Not Another Diet Article - Cyclical Ketogenic Diet

Cyclical Ketogenic  Diet  - Give me a quick explanation please...

All  diets  take discipline, some more than others. The cyclical ketogenic  diet  (CKD) is no exception. In addition to a healthy dose of discipline, the CKD also requires some calculations and calorie watching.

We are all equal, yet no two bodies are the same. That is exactly why there is no "one size fits all" for this and many other  diets .

Simply put, the CKD is a cycle between periods of eating varying levels of fat, protein and carbohydrates. It includes 5-6 days of eating a  diet  consisting of high-fat, high-protein and low-carbs. This is followed by 1-2 days of low-fat, high-protein and high-carbs.

Cyclical Ketogenic  Diet  - I just want to lose my extra fat please...

Most of us have fuelled up a car at some point in life (and watched as the price kept rising). So we all should know that some cars run on gasoline, while others run on diesel.

Now, imagine having a car that let YOU decide what type of fuel it would run on! If gasoline hit rock bottom prices, fill up with gas. Otherwise use diesel - whichever is cheaper. This would be a dream come true for most drivers.

How excited would you get if I told you that our bodies already have that ability?

Conventionally, most of us have been getting our fuel from carbohydrates (aside from  dieting ). The common symptom from people suffering from "carb withdrawal" is a lack of energy. This is what happens when you decide to cut down on carbohydrates. Here is the exciting part... there is a way to tell your body to use fat for energy instead of carbs! If your eyes light up as you read that last sentence then keep reading...

Cyclical Ketogenic  Diet  - That's nice, but how does it lead to six pack abs?

When you stop eating carbs (or substantially minimize your carb intake) your body says, "oh no! Now where am I going to get my energy from?"

If those carbs are replaced with healthy fat, it's like telling your body, "hey, carbs got to expensive... I'm switching you to fats instead."

The fancy name for having that "conversation" with your body is The Metabolic Switch - burning fat for energy, instead of carbohydrates. However, you can't just switch back and forth whenever you feel like it and expect to lose fat while discovering your six pack abs in the mirror. There is a method to the madness. Keep reading...

Cyclic Ketogenic  Diet  - Eat more fat to lose more fat!?

By now, you might be considering doing the metabolic switch and telling your body to use fat for energy. Congratulations, you now have to start eating more fat and protein while nearly eliminating any carbs (the less carbs you eat, the better). But wait! Finish this article before you run to the fridge to grab a brick of butter!

The purpose of the cyclic ketogenic  diet  is to lose extra fat. Yes, it's true that you will be eating a lot of fat and protein; however, your body will also burn that extra fat you want to lose... if you eat the right amount of total calories (from fat and protein) per day. Confused? Then read the example below.

For example only (please do not use these numbers on yourself, it's only an example):

• You need to eat a total of 1800 calories per day to maintain your current weight (60% from fats, 35% from protein, 5% from carbs)
• If you only eat 1300-1400 calories per day, your body says, "I STILL NEED MORE FUEL!"
• Since you cut down on carbs and the majority of your  diet  is fat, your body starts looking for more fat for energy... and guess where it finds that extra fat?
• Yup, that's right, that stubborn body fat that you have been trying so hard to lose becomes an energy source!
• Your body says, "Hey, I found all this extra fat so I'm going to burn it for energy."
• Day by day, your body fat is reduced and the mirror becomes your best friend.
• Exercising also helps... but you already knew that.

The result of all of this is that your body is now trained to burn that extra fat and you can finally plan the return (or arrival) of your six pack abs. Go jump for joy, then come back to read the rest.

Cyclic Ketogenic  Diet  - Carbohydrates are our friends sometimes...

This  diet  is "cyclic." In other words, there is a cycle that you should repeat. It involves eating carbs, so pizza and bread lovers rejoice!

Without going into too much detail, the purpose of 1-2 days of high carb intake is to refill the glycogen stores in your muscles. Glycogen is the main source of food for your muscles. As you use your muscles throughout the week (hopefully you use your muscles), glycogen reserves slowly begins to empty. Therefore, increasing carb intake for a couple days a week fills up your muscle energy tanks again. Now you're ready to hit the gym with full force!

Cyclic Ketogenic  Diet  - I could do all that, if I knew how much to eat...

The most time consuming part of the CKD is planning your meals out. Ideally, you want to aim for 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs. These percentages are based on the recommended total caloric intake for your body. So don't go eating 4000 total calories a day and expect the results you're after. There are calculations of lean body mass and body fat percentage that need to be done. Like I said before, the hardest part (aside from the actual  diet ) is doing the research. Learning to do everything yourself AND counting calories for every meal can be challenging... make your  diet  easier and more efficient by getting a computer to do all the hard work for you.

Whew! That was a lot of reading. If you made it this far then you now enough to get started. The rest is up to you. Would you rather do all the math? Or, are you interested in having it all done for you so you can focus on more important things?

Either way, good luck and happy  dieting !

Tweet