How does the ketogenic diet work

The ketogenic diet which is described on this site is based on a process called ketosis. It is a specific state of the organism, which is characterized by an elevated level of ketones in the blood, which occurs due to the conversion of fats into fatty acids and ketones. This occurs when the body gets only very small amounts of carbohydrates over a period of time. When you start with such a diet, your body goes through several changes, or adjustments. After about 48 hours since the beginning of this diet, the body starts to use ketones to use the energy stored in fat cells more efficiently. In other words, the primary source of energy becomes fat (fatty acids), instead of carbohydrates (glucose). Therefore, during ketosis it is not a problem to eat food with higher amounts of fat, than would otherwise seem reasonable. This way the body is rapidly losing weight (specifically fat). In addition, the loss of muscle tissue (proteins) is minimal, since the vast majority of food consumed during ketosis, also contains relatively large amounts of proteins.

Although ketosis is the foundation of ketogenic diet, in its strictest form it doesn't need to be kept long. The state of ketosis can be held up until the body weight is just a few pounds higher than the one you desire. Then foods with higher amounts of carbohydrates are gradually introduced (rice, beans, small amounts of bread or pasta, peas...). In this period, it would be very useful to keep a food diary in which daily amounts of carbohydrates can be noted. That way you can find the maximum amount of daily carbohydrates that still allows you not to gain weight. Once you discover this parameter, you will no longer have problems with overweight, because until that moment you will certainly learn to take account of calories and amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that you consume daily. That way you will get to know your body better, in terms of the maximum "allowable" daily intake. So, the ketogenic diet is only a procedure for learning habits that will ensure that one never returns to the old, potentially problematic, overweight levels.

Only basics are mentioned here. On the internet, programs with more details about ketogenic diets can be found. On these pages, the biggest focus is the food itself, while the mechanisms and programs related to ketosis, can be found on other sites as well.