Slimmers can choose from a series of fitness plans when it comes to losing weight. Some may choose to transform their diet completely, like Simon Cowell – who recently lost 1.5 stone by going vegan – or others may cut particular food items out, similar to Love Island host Caroline Flack, who ditched sugar. The keto diet has become very popular among slimmers. From new mums to celebrities, many have turned to the low-carb diet to help shed the pounds. One woman recently lost 3st 5lbs on this diet and she has shared her transformation on Reddit.
The slimmer – who goes by the screen name “amethystgem8” – took to the social media site to reveal her weight loss.
Sharing a before and after image, she revealed she’d slimmed down from 14st 6lbs to a much healthier 11st 1lb for her 5ft 7in frame.
When asked how she’d managed to overhaul her body, the 27-year-old revealed she’d used the keto diet, which she combined with intermittent fasting and calorie counting.
What is the keto diet?
A predecessor to the famous Atkins diet, the keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb plan, which limits carbohydrates to 20-50 grams per day.
It has been credited by many for helping to achieve a slimmer figure and there’s some evidence to show that it may also be beneficial for Alzheimers diseases, certain cancers and other diseases, too.
There is also growing interest in the use of low-carbohydrate diets, including the ketogenic diet, for type 2 diabetes.
So what foods can you eat?
Keto-friendly foods include seafood, meat, cheese, and low-carb vegetables and fruit, such a berries.
Banned on the diet plan are pasta, bread, root vegetables and high carb fruits like bananas.
Meat and poultry
Known as the staple of a keto diet, most meals are based around meat or poultry.
Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbs and are a great source of protein, which has been proven to preserve muscle mass when eaten on a low carb diet.
A study published in the US National Library of Medicine found that consuming a diet high in fatty meat led to HDL cholesterol levels that were 8 per cent higher than on a low-fat, high-carb diet.
Seafood
Many types of seafood are carb free or very low in carbs.
Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are very high in omega-3 fats, which have been found to lower insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese people.
Low carb vegetables
Vegetables are a great and tasty way to eat good fat on a keto diet.
Most vegetables contain very few carbs. However, consuming one serving of starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams or beetroot could put you over your entire carb limit for the day.
Some low carb vegetables include: bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, and avocados.
Nutritionist Hebe Mills recently warned Express.co.uk about the keto diet, due to the high fat content the diet embraces.
She said: “Be mindful of the high energy content in a number of foods recommended in the diet.
“Fat contains more calories than carbohydrate (which isn’t a bad thing in the slightest!) so it may be worth monitoring your energy intake if the purpose of the diet is for weight loss.”