M (20)

JUNE 2016 MUSCLE & FITNESS 71

losophy

you cut carbs out of your diet,

body requires an alternative source

ergy to fuel activity. The body

first to muscle tissue; however,

g in an adequate amount of protein

urages your body to use stored body

fat instead. The ketogenic diet is a way

to trick your body into thinking it’s in

starvation mode while you’re still

consuming enough calories from protein

and fat to provide satiety and protect

your muscle mass from being used as

fuel. The ketogenic diet is very similar to

the Atkins diet, with perhaps the biggest

difference being that on Atkins you don’t

pee on ketone strips to determine

whether you’re in ketosis. This is the

condition in which your body is releasing

stored fat to fuel activity, and ketone

bodies are present in your urine,

providing a measurable indication

that you are in this state.

What you should eat

Meat, cheese, oils, fish, eggs, very

low-carb protein products.

What you shouldn’t eat

Processed foods, sugars, grains and

even vegetables and fruits when you

start the diet.

Pros

You can consume your regular amount of

calories, so you’re not likely to suffer from

hunger. Add fibrous vegetables (broccoli,

spinach, other greens) once you reach

ketosis. Some endurance athletes have

started following a ketogenic diet

program, saying that it allows them to

perform at extreme levels without

“bonking”, because they have a ready

supply of body fat and their bodies are no

longer dependent on carbs to fuel activity.

Cons

You can’t eat carbs and stay in ketosis,

making this a fairly restrictive diet. During

the initial stages, it’s best to cut even

fruits and vegies to keep your carb intake

minimal so you can reach ketosis as

quickly as possible. Also, you have to

pee on ketone strips to check your urine

for ketones, which isn’t as fun as you

might think. Finally, it’s not uncommon

for people to develop funky breath

when they enter ketosis.

Why you should follow it

The ketogenic diet is among the fastest

fat-loss diets available because you can

eat just about as much as you want

throughout the day so long as you stick

to the foods in the program.

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HOW TO

FOLLOW THE

KETOGENIC

DIET

You can include plenty of

non-carb dairy, but you

need to cut out milk for

its lactose. Also, take in

low-carb protein shakes

throughout the day.

BREAKFAST

Bacon, eggs

MID-MORNING

SNACK

Cheddar cheese,

no-carb deli meat

LUNCH

Salmon, avocado

(or chicken and mayo)

PRE-WORKOUT

Whey protein,

creatine, BCAAs,

glutamine

POST-WORKOUT

Whey protein,

creatine, BCAAs,

glutamine

DINNER

Flank steak, spinach

with olive oil

BEDTIME SNACK

Boiled eggs, turkey

breast (or casein

protein)

During the
initial stages, it’s
best to cut even fruits
and vegetables to
minimise carb intake
so you can reach
ketosis as quickly
as possible.

CARB CUTTING