Keto Diet Plans

Although many people confuse the ketogenic diets with low-carb diets in general, they are somewhat different. A ketogenic diet is a type of low-carb diet where the body is forced to transition to using fat for fuel instead of glucose, which occurs after several weeks of consuming less than 20 to 30 grams of carbs per day. A low-carb diet, on the other hand, merely refers to any diet where daily carb intake is somehow limited. Now that the distinction is clear, what follows are two ketogenic low-carb diets for your weight control needs.

Eskimo Diet

The Eskimo Diet, also known as the Inuit Diet, is modeled strictly after the nutritional habits of the hunter-gatherer tribes remaining on modern Earth. This diet is perhaps the most simple diet you will ever encounter. The rules are as follows: eat as much meat as you want, and nothing more. With each meal consume half a cup of black coffee in addition to six tumblers (glasses) of water. That's it--there is no need to strictly count the number of carbs ingested, because by eating only meat, that number will be zero. Continue this style of eating as long as necessary to hit your target weight, then gradually add fruits and vegetables back into the diet.

The obvious objection to this style of eating is that it cannot possibly be healthy. However, consider that hunter-gatherer tribes like the Inuit eat like this year round, and are statistically among some of the healthiest people in the world, having a very low occurrence rate of diseases like arthritis and cancer. Note also that the plan has been deemed nutritionally viable. To attain this recommendation, Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson lived with the Inuit for a year, eating as they do, while being subjected to periodic medical examinations to look for adverse impacts on health. For those who truly want to break through a fat-loss plateau, this is a ketogenic strategy that can deliver.

Atkins Diet

The most well-known ketogenic diet is the Atkins Plan. The Atkins Plan was originally responsible for introducing mainstream society to the concept of low-carb eating, and is still a popular weight loss solution. The Atkins Plan is ketogenic in that it follows an induction phase of two weeks of extreme low-carb eating. After the body shifts into fat-burning mode, carbs are gradually reintroduced to provide a balanced approach to nutrition.

During phase one of the Atkins plan, which lasts for two weeks, consume no more than 20 grams of carbs per day. By the end of this period, your body will be in ketosis, using fat for its main fuel source. As you enter phase two of the plan, increase daily carbs to 40 grams, remembering to relegate the bulk of your carb intake to fruits and vegetables for their nutritional value. Remain at this stage until you only have a few more pounds to lose, then begin the process of transitioning to stage three. During stage three, gradually increase carbs until you are losing no more than a pound a week. Maintain this trickling flow of weight loss until you reach your target weight, then move to stage four. During stage four, use the information gathered during stage three to eat just enough carbs so that you are neither gaining nor losing weight. This will be the maintenance level to which you will adhere for the remainder of the diet (which could theoretically be the rest of your life).

Compared to the Eskimo Diet, the Atkins Plan is a moderate approach to a ketogenic lifestyle, but either diet can easily help you achieve your weight loss goals. Just remain consistent and steadfast, and you will reach your ideal physique.