Ketogenic Diet Food List:Including Best versus Worst Keto Foods

Keto Diet

Unlike many fad diets that come and go with very limited rates of long-term success, the ketogenic diet or keto diet has been practiced for more than nine decades (since the 1920s) and is based upon a solid understanding of physiology and nutrition science.

The keto diet works for such a high percentage of people because it targets several key, underlying causes of weight gain — including hormonal imbalances, especially insulin resistance coupled with high blood sugar levels, and the cycle of restricting and “binging” on empty calories due to hunger that so many dieters struggle with. Yet that’s not a problem with what’s on the keto diet food list.

Rather than relying on counting calories, limiting portion sizes, resorting to extreme exercise or requiring lots of willpower (even in the face of drastically low energy levels), the ketogenic, low-carb diet takes an entirely different approach to weight loss and health improvements. It works because it changes the very “fuel source” that the body uses to stay energized: Namely, from burning glucose (or sugar) to dietary fat, courtesy of keto recipes and the ketogenic diet food list items, including high-fat, low-carb foods.

Want to go keto? Download the keto food guide here.

Making that switch will place your body in a state of “ketosis,” when your body becomes a fat burner rather than a sugar burner. The steps are surprising simple:

Cut down on carbs.
Increase your consumption of healthy fats.
Without glucose coursing through your body, it’s now forced to burn fat and produce ketones instead.

Once the blood levels of ketones rise to a certain point, you officially enter into ketosis.

This state results in consistent, fairly quick weight loss until your body reaches a healthy and stable weight.

So, What Can You Eat On a Ketogenic Diet?

What is a keto food? What does a keto meal look like? Here are some examples of high-fat low-carb foods on the ketogenic diet food list you can expect to eat lots of if you’re following the ketogenic diet:

Your keto meals should contain high amounts of healthy fats (up to 80 percent of your total calories!), such as olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, palm oil, and some nuts and seeds. Fats are a critical part of every ketogenic recipe because fat is what provides energy and prevents hunger, weakness and fatigue.
Keto meals also need all sorts of non-starchy vegetables. What vegetables can you eat on a ketogenic diet without worrying about increasing your carb intake too much? Some of the most popular choices include broccoli and other cruciferous veggies, all types of leafy greens, asparagus, cucumber, and zucchini.

In more moderate amounts, foods that are high in protein but low- or no-carb, including grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry, cage-free eggs, bone broth, wild-caught fish, organ meats and some full-fat (ideally raw) dairy products.
On the other hand, the types of foods you’ll avoid eating on the keto, low-carb diet are likely the same ones you are, or previously were, accustomed to getting lots of your daily calories from before starting this way of eating. This includes keto-friendly items like fruit, processed foods or drinks high in sugar, those made with any grains or white/wheat flour, conventional dairy products, desserts, and many other high-carb foods (especially those that are sources of “empty calories”).

The Ketogenic Diet Food List

If you’re new to the keto diet or just still learning the ropes, your biggest questions probably revolve around figuring out just what high-fat low-carb foods you can eat on such a low-carb, ketogenic diet. Overall, remember that the bulk of calories on the keto diet are from foods that are high in natural fats along with a moderate amount of foods with protein. Those that are severely restricted are all foods that provide lots of carbs, even kinds that are normally thought of as “healthy,” like whole grains, for example.

The biggest shifts in your daily habits will be how you food shop and how you cook, and recipes that are ketogenic need to be followed rather than just low-carb. You will require the healthy fats in order to get into ketosis and have enough energy without the carbs. And you will be considerably more energetic and healthier when cooking your own keto-friendly food rather than buying supposedly keto foods off the shelf. So visit my page on keto recipes as well as keto snacks (including fat bombs!) to get you started!

Overview of the Keto Diet Plan:
The exact ratio of recommended macronutrients in your diet (grams of carbs vs. fat vs. protein) will differ depending on your specific goals and current state of health. Your age, gender, level of activity and current body composition can also play a role in determining your carb versus fat intake.

Historically, ketogenic diets have consisted of limiting carbohydrate intake to just 20–30 net grams per day. “Net carbs” is the amount of carbs remaining once dietary fiber is taken into account. Because fiber is indigestible once eaten, most people don’t count grams of fiber toward their daily carb allotment. In other words, total carbs – grams of fiber = net carbs. That’s the carb counts that matter most.

On a “strict” (standard) keto diet, fats typically provides about 70 percent to 80 percent of total daily calories, protein about 15 percent to 20 percent, and carbohydrates just around 5 percent. However, a more “moderate” approach to the keto diet is also a good option for many people that can allow for an easier transition into very low-carb eating and more flexibility (more on this type of plan below).

Something that makes the keto diet different from other low-carb diets is that it does not “protein-load.” Protein is not as big a part of the diet as fat is. Reason being: In small amounts, the body can change protein to glucose, which means if you eat too much of it, especially while in the beginning stages of the keto diet, it will slow down your body’s transition into ketosis.

Protein intake should be between one and 1.5 grams per kilogram of your ideal body weight. To convert pounds to kilograms, divide your ideal weight by 2.2. For example, a woman who weighs 150 pounds (68 kilograms) should get about 68–102 grams of protein daily.

It’s important to also drink lots of water. Getting enough water helps keep you from feeling fatigued, is important for digestion and aids in hunger suppression. It’s also needed for detoxification. Aim to drink 10–12 eight-ounce glasses a day.


Best Keto Foods — Eat These High-Fat Low-Carb Foods Whenever:

Healthy Fats  Ketogenic diet food list foods to eat anytime - Dr. Axe
Most healthy fats contain zero net carbs, especially the kinds listed below, which also have other health advantages. (13) Fats should be included in high amounts with every meal throughout the day.

Healthy fats include saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and certain types of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), especially omega-3 fatty acids. It’s best to include all types in your diet, with an emphasis on saturated fats, especially compared to PUFAs.

MCT oil, cold-pressed coconut, palm fruit, olive oil, flaxseed, macadamia and avocado oil — 0 net carbs per tablespoon
Butter and ghee — 0 net carbs per tablespoon
Lard, chicken fat or duck fat — 0 net carbs per tablespoon

Proteins
Animal proteins (meat, fish, etc.) have very little, if any, carbs. You can consume them in moderate amounts as needed to control hunger. Overall, choose fattier cuts of meat rather than leaner ones. For example, chicken thighs and legs are preferable to chicken breasts because they contain much more fat.

Grass-fed beef and other types of fatty cuts of meat, including lamb, goat, veal, venison and other game. Grass-fed, fatty meat is preferable because it’s higher in quality omega-3 fats — 0 grams net carbs per 5 ounces
Organ meats including liver — around 3 grams net carbs per 5 ounces
Poultry, including turkey, chicken, quail, pheasant, hen, goose, duck — 0 grams net carbs per 5 ounces
Cage-free eggs and egg yolks — 1 gram net carb each
Fish, including tuna, trout, anchovies, bass, flounder, mackerel, salmon, sardines, etc. — 0 grams net carbs per 5 ounces
Non-Starchy Vegetables
All leafy greens, including dandelion or beet greens, collards, mustard, turnip, arugula, chicory, endive, escarole, fennel, radicchio, romaine, sorrel, spinach, kale, chard, etc. — range from 0.5–5 net carbs per 1 cup
Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower — 3–6 grams net carbs per 1 cup
Celery, cucumber, zucchini, chives and leeks — 2–4 grams net carbs per 1 cup
Fresh herbs — close to 0 grams net carbs per 1–2 tablespoons
Veggies that are slightly higher in carbs (but still low all things considered) include asparagus, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, bell pepper, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, radishes, jicama, green beans, wax beans, tomatoes — 3–7 grams net carbs per 1 cup raw
Fat-Based Fruit
Avocado — 3.7 grams net carbs per half
Snacks
Bone broth (homemade or protein powder) — 0 grams net carbs per serving
Beef or turkey jerky — 0 grams net carbs
Hard-boiled eggs — 1 gram net carb
Extra veggies (raw or cooked) with homemade dressing — 0–5 grams net carbs
1/2 avocado with sliced lox (salmon) — 3–4 grams net carbs
Minced meat wrapped in lettuce — 0-1 grams net carbs
Condiments
Spices and herbs — 0 grams net carbs
Hot sauce (no sweetener) — 0 grams net carbs
Apple cider vinegar — 0–1 grams net carbs
Unsweetened mustards — 0–1 grams net carbs
Drinks
Water — 0 grams net carbs
Unsweetened coffee (black) and tea; drink in moderation since high amounts can impact blood sugar — 0 grams net carbs
Bone broth — 0 grams net carbs

Keto Foods to Limit — Eat Only Occasionally:

Full-Fat Dairy
Dairy products should be limited to only “now and then” due to containing natural sugars. Higher fat, hard cheeses have the least carbs, while low-fat milk and soft cheeses have much more.

Full-fat cow’s and goat milk (ideally organic and raw) — 11–12 net grams per one cup serving
Full-fat cheeses — 0.5–1.5 net grams per one ounce or about 1/4 cup

Medium-Starchy Vegetables
Sweet peas, artichokes, okra, carrots, beets and parsnips — about 7–14 net grams per 1/2 cup cooked
Yams and potatoes (white, red, sweet, etc.) — sweet potatoes have the least carbs, about 10 net grams per 1/2 potato; Yams and white potatoes can have much more, about 13–25 net grams per 1/2 potato/yam cooked

Ketogenic diet food list foods to eat occasionally - Dr. Axe Legumes and Beans
Chickpeas, kidney, lima, black, brown, lentils, hummus, etc. — about 12–13 net grams per 1/2 cup serving cooked

Soy products, including tofu, edamame, tempeh — these foods can vary in carbohydrates substantially, so read labels carefully; soybeans are fewer in carbs than most other beans, with only about 1–3 net carbs per 1/2 cup serving cooked

Nuts and Seeds
Almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pistachios, chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc. — 1.5–4 grams net carbs per 1 ounce; cashews are the highest in carbs, around 7 net grams per ounce
Nut butters and seed butters — 4 net carbs per 2 tablespoons
Chia seeds and flaxseeds — around 1–2 grams net carbs per 2 tablespoons

Fruits
Berries, including blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries — 3–9 grams net carbs per 1/2 cup

Snacks
Protein smoothie (stirred into almond milk or water)
7–10 olives
1 tablespoon nut butter or handful of nuts
Veggies with melted cheese

Condiments
Most condiments below range from 0.5–2 net grams per 1–2 tablespoon serving. Check ingredient labels to make sure added sugar is not included, which will increase net carbs. (Stevia and erythritol will become your go-to sweeteners because neither raise your blood sugar — combine for a more natural sweet taste and, remember, a little goes a long way!)

No sugar added ketchup or salsa
Sour cream
Mustard, hot sauces, Worcestershire sauce
Lemon/ lime juice
Soy sauce
Salad dressing (ideal to make your own with vinegar, oil and spices)
Pickles
Stevia (natural sweetener, zero calorie and no sugar)
Erythritol

Drinks
Consume the unsweetened drinks below only moderately, having just 1–2 small servings per day. These will typically contain between 1–7 net grams per serving.

Fresh vegetable and fruit juices — homemade is best to limit sugar; use little fruit to reduce sugar and aim for 8 ounces daily at most
Unsweetened coconut or almond milk (ideal to make your own)
Bouillon or light broth (this is helpful with electrolyte maintenance)
Water with lemon and lime juice

Foods to Avoid When on a Keto Diet — NEVER Eat:

Any Type of Sugar Ketogenic diet food list foods to avoid - Dr. Axe
One teaspoon of sugar has about 4 net grams of carbs, while every tablespoon has about 12 net grams.

White, brown, cane, raw and confectioner’s sugar.
Syrups like maple, carob, corn, caramel and fruit
Honey and agave
Any food made with ingredients such as fructose, glucose, maltose, dextrose and lactose
Any and All Grains
One slice of bread, or small serving of grains, can have anywhere from 10–30 net grams of carbs! Cereals and cooked grains typically have 15–35 grams per 1/4 cup uncooked, depending on the kind.

Wheat, oats, all rice (white, brown, jasmine), quinoa, couscous, pilaf, etc.
Corn and all products containing corn, including popcorn, tortillas, grits, polenta and corn meal
All types of products made with flour, including bread, bagels, rolls, muffins, pasta, etc.
Nearly All Processed Foods
Crackers, chips, pretzels, etc.
All types of candy
All desserts like cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream
Pancakes, waffles and other baked breakfast items
Oatmeal and cereals
Snack carbs, granola bars, most protein bars or meal replacements, etc.
Canned soups, boxed foods, any prepackaged meal
Foods containing artificial ingredients like artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, etc.), dyes and flavors
Sweetened and Caloric Beverages
Soda
Alcohol (beer, wine, liquor, etc.)
Sweetened teas or coffee drinks
Milk and dairy replacements (cow’s milk, soy, almond, coconut, lactaid, cream, half and half, etc.)
Fruit juices
Modified Keto Diet and Ketogenic Diet Food List

Although a standard ketogenic diet is even more restrictive in terms of carb intake, a “moderate keto diet” is another option that will very likely still be able to provide substantial weight loss results and other improvements in symptoms. Including slightly more carbs can be very useful for maintenance, allow for more flexibility, provide a higher fiber intake, and overall may feel more sustainable long term socially and psychologically.

In order to transition and remain in ketosis, aiming for about 30–50 net grams is typically the recommended amount of carbs to start with. This is considered a more moderate or flexible approach but can be less overwhelming to begin with.
Once you’re more accustomed to this way of eating, you can choose to lower carbs even more if you’d like (perhaps only from time to time), down to about 20 grams of net carbs daily. This is considered the standard, “strict” amount that many keto dieters aim to adhere to for best results, but remember that everyone is a bit different.

Because consuming even up to 30–50 grams of net carbs daily is still dramatically less than what most people eating a “standard Western diet” are used to, many will still experience weight loss eating slightly more carbs.
You can try reducing carbohydrates to just 15 percent to 25 percent of total calorie intake, while increasing fat and protein to around 40 percent to 60 percent and about 20 percent to 30 percent, respectively, in order to test your own individual response.
Precautions Regarding the Ketogenic Diet Food List

Be aware that it’s not uncommon to experience some negative reactions and side effects when transitioning into this way of eating. Although not everyone, some people will experience the following symptoms, often referred to as the keto flu, but which usually subside within a couple of weeks:

• Headaches
• Fatigue/lack of energy
• Muscle weakness or pains
• Poor sleep
• Constipation, nausea or upset stomach
• Brain fog
• Moodiness

To help you overcome these symptoms, here are several steps to try taking:

Most importantly, to combat nausea, fatigue and constipation due to the low-carb keto diet, adopt alkaline diet principles.
Add bone broth to your diet, which can help restore electrolytes that are lost during ketosis. When you follow a keto diet, even if you’re drinking a lot of water, you will lose a lot of water weight and also flush essential electrolytes out of our system, including magnesium, potassium or sodium. Adding bone broth is a great way to replenish these naturally, in addition to getting other nutrients and amino acids.

Foods to eat more of than can also help increase electrolyte intake are nuts, avocados, mushrooms, salmon and other fish, spinach, artichokes, and leafy greens.
Reduce your exercise load temporary.


Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and also consuming enough salt/sodium.
Consume even more fat if you’re hungry.
Avoid eating synthetic ingredients in processed foods. Also try to limit “low-carb foods” that are still unhealthy and difficult to digest, even those that many ketogenic diet programs might recommend or include. These include cold cuts, processed meats (especially pork) or cured meats, bacon, and processed cheeses.

Final Thoughts on the Ketogenic Diet Food List, Plan and Tips

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. Typical ketogenic diets consist of limiting carbohydrate intake to just 20–30 net grams per day and following the ketogenic diet food list.

Fats should be consumed in high amounts when following a keto diet. Fats will provide 70–80 percent of all calories, proteins just about 10–20 percent, and carbs only 5–10 percent.

A “moderate keto diet” is an option that can still encourage substantial weight loss and other improvements in symptoms. A moderate keto diet includes more foods with carbs and, therefore, more fiber too. Carbs are usually increased to about  30–50 net grams per day, which means foods like more high-fiber veggies, some fruit or some starchy veggies can also be included.

Learn more about the Keto Diet right here===Keto Diet Food Book

The Best Exercises for Fat Loss

"According to American research published in the journal 'Obesity,' men and women who did 300 hours of cardio over the course of a year lost an average of only 5 pounds," Craig Ballantyne, owner of TurbulenceTraining.com, said. "That's 60 hours of cardio to lose one pound!"

More intense training -- in shorter bursts -- burns calories more quickly and burns more fat overall. And unlike long, slow cardio sessions, intense training keeps you melting fat even after your workout is over, says Martin Rooney, director of the Parisi Speed School and author of "Ultimate Warrior Workouts."

It's not all about adding exercise, though.

For fat loss, the two best exercises to eliminate from your routine, says Ballantyne, are "the fork to mouth and the 12-ounce curl."

"You can't out-train a bad diet," said David Jack, director of Teamworks Fitness, in Acton, Massachusetts. "If you're training and then eating an extra 400 calories of garbage, that's what your workout burns. It's senseless."

You've been warned. Put down the tortilla chips, and try these five high-intensity training strategies to torch fat fast.

1. Interval Training

Treadmills are not all about steady state cardio. Jump onto a treadmill, and start your own interval training regimen with these tips!
Interval training -- bouts of high-intensity exercise alternated with short rest periods -- not only burns more calories than traditional cardio training, but also boosts your body's ability to fry fat through hormone production.

"[With intervals], you have a greater increase in growth hormone -- a fat-burning hormone -- and adrenaline, another fat-burning hormone that also helps suppress appetite," said Ballantyne.

Not only are interval workouts shorter than traditional cardio training, but they also make you fitter in fewer sessions, he adds.

"There are two ways to increase cardiovascular fitness -- by increasing the delivery of oxygen to the heart and lungs or by increasing the utilization of oxygen at the muscle level," Ballantyne explained.

Steady-state works by increasing the oxygen delivery to your heart and lungs. Intervals, however, work on your muscles, helping them use oxygen more efficiently so your heart doesn't have to pump as much to make them perform.

Jump on a stationary bike or onto a treadmill, and start your own interval training regimen with this guide from Ballantyne:

Start with a regular warmup. When you've finished that, pedal or run at a rate that's 20 percent harder than your normal cardio intensity.

After 30 to 60 seconds, bring the intensity down to a rate that's half the intensity of a normal cardio workout.

"This is important," Ballantyne said. "If you don't take it down to 'easy' during the recovery, you're not doing anything different from a regular cardio workout, and you won't be able to work hard during the interval portion. You want two extremes: hard and easy."

Alternate periods of 30 to 60 seconds of hard work with 30 to 60 seconds of easy pedaling (or easy running) for six to 10 intervals to complete your session.

As this gets easier, increase the intensity of each interval, work longer during the hard portion, shorten your rest periods or add more intervals.

Repeat three or four times per week.

Go Check this LEAN BODY BURN

2. Sprints (Like Intervals, But Shorter)

Sprinting is a natural form of interval training.
If you haven't sprinted since a coach was blasting a whistle in your ear, you're missing out on a natural but extreme form of interval training that can pay dividends for more than just your legs.

"Sprinters don't just have great-looking glutes. They have tremendous arms and shoulders, too," said Nick Tumminello, director of Performance University. "You can't get more of a natural, total-body exercise."

A quick caveat, though: If you're not used to bursts like these, Tumminello says, it's easy to pull a hamstring, halting your training -- and your results. He suggests following these tips to start safely.

Sprint on a hill. The impact on your joints is lower, Tumminello says, which can help you avoid injury.

"The ground basically hits your leg earlier, which forces you to open up your hips a little more," he said. "And you can't go as fast, so you're less likely to pull a muscle while still getting a high-intensity workout."

Live in a flat area with no hills? Instead of the drag race approach, begin your sprints by speeding up from a jog.

"Most hamstring pulls start on the initial explosion," Tumminello said, but adds that shifting through your gears can keep your legs safe.

At a local track, jog the curve, then sprint 10 to 20 yards of the straightaway. Continue interval sprinting in this way.

To maximize benefit and lower injury risk, keep your sprints on the shorter side -- no more than 50 yards per sprint. This will help you maintain a high intensity throughout, says Tumminello, and prevent your form from breaking down, which can lead to injury. To increase the overall results of your sprint workout, increase the number of sprints instead of going for long distances.

When you're starting out, perform a sprint workout just once per week -- you'll be surprised at how sore the workout makes you, even in the abdominals. Once you're used to the stimulus, Tumminello suggests bumping it up to only two sessions per week, mixed with other gym workouts. Allow at least two days of recovery between sprint workouts.

3. High Intensity Strength Intervals

Exercise pairing kills two birds with one stone.
You don't have to run, bike or perform any traditional cardio exercise to get high-intensity, fat-burning training. By pairing strength exercises that work opposing muscles, you can build muscle while keeping your heart rate high, maximizing fat loss.

"For example, I can run over and do a dumbbell reverse lunge, and then I'm going to do a pull-up," said Jack. During the lunges, the arms and back rest, while the legs rest during the pull-ups.

Jack uses such exercise pairings to do escalating density training, an interval protocol with a built-in challenge. "The basic concept is that you're trying to do more work in the same amount of time," he said.

To try this challenge: Choose two exercises that use opposite movements or work completely different muscles -- pair a pushing exercise with a pulling exercise or a lower body move with an upper body move. As an example, consider a dumbbell bench press and an inverted row.

For each exercise, choose a weight with which you can perform 10 reps. Alternate between the exercises, performing just five reps of each move, with the 10-rep weight, in each set. Rest as needed between sets and pairs so that you can complete each set of five without failing.

"Your conditioning and strength-endurance will dictate your recovery time," Jack said.

As with cardio intervals, strength intervals like these won't work if your reps aren't high-intensity. "The 'off' bout needs to be long enough that the 'on' bout is effective," Jack explained.

Continue alternating between the exercises for a set time -- 10 or 15 minutes, for example -- keeping track of how many total sets you can do. In following sessions, try to beat your score by finishing more sets in that time or by finishing the same number of sets but with tougher weights.

Density training sessions are great to add to the end of a traditional strength training workout, Jack says.

For a complete density training workout, he suggests performing multiple time blocks in the same session, using new exercise pairings for each. Other pairs he recommends include a goblet squat with a single-arm dumbbell row, a reverse lunge with pushups or pulldowns, deadlifts with dumbbell overhead presses or split squats with a rowing exercise.

Wait...Go See This LEAN BODY BURN

4. Countdown Workouts

Group practicing kettlebell swings with squat thrusts.
Countdown workouts also use exercise pairs and are a motivating way to finish a workout, says Mike Wunsch, performance director at Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California.

"They keep you engaged in what you're doing -- you have to keep the count and pay attention," he said.

With each round of the exercise pair, the workout involves one fewer rep of each move -- moving from sets of six to five to four, and so forth, until the count reaches zero. That finish-line mentality can keep you going.

As with density training, Wunsch recommends pairing opposing exercises for countdowns, but also suggests picking moves that have a rhythm. Moves like the kettlebell swing, squat thrusts and pushups work well. Wunsch says stress-busting med ball slams and throws can add to the fun.

"I stay away from lunging and other knee-dominant moves, though," Wunsch said. Moves like these, he explains, can result in injury if your form falters while performing exercises at a fast pace. For the same reason, he also advises avoiding overhead-pressing moves like dumbbell thrusters.

To try your own countdown, choose a pair of exercises from Wunsch's following list.

Start by performing six reps of the first exercise, then six of the other move. Return to the first exercise and perform five reps, then do five reps of the second exercise. Continue alternating in this way until you reach zero.

In each workout after that, add one rep to every exercise, Wunsch says. If one countdown isn't enough, choose a second pair from the list of exercises or create your own pair of opposing moves.

Mike Wunsch's 4 suggested exercise pairs:

• Kettlebell swing with squat thrust
• Medicine ball side toss with medicine ball slam
• Jumping jacks with pushup
• Squat thrust with pushup

5. Hurricane Workouts

A treadmill can be made more exciting when it's part of a hurricane workout.
"Cardiovascular training is archaic," Rooney said. "It not only takes a long time, it's boring."

To combat boredom and train faster and harder, Rooney designed a workout protocol around that's kept him lean: lifting weights and interval training. He calls this workout "the hurricane."

"The easiest way to explain a hurricane workout is that it's brief but intense," he said.

Each hurricane is broken into three groups of three exercises, called rounds.

"Each round is composed of an exercise that gets your heart rate up, and then other exercises in between," he said.

This design allows users to build muscle and keep their heart rates up throughout the workout, which usually lasts between 16 and 22 minutes.

Like the storm after which they're named, hurricane workouts are categorized into five levels, each one an increased challenge. If you're new to intense training, Rooney suggests starting with Category 1. Details on these workouts, including exercise descriptions, can be found on Rooney's website.

Individuals who are more fit can start with Category 3 hurricanes, like this sample workout:

Begin by warming up for the workout, then move to round 1. For all rounds in this workout, perform 1 set of each exercise, then move to the next exercise. Complete the entire round three times before moving to the next round.

Round 1: Run on a treadmill at 10.5 mph and a 10 percent incline for 25 seconds. Perform a kettlebell Turkish getup four times on each side of the body. and 10 chinups. Repeat this sequence three times.

Round 2: Run on a treadmill at 11 mph and a 10 percent incline for 25 seconds. Perform 10 dips and 15 reps of the barbell rollout. Repeat this sequence three times.

Round 3: Run on a treadmill at 11.5 mph and a 10 percent incline for 25 seconds. Next perform 10 reps of the G.I. row. Then perform 20 reps of the knee grab. Repeat this sequence three times.

You Can't Outrun a Candy Bar
"A young guy might be able to achieve fat loss without changing [his] diet, but in most cases, even the best workout can't overcome a lousy diet," said Craig Ballantyne of TurbulenceTraining.com.

While interval training is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories and fat, it's still tough to lose that pound with exercise alone.

To understand why, take a look at this calorie expenditure equation for men from the "Journal of Sports Sciences": Calories = [(0.2017 x Age) + (0.6309 x Heart Rate) - (0.09036 x Weight) - 55.0969] x Time / 4.184.

Using that formula, a 29-year-old man weighing 180 lb., performing interval training for 20 minutes with an average heart rate of 150, will burn only 139 calories.

Now imagine the same man eats a delivered pepperoni pizza that night -- though certainly an odd choice for an exerciser looking to melt fat -- with each slice coming in at 300 calories. If he chooses to eat four slices instead of three, he'll probably finish the extra slice in about 45 seconds. To work that off, he'd have to perform intervals at the same pace for almost 45 minutes.

Note: Women can calculate a similar scenario using the following equation: Calories = [(0.074 x Age) + (0.4472 x Heart Rate) - (0.05741 x Weight) - 20.4022] x Time / 4.184.

Wait a minute...

After going through these workout, you should check out this for your weight loss effort===

HIIT IT HARD-Fat Melting Guide

7 Most Popular Dieting Fad That Works and What Might Not Works

TO BUILD A bigger and leaner physique, bodybuilders and average guys alike often turn to the same strategy: eating everything in sight, or “bulking,” and then burning fat, or “cutting,” by reducing calories and eating cleaner to reveal the new muscle beneath. It works, but it takes time and can cause you long-term damage on a cellular level—and it can make it very hard to stay lean over the long term.

When your goal is to slash fat and build muscle as fast as possible, however, accounting for every calorie at once can condense these two phases into one superefficient “clean bulking” phase, enabling you to build muscle and burn fat simultaneously, and ultimately emerge with your best body ever.

The stripped-down recipes in this meal plan are crafted for a caloric deficit with ample high-quality protein and a moderate amount of carbs that, when combined, burn fat, spur the growth of new muscle, and meet the recovery demands of high-intensity, anaerobic-based training. They also increase in nutritional value as the day progresses, allowing you to burn fat in the first part of the day and then direct the bulk of your daily nutrition to muscle growth.

BREAKFAST - COFFEE

Start your day with 12 ounces of black coffee, which contains just four calories and delivers thermogenic benefits that cause your metabolic rate to increase, according to a study published in the journal Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. You can use any method to make your coffee. We like the French press.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coarse-ground coffee
12 oz water
Instructions:

Put coffee in a French press and add water. Close lid (don’t stir) and leave for 4 minutes.
Press plunger down gently using just the weight of your hand until it reaches the bottom. Pour and serve immediately.
The Numbers: 4 calories; 0g protein; 0g carbs; 0g fat; 0g fiber

Total Time: 6 minutes

Need to Eat Something in the Morning? Human beings evolved on a fasting and feeding cycle. We spent the majority of our existence fasting or eating lighter during the day while actively tracking, hunting, and gathering our food. We spent the evening relaxing and feasting on the majority, if not all, of our daily food intake. This structure fits with our natural instincts and social patterns. It’s not all or nothing, though, and if you absolutely can’t handle not eating for a few hours after waking up, here are some options that won’t hurt your results: ¼ cup nuts, a serving of fruit, 8 oz lean meat, 4 eggs, or 2 tbsp natural peanut butter.

LUNCH - SALMON AND AVOCADO

Eight ounces of salmon delivers an incredible 45 grams of muscle-building protein, and the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation to speed recovery.

Ingredients:

8 oz salmon (or flank steak or chicken breast)
1 tsp olive oil salt and pepper to taste?
½ avocado (or 3 eggs; or 1⁄2 cup almonds, cashews, or macadamia nuts)
Instructions:

Rub salmon with oil, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste, and broil ?for 5 minutes each side.
Cut avocado in half and serve.
The Numbers: 483 calories; 47g protein; 9g carbs; 29g fat; 7g fiber

Total Time: 13 minutes

DINNER – PORK LOIN AND POTATOES

We’ve mixed white rice and potatoes. If you don’t like potatoes, use 3–4 cups of white rice for your carbs. If rice isn’t your thing, 24 ounces of potatoes will cover your bases.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp canola oil
1 ½ red potato, diced
1 large sweet potato, diced
8 oz pork loin (or bison, chicken, or salmon)
1 cup white rice
½ red pepper, sliced
2 tbsp red onion, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
½ cup carrots, chopped
Instructions:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high. Saute red and sweet potatoes, stirring frequently, until slightly browned, for about 12 minutes. Clear skillet, add 2 tbsp oil, and cook pork loin for about 3 minutes on each side.
Cook rice according to packaging instructions.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute red pepper, onion, broccoli, and carrots, stirring frequently, until tender and slightly browned, for about 10 minutes.


DIET PROGRAMS
The 7 most popular dieting and weight-loss fads: What works, what doesn’t
Every year, New Year’s resolutioners turn to a whole range of nutrition schemes to lose weight—some logical, some bizarre, some useless. Here’s a guide to the weight-loss method you should try in the new year (if any).
Liz Yun by Elizabeth Yun
       

FAD DIETS ARE the fitness world’s equivalent to get-rich-quick schemes—they’re often too good to be true. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth examining the principles behind these popular diets, and separating fact from fiction.

We spoke to Lilly Nhan, R.D., a clinical dietitian and current Master of Public Health candidate at the UC-Berkeley School of Public Health, about some of the top dieting trends on the market. We wanted to know: Do they work? Are they safe? And what practical information can we learn from them?

Here’s a close examination of seven popular weight-loss and diet methods, with Nhan’s analysis of what works—and what might be a waste of time.

1. Juice diets

The idea of “detoxifying” juice “cleanses” became big in 2007 when celebrities started crediting the Master Cleanse for massive weight loss. The restrictive and potentially dangerous fad has fallen out of favor since then, but it did pave the way for the current juice craze.

Juice diets can vary from substituting one meal with a juice (usually made from a combination of fresh fruits and vegetables, so put down that carton of OJ) to subsisting entirely on juices for a period of usually three to 10 days.

While there are nutritional benefits to juice—it’s a fast way to get vitamins and minerals—you’re better off eating fruits and vegetables in their whole form. “There’s more fiber in whole fruits and vegetables, so when you’re juicing, you’re throwing away all that nutritious fiber,” Nhan says.

And while juicing is a legitimate way to quickly reduce calorie intake, it’s not ideal long-term. “Fiber takes longer for your body to process, so when you have more fiber and complex carbohydrates, you feel more full,” she explains. “In contrast, when you’re drinking juice, it has a lot of sugar that’s going to get processed very quickly, and your body’s not going to register that as fullness. Your body has ways of compensating. You may drink that juice for breakfast, but at lunch and dinner you’ll wind up overeating to make up that calorie deficit.”

 Recommendation: A juice fast or diet is a good way to “reset” your body in preparation for a more sustainable weight-loss regimen. Longer-term, it’s perfectly safe and healthy to replace a meal with juice, but instead of extracting juice, try blending whole fruits and vegetables into a smoothie or supplementing with fiber-rich foods to help stave off hunger.

2. Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is hugely popular right now, thanks to a growing body of research backing its benefits. There are several types of intermittent fasting programs, ranging from 16-hour fasting periods followed by eight hours of “feeding” to alternating a full day of fasting with a day of normal eating. Preliminary research has shown that intermittent fasting is beneficial, although some programs require significantly more willpower than others.

“It’s a very promising area of research, although it’s a relatively new topic,” Nhan says. “The thing I would be wary of—and this is typical of any diet this restrictive—is that when you’re restricting yourself to an extreme degree, you can get into a cycle where you’re overcompensating by binging. That’s just not a healthy behavior around food.” Not all intermittent fasting programs are that extreme, Nhan points out, and many people who practice intermittent fasting can incorporate it well.

On a more practical level, intermittent fasting (and any highly restrictive diet) can disrupt social life, too: “If you’re on a fasting day and it’s a special occasion or your friends want to go out for dinner, it can adversely affect your lifestyle.”

Recommendation: Intermittent fasting is a safe and legitimate way to lose weight, according to current research. If you choose to start an intermittent fasting regimen, ease your way in with a less restrictive program like the 16/8 method before you graduate to a more extreme variation such as alternate-day fasting. Some even allow for fasting as your lifestyle permits. Be cautious about regulating your relationship with food, though. If at any point you begin to develop dangerous habits like binging and purging or restricting food for longer periods than the program dictates, stop the diet immediately, and seek help from a professional.

3. Paleo and keto diets

The Paleolithic diet (often the diet of choice for CrossFit athletes) and the ketogenic diet share similar principles, with some basic differences. The Paleo diet restricts legumes, grains, sugar, and most dairy. Carbs are allowed in the form of root vegetables and squash. The ketogenic diet shares a similar restriction list, with allowances for dairy and more stringent restrictions on carb intake. This high-fat, low-carb plan is meant to put the body into a metabolic, fat-burning state known as ketosis.

“People really latch on to these two diets in particular because you can see fast results if you adhere to them strictly,” Nhan says. “People achieve significant weight loss and report feeling better in general on them.”

But the biggest hurdle comes in terms of sustainability. “Most people are able to do the diet short-term, but it’s difficult to translate that really strict adherence into a lifestyle overall. They’re pretty expensive, and if you follow the diet exactly, being able to eat out and sharing food with others can also be difficult.”

Nhan has worked with patients to adopt ketogenic diets, which has been shown to help treat epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and type-2 diabetes in a medical capacity. In those situations, she closely monitored their micro- and macronutrient intake and health status. “It can be dangerous to restrict your carbohydrate intake to such an extreme degree,” Nhan says. “Our bodies do need at baseline a certain amount of carbs and glucose, so when you’re restricting yourself, you can be at risk for certain adverse health events.”

Recommendations: Several tenets of the Paleo and keto diets are universally beneficial. Everyone should consider opting for high-quality carbs, limiting or eliminating all refined sugar, cutting out processed foods and refined grains, and eating more leafy vegetables. Replace carbs like pasta and white rice with spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, riced cauliflower, and brown rice. If you do choose to fully adopt these diets, be aware that once you stop the weight will come back. If you’re an avid lifter, then you should read this before attempting the keto diet.

4. Carb cutting

“In general, most people over-consume carbohydrates—particularly refined carbs—so reducing your carbohydrate intake is generally a good idea,” Nhan says. Cutting carbohydrates can be a healthy move (although it can be problematic for people with hypoglycemia). But some people turn to extreme carb-cutting to lose fat, which has the potential for adverse effects (remember the Atkins Diet?) and the results are negated as soon as you stop.

Instead, Nhan recommends adopting some carb-cutting tricks without completely eliminating carbs. “Swap your carbs for vegetables—a lot of people are getting into cauliflower rice or spiralizing vegetables like zucchini into ‘zoodles,’” she says. “Across the board, most people do not consume enough vegetables, so I personally advocate for these techniques.”

Recommendation: Before you cut out carbs, focus on getting the best carbs possible. Refined carbohydrates strip out all the nutritional benefits of carbs, like fiber and vitamins. Opt instead for whole-wheat pasta and bread. If you’re willing to take the next step, start substituting rice and pasta with vegetables like spiralized zucchini, butternut squash, sweet potato, and riced broccoli and cauliflower. When you do eat carbs, go complex—farro, bulgur, quinoa, millet, and brown rice—which are absorbed much more slowly than refined grains.

5. The raw diet

The raw diet upside: It’ll undoubtedly help you lose weight by significantly reducing your calorie intake and increasing your fiber intake.

The downside of the raw diet: It’s incredibly restrictive, and requires superhuman amounts of willpower to maintain. Worse yet, there’s a point at which it can become very dangerous. Steve Jobs was famously a raw-foodist, and some speculate that it was a contributing factor in the pancreatic cancer that eventually killed him. Ashton Kutcher, who portrayed Jobs in his biopic, attempted the same diet for one month and it landed him in the hospital.

“My biggest concern about raw diets is getting enough protein and fats,” Nhan says. “People consume most protein in cooked form, whether it’s meat or vegetarian protein like beans. Fat is an essential macronutrient, and if you’re not preparing your foods with additional fats, you’re at risk for deficiency.”

On the flipside, raw foods do have their benefits. “A lot of times, during the cooking process, there’s the potential to have some of those vitamins or minerals leach out. By keeping them raw, there’s an opportunity to keep all the vitamins and nutrients contained within the food,” Nhan says. “But the caveat to that is that sometimes vitamins and minerals are activated by the cooking process, so there’s the other side of that coin.”

Recommendation: Choosing to do a raw diet can be beneficial in the short term, but we don’t recommend it long-term because of the stress on your liver and pancreas and the lack of protein. Of course, it’s beneficial to consume some vegetables raw, particularly nuts and seeds, berries, and onions. Meanwhile, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, and cruciferous vegetables benefit from being cooked.

6. Weight-loss teas

Diet teas? Hard pass, Nhan says.

While diet teas may help people achieve rapid weight loss, it’s definitely not a sustainable weight loss. “Usually diet teas are laxatives, and the weight that you’re losing is water weight. You’re not actually burning more calories,” she cautions. “Bodies are amazing and they do a lot of work to keep themselves in what’s called homeostasis, meaning keeping a balance in terms of hydration and electrolyte content. Eventually you’re going to—hopefully!—get that water back and that means gaining all that weight back.”

As with any aggressive weight-loss plan that revolves around an extreme water cut, be careful of going too far. “Abusing laxatives has serious health risks,” Nhan says. “Anyone committed to losing weight and keeping it off, I advise against diet teas.”

Recommendation: Unless you’re constipated and are using a diet tea sparingly for relief, we don’t recommend weight-loss teas.

7. The cabbage soup diet/grapefruit diet

These diets work on the philosophy that there are “negative-calorie foods,” which is to say that your body effectively burns calories digesting them.

But while the thermal effect of food (aka the energy your body expends to break down a food and absorb it) could theoretically offset the food item’s calorie content, the idea of “negative-calorie foods” is bogus, Nhan says.

“There is credence to the idea that some foods require more energy to absorb, but it doesn’t constitute a large portion of calories in your overall diet,” she explains. “Yes, if you’re eating cabbage and grapefruit and nothing else, of course you’re going to lose weight. But if you’re adding half a grapefruit or drinking cabbage soup every day with your normal diet, it’s not going to burn additional calories. That idea is totally false.”

Recommendation: Cabbage and grapefruit are both good for you. Eat as much of it as you like, but don’t expect it to magically singe off your love handles.

A final note about extreme diet plans

While most of these diets aren’t inherently bad for you, Nhan stresses that any form of extreme restriction can be difficult to maintain and create unhealthy mental hangups and behaviors around food. “The diets that work the best are the ones you can actually stick to,” she says. “You need to be able to incorporate the diet into your existing lifestyle, and that could mean a lot of learning and trial and error.” She emphasizes sustainable strategies like portion control, moderation, and smart substitution.

If you do need to lose weight fast, she recommends seeking the advice of a professional. “There are absolutely times when people want to lose weight fast. We hear about it all the time in celebrity culture when actors are losing weight for roles. The best way to do this is with the help of a professional like a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or personal trainer.” And brace yourself for some serious commitment. “If you want to lose weight that fast, it’ll require burning a lot of additional calories through exercise and high calorie restriction”—not to mention serious mental fortitude.

And there  yet another thing you must know...

It is keto that help your diet plan====KETO DIET PLAN

A Diet Plan That Works For Your Fat Loss And Muscle-Building Goals

I will introduce you to the nutritional strategy that will revolutionize your bodybuilding life and make muscle gains without the fat!

As strange as it may sound, there is a way of mimicking the effects of anabolic steroids by implementing a few secrets of anabolic nutrition. I call this the 'MuscleHack Anabolic Nutritional Strategy' (MANS).

I'm not saying that you'll see the same gains as a roidhead, you won't. No natural diet will replicate the effects of anabolic steroids. However, your results will far surpass anything you are currently experiencing, and that's a promise! In the next 15-20 minutes I will introduce you to the nutritional strategy that will revolutionize your bodybuilding life.

You can make these gains in muscle without the correlating gains in fat! Yep, you really can build new slabs of muscle with very little or no fat. Those with great genetics can actually find the holy-grail of bodybuilding as they build muscle and lose fat at the same time.

Friends, I have no interest in hyperbole or bullsh!t; this nutritional strategy works. It took me years to find it, implement it correctly and reap the rewards. I had to find out for myself how to build lean muscle mass like never before while keeping fat accumulation at bay. It was well worth the effort though.

So if it's the best bodybuilding diet in existence, why isn't it more widely known? The big supplement companies and rag-magazines would go out of business quickly if they couldn't peddle their snake-oil to you. If the general public were more nutrition-savvy, they'd cr@p themselves! I doubt very much they'd go out of their way to make the public aware of it.

This article lays these secrets bare for you to learn. Implement this process wisely and I promise you will make muscle gains like never before.

Please note that this method takes planning and commitment but it is well worth it! Also please make sure your workouts are up to par by implementing a well thought out training plan.

WHY THIS BODYBUILDING DIET IS THE BEST

So how can this nutritional strategy produce massive muscle gains? There is a way to increase anabolic (muscle-building) hormones in the body in the same way that steroids do. The only difference is, it's safe and natural.

This diet will naturally maximize your body's production of the following anabolic hormones:

Testosterone

Growth Hormone

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)

Sounds good doesn't it? You will also have controlled insulin spikes which allows the body to have high levels of growth hormone and insulin at the same time! This does not usually happen and you'll see extremely impressive muscle gains as a result.

WHAT CAUSES MUSCLE GROWTH?

Ok, apart from the actual exercise itself, what is the driver of muscle hypertrophy? We've been told over and over again that it's excess calories; you must eat more calories than you expend to encourage muscle growth. I'm going to hypothesize something a little controversial. Calories are also an effect, not just a cause.

Think of a growing child. Are we to assume that vertical growth is caused by excess calories? I think the release of growth hormone is what makes a child grow. Increased growth hormone then causes the child to eat more. I think we have causality round the wrong way here.

The traditional advice from bodybuilding gurus is to eat everything in sight to increase muscle size. They usually recommend high carb diets laden with oats, protein shakes with fruit, wholemeal bread, potato, rice (I don't care if it's white or brown) etc. Worse still, they often recommend a low-fat diet!

Hey, I thought you were trying to grow some serious muscle? If so, you're gonna want to keep the fat intake up. If I'm right, then what we want to devise is a nutritional strategy that ignites the release of anabolic hormones. In turn then, these hormones will let us know when and how much to eat.

How? By getting hungry - just like a growing child does. See how causality has been reversed? It's no longer...

Excess Calories = Muscle Growth

It's now...

Anabolic Hormones = Muscle Growth (which will drive your appetite & provide sufficient calories).

Don't get me wrong, sufficient calories are required to build muscle, but it's important to understand the chain of causality. Calorie consumption isn't something you need to labor over which will cripple your life. Let your body dictate your food intake. The best calorie-counter is your stomach: when you're hungry - eat; when you're not - don't eat.

BREAKDOWN OF THIS BODYBUILDING DIET

This plan requires that you eat a high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diet for 5 and a half days. Then for 36 hours you carb-up. The high protein, high fat part of the diet is what sparks the increase in blood serum levels.

FAT ADAPTATION

As you will be keeping your carbohydrate level low for most of the week, your body will become a fat-burning machine. At the beginning of the diet your body will undergo a 'metabolic shift' and start to burn fat as its primary source of energy.

This can take as little as 2 days and up to 14 days for some people. However, the vast majority of you will have become fat-adapted by the end of your first 5 and a half days. The advantages of this are:

Increased lipolysis (breakdown of fat)

Decreased lipogenesis (production of fat)

Decreased catabolism (muscle protein is spared from breakdown)

INSULIN ISN'T YOUR ENEMY

Regular low-carb dieters want to avoid spikes in insulin levels but for the bodybuilder, a controlled spike will do you a world of good. You'll use a 32-36 hour window (I use the weekends for this) to deliberately cause an insulin spike.

Insulin can make you fat, no doubt about it. Insulin has a dramatic effect on decreasing lipolysis i.e. as insulin regulates fat metabolism, large amounts means that your body will not give up its fat stores for energy; it literally shuts the gates to your stored body fat ensuring that it can't be released and used for energy.

Having said that, insulin is not the enemy of the bodybuilder. Increasing insulin through a carb-loading period is beneficial because:

It helps shuttle amino acids into the muscle cells.

Increases protein synthesis in skeletal muscle.

Glycogen supercompensation (Replenish Muscle Glycogen To Fuel Workouts).

GROWTH HORMONE & INSULIN

As stated previously you will also reap the anabolic effects of increasing insulin, growth hormone and testosterone at the same time. Usually when insulin levels increase, the others decrease and vise versa.

It seems that the body (once fat adapted) sees the intake of high carbs at the weekend as a stressful situation and releases growth hormone as a survival mechanism.

Increased growth hormone is your body's way of mobilizing energy stores to deal with this stressful situation and so at this time you can get elevated insulin and growth hormone levels simultaneously - welcome to muscle-building heaven!

TRADITIONAL HIGH-CARB MUSCLE-BUILDING DIETS

On a high carb diet, (usually recommended for the bulking phase of a bodybuilding lifestyle) insulin levels are chronically elevated. You therefore don't get the edge of maximum release of testosterone, growth hormone and IGF-1. Also on the high carb approach, you prevent your body from using body fat for fuel and actually encourage the laying down of new body fat. That's...

Decreased lipolysis

Increased lipogenesis

YOUR UNIQUE CARBOHYDRATE THRESHOLD LEVEL

The best thing about this bodybuilding diet is that it's tailor-fitted to your unique metabolic type; it's not a one-size-fits-all diet. You will find your unique carb threshold level and this will allow you to:

Gain muscle without fat

Lose fat without sacrificing lean mass (when cutting)

Your carb threshold level can be defined as "The lowest possible daily carbohydrate intake that allows you to function at top level."

Since we're concerned with building muscle, we need to find the lowest amount of carbs you need in a day to not only feel good but hammer out muscle-building workouts that continually improve, week-on-week.

I recommend you start out at 30 grams per day and adjust from there. Don't make any changes to this for at least a week because you need to make the metabolic switch to burning fat for fuel first. Once this is completed you will be able to tell from your workout performances whether or not you need some more carbs (if so increase in 5 gram per day increments).

I personally average at around 27 grams of carbohydrates per day for 5 and a half days. Some days I take in 35 grams but on others just 20 grams. Going higher or lower is fine, just check your weekly averages. This low amount of carbohydrate is enough to power me through some amazing workouts; I've got bags of energy and feel great.

POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION

Some of you may be wondering about post-workout carbs. There is simply no need for the astronomical amount of post-workout carbs a lot of people ingest. So, do I advise post-workout carbs? Yes, a little.

Post-workout carbs aren't magical either, you must count them towards your daily totals. So, I usually take around 10 grams of glucose post-workout and 15 grams for a particularly gruelling 2-body part workout. If, for example, I work just my abs alone, then no post-workout carbs are required; some protein (40 grams or so), creatine (5 grams) and L-Glutamine (3-5 grams) does the trick.

I remember being advised years ago that I needed around 60 - 100 grams of post-workout carbs to encourage muscle hypertrophy. It's no surprise now, with a little education, that I got fat. Also, remember creating daily insulin spikes will have an adverse effect on growth hormone levels so follow this to the letter.

YOUR CARB-UP PERIOD

This is perfect as you can enjoy your life too after being so strict during the week. Have some pizza, Chinese, whatever you feel like. Take your woman out for a meal, have some beers with the guys and rest assured that your actually benefiting from this. I limit the junk meals to 2 and the rest of the time I eat a mostly high-carb, moderate fat, moderately-low protein diet.

It isn't an excuse to go completely nuts but let your hair down a little. Again, there's no reason to eat past satiation, let your gut decide how much to eat.

There is no real limit on the amount of carbs you can have. The key is just to watch the time it takes for you to begin to smooth-out (lose definition); it may take a little bit of experimentation at first and it will be different for everyone; 32 hours works great for me.

You'll notice that every week you go through a mini-cycle of being bigger and smaller; this is just due to fluctuating water levels. When you begin to low-carb you'll flush out some water, it's perfectly natural.

Continually monitor your weight in conjunction with your body fat levels. If you notice that by Saturday afternoon, you're smoothing out a little bit too much, you know that you'll have to limit your carb-up period to 24 hours; keep monitoring and adjusting as necessary.

WON'T I GET FAT IF I EAT TOO MANY CALORIES ON THE LOW-CARB, WEEKDAY SECTION?

In a word - No. It's a little different for when you're cutting (and I'll get into that in later articles) but for gaining muscle and simply maintaining your current body fat levels it's d@mn-near impossible to gain fat with this anabolic nutritional strategy. Remember that insulin is key here; you'll be keeping insulin levels very low for the majority of the time.

Let me quickly introduce you to another diet plan that works so well...

It is the Recipes that melt fat fast---- GET THIS FAT MELTING GUIDE

Build Muscle on a Budget:The 10 Cheapest Sources of Protein

You need at least 1g protein per pound of body-weight per day to maintain and build muscle. If you weigh 70kg/155lbs, that’s 155g protein per day. The easiest way to get this amount is to eat whole protein with each meal.

Some of you are on a tight budget, still student, living in expensive cities or just frugal. These can make it hard to get the protein you need to build muscle. This post will help you “” the 10 cheapest sources of protein to build muscle.


1. Canned Tuna. 40g protein/can. Buy tuna in spring water or brine. Don’t worry about the mercury: 1 can chunk light tuna per day is safe.


2. Whole Eggs. 7g protein/egg. Lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away if you have bad cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol, and the yolk contains half the protein and vitamins A/D/E.


3. Whey. 1 scoop ON whey is 24g protein/30g serving. At 2 scoops/day, a 10lbs bag will last 10 weeks for 84,99$. You don’t get cheaper than this. But don’t rely on whey only because it’s cheaper. Vary your protein intake.


4. Ground Beef. 25g protein/100g. Buy 80% ground beef and rinse the fat if lean beef is too expensive. You can reduce the fat content by as much as 50%.


5. Milk. 30g protein/liter milk. If you’re a skinny guy, want to gain weight fast and don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon raw milk per day. Don’t worry about the saturated fat. Stay away from milk if you want to lose fat.


6. Frozen Chicken Breast. 25g protein/100g. Cook the frozen chicken breast using a George Foreman Grill. Consume the chicken breast within 2 months of freezing for optimal tenderness & taste.


7. Cottage Cheese. 12g protein/100g. Cottage cheese is more expensive in Europe than in the US. We buy Quark cheese: 10g protein per 100g, cheaper than cottage cheese and a better taste.


8. Ground Turkey. 25g protein/100g. Expensive cuts are made from turkey breast. Cheaper cuts can contain skin, which increases the fat content. Rinse the fat like for ground beef.


9. Canned Mackerel. 23g protein/100g. Canned mackerel is high in omega-3, contains less mercury than canned tuna, and tastes a lot better too.


10. Calves Liver. 20g protein/100g. Low fat and nutrient dense. Contrary to what you might believe, liver is safe. The easy way to cook them is with onions and garlic.


Bonus Tips. Buy generic food. Buy in bulk to get discounts. Freeze everything. Get a job if you don’t have one. Increase your income if you do. Cut expenses. The following meal plan gets you +200g protein per day.

• Breakfast: 3 whole eggs with spinach
• Snack: 200g cottage cheese with apple
• Lunch: 1 can of tuna with bok choy
• Snack: 500ml raw milk and banana
• Post workout: 1 scoop whey with oats & 500ml milk
• Dinner: 150g chicken breast with pasta & broccoli
• Pre bed: 200g cottage cheese with berries & flax seeds

Another low budget source of building your muscle and losing weight at the same time is...

Click here to learn more=== HIIT IT HARD

Best Diet Plan for Weight Loss:20 Super Foods You Need to Build Muscle & Lose Fat

To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.

Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don’t eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.

Lots of you struggle to get these foods. Sometimes because you’re too busy or sometimes because you just lack information. This list will help you “” 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.

1. Whole Eggs. Cheap & rich source of protein: 7g/egg. The yolk contains most nutrients: half the protein, vitamins A/D/E and cholesterol to naturally increase your testosterone levels.

Don’t worry about cholesterol in eggs. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol. Read this and this. If you have bad cholesterol, lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away.

2. Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lowers body fat and increases testosterone levels. Since you’ll probably struggle to get enough from eating fatty fish, consider a fish oil supplement.

3. Wild Salmon. One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that also gets you 20g protein per 100g serving. Farm raised salmon is, however, omega-3 deficient: it’s corn/grain fed. Go with wild salmon.

4. Berries. Strong antioxidants that prevent cancer, heart & eye diseases. Any kind works: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. Buy fresh or frozen berries and mix with oatmeal.

5. Yogurt. Contain bacteria that improve your gastrointestinal health. Don’t buy frozen yogurt or yogurt with added sugar and fruits at the bottom. Get plain low fat yogurt. Eat it with berries & flax seeds.

6. Flax Seeds. Source of fiber, protein & omega-3. Grind the flax seeds to get the most out of them. Take 1 tbsp with yogurt & berries before going to bed. Stay away from flax oil: it’s unstable and contains no fiber.

7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.

8. Mixed Nuts. Contain mono- & polyunsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. Mixed nuts are caloric dense, great if you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight.

Anything works: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, … Peanut butter also works as long as you buy natural peanut butter without added salts/sugars.

9. Red Meat. Protein, vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3 if you eat grass-fed beef. Eat steaks & hamburgers from top round or sirloin.

10. Broccoli. High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and anti-estrogenic indoles. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Eat other cruciferous vegetables for a change: cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, …

11. Spinach. One of the most alkaline foods. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile. Try one of the spinach recipes I shared a while back.

12. Turkey. If you don’t believe saturated fat is good for you, try white turkey. The leanest beef has about 4.5g saturated fat/100g, while white turkey has close to 0g (that why it’s so dry). Eat turkey with spinach & quinoa.

13. Quinoa. South American “king of grains”. Quinoa is higher in fiber & protein than rice or oats, tastes a lot better and is gluten free. Buy the whiter grain, it’s better quality. Eat it post workout with meat & spinach.

14. Oats. Reduce cholesterol, provide you with low-gi carbs for energy, and high in soluble fiber. Try this post workout shake of whey & oats.

15. Tomatoes. High in lycopene, which prevents cancer. The lycopene in tomato paste is 4 times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Have pizza or pasta with tomato sauce & olive oil post strength training.

16. Oranges. Vitamin C to fight diseases, magnesium to lower blood pressure, anti-oxidant beta-carotenes, etc. Quit drinking processed orange juice which often has added sugars. Eat oranges or make your own orange juice.

17. Apples. Pectin in apples helps weight loss by increasing satiety. Apples are also the strongest antioxidiant after cranberries (eat the peels). Unfortunately apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits. Go organic.

18. Carrots. Their huge vitamin A content improves eye-health, especially night vision. Carrots are also rich in fiber, low calorie and taste good, even raw.

19. Water. Your body holds water if you don’t drink enough. Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Get a brita filter and drink 2 cups of water with each meal.

20. Green Tea. Strong antioxidant and natural diuretic. Green tea also speeds up fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar & circulation. Drink green tea in the morning instead of coffee. Real green tea, not the teabags.

Putting it All Together. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & fats every 3 hours. 2 cups water with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Junk food 10% of the time. Get stronger in the meanwhile and you’ll build muscle & lose fat.

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