Keto Calculator

1. How to use the keto calculator?
2. What is a Ketogenic Diet
3. Keto diet for weight loss
4. Macronutrient balance in ketogenic diets
5. Health risks associated with a Keto diet

    How to use the keto calculator?

This keto diet calculator estimates your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and then splits the different types of macronutrients according to the ketogenic dietary prescription. You can see the macronutrient balance in the keto diet below for reference on how we calculate your keto nutrition profile.

To calculate your calorie needs, you need to enter your age, gender, height, weight and activity level which includes exercise and other physical activity. Finally, select your chosen variant of the diet from the drop down:

• Classic Ketogenic
• MCT Diet
• Low glycaemic index treatment (LGIT)
• Modified Ketogenic
• Moderate Ketogenic
• Liberal Ketogenic

C/P/F next to the diet names represent the percentages of carbs, proteins and fats in the dietary mix. See details about the types of keto diets. The ketogenic calculator will display the amount (in ounces or grams) and caloric equivalence of the carbs, proteins and fats (lipids) you need to consume per day. You should try to eat according to the macronutrients given and to spread your meals out during the day, but you should not be overly worried about getting the exact numbers each and every day and meal as small fluctuations should be OK as long as you are close to the estimate.

    What is a Ketogenic Diet

A ketogenic diet, a.k.a. keto diet, is any nutritional regime with high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate macronutrient mix. Dr Russel Wilder originated the term "ketogenic diet" and designed the first such diet in 1923 at the Mayo Clinic ^[1]. The original keto diet has a medical use in treating difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children.

A properly executed keto diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose. It is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain function. However, if the carbohydrates in the diet are small in quantity the liver starts converting fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies which then pass into the brain to replace glucose as an energy source. The fastest way to reach ketosis is to fast. Fasting can only go on for so long, while eating on a low-carb diet can go on for a much longer time without fewer side effects, at least for most people (be sure to consult your physician).

Typical foods include cheese, eggs, fish and seafood, natural fats, meat, and vegetables that grow above ground. The key to maintaining the diet is low carb intake - usually with the goal of eating less than 50 grams or even less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. The fewer the carbs, the better, usually. Things to avoid include: fruit, potatoes, pasta, beer, bread, soda, chocolate, candy, donuts, etc.

    Keto diet for weight loss

Keto diets of various types are now well-known and often used with the intent to reduce body weight. It should be noted that staying on a ketogenic diet of any kind is challenging for most people, but for those who do it "may be superior to other diets in terms of weight loss while maintaining or even improving other health parameters" ^[4].

However, there is not yet a consensus about the advantages of a keto dietary regime. For example, recently McGaugh & Barthel (2022) ^[5] concluded that "There is data showing impressive short-term weight loss, but most analyses suggest that long-term, their efficacy is comparable to other hypocaloric diets.". They blame some of this lack of long-term results on the difficulty of long-term adherence to a very restrictive eating pattern. Also noteworthy is the fact that the most impressive weight loss from a ketogenic diet may be just water loss, instead of fat loss.

    Macronutrient balance in ketogenic diets

A macronutrient (macro) is one of three main sources of daily energy supply: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. All of them are essential in maintaining a healthy life and good exercise condition, but different diets and different occasions call for different balance between them and our keto diet calculator is here to help you estimate how much of each you need to consume to follow a keto dietary plan.

Our tool has several predefined macro balance schemes depending on how strict you want to be in your keto diet. These are as specified in the table below:

* LCT fat 23%, MCT fat 51% for a combined 74%

** only carbohydrate with low glycaemic index (GI) of <50

The first three are based on the descriptions of different types of ketogenic diets in Fitzsimmons G., Sewell M. (2014)^[3] while the remaining are from popular sources. In all cases the macro mix sums to 100%. You can always specify a custom macro balance following a different diet plan.

    Health risks associated with a Keto diet

While ketogenic diets are overall safe for most people, one should be especially aware of going ketogenic if taking diabetes medicine, medication for high blood pressure, or if breastfeeding. Further, according to Malinowska & Żendzian-Piotrowska (2024) ^[1] "The KD is connected with health risks; therefore, this dietary model requires medical supervision. The high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet leads to a number of side effects.". The side effects include short-term issues like headaches, irritability, fatigue, and dehydration, as well as a decrease in apetite. Other issues include "hypoglycaemia, acidosis, pancreatitis or hepatitis, as well as hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperuricaemia, hypomagnesaemia or hyponatraemia"^[1][2].

Long-term issues caused by adherence to the Ket diet may include vitamin and mineral deficiencies caused by the dietary restrictions ^[1]. While supplementation can help avoid or alleviate some of these deficiencies, not all vitamins and minerals can be supplemented in all individuals. These and other possible complications are why you should always consult your physician before making significant dietary decisions.