Summer is fast approaching! What are some of the ways to lose fat fast?

For anyone dieting more than 12 weeks, the answer to fat loss would be to eat a healthy 40-40-20 macro ratio diet with a deficit of about 1000 calories to lose about 2 pounds per week. But you don’t have 12 weeks to shed that last layer of body fat that’s keeping you from showing off those abs you’ve worked so hard for in the gym day after day.

The answer to your fat loss prayers may come in the form of the CKD or cyclical ketogenic diet! Now, while this diet does have extended periods of “low carb” with brief periodic scheduled refeeds, it is in no way intended to give the perception that carbs are bad. Let’s face it, pretty much every fitness model and competitor uses carb manipulation in their nutrition program at least a few times in their photo shoot or show prep, and their day at the beach in the sun is their show day, right?

Why ketogenic diets?

The logic behind the CKD or Cyclic Ketogenic Diet is quite simple. Since carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of fuel, limiting carbohydrate intake will force your body to use other stored energy as fuel to run bodily functions. This energy will largely come from your body fat stores! However, there is a small bump in the road to the perfect fat loss diet. The human brain cannot run out of fat, it needs carbohydrates in the form of glycogen or some other suitable substitute to function properly and at full capacity. This substitute will come in the form of ketones. Ketones are the byproduct of fat that the body mobilizes and burns for fuel. These ketones can also be used to support some important bodily needs, such as brain function. Another advantage of using ketones for energy is that instead of excess ketones being stored as body fat like carbohydrates, excess ketones are excreted through the urine. “Ketostix” is actually one of the best ways to check if your body is in ketosis.

Ketogenic diets also control insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas that is used to transport carbohydrates in the form of sugar through the bloodstream to the muscles and liver to be stored as glycogen. When these stores are full, this hormone also helps store excess carbohydrates as body fat. Knowing this, it’s not hard to understand why controlling your insulin levels through low carb intake keeps your body in fat burning mode due to the fact that there are no carbs entering the system, which keeps the production of insulin to a minimum.

Some of the benefits of a ketogenic diet include:

– Increased body’s ability to mobilize fat for fuel
– Decreased hunger because fat has a satiating effect

Disadvantages of ketogenic diets

Now, there are some definite drawbacks to a low carb diet that many skeptics will mention and, truth be told, may be deal breakers for some, although most of these side effects will go away after the first two weeks of the diet.

Some of these side effects are:

– Brain fog during the transition period from carbohydrate metabolism to fat metabolism, also known as “Metabolic Switch”. This is when your brain is learning to use ketones for fuel.

– Poor performance in the gym, as your body cannot store or use ketones in the same way as glycogen, essentially depleting your body’s “Quick Energy” stores.

– Tiredness and dizziness.

– Constipation due to a lower fiber intake, although most of these diets make vegetables an “Unlimited” food option.

– There are also studies on both sides that argue the fact that cholesterol levels will increase during this diet.

I have felt the effects of each and every one of these symptoms and as stated above most if not all of these symptoms will go away. The biggest problem and deal breaker for many serious athletes and strength trainers is poor performance in the gym. Your weights in the gym WILL DROP while on this diet and you will not be able to maintain the same intensity as when you were consuming higher amounts of carbohydrates. While I would never recommend this diet to an athlete or anyone in any kind of competitive sport, it does have its place among atheist and pure fitness athletes, where performance is judged on how good your body composition is.

Although fitness competitors are not measured by strength, it does not mean that a diet can ruin and deteriorate muscle tissue that has taken years of hard work and sweat to gain. This is where “Carb Up” day comes into play. Once or twice a week there is a scheduled day where you can eat carbs to replenish muscle glycogen, allowing you to train harder over the next two days, as well as giving your mind and willpower a break from the rigors that entails. this diet

Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons of a ketogenic diet and how we can turn it into a cyclical ketogenic diet, I’d like to dig into how you can follow a ketogenic lifestyle and rev up your metabolism to burn fat.

There are many variations and strategies for getting your body into ketosis, but they all have a generally common set of guidelines:

– Eat as few carbohydrates as possible (between 0 and 50 net carbs)
– Follow a macro ratio of 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrates
– Eat your fiber! “Net carbs” are made up of total carbs: fiber. Fiber is crucial to keeping your plumbing in order!
– Schedule a carb day on the weekend. I also like to use this day to eat my cheat meal.

As with all diets, this may not be for everyone. Some people just can’t get past the initial 2 weeks of hell, while others don’t enjoy the types of foods that are included in the diet, such as eggs, meat, and nuts. AIM! If you can tolerate the metabolic change and lack of food options, this diet may be the best way to lose fat fast. Although many have followed this diet successfully and for long periods of time with great results, I would not recommend sticking to this style of eating for longer than is necessary to reach your body fat goal.