Diet Guide
Very low carb, high fat. Your body switches from burning sugar to burning fat.
Normally your body runs on carbs for energy. Keto cuts carbs so low that your body has to switch to burning fat instead. This state is called ketosis.
On a keto diet you eat mostly fat and protein. Carbs are kept under about 20 to 50 grams per day. That is roughly the amount in one small bowl of rice.
No rice, no bread, no noodles, no sugar.
Think of your body like a hybrid car. Normally it runs on petrol, which is carbs. Keto forces it to switch to the electric battery, which is fat. Once the switch happens, the body burns fat for everything it needs to do. The longer you stay in ketosis, the more efficient your body gets at using fat as fuel.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fast initial weight loss | Very hard to maintain long term |
| Reduces hunger in many people | Cuts out most Asian staple foods |
| May improve blood sugar control | Higher food cost than most diets |
| Well researched for short term results | Fatigue and headaches in the first week (keto flu) |
The ketogenic diet has been studied extensively for weight loss and metabolic health. Research has shown that very low carb diets produce greater short term weight loss compared to low fat diets. Benefits include improved triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels. Results are strongest in the first few months. Long term adherence is challenging for most people because of the strict carb restriction.
Read the researchThousands of people doing this diet share their experience on Reddit. Visit r/keto
Keto is especially brutal in a rice culture. Here is why keto is extra hard in Asia, and the approach that actually lasts instead.
See the proof: how I went from 128kg to 86kg without cutting carbs, and look up any dish in the Malaysian food calorie database.