Speed Keto vs. Regular Keto: Which Is Best for You?

CertifiedKetoDiet
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Nutritionist
Apr 4, 2023
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Elina Balode
, nutritionist
What you’ll learn

    For anyone looking for a new approach to weight loss, keto is a popular choice. However, some dieters may struggle with counting macros or keeping track of which foods they can and can’t eat.

    That’s why some people are turning to Speed Keto, an alternative to the regular keto diet that only allows one meal per day.

    But is the Speed Keto diet an effective and safe alternative for weight loss? And can it really help you achieve ketosis faster than a regular keto diet? Let’s explore what the buzz is all about and weigh the pros and cons of this meal plan.

    What is Speed Keto?

    Speed Keto is a specific approach to the keto diet. It combines intermittent fasting with a regular ketogenic diet. While on this diet, you only eat one meal per day — and this meal should be high in fat, low in carbs, and moderate in protein.

    But what exactly is intermittent fasting, and what does it have to do with a keto diet?

    Person eating a meal

    A keto diet is a low-carb diet that puts your body in ketosis. What this means is that your body starts burning fat when it doesn’t have enough carbohydrates coming from your food to burn energy. When this happens, your body starts producing ketones.

    Ketones are a type of chemical created in your liver when your body breaks down fats. Your body then uses these ketones as energy.

    But the keto diet isn’t the only trigger that can put your body in ketosis. When you fast, your body no longer receives any carbohydrates, which means it needs to burn the fat in your body to produce ketones for energy. That’s why many people love to use intermittent fasting to burn fat.

    This is where the Speed Keto diet comes in. While on a Speed Keto diet, you eat the same types of foods you’d normally eat on a regular keto diet, but you also implement an intermittent fasting schedule by limiting yourself to a single meal per day.

    By combining a keto diet with intermittent fasting, you can achieve ketosis faster. You also limit how much food you can eat since you have to cram all your daily calories into a single meal.

    What is the difference between Speed Keto and regular keto?

    A regular keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that gets the body to achieve ketosis. It’s very low in carbs, moderate in protein, and high in fat. Because it forces the body to use fat as energy instead of carbs, it can help burn the fat stored in your body, not just the fat you’re eating.

    While a regular keto diet specifies a maximum number of each macronutrient (carbs, proteins, and fats) you can eat per day, you don’t have a maximum number of meals. This means you can eat as many meals and snacks as you want and still be on a keto diet. The important thing is to keep your carb intake to less than 50 grams per day and your fat intake to 70% to 80% of your total daily calories.

    You can fast on a keto diet, but it’s not mandatory.

    On the other hand, the Speed Keto diet involves an intermittent fasting period. This is usually done on a 16:8 schedule, which means you fast for 16 hours and eat your calories during an eight-hour window.

    Although there’s an eight-hour window, people who eat a Speed Keto diet typically only eat one keto meal per day.

    You also don’t need to keep track of your macros when doing Speed Keto. All you need to do is choose from low-carb, high-fat foods and make sure you get moderate amounts of protein.

    Does Speed Keto work?

    A program like Speed Keto can work to help people lose weight. Specifically, it’s designed to help people burn fat.

    Does speed keto work

    There are several reasons why this diet can work for many people. For starters, you’ll typically consume fewer calories on this plan than your body needs to burn.

    To lose weight, you need to burn more energy than you consume. When you’re simultaneously eating fewer calories than you consume while also putting your body in a state of ketosis, you’re encouraging your body to burn its stores of fat to fuel your activities.

    And when you’ve only got one short window of time to eat, you’ll likely eat less than if you could be eating all day.

    Studies also show that intermittent fasting can help the body switch to ketosis. This means many people will find it easier to achieve ketosis when they combine a keto diet with intermittent fasting.

    Another study has shown that ketosis can significantly help reduce BMI and cholesterol. This means that not only can Speed Keto help you lose weight, but it can also help you improve your cholesterol levels.

    However, Speed Keto isn’t a magic pill. Like any diet, its effectiveness depends on several factors, such as:

    • Your current weight and body fat percentages
    • Your activity levels
    • Your metabolism and hormones
    • Which foods you decide to eat

    For example, it’s possible to eat more calories than you need to keep your body alive, even if you eat a single meal a day. While some people will find it impossible to eat that much, others will find it easy. It all depends on personal preferences and existing dietary habits.

    How long should you be on Speed Keto?

    Is the Speed Keto diet suitable for a long-term lifestyle change?

    There’s no research on the Speed Keto diet specifically that indicates how long it’s safe to be on the diet. That means it’s difficult to give accurate advice about how long you should follow it.

    How long the Speed Keto diet is suitable for you will depend on a variety of personal factors, such as:

    • Your current health
    • How your body responds to a low-carb, high-fat diet
    • How you feel while intermittent fasting
    • Life events that could make the diet difficult or dangerous (such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, or diabetes)

    If you’re not sure how long you should keep eating a Speed Keto diet, consult your physician to evaluate your health. You can decide together whether this approach to the keto diet is a good fit for you.

    Pros and cons of the Speed Keto diet

    Let’s explore the benefits and drawbacks of going on a Speed Keto diet so that you can decide if it’s the best version of keto for you.

    Pro: Works on any schedule

    Almost anyone can adapt Speed Keto to their lifestyle and schedule. You don’t have to eat in the same eight-hour window as someone else.

    Plus, you only need to eat one meal per day. This significantly reduces the amount of time you need to spend cooking or meal prepping.

    Many of the foods you can eat on a Speed Keto diet are easy to make ahead if you have no time to cook on weeknights. For example, you can bake a large batch of chicken breasts and make a huge bowl of salad that’ll last for the entire week.

    Con: One-size-fits-all diet

    Speed Keto does work on any schedule, but it’s also a one-size-fits-all approach to the keto diet.

    It doesn’t accommodate people who prefer smaller meals throughout the day or those who dislike eating large portions in one go. It also doesn’t leave much room for those with medical conditions that may be worsened by this diet.

    Cons of speed keto

    It’s also not ideal for people who need to snack before or after a workout session.

    Pro: Easy to follow

    The Speed Keto diet is simple to follow. All you need to do is eat one meal per day and stick to meals that are low-carb and high-fat, with moderate protein intake.

    And because this diet is pretty popular, it’s easy to find recipes and meal plan ideas to grab for yourself.

    For someone who’s already following a keto diet, the change is even more simple. You can keep eating the same foods you’ve been eating, but only restrict these foods to a single meal.

    Con: No long-term studies

    Speed Keto is a relatively new way to approach the keto diet. So far, no studies have been conducted on what happens when you eat this way for a long period.

    Because of the lack of studies, we don’t know the long-term effects of Speed Keto on the human body. Only time will tell what the long-term ramifications will look like.

    Speed Keto food list

    Wondering what you can eat on Speed Keto? Here are some recommended foods whether you want to try Speed Keto or regular keto:

    • Meats (preferably grass-fed, organic, and pasture-raised): beef, pork, lamb, bison, and chicken
    • Salmon and other fish (preferably wild)
    • Eggs
    • Berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries
    • Vegetables: zucchini, asparagus, spinach, lettuce, leafy salads
    • Nuts
    • Greek yogurt and whole plain yogurt
    • Butter and ghee
    • Coconut, olive, and flax oils
    • Avocado
    • Sugar substitutes for your tea and coffee: stevia, monk fruit extract, xylitol, Splenda

    On the other hand, you should stay away from these foods:

    • Soft drinks and sodas
    • Commercial baked goods (cakes, cookies, etc.)
    • Ice cream
    Foods to avoid on keto diet
    • Sweets
    • Fruit juices
    • Bread and pasta
    • Processed foods high in trans fats (fast food, margarine)
    • All refined vegetable oils (canola, soy, grape seed, corn, sunflower)
    • "Low-Fat" or "Diet" foods

    As long as you eat a single meal per day and stick to these foods, you’ll be able to maintain a Speed Keto diet.

    Speed Keto menu ideas

    If you’re running out of inspiration for your Speed Keto meal planning, we’ve got you covered. For any Speed Keto menu, try pairing high-fat foods that contain protein with some vegetables to create delicious, healthy meals.

    For example, here are some meals you can create, whether you want to eat right now or prep ahead of time:

    • Lamb chops and asparagus
    • Chicken lettuce wraps
    • Poke bowl with cauliflower rice
    Speed keto poke bowl
    • Roast beef, cheddar, and veggie plate
    • Pizza with cauliflower crust

    Feel free to switch out ingredients with any of the keto food options listed above. However, any substitution you make should have a similar nutritional value. For instance, if you don’t like asparagus, you can replace it with another low-carb veggie. Or, if you don’t enjoy chicken, find another lean source of protein for your lettuce wraps.

    For more Keto menu ideas that would work on Speed Keto or regular keto, try taking our free test. You’ll get a custom diet plan that’s suited for any keto diet and that only contains the foods you enjoy eating.

    How to implement Speed Keto diet into your lifestyle

    Not sure how to start eating a Speed Keto diet? Luckily, it’s surprisingly simple.

    First, you can choose what time you’ll eat each day. You don’t have to eat at the exact same time each day, but you should stick to an eight-hour window.

    For example, you can decide to fast starting at 9 pm and start eating between 1 pm and 9 pm the next day. Each day, you can eat somewhere between that 1-9 pm window.

    Stick to one meal per day and focus on whole foods for your meal. Look at the food list above for appropriate foods on a Speed Keto diet.

    Incorporate healthy fats and lean protein into every daily meal, and keep your total carbs under 50 g per day.

    Get the keto diet that works best for you

    There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to a healthy weight loss diet that can help you achieve and sustain your goals long-term. That’s why it can be difficult to figure out how to approach a keto diet on your own.

    Luckily, you don’t have to figure it out alone. With Certified Keto Diet, you can get a customized meal plan that fits your needs — and you don’t need to eat foods you don’t enjoy. Plus, the plan is provided by an officially registered medical institution, certified nutritionists, and fitness trainers.

    Take the free quiz to get your custom plan today.

    Let's see how Certified Keto Diet can help you!