Understanding the Ketogenic Way
Whether you’re new to the ketogenic way of eating or you’ve started your journey and it’s time to re-evaluate your macronutrient settings, this is the simplest way to do it.
Let’s calculate your needs & get you started on your way.
What is the Ketogenic diet?
- High fat, adequate protein, low carbohydrate.
- Typical range for macronutrients are
- Fat: 60-75% of caloric intake
- Protein: 15-30% of caloric intake
- Carbs: 5-10% of caloric intake
What are macros?
- Macronutrients (Macros) provide energy for our bodies and include protein, carbohydrates and fats.
Carbohydrates: most people are able to maintain a level of ketosis while taking in 50 g or less of carbohydrates. These will come from vegetables (10-15g) nuts & seeds 5-10g,& fruits (5-10 grams)
- Your brain can use glucose or ketones to fuel the brain. Small amounts of glucose are necessary in our bodies (for thyroid health) but our body is able to produce it via gluconegenesis.
- Focus on the glycemic load (Glycemic index); it is the rise it causes of your blood sugar levels when that food is ingested. You want LOW glycemic foods.
- KEY NOTES:
- Total carbs are incapable of being less than listed fiber
- Total carbs minus fiber cannot be less than the listed sugars (nets carbs = sugar + lactose + other sugars)
- Total kcalories = calories from protein + calories from fat + calories from total carbs (without subtracting fiber)
- KEY NOTES:
- Focus on the glycemic load (Glycemic index); it is the rise it causes of your blood sugar levels when that food is ingested. You want LOW glycemic foods.
Protein: too little protein will result in the breakdown of muscle and end in the reduction of lean body mass thus leading to a decreased metabolism (meaning you’ll burn less calories); furthermore, too much protein will convert to glucose in your body and result in being kicked out of ketosis.
- The typical need is 0.6 – 1.0 grams of protein per 1 lb of lean body mass. Lower end for mostly sedentary lifestyle & higher end for those who stress their muscles & those who have large caloric deficits.
- Example: 120 lbs – 30% body fat = 84 lbs
- 84 lbs x 0.6 grams of fat = 50g (minimum)
- 84 lbs x 1.0 grams of fat = 84g (maximum)
- Sedentary = 0.6g
- Lightly active = 0.7g
- Moderately active = 0.8g
- Very active = 0.9g
- Extremely active = 1.0g
- Example: 120 lbs – 30% body fat = 84 lbs
Fats: These are a cushion in your daily intake to help keep you feeling full and satisfied, this is not a goal, it is a range of acceptable intake. The less fat you require daily to maintain satiety the more stored fat your body will utilize and burn. Consider your daily fat allowance a buffer.
- Essential body fat for women: 8 to 12%
- Essential body fat for men: 3 to 5%
What is a deficit & surplus?
In correlation to the ketogenic diet deficit and surplus pertains to caloric intake. With weight loss a deficit is necessary and with muscle gain a surplus is utilized.
- Deficit = 10-20% standard, 20-30% high deficiet
- Surplus = 5-10%
Why is the carb allowance so low?
This allows a ketotic metablolic state and starves the body of carbohydrates forcing it to utilize fat as its primary fuel system.
Why is my body fat % important?
Body fat percentage – the amount of lean body mass minus total body mass will give you the body fat %. The most accurate way to measure this number is using a DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan, there is also the skin fold measurement which uses a skinfold caliper.
Body Fat Chart | ||
Classification | Women | Men |
Essential Fat | 10-12% | 2-4% |
Athletes | 14-20% | 6-13% |
Fitness | 21-24% | 14-17% |
Acceptable | 25-31% | 18-25% |
Obese | 32% plus | 25% plus |
SOURCES:
Phinney and Volek, The Art and Science of Low-carbohydrate Living).