Macronutrients and Micronutrients Analysis after 3 days of Ketogenic diet

I tried the ketogenic diet for 3 days and I admit I was very surprised by the overall

experience. Before starting I did some research as you can see on this website and I made a plan

on what to exactly eat in 3 days. I looked for ketogenic recipes and I made sure my portion sizes

were appropriate for my weight. I also ensured to get 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. In fact, I ate

the same quantities in these 3 days as I would do on my regular days when I'm not following any

diet. Somehow I felt very satisfied and full. I didn't get hungry or craved sugar like usual. That

side was very positive regarding the keto diet. However, when analyzing my Macronutrients on

ESHATrak report that I display on this page, I was a little disappointed. I already knew that the

diet was high on fat and low on carbs; however, I didn't expect the result of the report to be that

different from my expectations. I was expecting the result to be close to a 2000-calorie diet

which would be translated in about 165 grams fat, 40 grams carbohydrate, and 75 grams protein.

The average I got was a little different but the overall purpose of a high-fat diet was there.

First of all, my major concern was to realize that I had taken very little calories away less

than what I was supposed to. My total average Calories were 1,303.88 cal. Which was way less

than my goal of 2,291.87 cal. This intake of calories is almost half of what I really need. It will

definitely with time make me lose weight and can impair my hormone function and metabolism

in the long term. My proteins were high at 73.37 (g) compared to what I need from my daily goal

of 54.43(g). They were also a little high for the diet as well considering that they should be from

30% to 35%. I guess I made a mistake of getting my fat from food that was high in protein or the

recipes I got weren't correct. The low overall calories could also be the cause of that result. It is

important to note that The protein amount on the ketogenic diet should be kept moderate, aiming

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for the range of 0.7–0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.5–2.0 grams per kg).

Eating too much protein can prevent ketosis and eating too little can cause risks of losing muscle,

eating more calories than necessary, and feeling less energized considering the absence of sugar.

The macronutrients that I focused the most on were Carbohydrates which I succeeded to

significantly lower but didn't reach the requirement of the diet which is around 10%. My 3 days

resulted in 19% which wasn't bad for a start but detrimental for my goal knowing that I normally

need 315.13 g and got just 60.52 g. Dietary Fiber at 15.38 was unsurprisingly low because carbs

were low and my goal was 32.09 g. My total sugar on the diet was Total Sugars was 22.55 g and

my added sugar was at 0 % which for the keto diet is a success but for my daily needs, it is

alarming at 28.65~.

All fat was high except for Polyunsaturated Fat which was at 17.68 g and should have

been at 22.92g to meet my daily goal. I succeeded in increasing my Total Fat on the diet to 89.86

g but I doubt that was high enough for the keto diet requirement and definitely more than I need

on a regular diet which would require about 71.30g. Saturated Fats were also a little high 24.30

compared to 22.92~ . and Monounsaturated Fats were higher at 35.11g compared to 25.47 g on

my goal. Cholesterol was over the roof at 298.20(mg). That was bad news but somehow

expected knowing that the ketogenic diet is distinctive for its exceptionally high-fat content. so

when consuming 70% to 80% of fat in diet Cholesterol would of course rise. Lastly, I noticed

that I wasn't drinking a lot of water and that I should at least double my intake.

Speaking of shortage, I was very deficient in Vitamin D - which was 1.29 (mcg)

compared to 15.00(mcg) I need. Followed by Vitamin B1 - Thiamin, and Folate which were less

than 50% of my needs. The remaining vitamins met at least 50% of my needs per category and

some such Vitamin K (mcg), Vitamin B12 (mcg), and Vitamin C (mg) were very high but i don't

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worry about toxicity because most of them are water-soluble and I'm planning on going back to a

normal, well-balanced diet. I also will get my Vitamin D from sun exposure and take a

supplement with some fatty food because I know that most people have vitamin D deficiency,

and diet is not mostly to blame on that. For my Minerals, most of them were lower than I needed

for my goal except for Copper and Phosphorus which slightly passed my 100% need. The lowest

was Iron (mg)at 44 % of my needs followed by Calcium (mg) and Magnesium (mg) at 59 % and

69 % respectively.

From the analysis of my trial of the ketogenic diet or what was close to it, I have

concluded that it's not a fad diet that would meet my nutrient recommendations. Of course, this

is only my opinion and what doesn't work for me can work for others. The point is to explore and

research what works best to meet your nutrient recommendations and other needs or goals that

might be different from mine. In this regard, I highly recommend ESHATrak or other similar

apps as tools to explore and find out what works best for you. I have used ESHATrak to record

my meals on this diet and will keep using it because by providing me the data needed it allowed

me to analyze and be well informed on what I was doing to my body. Thus this good insight

made me make healthy decisions and share my experience with you.

Reference

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ESHATrak Online Nutrition & Fitness App. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2020, from

https://esha.com/products/eshatrak-online-nutrition-app/