Ketogenic Diet

The goal is to lose fat, not weight.

The ketogenic diet activates your body's natural fat-burning process; it is a strict version of the low carb diet, where the goal is to eat no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.

By following a ketogenic diet you are also improving your energy levels, since overweight, or obese people have much less energy than people who have a healthy body weight.

It should be stressed that obesity is also related to premature aging, so consider fat loss as life insurance.

Your body has three main sources of energy: glucose (carbohydrate), fat, and protein. When we burn fat, we produce substances called ketones (these are produced in the fat-burning process). High levels of carbohydrates in the diet, also known as high-glycemic load foods (bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes), act with the hormone insulin to disable fat burning. It becomes virtually impossible to burn fat if you have raised your insulin levels.

Most calorie-restricted diets produce disappointing results mainly due to the loss of muscle mass. This loss of muscle reduces your metabolic rate (ability to burn calories) and increases your likelihood of getting fat again (yo-yo effect). Losing muscle mass and reducing your metabolic rate tends to create a vicious cycle (gaining and losing fat) that causes hormonal and metabolic abnormalities that eventually promote even more fat.

One of the biggest advantages is reducing your risk of developing chronic diseases. Being overweight dramatically increases your risk of developing a number of chronic diseases. Losing weight and maintaining it improves your long-term health. Excess body fat can also affect your self-esteem. Overcoming a challenge, improving your health and feeling good about your body can improve your ability to achieve, self-esteem and health in numerous ways.