Hello Steemit! This Is An Introduction To A Ketogenic Diet. My guide to effective weight loss. Feedback appreciated.

Hello Steemit Community! This is my guide to a ketogenic diet. If you find anything wrong, have questions or need more clarification please leave a comment and i will respond as soon as possible. I worked hard on this post so any feedback is very appreciated.

A ketogenic diet is based on the process that your body goes through when you consume no carbohydrates for an extended period of time. Our bodies are used to running off of carbohydrates and sugars, with a ketogenic diet you stop consuming those in favor of fat. yes, FAT. It may seem crazy but there is scientific proof that when you stop eating carbohydrates and sugars, your body will naturally switch over to using fat as an energy source. So all you have to do is eat properly, and your body will do the rest.

You might think this all sounds too good to believe, trust me its not. There are no supplements or guides to buy. This isnt like those scams where you have to take a magic powder and you lose 10lbs in 10 days. I have lost 17lbs in 4 weeks doing this diet. The most important thing to do is to measure what and how much you eat.

Thinks you previously thought were bad for you are now your best friends. For example, butter. I will guess that most of us consider butter to be unhealthy, but having an organic and whole butter is one of the best things you can eat on a ketogenic diet. Your fat sources range from butter, sausage, beef, cheese, avocados, sunflower seeds, coconut oil and so many more.

Here are a few guide lines that helped me get started.

1. Calculate your BMI and passive calories burnt. This is the amount of calories your body burns in a day while you do nothing.
   http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/calories-burned
   Simply put in your height, weight, age and sex.
   
   After you get your number, multiply by 0.70 to get 70% of your total calories burnt. For example:
   2500 x 0.70 = 1750.
   If any exercise is done during the day, add the amount of calories burnt into the equation. For example, we ran for 30min and burnt 500 calories.
   2500 + 500 = 3000. 3000 x 0.70 = 2100.
   Now you have your daily calorie goal.

2. We need to do more math :(
   Once you have your calories burnt, we need to multiply by 0.70, 0.25, 0.05.
   You will need to get 70% of your calories from fat, 25% from protein, and 5% from carbohydrates.
   Do these separately. Using the 1750 calories burnt from the earlier example:
   Fat : 1750 x 0.70 = 1225
   Protein : 1750 x 0.25 = 437.5
   Carbs : 1750 x 0.05 = 87.5

3. EVEN MORE MATH. IM SO SORRY
   Using the values we go from step 2, we will divide the numbers one last time and we will be finished with the math. I promise!
   Fat : 1225. Divide by 9 to the the amount of grams needed from fat needed in 1 day. so 1225 / 9 = 136g of fat
   Protein : 437.5. Divide by 4 to get the amount of grams needed from protein in 1 day. so 437.5 / 4 = 109g of protein
   Carbs : 87.5. Divide by 4 again to the amount of grams needed from carbohydrates in 1 day. so 87.5 / 4 = 21g of carbs

4. Finally, done with math. We have your numbers.
   136g of fat
   109g of protein
   21g of carbs
   These are the amount of each macro nutrient you will have to consume each day.
   Keep in mind these are estimates, however they were effective enough for me.

5. READ THE LABELS. You would be surprised what some foods contain. Sugars and carbs are hidden everywhere. I suggest downloading myfirnesspal. Its a free app that lets you scan the barcode of your food and it tells you exactly what is in it. This really helps you stop overeating and also eating the wrong types of food.
   
   This is an example of what the app looks like when you are done signing up and providing your data.
   (There is a paid subscription in the app, i use it, but it is not necessary. If you buy subscription, you get more info and you dont have to do the math above. But i wouldn't say that it is a must have. Ive given you the tools to calculate what you need and to use this app as only a way to keep up with what you eat. Either way, free or paid this guide works.)

6. Eat way more vegetables than you have ever before.
   I recommend at least 6-7 cups of vegetables a day.
   Here is a guide of what vegetables are good for a ketogenic diet.
   
   (Photo from 1st Link. Credit to Ruled.me)
   Links to other source as well.
   https://www.ruled.me/best-low-carb-vegetables-ketogenic-diet/
   https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2015/01/03/Keto-Diet-Food-List-What-to-Eat-and-Avoid

7. Ok I lied, 1 more math problem, but its very small.
   When eating your vegetables, table away the amount of fiber from your total carbs. For example, this is 100 grams of broccoli.
   6 total grams of carbohydrates, with 2 grams of fiber. So net carb for 100g of broccoli would be 4g instead of 6g.

8. Drink Way more water than you think you need.
   A difficulty with this diet is losing a lot of water weight. I drink a gallon of water a day. This may be too much for you if you have a smaller frame, but i also wouldn't recommend going over this amount either.

9. Refuel your body.
   I recommend taking a multivitamin. Your body will start to lack some essential nutrients and minerals, however a multivitamin will help keep the levels balanced.

10. Lemon Juice / Apple Cider Vinegar.
    These Two liquids are miracles. Lemon juice helps provide nutrients to the body as well as improve liver health. Apple cider vinegar is also very good for the body. I recommend taking a table spoon of vinegar a day, and the juice of lemon.

11. Cheese is your friend.
    Cheese is an excellent source of fat and protein, with very low carbs. You can almost have any cheese you want. Make sure to read the label and get the highest quality cheese you can.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAnd thats its for now. There is so much more to know about a ketogenic diet. Ive been writing this for hours now, and im sorry for any mistakes i have made throughout. Any feedback is appreciated, im new to the site and wanted to let you guys on here know about this diet. If you guys want a follow up, i can make another post with more information. Have fun and good luck
(also please do your own research as well, don't take my words as being the only way this can be done. You should always inspect information you get online, do your own research and see if it is right for you.)