Kido Diet Plan: Calculating Your Calorie Needs For Weight Loss

The keto diet is a popular nutritional approach that involves shifting your body's metabolism to burn fats and ketones instead of carbohydrates for energy. To achieve this, the diet typically recommends a macronutrient ratio of 70% fats, 5% carbohydrates, and 25% protein. The keto diet is often used for weight loss, as it can help the body burn fatty tissues more effectively.

Calculating your ideal keto diet plan involves several steps, with the first being to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the amount of energy your body needs to support vital functions while at rest. This value is calculated using your gender, age, height, and weight, with men and women having different BMR formulas due to variations in body composition.

The second step is to factor in your physical activity level, which will influence your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) or the number of calories burned in a day. This includes your job type and how often you exercise.

The third step is to decide on your target weight and whether you want to maintain, gain, or lose weight. This will influence your calorie intake, with a deficit being necessary for weight loss and a surplus for weight gain.

Finally, you can use a keto calculator to determine your optimal macronutrient ratio and daily calorie intake. These calculations will help you create a meal plan that suits your specific needs and goals. Remember to consult a professional dietitian or doctor before starting any new diet, especially if you have any health conditions.

Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR)

To calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) as part of the Kido diet plan, you will need to take into account several factors. These include your gender, age, height, weight, and physical activity level.

Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to support its vital functions while at rest. In other words, it is how much energy you burn when doing absolutely nothing.

The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is considered one of the most reliable formulas for calculating BMR. This equation differs for men and women:

BMR for men:

BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age in years) + 5

BMR for women:

BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age in years) - 161

Once you have calculated your BMR, you then need to multiply it by a number corresponding to your physical activity level. Here is a list of activity levels with their corresponding multiplying factors:

• Sedentary lifestyle (little or no exercise): 1.2
• Slightly active lifestyle (light exercise or sports 1-2 days/week): 1.4
• Moderately active lifestyle (moderate exercise or sports 2-3 days/week): 1.6
• Very active lifestyle (hard exercise or sports 4-5 days/week): 1.75
• Extra active lifestyle (very hard exercise, physical job or sports 6-7 days/week): 2.0
• Professional athlete: 2.3

It is recommended that you pick the lower number if you are unsure, as most people tend to overestimate their exercise level.

Your BMR will be used to calculate the number of calories your body burns in 24 hours, known as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This value will be important in determining your daily calorie intake to achieve your desired weight goal.

Determine your calorie intake

To determine your calorie intake on the keto diet, you must first calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) – the amount of energy your body needs to support its vital functions. This value is calculated according to two formulas – one for men and one for women:

BMR(men) = (10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm - 5 × age in years + 5) kcal / day

BMR(women) = (10 × weight in kg + 6.25 × height in cm - 5 × age in years - 161) kcal / day

After calculating your BMR, you need to multiply it by a factor corresponding to your physical activity level:

Sedentary lifestyle (little or no exercise): 1.2

Slightly active lifestyle (light exercise or sports 1-2 days/week): 1.4

Moderately active lifestyle (moderate exercise or sports 2-3 days/week): 1.6

Very active lifestyle (hard exercise or sports 4-5 days/week): 1.75

Extra active lifestyle (very hard exercise, physical job or sports 6-7 days/week): 2.0

Professional athlete: 2.3

Once you know the recommended calorie intake for maintaining your current weight, you can modify it to achieve your desired results. You can decide on your target weight and how fast you want to lose or gain weight. A typical keto diet plan allows you to lose 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week. It is generally recommended that you should never go below 1,200 calories a day if you're a woman and 1,800 a day if you're a man.

The keto diet involves a shift in your body's metabolism. Instead of burning carbohydrates to obtain energy, your body will switch to burning fats and ketones. The typical keto macros ratio is 70% fats, 5% carbohydrates, and 25% protein. However, some dietitians recommend increasing the proportion of fats to 75% and cutting protein down to 20%.

To enter ketosis, you need to drastically change your diet and reduce your carb intake. You should focus on eating foods rich in "good fats", such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout), dairy products (eggs, butter, yogurt, cheese), nuts and seeds, oils (olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil), dark chocolate, meat, and green and white vegetables.

In addition to calculating your calorie intake, you can also use a keto calculator to determine your macronutrient needs. These calculators take into account factors such as your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level to provide personalized recommendations for your keto diet plan.

Choose your target weight

The keto diet is a great way to lose weight, but it's important to set a realistic target weight for yourself. This will be different for everyone, and it's crucial to consult a professional dietitian to pick the optimal diet plan for your needs.

Weight Loss

If you're looking to lose weight, you should decide on a target weight that is lower than your current weight. A typical keto diet plan allows you to lose 0.5-1 kg (1-2 lbs) per week. Faster weight loss than this may be dangerous for your health, so be cautious of crash diets that promise rapid weight loss.

Weight Gain

On the other hand, if you're looking to gain weight, you can set a target weight that is higher than your current weight. This might be because you want to build muscle mass, for example.

Maintenance

If you don't want to lose or gain weight, you can simply use the keto calculator to maintain your current weight.

Safety

It's important to remember that you should never go below 1,200 calories a day if you're a woman and 1,800 if you're a man. Make sure to also check your BMI to ensure you won't be underweight once you've completed your keto diet.

Understand your macronutrient needs

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein eating plan. The diet typically consists of 70-80% fat, 5-10% carbohydrates, and 10-20% protein. However, these values can vary depending on your body composition, activity levels, and goals.

Fats

Fats are the primary source of calories on the keto diet, and you can consume significant amounts without impacting ketone levels. The fats you eat are broken down and used to provide fuel for your body, repair cells, and create different chemicals, hormones, and tissues.

Proteins

Protein plays a vital role in the keto diet, but it can be a confusing nutrient. If you don't eat enough protein, you will lose muscle mass. On the other hand, consuming too much protein can raise insulin levels and kick you out of ketosis. Therefore, it's important to stay within a narrow range of protein intake: enough to maintain or gain muscle mass without impairing ketone production.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates have the most profound effect on ketosis. When you ingest carbohydrates, your body will metabolize them first, regardless of how much fat or ketones you are burning. To ensure that your daily food intake doesn't get in the way of ketone production, it's generally recommended to consume no more than 30 grams of carbs per day.

Using a Keto Calculator

To determine your ideal macronutrient ratios, you can use a keto calculator. These calculators take into account factors such as your gender, age, height, weight, and activity level to provide personalized recommendations for your fat, protein, and carbohydrate intake.

Practical Tips

• Include keto-approved protein sources such as fish, shellfish, whole eggs, pork, poultry, organ meat, bacon, sausage, cheese, and keto-friendly protein powders.
• Consume healthy fats like cocoa butter, lard, poultry fat, plant fats (olive, palm, coconut oil), avocado, coconut meat, nuts, and seeds.
• Limit your carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams per day, or even as low as 20 grams if you want to accelerate ketosis.

Plan your keto meals

Planning your keto meals is an essential part of the ketogenic diet. It involves calculating your macronutrient intake, or macros, to ensure your body enters a state of ketosis. This is a natural metabolic state where your body burns fat and ketones instead of carbohydrates for energy.

To plan your keto meals, you need to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy your body needs to support vital functions while at rest. This can be calculated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which takes into account your gender, age, height, and weight. Once you have your BMR, you need to multiply it by a factor corresponding to your physical activity level.

The next step is to pick your target weight and choose a keto diet plan. This will help you determine the number of calories you need to consume to achieve your desired weight. The typical keto macros ratio is 70% fats, 5% carbohydrates, and 25% protein. However, some dietitians recommend increasing the proportion of fats to 75% and reducing protein to 20%.

When planning your keto meals, make sure to include foods rich in "good fats" such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout), dairy products, nuts, seeds, oils (olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil), dark chocolate, meat, and green and white vegetables. Avoid bread, grains, starches, sugary snacks, beans, alcohol, and most fruits.

You can also use keto calculators available online to help you plan your keto meals and calculate your macros. These calculators take into account your personal information, activity level, and weight goals to provide you with a recommended daily intake of fats, carbohydrates, and protein.

Frequently asked questions