Do you want to lose weight and are looking for a diet plan to follow? You may have heard of keto diet and the wonders it did to those who have tried the method.
What is Keto Diet?
A keto diet is a low-carbohydrate and high-fat diet that helps you burn stored fats in your body more efficiently. Weigh loss is one of the major keto diet benefits that people look for, which is why many are practicing this plan. Aside from weight loss, other keto diet benefits include faster metabolic rate, reduced hunger, and lower risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.
If you have high blood pressure, taking medication for diabetes, or are currently breastfeeding, avoid doing the keto diet unless your doctor has given you the approval to proceed.
How It Works
In a keto diet plan, you maintain the consumption of protein in moderate amounts while having the leeway to increase fat intake. The forceful reduction of carbohydrate intake puts your body in a state called ketosis. During ketosis, stored fat on your body is utilized for energy.
Keto diet rules should be strictly followed if you want to achieve the best results.
In a typical keto diet plan, the amount of carbs you can consume must be only 50 grams daily. If you can go below this, for instance 20 grams, that is even better. This is vital to maintain ketosis.
Getting Yourself Into Ketosis
To increase your level of ketosis, follow these steps:
Limit carbohydrate intake
Carbs is the number one enemy of keto diet plans. Measure the food you eat and be always wary of the carbohydrate content in each of them. Make sure to maintain the 20-gram limit on both food and drinks, combined.
Sometimes, just doing this method can bring your body to ketosis. But in case it does not follow the next steps to make sure you achieve the desired ketosis level.
Maintain fat consumption
Unlike other diet that cuts on fat intake, keto diet plans require you to increase intake of fat-rich food. Since you will be cutting your carbs, your body will get its energy from the fat found in foods like butter, olive oil, and sauces.
Bacon and other fatty foods are welcome in a keto diet plan
Starving yourself has different mechanics on how the body sources its energy compared to when you undergo keto diet for beginners. The latter is more sustainable since you will eat while helping the body enter ketosis.
If you feel hungry all the time, a keto diet tip is to increase protein or fat intake in controlled amounts. But never touch carbohydrate-rich food, or you will have start all over again to attain ketosis.
Avoid snacks
Eating just for the sake of it, especially when there is food around can be detrimental to your diet. This will reduce ketosis, preventing you from fully experiencing keto diet benefits.
But if you really cannot control your hunger, eat keto snacks instead. These are especially designed for beginners of keto diet who has not gotten used to the regime yet.
Add intermittent fasting
To further boost your ketone levels, you can skip a meal and eat only within an 8-hour timeframe every day. This will enhance weight loss, improve insulin resistance, and boost ketone levels.
A common mistake among keto diet beginners is taking supplements that supposedly will help them get into the state of ketosis. There is no evidence that these expensive supplements will help you lose weight or at least put you in a state of ketosis in an instant.
The number one keto diet rule to get into ketosis is to restrict carbohydrate intake. That is all you need to do to start your keto diet plan.
How to Know When You Are In Ketosis?
There are several ways to determine whether you are already in a state of ketosis. Urine, blood, and breath testing can be done to accurately identify the level of ketosis you are in.
But in case you do not have access to these tests, you can still gauge your ketosis state by observing the following symptoms:
Dry mouth and unquenched thirst
Do not forget to drink plenty of water when you are on a keto diet plan. Otherwise, you will feel a drier mouth and throat than usual.
A cup or two of bouillon every day can resolve this thirstiness.
Frequent urination
As a beginner in keto diet, you will be frequenting the bathroom mainly because of the increased hydration.
Keto breath
The reaction of your body on what you eat on a keto diet will reflect on the smell of your breath. You will notice it will have a fruity scent or something similar to a nail polish remover. This is often temporary and will eventually go away as your body gets used to the new diet.
Reduced hunger
One of the keto diet benefits you will be elated with is how it can reduce your hunger and appetite. You may even do intermittent fasting because you will feel full throughout the day.
The “keto flu”
Keto diet beginners will feel drained most of the time, experiencing what is called a “keto flu”. Symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, irritability, brain fog, and lack of motivation. This will usually disappear within a week or two.
Increased energy
While you might experience a keto flu on the first few days of the diet, you will eventually feel a surge of energy that lasts longer, along with a clearer thinking process.
Keto Diet Tips On What To Eat
Here are some tips on what and what not to eat while on a keto diet.
Watch what you eat on a keto diet
- Bacon and eggs are very much welcome if you are on a keto diet. They are rich in protein and fat which you need to get into ketosis.
- For main dishes, any meat, fish, or chicken are okay. Full-fat sauce, butter, and cheese are also good because they are high in fat content.
- Contrary to popular belief, fat is not at all unhealthy, but that depends on the kind of fat and the frequency of intake. Fat is essential in a keto diet plan in making you feel full and giving food a rich taste.
- Bread is often frowned upon in a keto diet plan, but that depends on the kind of bread available. There are options that have low carbohydrate content which will help you stay in the ketosis state.
- Avoid snacks that are marketed as ‘low-carb’. These often have refined and industrially processed components that are not good for your body, whether you are on a keto diet or not.
- Fibre in food is okay and might even be beneficial to your diet.
- In a keto diet plan, the fewer the carbs on the drink, the better. Water is the best option, while coffee, tea, and wine are also acceptable so long as you do not use sugar or any sweetener on them.
Occasionally putting in a bit of milk or cream on your coffee is okay. But beware of your carbohydrate consumption, since drinking multiple cups will make you hit the daily limit.
It is normal to feel full even after you wake up because that is the effect of the keto diet. You can freely skip breakfast and do intermittent fasting instead of forcing yourself to eat.
What If Keto Diet Does Not Work?
If keto diet does not work for you, either due to health constraints or other circumstances, you may consider getting plastic surgery to improve your figure. If your goal is to get slimmer and achieve a toned or even sculpted body, then getting cosmetic surgery is the best option there is.
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