, this person would eat the same macronutrient breakdown as during a standard ketogenic diet.

The nutrient breakdown during a targeted ketogenic diet is the same as a standard ketogenic diet, except that on training days carbohydrates are used around training. Let's look at a possible nutrient breakdown during a targeted ketogenic diet using our example person with 68 kilos of lean body mass during a 2000 kcal fat loss diet depending on the insulin sensitivity/carbohydrate tolerance as a parameter to determine the carbohydrate intake around training:

• Set protein intake at around 2.2 grams per kilogram of fat-free body mass: approx. 150g protein per day
• Low insulin sensitivity: add 0.6 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of lean body mass to the diet during the training window
• Moderate insulin sensitivity: add 0.8 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of lean body mass to your diet during the training window
• High insulin sensitivity: add 1.1 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of lean body mass to your diet during the training window

Now you simply factor in the additional carbohydrates alongside your protein intake and fill the rest of your calories with fat, as we did previously with the cyclical ketogenic diet.

Note: The additional carbohydrate intake relates to the time window around your training. This means you can divide these carbohydrates up as you wish between before, during and after your training, as long as they are consumed within this time window. It is generally recommended to simply split the carbohydrate intake in half and consume one half before and the other half after your workout

Example of a targeted ketogenic diet for a person with low insulin sensitivity, 68 kilos of lean body mass during a fat loss diet with a calorie intake of 2000 kcal per day

• Training days - follow the above nutrient breakdown for a standard ketogenic diet and add 38 grams of carbohydrates around your workout.
• Non-training days - follow the nutrient breakdown for a standard ketogenic diet as described above.
• Example of a targeted ketogenic diet for a person with high insulin sensitivity, 68 kilos of lean body mass during a mass gain phase with a calorie intake of 3000 kcal per day:
• Training days - follow the above nutrient breakdown for a standard ketogenic diet and add 75 grams of carbohydrates around your workout.
• Non-training days - follow the nutrient breakdown described above for a standard ketogenic diet

Example nutrition plan during a targeted ketogenic diet with 5 meals (training day)

Note: The values are based on a person with 68 kilos of lean body mass and a high insulin sensitivity during a 3000 kcal mass-building phase.

• Meal 1 (pre-workout)-30g protein/40g carbohydrates/20g fat
• Meal 2 (after training)-30g protein/35g carbohydrates/20g fat
• Meal 3-30g protein/10g carbohydrates/60g fat
• Meal 4-30g protein/10g carbohydrates/60g fat
• Meal 5-30g protein/10g carbohydrates/60g fat

In the second part of this article, we'll look at some other aspects of ketogenic diets and give you a small collection of sample ketogenic meal recipes before answering some frequently asked questions about a ketogenic diet.

Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/expert-guides/keto-diet