The ketogenic diet is most commonly described as a low carbohydrate, high fat (BCAG) diet, but there are other definitions as well. However, the amount of protein you consume is just as important as the amount of carbohydrates and fats you consume on keto.
A ketogenic diet necessitates the consumption of protein in order to maintain lean muscle mass and healthy cells; however, the appropriate amount of protein is critical.
When beginning and maintaining a BCAG ketogenic diet, it is necessary to calculate and determine your protein consumption.
To achieve and maintain ketosis, treat proteins as you would any other macronutrient (carbohydrate and fat).
Too much protein is a common mistake on the keto diet.

Many of the people we talked to who complain of not getting ketosis to make the mistake of not caring about how much protein they are eating.
Your protein intake is very high, and it is bad for a number of reasons, which we will discuss later.
Review the Ketogenic Food Pyramid and write down the percentage of protein that should be part of your macro.
The use of protein on a ketogenic diet should be moderate and not excessive.
We know that 75% of your ketogenic diet should come from healthy, unprocessed fats, but many people do not include protein in this equation.
Low in carbohydrates, high in fat. Low in carbohydrates and high in protein.
We’ve all seen people eating chicken breast and broccoli trying to lose fat and gain muscle. do not do it.
Most importantly, unlike many modern low-carb diets where protein is predominant, fat should be the dominant macronutrient on a ketogenic diet.
Specifically, protein should make up about 20% of your macro. Enough to maintain lean mass and prevent cell degeneration.
Not only this, with the help of gluconeogenesis it becomes the main source of fuel for your body.
Calculate and control your carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Find out what are your ideal macronutrients for your size and activity level.
You can use our simple Cato calculator here.
For the average person who consumes moderate amounts of energy and wants to stay healthy or lose weight, macro ratios are as follows
- 5% carbohydrate
- 20% protein
- 75% fat
Use our Cato Calculator above to calculate your daily calories and macros in grams.
Depending on your size, goals, and activity level they should be different for individuals.
For those who have a very active lifestyle (training) or are trying to gain muscle, the macro may be altered, and their protein may be slightly increased, but not more:
- 5% carbohydrate
- 25% protein
- 70% fat
In a perfect world, that cato ratio would be solid. But there is no one size fits all diet, so use these percentages as a starting point and monitor your ketone levels with the following tips and you will succeed.
Control Your Ketone Levels If you eat a lot of protein you will not be in ketosis.

Use a ketone meter to monitor your ketone level. People on ketogenic diets think that regular monitoring of ketone levels is the best way to know if you are in ketosis.
Ketone monitors are also great for letting you know if you have any concerns about what you just ate. That is, if you have any food in your diet that you have eaten before or give it up.
Keep in mind that it takes time to adjust the Cato and get into the catharsis, so don’t worry if your body doesn’t see results for a while adjusting.
There are several ways to control ketones.
- With blood glucose/ketone meter as used by diabetics (finger bite)
- With Ketostix (this is not the best because the indications may vary if you stay well hydrated).
- With Aston Analyzer in Catonics Breath
These monitors are great tools because even when you eat too much fat if you eat too much protein, your body can get out of ketosis. Don’t go for less than your full potential.
We are fans of one of these monitors, Catholics. Since it allows you to monitor ketone levels at any time, just measure the amount of acetone you inhale by inhaling it. You can use Ketonix all day without any extra expense, it is best to keep your ketogenic diet under control.
Use the monitor after every meal throughout the day, and you will know if you are eating too much protein.
So, to put it bluntly, check your ketone levels frequently with a ketone monitor. Calculate your macronutrients. Pay attention to these macros (including proteins) and see how your ketone levels react after eating certain foods, and then adjust accordingly.
How to increase ketones and avoid excess protein:
- Enjoy coffee with MCT oil, coconut oil, or ghee (clear butter).
- Make fat bombs and keep them on hand (Jerry’s vanilla cheesecake fat bombs are popular)
- Cook in coconut oil.
- Eat eggs as much as possible.
- Use MCT powder – Add a little to your food or drink to keep your stomach full and full of fuel.
- Eat the fattest cuts of meat with skin or fat.
- Ketone salts or BHB salts
- Add a nice piece of butter and cut your lean meat in half (we make delicious flavored butter and keep it on hand).
- Exercise: You don’t have to do much to warm up your metabolism and get your body looking for fat for fuel.
Conclusion
Protein, one of the most important macronutrients, is required for several vital biological functions. One of the three macronutrients included in food, together with fat and carbohydrates, is protein. Protein has specific functions in the body.
A low carb, high fat feeding regimen known as the ketogenic or keto diet has been practiced for centuries. A common misconception about keto is that eating too much protein could trigger the upregulation of gluconeogenesis. It would cause you to exit ketosis and undo all of your hard work. The truth is that GNG keeps us in ketosis and is crucial for our general health.
Research keeps pointing to protein as one of the best macronutrients to consume when trying to lose weight. A typical ketogenic diet for weight loss contains 60 to 80 percent of calories from fat. Carbohydrates account for 5 to 10% of its energy, with protein accounting for much more.
Actually, if you based your keto protein consumption on this recommended range of macronutrients, it would make up 20 to 30% of your total energy.
FAQs
Keep your daily protein intake per kilogram of body weight between 1.2 and 2.0 grams, if you can. If you weigh 70 kilograms, you should consume 85 to 140 grams of protein per day. The most frequent error that prevents people from entering ketosis is eating insufficient protein. There are too many carbs.
Reasons to limit protein intake while following a ketogenic diet: if you eat more protein than your body needs, your body can convert its amino acids into glucose, which can interfere with your capacity to burn fat.
Ensure that you are consuming adequate protein. Your lean tissue mass can be compromised by a lack of protein. The body uses lean tissue as a source of protein. When you have been fasting for a while, this happens more quickly.