Counting Carbs to Lose Weight - What 20g Looks Like [No Cooking to Cooking]

Keto diets are popular because they work for weight loss .

Much of this benefit is because this way of eating keeps your blood sugar low , which keeps the fat storing hormone , insulin low .

Those low values give your cells a break from the constant bombardment of insulin allowing them to regain insulin sensitivity , release fat and revitalize your metabolism .

But what does a Keto diet look like ?

And how do you piece meals together when you only have 20 g of carbohydrates to play with this video shares three days of keto menus .

One for those who love to cook , one for those who tolerate cooking and one for those who want to stay out of the kitchen before we get started .

I want to take a minute to thank our sponsor Element Electrolytes .

As I mentioned , one of the ways a keto diet helps you lose fat is by keeping insulin levels low when insulin is low fat can be released from fat cells .

However , lower insulin levels also cause water and electrolytes to be released or flushed out by the kidneys .

Essential electrolytes include potassium magnesium and sodium .

Despite its reputation , sodium is needed by your body without it , your muscles could not contract nerves , could not relay messages and you could not regulate body fluids when it is low .

You can experience symptoms from headaches and muscle cramps to irritability and brain fog .

In addition to the electrolyte loss due to lower insulin , when you reduce your carb intake to just 20 g per day , there's no room for processed or refined foods .

This change alone reduces your sodium intake by about 70% .

Fortunately , electrolytes can be replenished .

They can be obtained from foods like slow simmered bone broth , sea salt , leafy greens , nuts and seeds or you can do what I do and supplement your diet with element .

One of my favorite ways to use element is to slowly stir it into a glass of carbonated water like Seltzer and use it as a stopper following a meal .

A stopper is a term I use for a food drink or activity that makes it easy for me to separate from eating so I can keep from overeating .

I also like to use this fizzy drink as an alternative to alcohol .

When you're on a keto diet , alcohol can derail your progress .

Element feels like a special drink .

But unlike alcohol , it benefits my body element comes in many great tasting flavors and right now you can get a free sample pack with any purchase so you can try eight of their flavors to get yours go to drink LMNT dot com forward slash Doctor Becky .

I'll provide a link to the offer in the description area below this video .

All right , let's take a look at our three keto menus .

Each one consists of three meals and contains 20 total grams of carbohydrates .

I chose to demonstrate a 20 g per day diet because it is the one that seems to have the most interest .

However , everyone's carb tolerance is different and some keto dieters choose to count net carbs , which of course would increase the total count .

I have explained why I count total not net carbs in multiple videos .

My top reason is because when it comes to processed foods , net carbs open the door to deception at worst and wishful thinking at best .

Those are two things you don't want when you goal is weight loss .

For example , this box of brownie mix says that there are only 3 g of net carbs per serving .

Awesome .

That means you can eat almost seven brownies and stick to your keto diet .

It would be fantastic if that worked for weight loss .

It won't for those who love to cook .

Here is what a day of eating keto can look like .

You can have an omelet with low carb vegetables like mushrooms and spinach in the morning .

The eggs can be cooked in oil , which is pure fat .

I like to use avocado oil for lunch .

You can mix up tuna salad or use a packet of salmon to make salmon salad and place it on a bed of greens with nonstarchy vegetables .

I used tomatoes , cucumbers and red onions and added an oil based dressing for dinner , think protein and nonstarchy vegetables for this menu .

I included baked cod and veggies .

The total carb count for this daily menu is only 16 carbs that gives you 4 g of wiggle room for the day .

So you can elect to add another low carb veggie to a meal or have a low carb snack like cheese or raw nuts .

Nonstarchy vegetables are the best carb choice for keto dieters because they are naturally low in calories and carbs and add volume to your diet , which helps you stay full longer .

If you'd like a list of low carb foods including the best vegetable and fruit choices .

You can down download my list of 100 low carb foods for free on my website .

Also notice that this is a low saturated fat diet .

If your doctor told you to go on a Mediterranean diet , but you long for the quick weight loss of keto , you can do both at the same time .

You can Google recipes to find similar ones to those that I'm showing .

These recipes are from my Mediterranean Keto cookbook .

And if you are interested in that resource , I will leave a link in the description area below for those who are willing to cook but don't love it .

You can put together a healthy diet .

So here is menu number two , you can start your day with doubled eggs , which can be made by simply hard boiling eggs and mixing the yolks with mayo and mustard for lunch .

Mix , cooked ground meat with taco seasoning , put the meat on a bed of grains along with cheese and sour cream .

And you have a simple but satisfying taco salad .

Now , if you like to cook , you can mix up your own taco seasoning mix and take the health value up a notch .

As you'll see , as we progress the farther you get away from cooking , the more processed foods you'll encounter for dinner stir fry is the ultimate quick and healthy keto friendly meal .

You can use whole vegetables like the zucchini ribbons I used in this recipe or simply use a bag of frozen veggies and precooked chicken or shrimp from the grocery store .

These three meals add up to 19.6 g of carbohydrates .

You can spread the meals throughout the day or if you practice intermittent fasting , you can eat all three within a shortened eating window .

You can eat a keto diet without cooking .

If you are willing to smash a few ingredients , you can make a raspberry cheesecake cup for breakfast .

It has only 6.3 g of carbs and is made by smashing together raspberries and cream cheese until they are smooth and adding coconut milk vanilla and a pinch of Stevia for lunch .

Visit the local grocery store .

Salad bar salad is a great way to fill your stomach and acts as a wonderful vehicle for getting healthy fats into your body .

Start with a bed of greens and add a few tomatoes , slices of hard boiled eggs , feta cheese , green olives , sunflower seeds and oil and vinegar dressing .

And before you leave the salad bar , fill up a separate small container with the same ingredients as your lunchtime salad .

You can have that for dinner along with a precooked meat from Costco or a similar store .

This total day's carb count is 20.4 g and your time in the kitchen is minimal .

There you go .

Three keto menus that keep your total carb intake at 20 g or less per day .

Now , obviously , these are examples being presented to a worldwide audience .

So your food choices and calorie requirements may need to be adjusted to meet your needs .

Thanks to Element for sponsoring this video , their support helps me to keep creating free content for you to get your free sample pack with any purchase .

Go to drink LMNT dot com forward slash doctor Becky .

I'll provide a link to the offer in the description area below this video .

Thanks .