NBA Star LeBron James' Crazy Diet

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Cleveland Cavaliers v Boston Celtics - Game Five
LeBron James won four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards

LeBron James is one of the most prolific basketballers of all time and needs no elaborate introduction. The American basketballer has won four NBA MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards, three All-Star MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals.

However, there was something else that LeBron James did in 2014 that caught everyone's imagination. According to Business Insider, James went on a low-carb diet for 67 days, which caused to lose a startling amount of weight in that summer. This only added weight to the popular ketogenic diet that quite a lot of people follow to reduce weight.

Nevertheless, the ketogenic diet is not for everyone and a few could develop complications while following this diet program. It is recommended to get off the keto diet and visit a doctor if you develop any discomfort while following this diet tip.

Let us dive in deeper, and better understand the diet that made LeBron James lose weight before the start of the championship so that even you could follow the same for weight loss.


Focus On Low-Carb But High-Calorie Diet

James' diet included very little carbs and almost no sugars, which is the major step that everyone who is on a keto diet must follow on a regular basis. Depriving the body of carbohydrates forces it to enter into a state of ketosis, where the fat is broken down rather than carbohydrates to generate energy.

Ensure that you only take around 20% of required carbohydrate intake and increase the fat intake to about 65-70%. However, remember that having a low-carbohydrate diet does not mean that one should not deprive themselves of calories. Keep in mind that you meet the recommended daily carbohydrate requirements. Additionally, take adequate amounts of fibre to improve digestion.

Foods: Meat, eggs, nuts and sprouts.

Have Loads of Fruits and Vegetables

Berries are an excellent addition to the ketogenic diet
Berries are an excellent addition to the ketogenic diet

LeBron James included a wide range of vegetables in all his meals when he was on a low-carb diet.

Most vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables are a rich source of dietary fibre, which is a quintessential nutrient in a keto diet. In addition to dietary fibre, green leafy vegetables are rich sources of quintessential vitamins such as vitamin A, C, E, K and B6. Minerals found in green vegetables include phosphorous, potassium, iron and manganese.

You could also supplement vegetables with flax seeds to meet the body's daily fibre requirement.

Along with vegetables, pepper your diet with fruits as a snack or a meal. Although fruits are a source of natural sugar, however, contain way fewer sugars than processed snacks. Furthermore, fruits include tonnes of essential vitamins and minerals including phosphorus, magnesium, iron and calcium that are required for the proper functioning of the body.

Ideal fruits for a keto diet include all kinds of berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.

Do Not Forget to Have Lean Protein

Lean protein aids in muscle building and recovery
Lean protein aids in muscle building and recovery

Even though LeBron James went on a low-carb keto diet to drop down weight, he ensured that his diet had sufficient quantities of protein. Lack of protein forces the body to turn to lean protein to meet the protein demands, which could turn out to become counterproductive in the long run.

Although the protein intake in keto diet could be lower but ensure that your body is never devoid of dietary protein. Besides helping in muscle building and recovery, several studies have pointed out that protein also plays a crucial role in weight loss.

Space out the protein intake throughout the day rather than concentrating it in a single meal for increased results. Starting the day with a protein-rich breakfast could aid you in losing weight.

Foods: Seafood, eggs, yoghurt and white meat.

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Edited by Amar Anand