6 Simple Steps to Start the Ketogenic Diet

6 SIMPLE STEPS TO START THE KETOGENIC DIET

1. MAKE THE DECISION
2. FIND THE IDEAL WEIGHT
3. CALCULATE THE MACROS
4. SHOP FOR THE RECOMMENDED FOOD ITEMS
5. CUT THE CARBS FROM THE DIET
6. ADD GREENS, FATS, AND PROTEINS

After you’ve decided to begin this new lifestyle (the Ketogenic Diet), there are a few steps that are crucial to follow. These are finding your ideal weight and calculating your macros, which are explained below. These calculations are targeted toward people with diabetes.

CALCULATE YOUR IDEAL BODY WEIGHT BEFORE STARTING THE KETOGENIC DIETWHAT IS THE IDEAL BODY WEIGHT?

Ideal body weight is the weight that is appropriate for your height, age, and gender. Height is the main factor, then gender and age. After a certain age, humans do not grow in height- that is why height is the most important factor. Females weigh a little less than men.
This is a calculator you can use to determine the ideal weight for your body.

Here’s the math:

Kilograms 

50.0 + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet (men)

45.5 + 2.3 kg per inch over 5 feet (women)

Pounds

111+ 5 lbs. per inch over 5 feet (men)

101 + 5 lbs. per inch over 5 feet (women)

For example – Consider a woman who currently weighs 160 pounds and has a height of 5‘3”. Her ideal weight would be 116 lbs. To achieve that weight, she needs to know how much to eat. This is where macronutrients come into play.

CALCULATE YOUR MACRONUTRIENT NEEDS TO STAY IN KETOSISWHAT ARE MACRONUTRIENTS?

Nutrients are substances needed for growth, metabolism, and other body functions. Nutrients that are needed in large amounts are called macronutrients.

There are three macronutrients required by humans: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Each of these macronutrients provides energy in the form of calories.

• Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram.
• Proteins provide 4 calories per gram.
• Fats provide 9 calories per gram.

Macronutrients are part of all food items and can be found on nutrition labels (in grams). The United States Department of Agriculture has a searchable database that provides macronutrient information for many items.

YOUR PROTEIN NEEDS FOR THE KETOGENIC DIET

The first thing to calculate is the amount of protein needed for your body. There are online calculators available but they may give different values. Protein needs can be calculated as 0.9 to 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram per day depending on how active you are, or 0.4 to 0.6 times your body weight (in pounds). Very active people need more protein as protein affects muscle mass.

For our example, the woman with an ideal body weight of 116 lbs. will need to consume 47 to 68 grams of protein daily. If she is not very active, she should consume closer to 47 grams of protein each day.

For the Ketogenic Diet, it is recommended to consume 75% to 80% fat, 15% to 20% protein and 5% carbs. The woman in the example will need ~50 grams of protein daily.

Once the protein needs have been determined, the next step is to calculate the amount of fat that should be added to the diet. A good rule of thumb is double the amount of protein in grams. The woman in the example will need a minimum of 100 grams of fat. It is alright to have more, but not to the extent where you feel ill.

CALORIE CALCULATION

Although you’ve probably heard to only count carbs and not calories, it is good to be aware of your calorie intake. 1 gram of carbs is 4 calories, 1 gram of fat is 9 calories and 1 gram of protein is 4 calories.

In the example, 50 grams of protein will provide around 200 calories (20%). 100 grams of fat will be 900 calories (75%) and 20 grams of carbs will provide 80 calories (5%). The total number of calories would be 1180. This is a rough estimate. 

WHAT’S NEXT?

Now that the macros are determined, it is time to shop for the recommended food items. very important to keep it simple in the beginning. I have included an easy-to-follow 7-day menu that you can download.