How to lose weight once and for all with the keto diet - reviews and results

6 November 2025

After the ketogenic diet became known to the general public, it immediately attracted attention and became a favorite among show business stars.Doctors, nutritionists, doctors and athletes have not yet come to a consensus about its effect and effectiveness, but the number of supporters of this diet is increasing every year.

What is the keto diet?

Keto diet- This is a low-carbohydrate diet characterized by a high amount of fat and a moderate amount of protein in the diet.

Daily food intake is distributed as follows:

up to 10% carbohydrates;
50-60% fat;
30-40% proteins.

Due to the low amount of carbohydrates in the daily menu, the body converts lipids into fatty acids and ketone bodies.The latter enters the brain and serves as an energy source instead of glucose.This process is called Ketosis, hence the name of the diet.

The essence of the keto diet

The features of the diet insist on the absolute exclusion of quickly digestible carbohydrates and the most complex carbohydrates, as well as the absolute exclusion of drinks containing caffeine.The diet is based on fatty meat products and saturated fats.

This way of eating puts the body in a state of stress where it dynamically produces acetone (ketone bodies).The latter, in turn, helps suppress appetite.In ketosis, the body is forced to adapt to burn subcutaneous fat.

Initially, this method of nutrition was not designed to fight excess weight.It was believed to be an excellent aid in the treatment of certain diseases and recovery in the postoperative period.

Basic principles

A few inches of subcutaneous fat is also used in the rehabilitation of athletes and epilepsy and oncology patients seeking a sculpted body.This method of feeding is a very complex and delicate process.

It is based on the following principles:

reduce the minimum amount of carbohydrates consumed;
Strict control over sugar and starch;
maintain drinking balance;
moderate physical activity;
keeping the proportion of fats in the daily diet at 60%;
Protein-fat ratio 1: 2;
Smooth entry and exit from the diet.

Basic rules

Based on the above principles, the basic rules are formed logically, so it is necessary to change the lifestyle, and not a thoughtless and uncontrolled process that can significantly worsen the condition of the body after the KETO diet.

So, the diet rules:

The decrease in the amount of carbohydrates in the daily diet occurs during the first 8-14 days.
The number of main meals is at least 5 per day, but 7 is more.
You need to eat every 3.5-4 hours.
Follow the portai - it should be small.
It is advisable to avoid snacks between "sanction" meals.
The effect of the diet occurs only if it is strictly followed.
It is required to increase the volume of clean water consumed to 3 liters per day.
People who want to follow this nutrition method without medical indications should consult a specialist.
Do not worry about the amount of lipids in the daily menu - people with this style of nutrition are the main source of energy for the human body.
The intensity of physical activity should not be too high.
Some people fast to get into ketosis.Such a radical method is possible, but only if there are no contraindications and the body is completely healthy and strong.

The KETO diet involves giving up some foods and leaning more towards others.To better manage and calculate nutritional intake, below are tables of desired and prohibited foods.

Authorized products

List of nutritional products:

Meat products, poultry;
fish, seafood;
Sausage, mayonnaise;
mushrooms;
Some vegetables, herbs;
Dried fruits, nuts;
Milk, eggs;
fats, oils;
Non-alcoholic beverages.

Prohibited products

The following are strictly prohibited while following a ketogenic diet:

starchy vegetables;
pasta and bakery products, flour;
cereal grain;
sweets;
some types of fruits and juices;
carbonated and caffeinated drinks;
sweetened milk and alcoholic beverages.

Diet for initiating and maintaining ketosis

The essence of the ketogenic diet, as mentioned earlier, is that the body replaces glycolysis with lipolysis.It simply "switches" from the breakdown of carbohydrates to the breakdown of fats.This process is called Ketosis.

When the amount of carbohydrates consumed per day reaches a minimum of 50 g, the formation of ketones begins.From this moment, the body begins to draw energy from fat cells, and therefore the process of losing weight begins.

Entering a state of ketosis does not happen immediately.It takes almost a week for the body to switch to the desired lipolysis.

This happens in four stages:

Stage 1. Unconditional consumption of glucose.After the last meal, the body will consume glucose within half a day.
Stage 2. Glycogen processing.Following glucose, the body moves to glycogen reserves from the liver and muscles.This takes about 48 hours.
Stage 3. Processing of fat and proteins.After avoiding carbohydrates, the body switches to the synthesis of muscle fibers and fatty acids, where energy is returned.This is the most difficult step towards the formation of Ketones.
Stage 4. Fat consumption.Ketosis itself.Fatty acid consumption begins when the body gets used to minimal carbohydrates and sees a slower rate of burning protein.

The diet for active fat burning and therefore maintaining ketosis is based on the principle of the absolute predominance of fats in the menu.

As a percentage:

fats - from 60 to 75%;
Proteins - from 25 to 35%;
carbohydrates - up to 10%.

It should be notedYou shouldn't stop counting calories.Like other nutritional methods, the Keto diet requires consideration of nutrients.In particular, the purpose of following it is to lose weight.

To calculate the necessary amount of nutrients per day, you can use a simple calculation: 1 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, and carbohydrates and fats are divided into percentages.

For example, if a person weighs 80 kg, then he needs 80 g, 8 g of protein, 300 g of lipids and 20 g of carbohydrates.If you feel weak during the transition period (the first week), then you can increase the number of grams of the last nutrients, but not more than 50 units.

There is no fundamental gender difference when creating a proper diet.Basically, if you do not take into account the type of Keto diet, women's and men's menus differ in the amount of protein consumed.For men, more nutrients are required to maintain muscle mass.

Sample Keto Diet Menu One Week

For men

An approximate budget menu for men looks like this:

During the day	Food
1	First: Omelet - 80 g, Beef chop - 120 g, tea - 120 g Second: Chicken breast - 130 g, vegetable salad - 130 g, jelly - 230 g Thirdly: Cut cheese - 160 g Fourth: Fish cooked with herbs - 120 g, brown rice - 80 g, tea - 200 g Fifth: Protein Shake - 200 G
2nd	First: Brown rice pudding - 160 g, toast, tea - 120 g Second: Meat Borscht - 240 g, Chicken Zrazy - 80 g, Cabbage Salad - 80 g, Jelly - 150 g Thirdly: Protein Shake - 300 G Fourth: Seafood salad - 180 g, toast with cheese - 70 g, tea - 200 g Fifth: casein
3rd	First: Ham - 150 g, crackers - 15 g, tea - 120 g Second: Chicken soup - 180 g, beef medallions - 90 g, vegetable salad - 140 g, tea - 180 g Thirdly: cheese - 80 g Fourth: oven baked mushrooms - 120 g, vegetable salad - 150 g, tea - 200 g Fifth: Sweetened Kefir - 230 g
to 4	First:Steamed fish cutlets - 160 g, vegetable salad - 130 g, tea - 120 g Second: Borscht - 270 g, meat salad - 110 g, jelly - 100 g Thirdly: Omelet - 120 gr Fourth: Red fish - 110 g, toast with cheese - 60 g, tea - 200 g Fifth: Protein Shake - 250 gr
Scorpio	First: Boiled eggs - 3 pcs., cooked fillet - 120 g, vegetable salad - 110 g, tea - 120 g Second: Puree soup - 260 g, meat salad - 130 g, jelly - 200 g Thirdly: Rosehip tincture - 250 g, crackers - 20 g Fourth: Baked fish - 180 g, vegetable salad - 120 g, tea - 200 g Fifth: casein
Scorpio	First: Omelette - 120 g, cottage cheese - 110 g, tea - 120 g Second: Fish soup - 260 g, vegetable salad - 130 g, chicken cutlets - 80 g, tea - 200 g Thirdly: Green Apple Puree - 70 G Fourth: Seafood salad - 160 g, boiled chicken - 110 g, tea - 200 g Fifth: Protein Shake - 200 G
to 7	First: Stew with mushrooms - 180 g, crackers - 10 g, tea - 200 g Second: Chicken soup - 160 g, beef cuts - 160 g, vegetable salad - 80 g, jelly - 200 g Thirdly: Cut cheese - 80 g Fourth: Boiled fish - 130 g, vegetable salad - 110 g, tea - 200 g Fifth: unsweetened Kefir - 180 g

For women

Sample menu for women:

During the day	Food
1	First:Omelet - 130 g, meat salad - 130 g, tea - 120 g Second: Meat broth - 210 g, brown rice cooked with vegetables - 180 g Thirdly:cheese - 60 g Fourth: Cooked fish - 150 g, tea - 220 g Fifth: Ryazhenka - 250 gr
2nd	First:Fish cutlet - 80 g, toast with ham - 75 g, rose tea - 130 g Second: Borscht - 200 g, fish cutlet - 75 g, meat salad - 125 g Thirdly: avocado - 50 gr Fourth: Beef concessions - 180 g, tea - 220 g Fifth: Sweetened Kefir - 230 g
3rd	First:Scrambled egg with everything - 80 g, salad with cucumber and egg - 120 g, tea - 120 g Second: Poultry soup - 210 g, minced rabbit - 110 g, fresh vegetables - 80 g Thirdly: Omelet - 160 gr Fourth: Baked fish - 90 g, Zucchini pancakes - 130 g, jelly - 150 g Fifth: Kefir - 230 g
to 4	First:Boiled eggs - 3 pcs., Meat salad - 160 g, nuts - 30 g Second: Fish soup - 230 g, meat medallions - 80 g, vegetable salad - 110 g Thirdly: cheese - 60 g Fourth: Beef pate - 60 g, cucumber salad - 120 g, tea - 220 g Fifth: Ryazhenka - 250 gr
Scorpio	First:Turkey fillet - 120 g, meat salad - 110 g, green tea - 120 g Second: Vegetable puree soup - 170 g, fish cooked with brown rice - 170 g Thirdly: nuts - 30 g Fourth: Fried mushrooms with ham and vegetables - 230 g, tea - 220 g Fifth: Green tea - 220 g
Scorpio	First:Cottage cheese - 130 g, rose tea - 130 g Second: Chicken broth - 130 g, minced pork in cheese fruit - 120 g Thirdly: avocado - 50 gr Fourth: Sausage, ham, tea - 220 g Fifth: Kefir - 230 g
to 7	First:Omelet - 120 g, vegetable salad - 100 g, green tea - 120 g Second: Mushroom soup with meat - 160 g, fried fish - 80 g, vegetable salad - 100 g Thirdly: cheese - 80 g Fourth: Cabbage rolls - 180 g, tea - 220 g Fifth: Green tea - 200 gr

Recipes

This type of diet is not "hungry", so it is not difficult to choose and combine dishes.Here are a few recipes that are easy to make and still stay in Ketosis.

Special Keto Bread

Ingredients:

Eggs - 3 whites;
almond flour - 0.25 cups;
water - 0.25 cups;
chopped plantain - 50 g;
Baking powder - 10 g;
Apple Cider Vinegar - 10 G;
Sea salt - 5 g;
Sesame Seeds (Optional).

Preparation progress:

mix flour, plantain and baking powder;
Bring water, pour into a bowl with dry ingredients;
Add egg whites and vinegar;
Mix the mass with a mixer for 2-3 minutes until it is suitable for modeling;
future breads in any form;
put them on a greased baking sheet;
Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and place in the oven;
Bake for about an hour on the bottom rack at 200 degrees;
readiness is determined by tapping the bottom of the bread;
Ready-made bread makes a "hollow" sound.

Baked salmon with asparagus

Ingredients:

Salmon (fillet) - 1000 g;
asparagus - 130 g;
Mushrooms - 250 g;
onion - 40 g;
garlic - 3 cloves;
soy sauce - 300 ml;
Sesame Oil - 10G;
Butter - 20 g;
Basil - 3 g.

Preparation progress:

Stir in soy sauce, basil, and garlic;
Break up the fish fillet, put it in a sealed bag, pour over the resulting sauce;
and marinate in the refrigerator for 60 minutes;
Heat the oven to 180 degrees;
After the time had passed, he placed the fish and asparagus in the foil-lined baking dish;
Cook for 20 minutes;
During this time, fry the mushrooms and onions in a frying pan;
Then spread this mixture on the cooking fish;
Cook for another 10 minutes.

Chicken stew with cheese and olives

Ingredients:

Chicken (Breasts) - 700 G;
Pesto sauce - 90 g;
cream (whipped) - 400 ml;
Olive (Marinaden) - 200 G;
Feta cheese - 250 g;
garlic - 1 clove;
frying oil;
green;
Oil (olive) - 40 g;
Salt (sea) - 10 g.

Preparation progress:

Wash the meat, shred it, add salt;
Fry until golden brown on both sides;
Mix cream and pesto sauce in a bowl;
Place chicken in breadcrumbs;
Put finely chopped garlic, olives and cheese on top;
pour the sauce with cream;
baking in the oven for half an hour at 200 degrees;
If the edges of the dish are sandy, you can wipe it off - the stew is ready.

Roast

Ingredients:

beef - 2 pieces without bones;
Onion - 1 pc.;
garlic - 1 clove;
Tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
vinegar (apple) - 50 g;
oil (olive) - 30 g;
Ground ginger - 7 g;
salt (sea) - 2 g.

Preparation progress:

Wash the meat, make shallow cuts on top of the steaks;
Peel the onion and cut into small cubes;
Cut the tomatoes into cubes;
Place the steaks in a preheated frying pan greased with olive oil;
brown on both sides over medium heat;
Then tomato cubes, onions and crushed garlic to the meat;
fry, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes;
Put ginger in a separate bowl, add salt, pour vinegar;
Add the resulting sauce to the meat, mix;
turn the fire to minimum intensity;
close the lid until the liquid evaporates;
When serving, sprinkle with herbs.

The effectiveness of the keto diet

As already mentioned, there is no consensus on the effectiveness of this feeding method.The keto diet is quite controversial.There are contraindications, advantages and disadvantages.Not suitable for everyone.

But one thing is certain - if the relevant rules and nutrition principles are followed, after a ketogenic diet, a person is "doomed" to lose 1 to 3 kg of weight per week.It is widely used by celebrities to get rid of extra centimeters, by athletes to create a famous body, and is also prescribed for certain diseases.

To increase the effectiveness of the diet, it is advisable to follow some rules:

Choose a complex of vitamins and minerals protect the body.
You need to undergo a medical examination,Making sure there are no contraindications to maintaining this style of eating.The ketogenic diet requires "iron" health, except in certain circumstances.
Carefully consider the possibility of eliminating certain products.If it is not possible to limit yourself, for example, in eating bread or pasta, it is better to choose a different way of eating, so as not to put yourself in a state of even greater stress.
In the first or second week, even though the metabolic process is reset, try not to bring your lifestyle to fanatical activityAnd do not plan too high physical and mental stress.When the body enters a ketotic state, there is unlikely to be any increase in athletic performance or mental performance.
It takes some time and skill to develop the habit of preparing meals properly while sticking to keto.Therefore, you should try to plan your day so that there is no opportunity for an "unauthorized" snack.
To minimize the negative effects of the diet, you should not forget to include fiber-rich foods in your diet.They improve and normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
It will be impossible to avoid the unpleasant smell of acetone, so it is recommended to double your consumption of clean water.Proper water balance is key to effective weight loss.
It maintains the electrolyte balance, which is equally important in the process of getting rid of an unnecessary centimeter.Eating a little salt will not only improve the taste of food, but will also have a positive effect on your well-being.

Goals (lose weight, cut, lose weight, etc.) with goals (cut, weight gain, etc.), the necessary diet option is selected.

Fraud

Classic (standard or basic)

This type is considered the most common and simple diet.
In the diet, it is characterized by a moderate protein content, a high fat content and an extremely minimal amount of carbohydrates.
Recommended for people with zero or low physical activity.

Target

This variety, adding carbohydrates to the diet, but at certain times and in a certain volume.
The so-called carbohydrate loading occurs on training days.
To increase endurance and intensity, charcoal is consumed during pre-workout (before and after exercise).
On rest days, the amount of carbohydrates is reduced to a minimum (0.5 or 1 g of body weight) to maintain ketosis, not to exceed the caloric content of the daily diet.

Cyclic

This is an option for "advanced".Periodic carbohydrate feeding is included.
The interval between "sets" of carbohydrates depends on the goals, purpose and intensity of physical activity.
At the same time, the weight of fats in the diet is reduced, proteins are increased, and 7-10 g of coal per 1 kg of body weight falls.
The charging time varies from 8 to 36 hours.
Taking into account the condition of the body, the intervals can be increased.
It is recommended for people with high physical activity who feel weak due to the lack of carbohydrates.

Thing

The diet showed:

Those who want to lose weight, be thin, gain muscle mass;
for epilepsy;
for oncological diseases.

Considerations

This way of eating is not "starvation".The feeling of hunger appears extremely rarely.
Changing your metabolism through ketosis promotes faster weight loss than other methods.
There is no clear order to the menu;The food is quite diverse.You just need to follow the nutritional intake formula.
The value of following a keto diet has been proven for cancer, epilepsy and other diseases.
Products on the ketogenic diet white list have a low glycemic index.Eating them has a positive therapeutic effect and helps in the treatment of acne.
You are likely to lose muscle mass at the same time as it is high in subcutaneous fat that burns.

Disadvantages

Along with the positive effects of following a keto diet, this technique is not without its drawbacks:

A balanced diet.
The appearance of the smell of acetone from the mouth or skin.
When entering ketosis, you often feel nausea, fatigue, lethargy, and concentration.
There are contraindications.
Frequent constipation (or other intestinal problems) due to the lack of necessary vegetables and fruits in the diet.

Ketogenic diet

For epilepsy

This feeding method was originally invented specifically for the treatment of epileptic seizures in adults and children.

Doctors say that when fats are processed in the body, Ketogens are formed and this has the ability to reduce the frequency of seizures in children and adults.

An unbalanced diet and fatty foods can cause problems with the liver and kidneys, experts are very skeptical about this way of eating.In medical practice, there are equal numbers of positive and extremely negative results from its use.

The decision to use a ketogenic diet by epileptics can only be made by a specialist.Treatment with this method is carried out strictly under the supervision of a doctor!

For oncology

Studies have shown that for people with cancer, the combination of classical therapy and a ketogenic diet reduces the risk of metastasis and disease by 75%.

Unlike patients who eat normally, supporters of the KETO diet feel better, the body recovers faster, and the treatment has positive dynamics.The state of ketosis deprives cancer cells of energy, causing them to starve, which greatly improves the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy.

Contraindications

As mentioned above, the KETO diet has a number of contraindications.

If you cannot comply with this:

lactation and pregnancy;
High cholesterol level;
diabetes mellitus;
the presence of kidney, gastrointestinal and heart diseases;
porphyria;
lipid indigestion;
hormonal imbalance.

To conclude

The positive effect of this way of eating manifests itself in different ways depending on the individuality of the body.Depending on the type of diet chosen, a weight loss of 5 to 10 kg is most likely in the first month.

To save the result, you need to follow a few simple rules:

To maintain the result and not to put the body in a state of stress after finishing the Keto diet, it is necessary to exit this diet gradually.
Do not indulge in forbidden foods in your diet.- The risk of regaining lost kilograms in double volume is very high.
The amount of fat in the diet should be gradually reducedand add 5 g of carbohydrates per day.
With proper adherence to the ketogenic diet and periodic medical examinationsIn addition, by getting rid of excess weight, it is possible to improve not only external information, but also to radically change the quality of life in a positive direction.

Some people see results in the second week, while others have to wait up to three months.Such a change in time frame does not indicate the ineffectiveness of the diet;In all likelihood, adjustments to the ratio of nutrients in the diet are required.