Milly Gaines
The ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet, is a low-carbohydrate, fat-rich eating plan that has been used for centuries to treat specific medical conditions. It involves restricting carb intake and replacing them with fats, putting the body into a state of ketosis. To calculate the number of net carbs in a serving, subtract the amount of fibre from the total number of carbs. The keto diet is distinctive for its exceptionally high-fat content, typically 70% to 80%, though with only a moderate intake of protein. To calculate your keto macros, you can use a keto calculator, which allows you to plan your calorie intake on a weekly basis based on your fitness goals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Weight loss, increased energy, diabetes control, epilepsy treatment, management of cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease |
| Macronutrient Ratio | Typically 70-80% fats, 5-10% carbohydrates, and 20-25% protein. Some recommend up to 75% fats and 20% protein. |
| Calorie Intake | Depends on fitness goals (weight loss, maintenance, or gain) and physical activity level. |
| Carbohydrate Intake | Less than 20-50 grams per day to induce ketosis. |
| Net Carbs | Calculated by subtracting fiber content and half the sugar alcohol content from total carbohydrates. |
| Protein Intake | Average recommended daily intake is 46g for females and 56g for males. Excess protein can prevent ketosis. |
| Food Choices | High-fat, low-carb foods like cheese, dark green vegetables (e.g., broccoli), berries, almond or coconut flour-based bread, sugar-free drinks. |
| Considerations | Consult a professional dietitian or doctor before starting. May experience "keto flu" due to drastic nutritional changes. |
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What You'll Learn
Calculating net carbs
The ketogenic or “keto” diet is a low-carbohydrate, fat-rich eating plan that has been used to treat specific medical conditions. The premise of the ketogenic diet for weight loss is that if you deprive the body of glucose, an alternative fuel called ketones is produced from stored fat. This state is called ketosis.
To calculate net carbs, it is important to understand that net carbs are the amount of carbohydrates that are directly absorbed by the body and contribute calories. Net carbs are the carbohydrates in food that you digest and use for energy. The body doesn't completely break down and absorb some types of carbs, like fibre and sugar alcohols. These carbs pass through the body without being digested.
To calculate net carbs, take a food’s total carbohydrates and subtract the dietary fibre. Dietary fibre is a carb, but the body doesn’t have the enzymes to break it down. It passes through the digestive system unchanged. Similarly, sugar alcohols are not absorbed by the body and can also be subtracted from the total carbohydrates.
Net carbs are important for keto dieters as they give a true sense of how many carbs their body is using for energy. On a standard ketogenic diet, net carb intake can be as low as 20 grams per day, or 5 to 10% of total calorie intake. However, the right number of net carbs depends on the individual. More active people, for example, might be able to consume more carbs and stay in ketosis.
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Macronutrient ratios
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, fat-rich eating plan that has been used to treat specific medical conditions. The diet involves restricting carbohydrate intake and replacing them with fats, putting the body into a state of ketosis. To stay in ketosis, a person requires up to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. The macronutrient ratio for the keto diet is typically 70% fats, 5% carbohydrates, and 25% protein. Some dietitians recommend increasing fat intake to 75% and reducing protein to 20%.
The keto diet is distinctive for its exceptionally high-fat content, typically 70% to 80%, with a moderate intake of protein. The premise of the ketogenic diet for weight loss is that depriving the body of glucose, the main source of energy, will cause an alternative fuel called ketones to be produced from stored fat. The brain demands a steady supply of glucose, about 120 grams daily, as it cannot store glucose. During fasting or very low carbohydrate intake, the body first pulls stored glucose from the liver and temporarily breaks down muscle to release glucose. If this continues for 3-4 days and depletes stored glucose, blood insulin levels decrease, and the body begins to use fat as its primary fuel.
To calculate your keto macros, you need to first determine your fitness goal: losing weight, gaining weight, or maintaining weight. This determines your daily calorie needs, with weight loss requiring a calorie deficit and weight gain requiring a calorie surplus. Once you know your daily calorie needs, you can calculate your keto carb needs, which is generally recommended to be less than 20 to 50 grams per day to promote ketosis. The exact amount varies depending on your calorie intake. For example, if you consume less than 2,000 calories per day, 20 grams of carbs are adequate for reaching 5% of calories from carbs.
After determining your carb intake, you can calculate your protein and fat needs. Protein provides four calories for every gram, while fat contains approximately nine calories per gram. Subtract the calories from carbs and protein from your total daily calorie needs, then divide the remaining calories by 9 to get your daily fat needs in grams. To calculate the percentages of each macronutrient, divide the calories from each macro by your daily calorie needs and multiply by 100%.
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Calorie intake
Once you know your daily energy needs, you can calculate your macronutrient goals. The ketogenic diet is characterised by a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat intake, with moderate protein consumption. Typically, 70% of a person's intake is fat, 20-25% is protein, and 5-10% is carbohydrates.
Research suggests that consuming less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day is sufficient to promote ketosis in most people. However, the exact amount can vary, and some recommend starting with 20-25 grams of carbohydrates per day. If this is challenging, you can increase your intake to 50 grams.
You can calculate your calorie intake from carbohydrates by multiplying your grams of carbohydrates by four, as each gram of carbohydrates provides four calories. The same calculation can be used for protein. Fat contains approximately nine calories per gram.
For example, if your daily calorie intake is 1,800 calories, and you consume 600 calories from protein and 80 calories from carbohydrates, you would calculate your fat intake as follows:
- Add the calories from protein and carbohydrates: 600 + 80 = 680
- Subtract this amount from your total daily calorie intake: 1,800 - 680 = 1,120
- Divide the remaining calories by the number of calories per gram of fat: 1,120 / 9 = 124 grams of fat per day
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Weight goals
Weight loss is a common goal for those considering a ketogenic diet, and the diet has been shown to be an effective way to lose weight. The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that causes weight loss and provides numerous health benefits.
The keto diet involves consuming a very low amount of carbohydrates and replacing them with fats to help your body burn fat for energy. This reduction in carbohydrates puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, which is a natural metabolic state that results from fat breakdown. The keto diet may be slightly more effective for long-term weight loss than a low-fat diet.
The first step in calculating your macros is establishing your basic energy needs, body type, weight, and activity levels. The keto calculator will help you find the exact amount of carbs, fat, and protein you need to reach your goal weight. It uses your gender, age, height, and weight to find your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy you spend per unit of time while resting. Your BMR determines how many calories your body burns when resting. As muscle mass lowers, the basal metabolic rate drops.
To lose weight, it is recommended to cut 500 calories per day from your daily calorie expenditure. As a rule of thumb, women should never go below 1,200 calories a day, and men should not go below 1,800. It is recommended to lose 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week. Faster weight loss may be dangerous for your health, and a slower pace requires patience.
If you are trying to lose weight, your macros and calorie requirements will be different from someone trying to maintain their body weight. To maintain muscle mass while losing weight, input 0.60–0.80 grams per lb of lean body mass (1.3 to 1.7 grams per kg LBM). To gain muscle mass, the protein ratio should be between 0.8 to 1.2 grams per lb of LBM (1.7 to 2.3 grams per kg LBM).
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Food groups to avoid
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that causes weight loss and provides numerous health benefits. It involves limiting carb consumption to around 20 to 50 grams per day and filling up on fats, such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils. It is also important to moderate protein consumption as it can be converted into glucose if consumed in high amounts, potentially slowing down your transition into ketosis.
Sugary Foods and Drinks
Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cakes, ice cream, candy, and other sugary snacks are loaded with carbohydrates and should be avoided. Even natural fruit juices and smoothies are high in fast-digesting carbs that spike your blood sugar. Instead, stick to water or no-sugar drinks. While you should avoid all forms of sugar, you can substitute it with stevia or artificial sweeteners.
Grains and Starches
Grains and starches, including wheat-based products, pasta, rice, and cereal, are high in carbohydrates and should be limited or eliminated. This also includes gluten-free bread and muffins, which can be as high in carbohydrates as traditional baked goods.
Fruits
All fruits, except small portions of berries, should be avoided due to their high carbohydrate content. Berries have lower carbohydrate levels and do not cause your blood sugar to spike as quickly as other high-sugar fruits.
Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes are high in fiber and protein but also contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. They may be included in small amounts, but they can quickly add up to a large percentage of your daily carb intake.
Root Vegetables and Tubers
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips are starchy vegetables that contain more digestible carbohydrates than fiber and should be limited.
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages typically contain a high percentage of carbohydrates and should be avoided.
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Frequently asked questions
The keto diet, or ketogenic diet, is a low-carbohydrate, fat-rich eating plan that has been used for centuries to treat specific medical conditions. The diet involves restricting carb intake and replacing them with fats, putting the body into a state of ketosis.
To calculate your keto macros, first determine your fitness goal: are you trying to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your weight? This will determine your calorie intake. Once you have this number, you can calculate your keto carb needs, which is generally recommended to be under 50 grams per day. You can then calculate your protein and fat needs.
The keto diet is very restrictive and excludes a wide range of foods, including bread, pasta, rice, cereal, some fruits and vegetables, beans, and legumes. Cheese and dark green vegetables like broccoli are good sources of fat and low in carbs, making them keto-friendly.
