đ„ Low Point Weight Watchers Meal Plan for Weight Loss đ
Losing weight doesnât have to mean giving up delicious, satisfying meals! With this Low Point Weight Watchers Meal Plan, youâll enjoy flavorful, nutrient-packed dishes that keep you full and help you stay within your daily points. Whether youâre just starting your Weight Watchers journey or need some fresh meal ideas, this plan will make staying on track easy and enjoyable! đȘđœïž
Serve with roasted green beans for a hearty finish!
đȘ Snack Ideas (0â2 Points):
â Baby carrots and hummus â 2 points đ„ â String cheese â 1 point đ§ â Apple slices â 0 points đ â Hard-boiled egg â 0 points đł
đĄ Tips for Success:
âš Prep Ahead: Meal prep helps you save time and avoid last-minute unhealthy choices. âš Season Smart: Use herbs, spices, and lemon juice to enhance flavor without adding points. âš Stay Hydrated: Drinking water helps control hunger and keeps you feeling energized. âš Listen to Your Body: Eat when youâre hungry, and stop when youâre full.
đŻ Why This Plan Works:
â Balanced meals keep you full longer. â Low-carb tortillas, lean proteins, and veggies keep points low without sacrificing flavor. â Air fryer recipes = less oil and fewer calories!
đ Ready to crush your weight loss goals? This meal plan will help you stay on track while enjoying every bite. Youâve got this! đȘđ„
đ„ Low Point Weight Watchers Meal Plan for Weight Loss đ
Losing weight doesnât have to mean giving up delicious, satisfying meals! With this Low Point Weight Watchers Meal Plan, youâll enjoy flavorful, nutrient-packed dishes that keep you full and help you stay within your daily points. Whether youâre just starting your Weight Watchers journey or need some fresh meal ideas, this plan will make staying on track easy and enjoyable! đȘđœïž
Serve with roasted green beans for a hearty finish!
đȘ Snack Ideas (0â2 Points):
â Baby carrots and hummus â 2 points đ„ â String cheese â 1 point đ§ â Apple slices â 0 points đ â Hard-boiled egg â 0 points đł
đĄ Tips for Success:
âš Prep Ahead: Meal prep helps you save time and avoid last-minute unhealthy choices. âš Season Smart: Use herbs, spices, and lemon juice to enhance flavor without adding points. âš Stay Hydrated: Drinking water helps control hunger and keeps you feeling energized. âš Listen to Your Body: Eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you’re full.
đŻ Why This Plan Works:
â Balanced meals keep you full longer. â Low-carb tortillas, lean proteins, and veggies keep points low without sacrificing flavor. â Air fryer recipes = less oil and fewer calories!
đ Ready to crush your weight loss goals? This meal plan will help you stay on track while enjoying every bite. Youâve got this! đȘđ„
ouâve probably heard about the low-carb, high-fat diet thatâs so popular among actors and models, and with good reason: low-carb diets offer proper nourishment with whole foods while keeping your body burning fat for fuel. This is a great way to be, as it makes fat loss largely effortless! But where does this âketogenicâ word fit into the picture?
Well, ketogenic comes from the word âketosisâ, which is a state in which your body breaks down fat molecules into ketones to provide energy. This state is achieved through very low carbohydrate intake and higher than normal fat intake. The ânormalâ state of the bodyâs metabolism is called âglycolysisâ, where carbs are burnt for energy. The long and short is that when your body is in carb-burning mode, it will use all available carbs for energy before it touches stored fat. In ketosis, your body is primed to burn fat, and this is great news for anyone trying to get trim and slim.
Benefits of Ketosis
By cutting carb intake significantly, we can drastically reduce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. In addition, low-carb diets, along with exercise, can be very effective at helping alleviate the symptoms and progression of type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, ketosis itself is appetite-suppressing, meaning your hunger will naturally check itself, increasing your caloric deficit and making you lose fat even faster.
Getting Started
Ketosis takes some time to get into â about two weeks of low-carb eating is required for the initial adaptation. During this time there will be bouts of sluggishness, fatigue, headaches, and some gastrointestinal issues as you adapt, often referred to as âketo fluâ. Proper electrolyte intake will correct most of these issues. In addition, the âdietâ aspect of this ketogenic diet plan â that is, the caloric restriction â shouldnât be worried about. Weight loss will come as your body regulates appetite as it the addiction to sugar and processed food lessens, so restricting calories during the initial two weeks isnât recommended.
The meal plan is designed to ensure you get three balanced, healthy meals a day that addresses fiber, satiation, and adequate protein intake. The greatest part of a ketogenic diet is the fact that it spares muscle loss, whereas a carb-based diet doesnât. Weight lost in a high-carb, calorie-restricted diet will often come both from muscle and fat, whereas with keto, you can burn fat without sacrificing muscle. This is referred to often as âbody recompositionâ and leaves you with a much more preferred physique after weight loss.
Additional Points of Interest
Ketogenic diets often create a significant loss of water during the first phases. This is because carbs are converted to glycogen in your body, which is stored in water within the muscles and liver. As you deplete stored glycogen, your body flushes this water out. This is a huge part of the initial weight loss during the first few weeks of ketosis. While the rapid fat loss does occur at first, a lot of water weight is often dropped as well, but this is a great encouragement as it often results in both weight loss and less bloating, allowing clothes to fit better.
Vegetables:Â Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and many others.
Nuts and Seeds:Â Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
Dairy Products:Â Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil, and almond oil. ( If you want to see more ketogenic diet foods, read this: The Ultimate List of Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Grains:Â Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. Includes bread and pasta.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
Processed Foods:Â If it contains carrageenan, donât eat it.
âLow-fatâ products:Â Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan And Menu
So you have found the ketogenic diet, have figured out your macros and you are itching to get started. Here is a ketogenic diet meal plan for one week. If you are just getting situated use this basic plan to help get going.
I HAVE LOST 45 POUNDS IN 4 MONTHS WITH A KETOGENIC DIET
I just started MONTH five of a ketogenic diet(45 lbs lost). Iâm by no means an expert. I am now 46 years old and I have spent my entire life trying to lose weight. Ironically I have also spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. Figuring out macronutrients just comes naturally to me as I have done it so much over my life. By following a keto diet this is the first time I have seen any real success in losing unwanted pounds. This is despite years of working out and being active.
I have had a very successful go of it so far, and I feel that a lot of you who are trying to get started with a ketogenic diet may get overwhelmed and confused with all of the numbers and information that is coming at you. Hence this ketogenic diet meal plan. It is what I am doing to keep things simple. I am a guy. I need simple.
For me, I think that success with a keto diet is found with having some base meals and adding some variety later on if needed. Hell, I eat the same thing pretty much every day. Not too exciting but losing 45 pounds in 4 months IS exciting, so I am sticking with it. If it isnât broken, donât fix it.
7-DAY KETO DIET GROCERY LIST
The daily meals will be bacon and eggs, chicken with vegetables, and beef with vegetables. These are base meals and will provide good macros for some people. For others who need more food(fat), you can just add a keto-friendly snack or 2 to get your macros up to where they need to be. This is what I need to do.
A dozen eggs.
A package of bacon.
Butter. (real butter)
A pack of boneless SKIN ON chicken thighs
1 onion.
1 bell pepper (Green, red, yellow, thatâs your choice.)
Two bulbs of garlic. (Optional, but very heart healthy.)
A big bag of mixed frozen vegetables, at least 12 cups worth. If you are not sure what to get, just pick something else thatâs keto friendly like frozen broccoli.)
 a bag of almonds, and a jar of almond butter (very expensive â the cheapest I can find is 10$ for 750g at Costco).
A package of beef. You want to find some kind of beef that you can imagine cutting/dividing into 6 equal portions of about 5.5 ounces each(a bit bigger than a deck of cards.)
I AM ACTUALLY COOKING. WELLâŠSOME
I am not much for cooking but I am doing better. A ketogenic diet meal plan does work better when you have food ready to go. It takes the guesswork out and we need to keep this as simple as possible in order to have success.
Put the 12 thighs into the oven with all the cloves from a bulb of garlic. You should separate the cloves, but you donât need to skin them. The heat from the oven will do that nicely, and you can peel them when you eat them.
While the thighs are cooking, hard boil the eggs. Then set them aside to cool.
Take a skillet, put some butter in it, and then fry up the bacon. (Note: Some might argue that butter isnât needed. In my experience, you can either grease up that pan somehow, or your first strips of bacon will come out burnt.)
Dice up half the onion, and save the other half for next week.
Cut up the pepper
You might need to take the chicken out at this point. If itâs done, pull it out, and let it cool.
In 6 of them, put 2 chicken thighs each. Share the garlic between them, and evenly divide the fat juice.
In the other 6 evenly spoon out the beef/pepper/onion mix.
Take the veggie blend, and evenly pour it across the 12 containers, right on top of the meat.
Put them all in your fridge. If you have minimal fridge space you could just put some in there, and then rest in your freezer. Just pull another out when you pull from the fridge.
Pull out six plastic bags and put 2 hard-boiled eggs in each.
Evenly divide your remaining bacon by 6.
Now brown bag it, and put it in your fridge.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS OF THE KETOGENIC MENU PLAN
Right now you have 6 dayâs worth of meals in your fridge
6 bags with 2 hard-boiled eggs and bacon
6 containers of thighs/veggies
6 containers of Beef/Veggies
Okay, so this is only 6 days. Make extra for day 7 OR you can try to get creative and plan your own meals. Ruled. I have some awesome keto recipes if you are feeling brave.
*I messed up. The macros of each âmealâ above are too high in protein and too low in fat so reduce the amount of meat in each meal by about half AND add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each meal(or some cheese). Please forgive me!!
For this base ketogenic meal plan I am going to use the following macronutrient profile that I helped someone set up for themselves:
TOTAL CALORIES- 1570
Net carbs â 20g per day
Protein â 80 g per day
Fat â 130 g per day
Now divide each of those by 3(for 3 meals per day) and you get:
â7 net carbs per meal
â26 grams of protein per meal
â44 grams of fat per meal
Omg, so much math! If you halve the protein in each meal you will be pretty close to these totals PER MEAL!
Personally, I need more protein and fat each day and so will some of you. So I add in some snacks, cheese, or keto fudge during the day to get my macros up where they need to be. I also drink homemade Bulletproof coffee which for me is:
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk(in a can)
This adds about 25g of fat to my day.
If you got hungry on Day One between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and supper while youâre still at work eat more fat!
You may also want to consider adding these fat-boosting strategies:
Full fat cream, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil in your coffee.
Put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the chicken while itâs baking.
Top the vegetables with some cheese before reheating.
SALT AND ELECTROLYTES WITH THE KETOGENIC DIET
Itâs also worth pointing out that you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with the ketogenic diet meal plan. It is very low on Vitamins B1, D, E, and K. Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium are also very low, but we need to manage those as part of our electrolyte strategy anyways on keto.
Do not omit essential electrolytes: Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg++), Calcium (Ca++), Phosphate (HPO4â), Bicarbonate (HCO3-). Lack of electrolytes or more pointedly the bodyâs primary electrolyte sodium (aka Salt) is responsible for lethargy, brain fog, and keto flu symptoms on high fats diets.
You should be aiming for at least 8 cups of water a day. I have a 600ml bottle and I empty it at least 10 times a day. That is a lot of water and yes I am going to the bathroom a lot. Carbs hold water, so with minimal carbs, this will speed up the flushing of water. So even more bathroom breaks.
BUT HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS?!
The âeasiestâ way to actually track your eating(and thus your macros) for your ketogenic diet meal plan is to set up a free account with MyFitnessPal.
This app is both web-based and/or you can use it with your phone. I cannot stress the importance of tracking what you eat. Doing this has made all the difference in the world for me and is a huge part of my keto diet success.
Once you get your account set up you just enter the food you eat and the app calculates your total consumption for each macro and your total calories. There is also a âbar code scannerâ as part of the app. You use your phone to âscanâ the bar code of the food you are eating and it enters it into your daily eating plan. Genius!
SUMMARY
I am proof that a ketogenic diet works. I also know that it can be confusing as hell trying to deal with all of the numbers and then figuring out what to eat. I am hopi
ouâve probably heard about the low-carb, high-fat diet thatâs so popular among actors and models, and with good reason: low-carb diets offer proper nourishment with whole foods while keeping your body burning fat for fuel. This is a great way to be, as it makes fat loss largely effortless! But where does this âketogenicâ word fit into the picture?
Well, ketogenic comes from the word âketosisâ, which is a state in which your body breaks down fat molecules into ketones to provide energy. This state is achieved through very low carbohydrate intake and higher than normal fat intake. The ânormalâ state of the bodyâs metabolism is called âglycolysisâ, where carbs are burnt for energy. The long and short is that when your body is in carb-burning mode, it will use all available carbs for energy before it touches stored fat. In ketosis, your body is primed to burn fat, and this is great news for anyone trying to get trim and slim.
Benefits of Ketosis
By cutting carb intake significantly, we can drastically reduce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. In addition, low-carb diets, along with exercise, can be very effective at helping alleviate the symptoms and progression of type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, ketosis itself is appetite-suppressing, meaning your hunger will naturally check itself, increasing your caloric deficit and making you lose fat even faster.
Getting Started
Ketosis takes some time to get into â about two weeks of low-carb eating is required for the initial adaptation. During this time there will be bouts of sluggishness, fatigue, headaches, and some gastrointestinal issues as you adapt, often referred to as âketo fluâ. Proper electrolyte intake will correct most of these issues. In addition, the âdietâ aspect of this ketogenic diet plan â that is, the caloric restriction â shouldnât be worried about. Weight loss will come as your body regulates appetite as it the addiction to sugar and processed food lessens, so restricting calories during the initial two weeks isnât recommended.
The meal plan is designed to ensure you get three balanced, healthy meals a day that addresses fiber, satiation, and adequate protein intake. The greatest part of a ketogenic diet is the fact that it spares muscle loss, whereas a carb-based diet doesnât. Weight lost in a high-carb, calorie-restricted diet will often come both from muscle and fat, whereas with keto, you can burn fat without sacrificing muscle. This is referred to often as âbody recompositionâ and leaves you with a much more preferred physique after weight loss.
Additional Points of Interest
Ketogenic diets often create a significant loss of water during the first phases. This is because carbs are converted to glycogen in your body, which is stored in water within the muscles and liver. As you deplete stored glycogen, your body flushes this water out. This is a huge part of the initial weight loss during the first few weeks of ketosis. While the rapid fat loss does occur at first, a lot of water weight is often dropped as well, but this is a great encouragement as it often results in both weight loss and less bloating, allowing clothes to fit better.
Vegetables:Â Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and many others.
Nuts and Seeds:Â Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
Dairy Products:Â Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil, and almond oil. ( If you want to see more ketogenic diet foods, read this: The Ultimate List of Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Grains:Â Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. Includes bread and pasta.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
Processed Foods:Â If it contains carrageenan, donât eat it.
âLow-fatâ products:Â Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan And Menu
So you have found the ketogenic diet, have figured out your macros and you are itching to get started. Here is a ketogenic diet meal plan for one week. If you are just getting situated use this basic plan to help get going.
I HAVE LOST 45 POUNDS IN 4 MONTHS WITH A KETOGENIC DIET
I just started MONTH five of a ketogenic diet(45 lbs lost). Iâm by no means an expert. I am now 46 years old and I have spent my entire life trying to lose weight. Ironically I have also spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. Figuring out macronutrients just comes naturally to me as I have done it so much over my life. By following a keto diet this is the first time I have seen any real success in losing unwanted pounds. This is despite years of working out and being active.
I have had a very successful go of it so far, and I feel that a lot of you who are trying to get started with a ketogenic diet may get overwhelmed and confused with all of the numbers and information that is coming at you. Hence this ketogenic diet meal plan. It is what I am doing to keep things simple. I am a guy. I need simple.
For me, I think that success with a keto diet is found with having some base meals and adding some variety later on if needed. Hell, I eat the same thing pretty much every day. Not too exciting but losing 45 pounds in 4 months IS exciting, so I am sticking with it. If it isnât broken, donât fix it.
7-DAY KETO DIET GROCERY LIST
The daily meals will be bacon and eggs, chicken with vegetables, and beef with vegetables. These are base meals and will provide good macros for some people. For others who need more food(fat), you can just add a keto-friendly snack or 2 to get your macros up to where they need to be. This is what I need to do.
A dozen eggs.
A package of bacon.
Butter. (real butter)
A pack of boneless SKIN ON chicken thighs
1 onion.
1 bell pepper (Green, red, yellow, thatâs your choice.)
Two bulbs of garlic. (Optional, but very heart healthy.)
A big bag of mixed frozen vegetables, at least 12 cups worth. If you are not sure what to get, just pick something else thatâs keto friendly like frozen broccoli.)
 a bag of almonds, and a jar of almond butter (very expensive â the cheapest I can find is 10$ for 750g at Costco).
A package of beef. You want to find some kind of beef that you can imagine cutting/dividing into 6 equal portions of about 5.5 ounces each(a bit bigger than a deck of cards.)
I AM ACTUALLY COOKING. WELLâŠSOME
I am not much for cooking but I am doing better. A ketogenic diet meal plan does work better when you have food ready to go. It takes the guesswork out and we need to keep this as simple as possible in order to have success.
Put the 12 thighs into the oven with all the cloves from a bulb of garlic. You should separate the cloves, but you donât need to skin them. The heat from the oven will do that nicely, and you can peel them when you eat them.
While the thighs are cooking, hard boil the eggs. Then set them aside to cool.
Take a skillet, put some butter in it, and then fry up the bacon. (Note: Some might argue that butter isnât needed. In my experience, you can either grease up that pan somehow, or your first strips of bacon will come out burnt.)
Dice up half the onion, and save the other half for next week.
Cut up the pepper
You might need to take the chicken out at this point. If itâs done, pull it out, and let it cool.
In 6 of them, put 2 chicken thighs each. Share the garlic between them, and evenly divide the fat juice.
In the other 6 evenly spoon out the beef/pepper/onion mix.
Take the veggie blend, and evenly pour it across the 12 containers, right on top of the meat.
Put them all in your fridge. If you have minimal fridge space you could just put some in there, and then rest in your freezer. Just pull another out when you pull from the fridge.
Pull out six plastic bags and put 2 hard-boiled eggs in each.
Evenly divide your remaining bacon by 6.
Now brown bag it, and put it in your fridge.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS OF THE KETOGENIC MENU PLAN
Right now you have 6 dayâs worth of meals in your fridge
6 bags with 2 hard-boiled eggs and bacon
6 containers of thighs/veggies
6 containers of Beef/Veggies
Okay, so this is only 6 days. Make extra for day 7 OR you can try to get creative and plan your own meals. Ruled. I have some awesome keto recipes if you are feeling brave.
*I messed up. The macros of each âmealâ above are too high in protein and too low in fat so reduce the amount of meat in each meal by about half AND add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each meal(or some cheese). Please forgive me!!
For this base ketogenic meal plan I am going to use the following macronutrient profile that I helped someone set up for themselves:
TOTAL CALORIES- 1570
Net carbs â 20g per day
Protein â 80 g per day
Fat â 130 g per day
Now divide each of those by 3(for 3 meals per day) and you get:
â7 net carbs per meal
â26 grams of protein per meal
â44 grams of fat per meal
Omg, so much math! If you halve the protein in each meal you will be pretty close to these totals PER MEAL!
Personally, I need more protein and fat each day and so will some of you. So I add in some snacks, cheese, or keto fudge during the day to get my macros up where they need to be. I also drink homemade Bulletproof coffee which for me is:
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk(in a can)
This adds about 25g of fat to my day.
If you got hungry on Day One between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and supper while youâre still at work eat more fat!
You may also want to consider adding these fat-boosting strategies:
Full fat cream, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil in your coffee.
Put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the chicken while itâs baking.
Top the vegetables with some cheese before reheating.
SALT AND ELECTROLYTES WITH THE KETOGENIC DIET
Itâs also worth pointing out that you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with the ketogenic diet meal plan. It is very low on Vitamins B1, D, E, and K. Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium are also very low, but we need to manage those as part of our electrolyte strategy anyways on keto.
Do not omit essential electrolytes: Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg++), Calcium (Ca++), Phosphate (HPO4â), Bicarbonate (HCO3-). Lack of electrolytes or more pointedly the bodyâs primary electrolyte sodium (aka Salt) is responsible for lethargy, brain fog, and keto flu symptoms on high fats diets.
You should be aiming for at least 8 cups of water a day. I have a 600ml bottle and I empty it at least 10 times a day. That is a lot of water and yes I am going to the bathroom a lot. Carbs hold water, so with minimal carbs, this will speed up the flushing of water. So even more bathroom breaks.
BUT HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS?!
The âeasiestâ way to actually track your eating(and thus your macros) for your ketogenic diet meal plan is to set up a free account with MyFitnessPal.
This app is both web-based and/or you can use it with your phone. I cannot stress the importance of tracking what you eat. Doing this has made all the difference in the world for me and is a huge part of my keto diet success.
Once you get your account set up you just enter the food you eat and the app calculates your total consumption for each macro and your total calories. There is also a âbar code scannerâ as part of the app. You use your phone to âscanâ the bar code of the food you are eating and it enters it into your daily eating plan. Genius!
SUMMARY
I am proof that a ketogenic diet works. I also know that it can be confusing as hell trying to deal with all of the numbers and then figuring out what to eat. I am hopi
ouâve probably heard about the low-carb, high-fat diet thatâs so popular among actors and models, and with good reason: low-carb diets offer proper nourishment with whole foods while keeping your body burning fat for fuel. This is a great way to be, as it makes fat loss largely effortless! But where does this âketogenicâ word fit into the picture?
Well, ketogenic comes from the word âketosisâ, which is a state in which your body breaks down fat molecules into ketones to provide energy. This state is achieved through very low carbohydrate intake and higher than normal fat intake. The ânormalâ state of the bodyâs metabolism is called âglycolysisâ, where carbs are burnt for energy. The long and short is that when your body is in carb-burning mode, it will use all available carbs for energy before it touches stored fat. In ketosis, your body is primed to burn fat, and this is great news for anyone trying to get trim and slim.
Benefits of Ketosis
By cutting carb intake significantly, we can drastically reduce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. In addition, low-carb diets, along with exercise, can be very effective at helping alleviate the symptoms and progression of type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, ketosis itself is appetite-suppressing, meaning your hunger will naturally check itself, increasing your caloric deficit and making you lose fat even faster.
Getting Started
Ketosis takes some time to get into â about two weeks of low-carb eating is required for the initial adaptation. During this time there will be bouts of sluggishness, fatigue, headaches, and some gastrointestinal issues as you adapt, often referred to as âketo fluâ. Proper electrolyte intake will correct most of these issues. In addition, the âdietâ aspect of this ketogenic diet plan â that is, the caloric restriction â shouldnât be worried about. Weight loss will come as your body regulates appetite as it the addiction to sugar and processed food lessens, so restricting calories during the initial two weeks isnât recommended.
The meal plan is designed to ensure you get three balanced, healthy meals a day that addresses fiber, satiation, and adequate protein intake. The greatest part of a ketogenic diet is the fact that it spares muscle loss, whereas a carb-based diet doesnât. Weight lost in a high-carb, calorie-restricted diet will often come both from muscle and fat, whereas with keto, you can burn fat without sacrificing muscle. This is referred to often as âbody recompositionâ and leaves you with a much more preferred physique after weight loss.
Additional Points of Interest
Ketogenic diets often create a significant loss of water during the first phases. This is because carbs are converted to glycogen in your body, which is stored in water within the muscles and liver. As you deplete stored glycogen, your body flushes this water out. This is a huge part of the initial weight loss during the first few weeks of ketosis. While the rapid fat loss does occur at first, a lot of water weight is often dropped as well, but this is a great encouragement as it often results in both weight loss and less bloating, allowing clothes to fit better.
Vegetables:Â Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and many others.
Nuts and Seeds:Â Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
Dairy Products:Â Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil, and almond oil. ( If you want to see more ketogenic diet foods, read this: The Ultimate List of Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Grains:Â Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. Includes bread and pasta.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
Processed Foods:Â If it contains carrageenan, donât eat it.
âLow-fatâ products:Â Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan And Menu
So you have found the ketogenic diet, have figured out your macros and you are itching to get started. Here is a ketogenic diet meal plan for one week. If you are just getting situated use this basic plan to help get going.
I HAVE LOST 45 POUNDS IN 4 MONTHS WITH A KETOGENIC DIET
I just started MONTH five of a ketogenic diet(45 lbs lost). Iâm by no means an expert. I am now 46 years old and I have spent my entire life trying to lose weight. Ironically I have also spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. Figuring out macronutrients just comes naturally to me as I have done it so much over my life. By following a keto diet this is the first time I have seen any real success in losing unwanted pounds. This is despite years of working out and being active.
I have had a very successful go of it so far, and I feel that a lot of you who are trying to get started with a ketogenic diet may get overwhelmed and confused with all of the numbers and information that is coming at you. Hence this ketogenic diet meal plan. It is what I am doing to keep things simple. I am a guy. I need simple.
For me, I think that success with a keto diet is found with having some base meals and adding some variety later on if needed. Hell, I eat the same thing pretty much every day. Not too exciting but losing 45 pounds in 4 months IS exciting, so I am sticking with it. If it isnât broken, donât fix it.
7-DAY KETO DIET GROCERY LIST
The daily meals will be bacon and eggs, chicken with vegetables, and beef with vegetables. These are base meals and will provide good macros for some people. For others who need more food(fat), you can just add a keto-friendly snack or 2 to get your macros up to where they need to be. This is what I need to do.
A dozen eggs.
A package of bacon.
Butter. (real butter)
A pack of boneless SKIN ON chicken thighs
1 onion.
1 bell pepper (Green, red, yellow, thatâs your choice.)
Two bulbs of garlic. (Optional, but very heart healthy.)
A big bag of mixed frozen vegetables, at least 12 cups worth. If you are not sure what to get, just pick something else thatâs keto friendly like frozen broccoli.)
 a bag of almonds, and a jar of almond butter (very expensive â the cheapest I can find is 10$ for 750g at Costco).
A package of beef. You want to find some kind of beef that you can imagine cutting/dividing into 6 equal portions of about 5.5 ounces each(a bit bigger than a deck of cards.)
I AM ACTUALLY COOKING. WELLâŠSOME
I am not much for cooking but I am doing better. A ketogenic diet meal plan does work better when you have food ready to go. It takes the guesswork out and we need to keep this as simple as possible in order to have success.
Put the 12 thighs into the oven with all the cloves from a bulb of garlic. You should separate the cloves, but you donât need to skin them. The heat from the oven will do that nicely, and you can peel them when you eat them.
While the thighs are cooking, hard boil the eggs. Then set them aside to cool.
Take a skillet, put some butter in it, and then fry up the bacon. (Note: Some might argue that butter isnât needed. In my experience, you can either grease up that pan somehow, or your first strips of bacon will come out burnt.)
Dice up half the onion, and save the other half for next week.
Cut up the pepper
You might need to take the chicken out at this point. If itâs done, pull it out, and let it cool.
In 6 of them, put 2 chicken thighs each. Share the garlic between them, and evenly divide the fat juice.
In the other 6 evenly spoon out the beef/pepper/onion mix.
Take the veggie blend, and evenly pour it across the 12 containers, right on top of the meat.
Put them all in your fridge. If you have minimal fridge space you could just put some in there, and then rest in your freezer. Just pull another out when you pull from the fridge.
Pull out six plastic bags and put 2 hard-boiled eggs in each.
Evenly divide your remaining bacon by 6.
Now brown bag it, and put it in your fridge.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS OF THE KETOGENIC MENU PLAN
Right now you have 6 dayâs worth of meals in your fridge
6 bags with 2 hard-boiled eggs and bacon
6 containers of thighs/veggies
6 containers of Beef/Veggies
Okay, so this is only 6 days. Make extra for day 7 OR you can try to get creative and plan your own meals. Ruled. I have some awesome keto recipes if you are feeling brave.
*I messed up. The macros of each âmealâ above are too high in protein and too low in fat so reduce the amount of meat in each meal by about half AND add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each meal(or some cheese). Please forgive me!!
For this base ketogenic meal plan I am going to use the following macronutrient profile that I helped someone set up for themselves:
TOTAL CALORIES- 1570
Net carbs â 20g per day
Protein â 80 g per day
Fat â 130 g per day
Now divide each of those by 3(for 3 meals per day) and you get:
â7 net carbs per meal
â26 grams of protein per meal
â44 grams of fat per meal
Omg, so much math! If you halve the protein in each meal you will be pretty close to these totals PER MEAL!
Personally, I need more protein and fat each day and so will some of you. So I add in some snacks, cheese, or keto fudge during the day to get my macros up where they need to be. I also drink homemade Bulletproof coffee which for me is:
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk(in a can)
This adds about 25g of fat to my day.
If you got hungry on Day One between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and supper while youâre still at work eat more fat!
You may also want to consider adding these fat-boosting strategies:
Full fat cream, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil in your coffee.
Put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the chicken while itâs baking.
Top the vegetables with some cheese before reheating.
SALT AND ELECTROLYTES WITH THE KETOGENIC DIET
Itâs also worth pointing out that you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with the ketogenic diet meal plan. It is very low on Vitamins B1, D, E, and K. Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium are also very low, but we need to manage those as part of our electrolyte strategy anyways on keto.
Do not omit essential electrolytes: Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg++), Calcium (Ca++), Phosphate (HPO4â), Bicarbonate (HCO3-). Lack of electrolytes or more pointedly the bodyâs primary electrolyte sodium (aka Salt) is responsible for lethargy, brain fog, and keto flu symptoms on high fats diets.
You should be aiming for at least 8 cups of water a day. I have a 600ml bottle and I empty it at least 10 times a day. That is a lot of water and yes I am going to the bathroom a lot. Carbs hold water, so with minimal carbs, this will speed up the flushing of water. So even more bathroom breaks.
BUT HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS?!
The âeasiestâ way to actually track your eating(and thus your macros) for your ketogenic diet meal plan is to set up a free account with MyFitnessPal.
This app is both web-based and/or you can use it with your phone. I cannot stress the importance of tracking what you eat. Doing this has made all the difference in the world for me and is a huge part of my keto diet success.
Once you get your account set up you just enter the food you eat and the app calculates your total consumption for each macro and your total calories. There is also a âbar code scannerâ as part of the app. You use your phone to âscanâ the bar code of the food you are eating and it enters it into your daily eating plan. Genius!
SUMMARY
I am proof that a ketogenic diet works. I also know that it can be confusing as hell trying to deal with all of the numbers and then figuring out what to eat. I am hopioalsâŠ
Youâve probably heard about the plant-based diet thatâs gaining popularity among celebrities and athletes, and for good reason: vegan diets offer proper nourishment with whole, nutrient-dense foods while promoting a healthy lifestyle. This approach helps you fuel your body with plants, making weight management and overall wellness much more achievable! But where does this âveganâ word fit into the picture?
What is a vegan diet?
The vegan diet is an eating plan that eliminates all animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and honey.
People decide to adopt veganism for different reasons, such as ethical concerns or religious principles.
A vegan diet is a plant-based plan that excludes all animal products, like meat, fish, dairy and even honey. Its cousin, the vegetarian diet, is a bit broader and excludes meat and fish but includes dairy and eggs. Though the vegan diet has many health benefits, just because something is labeled âveganâ doesnât necessarily mean itâs a great choice. For example, 2021 research published in The Journal of Nutrition suggests that avoidance of animal-based foods was associated with a higher intake of ultra-processed foodsâmeat and dairy substitutes made from vegan and vegetarian sources. To reap the benefits of this eating lifestyle, focus on nutrient-dense whole foodsâthink beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains and of course, plenty of fruits and vegetables.
While some may worry about getting enough protein when not eating meat or other animal products, it is possible to get plenty of protein on a vegan diet. Try to incorporate protein foods, like peanut butter, beans, lentils, tofu, seitan and nuts, into most of your meals to stay satisfied in-between meals. If trying the vegan diet seems intimidating, consider the flexitarian diet by including a few meatless days a week to start and go from there.
Why Nutrition is Important for a Vegan Weight Loss Diet
The vegan diet itself is not a weight loss diet. Cutting out meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy is not the answer to losing body fat. However, if you have a weight loss goal but also ethically prefer to follow a plant-based vegan lifestyle, you can lose weight with some planning and preparation.
Research published in the journal Nutrition found that compared to other eating patterns, vegan diets can be very effective for weight loss and also for improving other aspects of your health.1
The key is to create a calorie deficit while meeting your nutrient needs. To lose weight, it is generally thought that you need to create a calorie deficit of between 250 and 500 calories per day. This can be accomplished using exercise, diet, or a combination of both.2
The vegan weight loss diet can be challenging because high-protein foods like those from animal proteins tend to be more satisfying and satiating than carbohydrates. Cutting out those foods, or swapping in some highly processed alternatives, could mean a less satisfying diet. If you feel hungry, restricted, or deprived, youâre more likely to sway from the plan which may delay you from reaching your goal.3
One way to improve your chances of enjoying your food and preventing hunger pangs shortly after eating is to find the right balance of fats, fiber, protein, and nutrients for you. Following a vegan weight loss meal plan like the one provided can help you do just that
Tips for making your vegan meal plan for weight loss If youâre considering a vegan diet for weight loss, below are some helpful tips for forming a vegan meal plan that works for you.
Focus on whole foods. Not all vegan diets are equal. A person can go vegan while still consuming high amounts of processed foods, negatively impacting weight loss. Prioritize whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and whole grains. Incorporate protein into each meal. A big challenge of vegan diets is consuming adequate protein, which is a required nutrient for satiety. Make sure you have a good source of protein at each meal such as tofu, tempeh, seitan, or edamame. Limit processed foods. Avoid processed and packaged items, even if vegan-friendly. These foods can hinder weight loss progress and negate some of the health benefits associated with a vegan diet. Instead, choose more vegan-friendly whole foods. Watch out for hidden calories. Calories can be hiding in high amounts in both processed and healthy, whole foods. For example, nuts, seeds, and oils contain high amounts of calories per serving and can easily be overconsumed when added to meals. Meal prep before each week. Having a plan can help you stick with your goals. Plan and prep out meals or ingredients to make healthy choices easier. Consider âveganizingâ your favorite meals to help you enjoy the process more. Stay hydrated. Adequate hydration is essential, especially when consuming a high-fiber diet. Maintaining adequate hydration also helps keep our appetite in check and avoid frequent, unnecessary snacking that can lead to weight gain. Reduce/eliminate alcohol. Alcohol can add extra calories and added sugar to your diet, which can negatively impact weight loss results. Consider reducing or eliminating alcohol in your diet and swapping for a healthier alternative such as seltzer water. Avoid caloric beverages. Many beverages contain hidden calories that can sabotage your weight loss efforts. Pay attention to what you choose to drink and limit or avoid caloric beverages such as soda, energy drinks, sugary coffees, and juices. Be mindful of oils. Cooking oils can add a lot of extra calories. While many oils, like olive oil, have health benefits, itâs important to be mindful of how much and how frequently you are using them when trying to lose weight. Practice portion control. Even the healthiest foods can be over-eaten. Be mindful of your portions for all foods to ensure you arenât overextending your calorie intake and diminishing your weight loss efforts. Prioritize fiber. The best vegan diet is rich in fiber which is associated with weight loss benefits. Be sure to choose more fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains.
Vegan shopping list:
Best vegan foods to eat for weight loss: shopping list When putting your new diet into action, you may be wondering what foods are best to include to get the most out of your weight loss efforts.
Here are some examples of the best foods to include in a vegan diet for weight loss:
Unprocessed soy (tofu, edamame, soymilk) Tempeh Seitan Nuts (almonds cashews, walnuts) Seeds (sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds) Fruits (berries, apples, banana, avocado) Vegetables (leafy greens, zucchini, carrots) Nutritional yeast Beans and legumes (lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans) Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, whole-grain bread) Vegan foods to avoid for weight loss Now that we have an idea of what we want to include more of in a vegan diet for weight loss, letâs go over foods to limit or avoid. Here are some specific foods to be mindful of if choosing a vegan diet for weight loss:
Processed foods (packaged meat alternatives, vegan snack foods, vegan baked goods) Alcohol Sugary beverages (soda, energy drinks, juice, sugary coffees) Vegan desserts Plant-based yogurts with high added sugars
7-DAY VEGAN DIET PLAN FOR WEIGHT LOSS
7-day vegan meal plan for weight loss
Below is a sample 7-day vegan meal plan for weight loss that comes in at around 1,600 calories per day. Remember to talk to your doctor and/or dietitian before making any drastic changes to your diet to learn what is best for your situation.
Your ideal diet may have more or less calories and incorporate different foods based on intolerances, preferences, and other medical conditions.
Day 1
Breakfast
1/2 cup oats
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp almond butter
1 banana
400 calories, 60g carbs, 10g protein, and 15g fat.
Lunch
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup chickpeas
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber
2 tbsp vinaigrette
350 calories, 40g carbs, 15g protein, and 15g fat.
Dinner
100g tofu
Broccoli
Bell peppers
Carrots
1 cup brown rice
550 calories, 70g carbs, 25g protein, and 15g fat.
Snack
1 apple
2 tbsp peanut butter
300 calories, 30g carbs, 8g protein, and 16g fat.
Day 2
Breakfast
Whole-grain toast (2 slices)
1/4 avocado
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 tbsp chia seeds
350 calories, 45g carbs, 10g protein, and 15g fat.
Lunch
Quinoa salad with 1 cup cooked quinoa, diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup black beans, and lemon juice dressing
A handful of almonds
400 calories, 60g carbs, 15g protein, and 15g fat.
Dinner
Grilled portobello mushrooms (2 large)
Steamed asparagus
1 cup quinoa
500 calories, 70g carbs, 20g protein, and 10g fat.
Snack
Carrot sticks
2 tbsp hummus
350 calories, 40g carbs, 10g protein, and 10g fat.
Day 3
Breakfast
Smoothie with 1 cup spinach, 1 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 tbsp flax seeds, and 1 cup almond milk
300 calories, 50g carbs, 10g protein, and 5g fat.
Lunch
Vegan wrap with 1 whole-grain tortilla, 1/2 cup black beans, lettuce, tomato, and avocado
Side salad with vinaigrette
450 calories, 60g carbs, 15g protein, and 15g fat.
Dinner
Lentil soup with carrots, onions, tomatoes, and spinach
1 slice of whole-grain bread
500 calories, 80g carbs, 20g protein, and 10g fat.
Snack
1/4 cup mixed nuts
350 calories, 10g carbs, 10g protein, and 30g fat.
Day 4
Breakfast
Vegan yogurt with 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1/2 cup mixed berries
1 slice of whole-grain toast
350 calories, 60g carbs, 10g protein, and 5g fat.
Lunch
Baked sweet potato with 1/2 cup black beans and steamed kale
1 tbsp tahini
400 calories, 65g carbs, 15g protein, and 10g fat.
Dinner
Spaghetti with vegan tomato sauce and 1 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 cup cooked lentils
550 calories, 90g carbs, 25g protein, and 10g fat.
Snack
Apple
10 almonds
300 calories, 35g carbs, 8g protein, and 16g fat.
Day 5
Breakfast
Smoothie bowl with 1 banana, 1/2 cup mixed berries, 1 tbsp almond butter, and 1/2 cup spinach
350 calories, 60g carbs, 10g protein, and 10g fat.
Lunch
Salad with 2 cups mixed greens, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 1/2 avocado, and lemon-tahini dressing
1 whole-grain pita bread
450 calories, 60g carbs, 15g protein, and 20g fat.
Dinner
Vegan curry with 1/2 cup chickpeas, mixed vegetables (carrot, bell pepper, zucchini), and 1 cup brown rice
550 calories, 80g carbs, 20g protein, and 15g fat.
Snack
1/4 cup hummus
Carrot and cucumber sticks
250 calories, 30g carbs, 10g protein, and 10g fat.
Day 6
Breakfast
Overnight oats with 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp peanut butter, and 1/2 banana
400 calories, 55g carbs, 15g protein, and 15g fat.
Lunch
Vegan sushi rolls with avocado, cucumber, carrot, and 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
Side of edamame
400 calories, 60g carbs, 20g protein, and 10g fat.
ouâve probably heard about the low-carb, high-fat diet thatâs so popular among actors and models, and with good reason: low-carb diets offer proper nourishment with whole foods while keeping your body burning fat for fuel. This is a great way to be, as it makes fat loss largely effortless! But where does this âketogenicâ word fit into the picture?
Well, ketogenic comes from the word âketosisâ, which is a state in which your body breaks down fat molecules into ketones to provide energy. This state is achieved through very low carbohydrate intake and higher than normal fat intake. The ânormalâ state of the bodyâs metabolism is called âglycolysisâ, where carbs are burnt for energy. The long and short is that when your body is in carb-burning mode, it will use all available carbs for energy before it touches stored fat. In ketosis, your body is primed to burn fat, and this is great news for anyone trying to get trim and slim.
Benefits of Ketosis
By cutting carb intake significantly, we can drastically reduce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. In addition, low-carb diets, along with exercise, can be very effective at helping alleviate the symptoms and progression of type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, ketosis itself is appetite-suppressing, meaning your hunger will naturally check itself, increasing your caloric deficit and making you lose fat even faster.
Getting Started
Ketosis takes some time to get into â about two weeks of low-carb eating is required for the initial adaptation. During this time there will be bouts of sluggishness, fatigue, headaches, and some gastrointestinal issues as you adapt, often referred to as âketo fluâ. Proper electrolyte intake will correct most of these issues. In addition, the âdietâ aspect of this ketogenic diet plan â that is, the caloric restriction â shouldnât be worried about. Weight loss will come as your body regulates appetite as it the addiction to sugar and processed food lessens, so restricting calories during the initial two weeks isnât recommended.
The meal plan is designed to ensure you get three balanced, healthy meals a day that addresses fiber, satiation, and adequate protein intake. The greatest part of a ketogenic diet is the fact that it spares muscle loss, whereas a carb-based diet doesnât. Weight lost in a high-carb, calorie-restricted diet will often come both from muscle and fat, whereas with keto, you can burn fat without sacrificing muscle. This is referred to often as âbody recompositionâ and leaves you with a much more preferred physique after weight loss.
Additional Points of Interest
Ketogenic diets often create a significant loss of water during the first phases. This is because carbs are converted to glycogen in your body, which is stored in water within the muscles and liver. As you deplete stored glycogen, your body flushes this water out. This is a huge part of the initial weight loss during the first few weeks of ketosis. While the rapid fat loss does occur at first, a lot of water weight is often dropped as well, but this is a great encouragement as it often results in both weight loss and less bloating, allowing clothes to fit better.
Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and many others.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
Dairy Products: Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil, and almond oil. ( If you want to see more ketogenic diet foods, read this: The Ultimate List of Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Grains: Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. Includes bread and pasta.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
Processed Foods: If it contains carrageenan, donât eat it.
âLow-fatâ products: Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan And Menu
So you have found the ketogenic diet, have figured out your macros and you are itching to get started. Here is a ketogenic diet meal plan for one week. If you are just getting situated use this basic plan to help get going.
I HAVE LOST 45 POUNDS IN 4 MONTHS WITH A KETOGENIC DIET
I just started MONTH five of a ketogenic diet(45 lbs lost). Iâm by no means an expert. I am now 46 years old and I have spent my entire life trying to lose weight. Ironically I have also spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. Figuring out macronutrients just comes naturally to me as I have done it so much over my life. By following a keto diet this is the first time I have seen any real success in losing unwanted pounds. This is despite years of working out and being active.
I have had a very successful go of it so far, and I feel that a lot of you who are trying to get started with a ketogenic diet may get overwhelmed and confused with all of the numbers and information that is coming at you. Hence this ketogenic diet meal plan. It is what I am doing to keep things simple. I am a guy. I need simple.
For me, I think that success with a keto diet is found with having some base meals and adding some variety later on if needed. Hell, I eat the same thing pretty much every day. Not too exciting but losing 45 pounds in 4 months IS exciting, so I am sticking with it. If it isnât broken, donât fix it.
7-DAY KETO DIET GROCERY LIST
The daily meals will be bacon and eggs, chicken with vegetables, and beef with vegetables. These are base meals and will provide good macros for some people. For others who need more food(fat), you can just add a keto-friendly snack or 2 to get your macros up to where they need to be. This is what I need to do.
A dozen eggs.
A package of bacon.
Butter. (real butter)
A pack of boneless SKIN ON chicken thighs
1 onion.
1 bell pepper (Green, red, yellow, thatâs your choice.)
Two bulbs of garlic. (Optional, but very heart healthy.)
A big bag of mixed frozen vegetables, at least 12 cups worth. If you are not sure what to get, just pick something else thatâs keto friendly like frozen broccoli.)
a bag of almonds, and a jar of almond butter (very expensive â the cheapest I can find is 10$ for 750g at Costco).
A package of beef. You want to find some kind of beef that you can imagine cutting/dividing into 6 equal portions of about 5.5 ounces each(a bit bigger than a deck of cards.)
I AM ACTUALLY COOKING. WELLâŠSOME
I am not much for cooking but I am doing better. A ketogenic diet meal plan does work better when you have food ready to go. It takes the guesswork out and we need to keep this as simple as possible in order to have success.
Put the 12 thighs into the oven with all the cloves from a bulb of garlic. You should separate the cloves, but you donât need to skin them. The heat from the oven will do that nicely, and you can peel them when you eat them.
While the thighs are cooking, hard boil the eggs. Then set them aside to cool.
Take a skillet, put some butter in it, and then fry up the bacon. (Note: Some might argue that butter isnât needed. In my experience, you can either grease up that pan somehow, or your first strips of bacon will come out burnt.)
Dice up half the onion, and save the other half for next week.
Cut up the pepper
You might need to take the chicken out at this point. If itâs done, pull it out, and let it cool.
In 6 of them, put 2 chicken thighs each. Share the garlic between them, and evenly divide the fat juice.
In the other 6 evenly spoon out the beef/pepper/onion mix.
Take the veggie blend, and evenly pour it across the 12 containers, right on top of the meat.
Put them all in your fridge. If you have minimal fridge space you could just put some in there, and then rest in your freezer. Just pull another out when you pull from the fridge.
Pull out six plastic bags and put 2 hard-boiled eggs in each.
Evenly divide your remaining bacon by 6.
Now brown bag it, and put it in your fridge.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS OF THE KETOGENIC MENU PLAN
Right now you have 6 dayâs worth of meals in your fridge
6 bags with 2 hard-boiled eggs and bacon
6 containers of thighs/veggies
6 containers of Beef/Veggies
Okay, so this is only 6 days. Make extra for day 7 OR you can try to get creative and plan your own meals. Ruled. I have some awesome keto recipes if you are feeling brave.
*I messed up. The macros of each âmealâ above are too high in protein and too low in fat so reduce the amount of meat in each meal by about half AND add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each meal(or some cheese). Please forgive me!!
For this base ketogenic meal plan I am going to use the following macronutrient profile that I helped someone set up for themselves:
TOTAL CALORIES- 1570
Net carbs â 20g per day
Protein â 80 g per day
Fat â 130 g per day
Now divide each of those by 3(for 3 meals per day) and you get:
â7 net carbs per meal
â26 grams of protein per meal
â44 grams of fat per meal
Omg, so much math! If you halve the protein in each meal you will be pretty close to these totals PER MEAL!
Personally, I need more protein and fat each day and so will some of you. So I add in some snacks, cheese, or keto fudge during the day to get my macros up where they need to be. I also drink homemade Bulletproof coffee which for me is:
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk(in a can)
This adds about 25g of fat to my day.
If you got hungry on Day One between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and supper while youâre still at work eat more fat!
You may also want to consider adding these fat-boosting strategies:
Full fat cream, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil in your coffee.
Put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the chicken while itâs baking.
Top the vegetables with some cheese before reheating.
SALT AND ELECTROLYTES WITH THE KETOGENIC DIET
Itâs also worth pointing out that you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with the ketogenic diet meal plan. It is very low on Vitamins B1, D, E, and K. Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium are also very low, but we need to manage those as part of our electrolyte strategy anyways on keto.
Do not omit essential electrolytes: Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg++), Calcium (Ca++), Phosphate (HPO4â), Bicarbonate (HCO3-). Lack of electrolytes or more pointedly the body’s primary electrolyte sodium (aka Salt) is responsible for lethargy, brain fog, and keto flu symptoms on high fats diets.
You should be aiming for at least 8 cups of water a day. I have a 600ml bottle and I empty it at least 10 times a day. That is a lot of water and yes I am going to the bathroom a lot. Carbs hold water, so with minimal carbs, this will speed up the flushing of water. So even more bathroom breaks.
BUT HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS?!
The âeasiestâ way to actually track your eating(and thus your macros) for your ketogenic diet meal plan is to set up a free account with MyFitnessPal.
This app is both web-based and/or you can use it with your phone. I cannot stress the importance of tracking what you eat. Doing this has made all the difference in the world for me and is a huge part of my keto diet success.
Once you get your account set up you just enter the food you eat and the app calculates your total consumption for each macro and your total calories. There is also a âbar code scannerâ as part of the app. You use your phone to âscanâ the bar code of the food you are eating and it enters it into your daily eating plan. Genius!
SUMMARY
I am proof that a ketogenic diet works. I also know that it can be confusing as hell trying to deal with all of the numbers and then figuring out what to eat. I am hopilsâŠ
ouâve probably heard about the low-carb, high-fat diet thatâs so popular among actors and models, and with good reason: low-carb diets offer proper nourishment with whole foods while keeping your body burning fat for fuel. This is a great way to be, as it makes fat loss largely effortless! But where does this âketogenicâ word fit into the picture?
Well, ketogenic comes from the word âketosisâ, which is a state in which your body breaks down fat molecules into ketones to provide energy. This state is achieved through very low carbohydrate intake and higher than normal fat intake. The ânormalâ state of the bodyâs metabolism is called âglycolysisâ, where carbs are burnt for energy. The long and short is that when your body is in carb-burning mode, it will use all available carbs for energy before it touches stored fat. In ketosis, your body is primed to burn fat, and this is great news for anyone trying to get trim and slim.
Benefits of Ketosis
By cutting carb intake significantly, we can drastically reduce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. In addition, low-carb diets, along with exercise, can be very effective at helping alleviate the symptoms and progression of type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, ketosis itself is appetite-suppressing, meaning your hunger will naturally check itself, increasing your caloric deficit and making you lose fat even faster.
Getting Started
Ketosis takes some time to get into â about two weeks of low-carb eating is required for the initial adaptation. During this time there will be bouts of sluggishness, fatigue, headaches, and some gastrointestinal issues as you adapt, often referred to as âketo fluâ. Proper electrolyte intake will correct most of these issues. In addition, the âdietâ aspect of this ketogenic diet plan â that is, the caloric restriction â shouldnât be worried about. Weight loss will come as your body regulates appetite as it the addiction to sugar and processed food lessens, so restricting calories during the initial two weeks isnât recommended.
The meal plan is designed to ensure you get three balanced, healthy meals a day that addresses fiber, satiation, and adequate protein intake. The greatest part of a ketogenic diet is the fact that it spares muscle loss, whereas a carb-based diet doesnât. Weight lost in a high-carb, calorie-restricted diet will often come both from muscle and fat, whereas with keto, you can burn fat without sacrificing muscle. This is referred to often as âbody recompositionâ and leaves you with a much more preferred physique after weight loss.
Additional Points of Interest
Ketogenic diets often create a significant loss of water during the first phases. This is because carbs are converted to glycogen in your body, which is stored in water within the muscles and liver. As you deplete stored glycogen, your body flushes this water out. This is a huge part of the initial weight loss during the first few weeks of ketosis. While the rapid fat loss does occur at first, a lot of water weight is often dropped as well, but this is a great encouragement as it often results in both weight loss and less bloating, allowing clothes to fit better.
Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and many others.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
Dairy Products: Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil, and almond oil. ( If you want to see more ketogenic diet foods, read this: The Ultimate List of Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Grains: Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. Includes bread and pasta.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
Processed Foods: If it contains carrageenan, donât eat it.
âLow-fatâ products: Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan And Menu
So you have found the ketogenic diet, have figured out your macros and you are itching to get started. Here is a ketogenic diet meal plan for one week. If you are just getting situated use this basic plan to help get going.
I HAVE LOST 45 POUNDS IN 4 MONTHS WITH A KETOGENIC DIET
I just started MONTH five of a ketogenic diet(45 lbs lost). Iâm by no means an expert. I am now 46 years old and I have spent my entire life trying to lose weight. Ironically I have also spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. Figuring out macronutrients just comes naturally to me as I have done it so much over my life. By following a keto diet this is the first time I have seen any real success in losing unwanted pounds. This is despite years of working out and being active.
I have had a very successful go of it so far, and I feel that a lot of you who are trying to get started with a ketogenic diet may get overwhelmed and confused with all of the numbers and information that is coming at you. Hence this ketogenic diet meal plan. It is what I am doing to keep things simple. I am a guy. I need simple.
For me, I think that success with a keto diet is found with having some base meals and adding some variety later on if needed. Hell, I eat the same thing pretty much every day. Not too exciting but losing 45 pounds in 4 months IS exciting, so I am sticking with it. If it isnât broken, donât fix it.
7-DAY KETO DIET GROCERY LIST
The daily meals will be bacon and eggs, chicken with vegetables, and beef with vegetables. These are base meals and will provide good macros for some people. For others who need more food(fat), you can just add a keto-friendly snack or 2 to get your macros up to where they need to be. This is what I need to do.
A dozen eggs.
A package of bacon.
Butter. (real butter)
A pack of boneless SKIN ON chicken thighs
1 onion.
1 bell pepper (Green, red, yellow, thatâs your choice.)
Two bulbs of garlic. (Optional, but very heart healthy.)
A big bag of mixed frozen vegetables, at least 12 cups worth. If you are not sure what to get, just pick something else thatâs keto friendly like frozen broccoli.)
a bag of almonds, and a jar of almond butter (very expensive â the cheapest I can find is 10$ for 750g at Costco).
A package of beef. You want to find some kind of beef that you can imagine cutting/dividing into 6 equal portions of about 5.5 ounces each(a bit bigger than a deck of cards.)
I AM ACTUALLY COOKING. WELLâŠSOME
I am not much for cooking but I am doing better. A ketogenic diet meal plan does work better when you have food ready to go. It takes the guesswork out and we need to keep this as simple as possible in order to have success.
Put the 12 thighs into the oven with all the cloves from a bulb of garlic. You should separate the cloves, but you donât need to skin them. The heat from the oven will do that nicely, and you can peel them when you eat them.
While the thighs are cooking, hard boil the eggs. Then set them aside to cool.
Take a skillet, put some butter in it, and then fry up the bacon. (Note: Some might argue that butter isnât needed. In my experience, you can either grease up that pan somehow, or your first strips of bacon will come out burnt.)
Dice up half the onion, and save the other half for next week.
Cut up the pepper
You might need to take the chicken out at this point. If itâs done, pull it out, and let it cool.
In 6 of them, put 2 chicken thighs each. Share the garlic between them, and evenly divide the fat juice.
In the other 6 evenly spoon out the beef/pepper/onion mix.
Take the veggie blend, and evenly pour it across the 12 containers, right on top of the meat.
Put them all in your fridge. If you have minimal fridge space you could just put some in there, and then rest in your freezer. Just pull another out when you pull from the fridge.
Pull out six plastic bags and put 2 hard-boiled eggs in each.
Evenly divide your remaining bacon by 6.
Now brown bag it, and put it in your fridge.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS OF THE KETOGENIC MENU PLAN
Right now you have 6 dayâs worth of meals in your fridge
6 bags with 2 hard-boiled eggs and bacon
6 containers of thighs/veggies
6 containers of Beef/Veggies
Okay, so this is only 6 days. Make extra for day 7 OR you can try to get creative and plan your own meals. Ruled. I have some awesome keto recipes if you are feeling brave.
*I messed up. The macros of each âmealâ above are too high in protein and too low in fat so reduce the amount of meat in each meal by about half AND add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each meal(or some cheese). Please forgive me!!
For this base ketogenic meal plan I am going to use the following macronutrient profile that I helped someone set up for themselves:
TOTAL CALORIES- 1570
Net carbs â 20g per day
Protein â 80 g per day
Fat â 130 g per day
Now divide each of those by 3(for 3 meals per day) and you get:
â7 net carbs per meal
â26 grams of protein per meal
â44 grams of fat per meal
Omg, so much math! If you halve the protein in each meal you will be pretty close to these totals PER MEAL!
Personally, I need more protein and fat each day and so will some of you. So I add in some snacks, cheese, or keto fudge during the day to get my macros up where they need to be. I also drink homemade Bulletproof coffee which for me is:
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk(in a can)
This adds about 25g of fat to my day.
If you got hungry on Day One between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and supper while youâre still at work eat more fat!
You may also want to consider adding these fat-boosting strategies:
Full fat cream, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil in your coffee.
Put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the chicken while itâs baking.
Top the vegetables with some cheese before reheating.
SALT AND ELECTROLYTES WITH THE KETOGENIC DIET
Itâs also worth pointing out that you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with the ketogenic diet meal plan. It is very low on Vitamins B1, D, E, and K. Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium are also very low, but we need to manage those as part of our electrolyte strategy anyways on keto.
Do not omit essential electrolytes: Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg++), Calcium (Ca++), Phosphate (HPO4â), Bicarbonate (HCO3-). Lack of electrolytes or more pointedly the body’s primary electrolyte sodium (aka Salt) is responsible for lethargy, brain fog, and keto flu symptoms on high fats diets.
You should be aiming for at least 8 cups of water a day. I have a 600ml bottle and I empty it at least 10 times a day. That is a lot of water and yes I am going to the bathroom a lot. Carbs hold water, so with minimal carbs, this will speed up the flushing of water. So even more bathroom breaks.
BUT HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS?!
The âeasiestâ way to actually track your eating(and thus your macros) for your ketogenic diet meal plan is to set up a free account with MyFitnessPal.
This app is both web-based and/or you can use it with your phone. I cannot stress the importance of tracking what you eat. Doing this has made all the difference in the world for me and is a huge part of my keto diet success.
Once you get your account set up you just enter the food you eat and the app calculates your total consumption for each macro and your total calories. There is also a âbar code scannerâ as part of the app. You use your phone to âscanâ the bar code of the food you are eating and it enters it into your daily eating plan. Genius!
SUMMARY
I am proof that a ketogenic diet works. I also know that it can be confusing as hell trying to deal with all of the numbers and then figuring out what to eat. I am hopioalsâŠ
ouâve probably heard about the low-carb, high-fat diet thatâs so popular among actors and models, and with good reason: low-carb diets offer proper nourishment with whole foods while keeping your body burning fat for fuel. This is a great way to be, as it makes fat loss largely effortless! But where does this âketogenicâ word fit into the picture?
Well, ketogenic comes from the word âketosisâ, which is a state in which your body breaks down fat molecules into ketones to provide energy. This state is achieved through very low carbohydrate intake and higher than normal fat intake. The ânormalâ state of the bodyâs metabolism is called âglycolysisâ, where carbs are burnt for energy. The long and short is that when your body is in carb-burning mode, it will use all available carbs for energy before it touches stored fat. In ketosis, your body is primed to burn fat, and this is great news for anyone trying to get trim and slim.
Benefits of Ketosis
By cutting carb intake significantly, we can drastically reduce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. In addition, low-carb diets, along with exercise, can be very effective at helping alleviate the symptoms and progression of type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, ketosis itself is appetite-suppressing, meaning your hunger will naturally check itself, increasing your caloric deficit and making you lose fat even faster.
Getting Started
Ketosis takes some time to get into â about two weeks of low-carb eating is required for the initial adaptation. During this time there will be bouts of sluggishness, fatigue, headaches, and some gastrointestinal issues as you adapt, often referred to as âketo fluâ. Proper electrolyte intake will correct most of these issues. In addition, the âdietâ aspect of this ketogenic diet plan â that is, the caloric restriction â shouldnât be worried about. Weight loss will come as your body regulates appetite as it the addiction to sugar and processed food lessens, so restricting calories during the initial two weeks isnât recommended.
The meal plan is designed to ensure you get three balanced, healthy meals a day that addresses fiber, satiation, and adequate protein intake. The greatest part of a ketogenic diet is the fact that it spares muscle loss, whereas a carb-based diet doesnât. Weight lost in a high-carb, calorie-restricted diet will often come both from muscle and fat, whereas with keto, you can burn fat without sacrificing muscle. This is referred to often as âbody recompositionâ and leaves you with a much more preferred physique after weight loss.
Additional Points of Interest
Ketogenic diets often create a significant loss of water during the first phases. This is because carbs are converted to glycogen in your body, which is stored in water within the muscles and liver. As you deplete stored glycogen, your body flushes this water out. This is a huge part of the initial weight loss during the first few weeks of ketosis. While the rapid fat loss does occur at first, a lot of water weight is often dropped as well, but this is a great encouragement as it often results in both weight loss and less bloating, allowing clothes to fit better.
Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and many others.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
Dairy Products: Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil, and almond oil. ( If you want to see more ketogenic diet foods, read this: The Ultimate List of Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Grains: Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. Includes bread and pasta.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
Processed Foods: If it contains carrageenan, donât eat it.
âLow-fatâ products: Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan And Menu
So you have found the ketogenic diet, have figured out your macros and you are itching to get started. Here is a ketogenic diet meal plan for one week. If you are just getting situated use this basic plan to help get going.
I HAVE LOST 45 POUNDS IN 4 MONTHS WITH A KETOGENIC DIET
I just started MONTH five of a ketogenic diet(45 lbs lost). Iâm by no means an expert. I am now 46 years old and I have spent my entire life trying to lose weight. Ironically I have also spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. Figuring out macronutrients just comes naturally to me as I have done it so much over my life. By following a keto diet this is the first time I have seen any real success in losing unwanted pounds. This is despite years of working out and being active.
I have had a very successful go of it so far, and I feel that a lot of you who are trying to get started with a ketogenic diet may get overwhelmed and confused with all of the numbers and information that is coming at you. Hence this ketogenic diet meal plan. It is what I am doing to keep things simple. I am a guy. I need simple.
For me, I think that success with a keto diet is found with having some base meals and adding some variety later on if needed. Hell, I eat the same thing pretty much every day. Not too exciting but losing 45 pounds in 4 months IS exciting, so I am sticking with it. If it isnât broken, donât fix it.
7-DAY KETO DIET GROCERY LIST
The daily meals will be bacon and eggs, chicken with vegetables, and beef with vegetables. These are base meals and will provide good macros for some people. For others who need more food(fat), you can just add a keto-friendly snack or 2 to get your macros up to where they need to be. This is what I need to do.
A dozen eggs.
A package of bacon.
Butter. (real butter)
A pack of boneless SKIN ON chicken thighs
1 onion.
1 bell pepper (Green, red, yellow, thatâs your choice.)
Two bulbs of garlic. (Optional, but very heart healthy.)
A big bag of mixed frozen vegetables, at least 12 cups worth. If you are not sure what to get, just pick something else thatâs keto friendly like frozen broccoli.)
a bag of almonds, and a jar of almond butter (very expensive â the cheapest I can find is 10$ for 750g at Costco).
A package of beef. You want to find some kind of beef that you can imagine cutting/dividing into 6 equal portions of about 5.5 ounces each(a bit bigger than a deck of cards.)
I AM ACTUALLY COOKING. WELLâŠSOME
I am not much for cooking but I am doing better. A ketogenic diet meal plan does work better when you have food ready to go. It takes the guesswork out and we need to keep this as simple as possible in order to have success.
Put the 12 thighs into the oven with all the cloves from a bulb of garlic. You should separate the cloves, but you donât need to skin them. The heat from the oven will do that nicely, and you can peel them when you eat them.
While the thighs are cooking, hard boil the eggs. Then set them aside to cool.
Take a skillet, put some butter in it, and then fry up the bacon. (Note: Some might argue that butter isnât needed. In my experience, you can either grease up that pan somehow, or your first strips of bacon will come out burnt.)
Dice up half the onion, and save the other half for next week.
Cut up the pepper
You might need to take the chicken out at this point. If itâs done, pull it out, and let it cool.
In 6 of them, put 2 chicken thighs each. Share the garlic between them, and evenly divide the fat juice.
In the other 6 evenly spoon out the beef/pepper/onion mix.
Take the veggie blend, and evenly pour it across the 12 containers, right on top of the meat.
Put them all in your fridge. If you have minimal fridge space you could just put some in there, and then rest in your freezer. Just pull another out when you pull from the fridge.
Pull out six plastic bags and put 2 hard-boiled eggs in each.
Evenly divide your remaining bacon by 6.
Now brown bag it, and put it in your fridge.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS OF THE KETOGENIC MENU PLAN
Right now you have 6 dayâs worth of meals in your fridge
6 bags with 2 hard-boiled eggs and bacon
6 containers of thighs/veggies
6 containers of Beef/Veggies
Okay, so this is only 6 days. Make extra for day 7 OR you can try to get creative and plan your own meals. Ruled. I have some awesome keto recipes if you are feeling brave.
*I messed up. The macros of each âmealâ above are too high in protein and too low in fat so reduce the amount of meat in each meal by about half AND add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each meal(or some cheese). Please forgive me!!
For this base ketogenic meal plan I am going to use the following macronutrient profile that I helped someone set up for themselves:
TOTAL CALORIES- 1570
Net carbs â 20g per day
Protein â 80 g per day
Fat â 130 g per day
Now divide each of those by 3(for 3 meals per day) and you get:
â7 net carbs per meal
â26 grams of protein per meal
â44 grams of fat per meal
Omg, so much math! If you halve the protein in each meal you will be pretty close to these totals PER MEAL!
Personally, I need more protein and fat each day and so will some of you. So I add in some snacks, cheese, or keto fudge during the day to get my macros up where they need to be. I also drink homemade Bulletproof coffee which for me is:
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk(in a can)
This adds about 25g of fat to my day.
If you got hungry on Day One between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and supper while youâre still at work eat more fat!
You may also want to consider adding these fat-boosting strategies:
Full fat cream, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil in your coffee.
Put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the chicken while itâs baking.
Top the vegetables with some cheese before reheating.
SALT AND ELECTROLYTES WITH THE KETOGENIC DIET
Itâs also worth pointing out that you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with the ketogenic diet meal plan. It is very low on Vitamins B1, D, E, and K. Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium are also very low, but we need to manage those as part of our electrolyte strategy anyways on keto.
Do not omit essential electrolytes: Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg++), Calcium (Ca++), Phosphate (HPO4â), Bicarbonate (HCO3-). Lack of electrolytes or more pointedly the body’s primary electrolyte sodium (aka Salt) is responsible for lethargy, brain fog, and keto flu symptoms on high fats diets.
You should be aiming for at least 8 cups of water a day. I have a 600ml bottle and I empty it at least 10 times a day. That is a lot of water and yes I am going to the bathroom a lot. Carbs hold water, so with minimal carbs, this will speed up the flushing of water. So even more bathroom breaks.
BUT HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS?!
The âeasiestâ way to actually track your eating(and thus your macros) for your ketogenic diet meal plan is to set up a free account with MyFitnessPal.
This app is both web-based and/or you can use it with your phone. I cannot stress the importance of tracking what you eat. Doing this has made all the difference in the world for me and is a huge part of my keto diet success.
Once you get your account set up you just enter the food you eat and the app calculates your total consumption for each macro and your total calories. There is also a âbar code scannerâ as part of the app. You use your phone to âscanâ the bar code of the food you are eating and it enters it into your daily eating plan. Genius!
SUMMARY
I am proof that a ketogenic diet works. I also know that it can be confusing as hell trying to deal with all of the numbers and then figuring out what to eat. I am hopind then figuring out what to eat. I am hoping that this 7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan will help you to stay calm(at least a little bit) and focused on your fat loss goalsâŠ
ouâve probably heard about the low-carb, high-fat diet thatâs so popular among actors and models, and with good reason: low-carb diets offer proper nourishment with whole foods while keeping your body burning fat for fuel. This is a great way to be, as it makes fat loss largely effortless! But where does this âketogenicâ word fit into the picture?
Well, ketogenic comes from the word âketosisâ, which is a state in which your body breaks down fat molecules into ketones to provide energy. This state is achieved through very low carbohydrate intake and higher than normal fat intake. The ânormalâ state of the bodyâs metabolism is called âglycolysisâ, where carbs are burnt for energy. The long and short is that when your body is in carb-burning mode, it will use all available carbs for energy before it touches stored fat. In ketosis, your body is primed to burn fat, and this is great news for anyone trying to get trim and slim.
Benefits of Ketosis
By cutting carb intake significantly, we can drastically reduce insulin resistance, the precursor to type 2 diabetes. In addition, low-carb diets, along with exercise, can be very effective at helping alleviate the symptoms and progression of type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, ketosis itself is appetite-suppressing, meaning your hunger will naturally check itself, increasing your caloric deficit and making you lose fat even faster.
Getting Started
Ketosis takes some time to get into â about two weeks of low-carb eating is required for the initial adaptation. During this time there will be bouts of sluggishness, fatigue, headaches, and some gastrointestinal issues as you adapt, often referred to as âketo fluâ. Proper electrolyte intake will correct most of these issues. In addition, the âdietâ aspect of this ketogenic diet plan â that is, the caloric restriction â shouldnât be worried about. Weight loss will come as your body regulates appetite as it the addiction to sugar and processed food lessens, so restricting calories during the initial two weeks isnât recommended.
The meal plan is designed to ensure you get three balanced, healthy meals a day that addresses fiber, satiation, and adequate protein intake. The greatest part of a ketogenic diet is the fact that it spares muscle loss, whereas a carb-based diet doesnât. Weight lost in a high-carb, calorie-restricted diet will often come both from muscle and fat, whereas with keto, you can burn fat without sacrificing muscle. This is referred to often as âbody recompositionâ and leaves you with a much more preferred physique after weight loss.
Additional Points of Interest
Ketogenic diets often create a significant loss of water during the first phases. This is because carbs are converted to glycogen in your body, which is stored in water within the muscles and liver. As you deplete stored glycogen, your body flushes this water out. This is a huge part of the initial weight loss during the first few weeks of ketosis. While the rapid fat loss does occur at first, a lot of water weight is often dropped as well, but this is a great encouragement as it often results in both weight loss and less bloating, allowing clothes to fit better.
Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, and many others.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc.
Dairy Products: Cheese, Greek yogurt, sour cream, heavy cream.
Fats and Oils: Peanut Butte, flaxseed oil, butter, sesame oil, olive oil, and almond oil. ( If you want to see more ketogenic diet foods, read this: The Ultimate List of Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet
Grains: Grains: Wheat, oats, corn, barley, and rye. Includes bread and pasta.
Artificial Sweeteners: Sucralose, Equal, Acesulfame, Splenda, Saccharin, etc.
Processed Foods: If it contains carrageenan, donât eat it.
âLow-fatâ products: Atkins products, drinks, gluten, diet soda, etc.
7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan And Menu
So you have found the ketogenic diet, have figured out your macros and you are itching to get started. Here is a ketogenic diet meal plan for one week. If you are just getting situated use this basic plan to help get going.
I HAVE LOST 45 POUNDS IN 4 MONTHS WITH A KETOGENIC DIET
I just started MONTH five of a ketogenic diet(45 lbs lost). Iâm by no means an expert. I am now 46 years old and I have spent my entire life trying to lose weight. Ironically I have also spent years learning about nutrition and exercise. Figuring out macronutrients just comes naturally to me as I have done it so much over my life. By following a keto diet this is the first time I have seen any real success in losing unwanted pounds. This is despite years of working out and being active.
I have had a very successful go of it so far, and I feel that a lot of you who are trying to get started with a ketogenic diet may get overwhelmed and confused with all of the numbers and information that is coming at you. Hence this ketogenic diet meal plan. It is what I am doing to keep things simple. I am a guy. I need simple.
For me, I think that success with a keto diet is found with having some base meals and adding some variety later on if needed. Hell, I eat the same thing pretty much every day. Not too exciting but losing 45 pounds in 4 months IS exciting, so I am sticking with it. If it isnât broken, donât fix it.
7-DAY KETO DIET GROCERY LIST
The daily meals will be bacon and eggs, chicken with vegetables, and beef with vegetables. These are base meals and will provide good macros for some people. For others who need more food(fat), you can just add a keto-friendly snack or 2 to get your macros up to where they need to be. This is what I need to do.
A dozen eggs.
A package of bacon.
Butter. (real butter)
A pack of boneless SKIN ON chicken thighs
1 onion.
1 bell pepper (Green, red, yellow, thatâs your choice.)
Two bulbs of garlic. (Optional, but very heart healthy.)
A big bag of mixed frozen vegetables, at least 12 cups worth. If you are not sure what to get, just pick something else thatâs keto friendly like frozen broccoli.)
a bag of almonds, and a jar of almond butter (very expensive â the cheapest I can find is 10$ for 750g at Costco).
A package of beef. You want to find some kind of beef that you can imagine cutting/dividing into 6 equal portions of about 5.5 ounces each(a bit bigger than a deck of cards.)
I AM ACTUALLY COOKING. WELLâŠSOME
I am not much for cooking but I am doing better. A ketogenic diet meal plan does work better when you have food ready to go. It takes the guesswork out and we need to keep this as simple as possible in order to have success.
Put the 12 thighs into the oven with all the cloves from a bulb of garlic. You should separate the cloves, but you donât need to skin them. The heat from the oven will do that nicely, and you can peel them when you eat them.
While the thighs are cooking, hard boil the eggs. Then set them aside to cool.
Take a skillet, put some butter in it, and then fry up the bacon. (Note: Some might argue that butter isnât needed. In my experience, you can either grease up that pan somehow, or your first strips of bacon will come out burnt.)
Dice up half the onion, and save the other half for next week.
Cut up the pepper
You might need to take the chicken out at this point. If itâs done, pull it out, and let it cool.
In 6 of them, put 2 chicken thighs each. Share the garlic between them, and evenly divide the fat juice.
In the other 6 evenly spoon out the beef/pepper/onion mix.
Take the veggie blend, and evenly pour it across the 12 containers, right on top of the meat.
Put them all in your fridge. If you have minimal fridge space you could just put some in there, and then rest in your freezer. Just pull another out when you pull from the fridge.
Pull out six plastic bags and put 2 hard-boiled eggs in each.
Evenly divide your remaining bacon by 6.
Now brown bag it, and put it in your fridge.
THE MACRONUTRIENTS OF THE KETOGENIC MENU PLAN
Right now you have 6 dayâs worth of meals in your fridge
6 bags with 2 hard-boiled eggs and bacon
6 containers of thighs/veggies
6 containers of Beef/Veggies
Okay, so this is only 6 days. Make extra for day 7 OR you can try to get creative and plan your own meals. Ruled. I have some awesome keto recipes if you are feeling brave.
*I messed up. The macros of each âmealâ above are too high in protein and too low in fat so reduce the amount of meat in each meal by about half AND add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to each meal(or some cheese). Please forgive me!!
For this base ketogenic meal plan I am going to use the following macronutrient profile that I helped someone set up for themselves:
TOTAL CALORIES- 1570
Net carbs â 20g per day
Protein â 80 g per day
Fat â 130 g per day
Now divide each of those by 3(for 3 meals per day) and you get:
â7 net carbs per meal
â26 grams of protein per meal
â44 grams of fat per meal
Omg, so much math! If you halve the protein in each meal you will be pretty close to these totals PER MEAL!
Personally, I need more protein and fat each day and so will some of you. So I add in some snacks, cheese, or keto fudge during the day to get my macros up where they need to be. I also drink homemade Bulletproof coffee which for me is:
1 cup coffee
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp full-fat coconut milk(in a can)
This adds about 25g of fat to my day.
If you got hungry on Day One between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and supper while youâre still at work eat more fat!
You may also want to consider adding these fat-boosting strategies:
Full fat cream, butter, coconut oil, and MCT oil in your coffee.
Put a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the chicken while itâs baking.
Top the vegetables with some cheese before reheating.
SALT AND ELECTROLYTES WITH THE KETOGENIC DIET
Itâs also worth pointing out that you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with the ketogenic diet meal plan. It is very low on Vitamins B1, D, E, and K. Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium are also very low, but we need to manage those as part of our electrolyte strategy anyways on keto.
Do not omit essential electrolytes: Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Potassium (K+), Magnesium (Mg++), Calcium (Ca++), Phosphate (HPO4â), Bicarbonate (HCO3-). Lack of electrolytes or more pointedly the bodyâs primary electrolyte sodium (aka Salt) is responsible for lethargy, brain fog, and keto flu symptoms on high fats diets.
You should be aiming for at least 8 cups of water a day. I have a 600ml bottle and I empty it at least 10 times a day. That is a lot of water and yes I am going to the bathroom a lot. Carbs hold water, so with minimal carbs, this will speed up the flushing of water. So even more bathroom breaks.
BUT HOW DO I KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THIS?!
The âeasiestâ way to actually track your eating(and thus your macros) for your ketogenic diet meal plan is to set up a free account with MyFitnessPal.
This app is both web-based and/or you can use it with your phone. I cannot stress the importance of tracking what you eat. Doing this has made all the difference in the world for me and is a huge part of my keto diet success.
Once you get your account set up you just enter the food you eat and the app calculates your total consumption for each macro and your total calories. There is also a âbar code scannerâ as part of the app. You use your phone to âscanâ the bar code of the food you are eating and it enters it into your daily eating plan. Genius!
I am proof that a ketogenic diet works. I also know that it can be confusing as hell trying to deal with all of the numbers and then figuring out what to eat. I am hoping that this 7-Day Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan will help you to stay calm(at least a little bit) and focused on your fat loss goalsâŠ
