The keto diet is well known as a low carb diet where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy.But suddenly switching to a low-carb, high-fat diet can be challenging.
No doubt about it - this is a limited diet plan.In addition to eliminating all refined carbohydrates, you should avoid starchy vegetables, grains, sauces, juices, and limit fruit intake.
Before you start, determine your fitness goal
Before committing to any diet, the first thing to do should always be your "why" or main goal.This will determine your nutritional needs and guide you further.There are four main reasons why someone might consider changing their diet, and not all of them are keto-friendly:
Weight loss
Losing weight or fat is the most common reason people decide to try keto.If that's your goal, maintaining a caloric deficit is your main idea.Progress itself can be measured by looking at a number on a scale or by changing your body composition, which can be assessed using any body fat analysis tool.
Increased muscle mass
Gaining muscle mass is essentially gaining weight and is not always ideal for everyone.Moreover, the ketogenic diet may not be the best diet for building muscle mass, given the beneficial role of carbohydrates in training and muscle recovery.But it doesn't stop everyone, and some people see results.To build muscle, you'll need to focus on extra calories, training, and macronutrient balance.And to accurately measure your progress, you need a body composition test.
Improved performance
Fat can be a rich and valuable source of energy used by many athletes.This is why the keto diet is suitable for increasing performance in endurance athletes and those who do not need frequent high-intensity training.Timing of nutrient intake and adequate nutrition is the primary focus of this goal, and progress in performance can be measured by assessing metabolic efficiency.
Improved health
Improving health is not always the primary goal of those following a keto diet, unless health improves as a result of weight loss.This is because the keto diet is quite restrictive and getting plenty of vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) can be a challenge.
If you want to improve your keto diet, the first thing you need to think about is your food choices.Progress towards this goal can be measured through biometric testing.However, new research continues to explore the potential benefits of low-carb and keto diets for people with diabetes.
How to get into ketosis
Ways to get into ketosis:
- Increasing physical activity.
- Significant reduction in carbohydrate intake.
- Ketone level check
- Eating protein.
How to switch to a keto diet yourself
Once you've determined your primary health and fitness goal, the next step is to calculate the number of calories you need to eat per day to lose, gain, or maintain your weight.The easiest way to do this is to use an online calorie calculator or download a fitness app that will ask your age, height, weight, gender and fitness level to estimate your daily needs.While calorie control has the biggest impact on your weight, understanding keto macros is still essential to continued success.Meeting your daily carb goal is key, especially if you're trying to achieve ketosis.The keto diet is designed with strict macronutrient requirements, including high fat intake and extremely low carbohydrate intake.
For most people, the requirements look something like this:
- 70% of calories from fat
- 25% of calories from protein
- 5% of calories from carbohydrates
However, the exact ideal macronutrient ratio for you may depend on your individual fitness, metabolic efficiency, and other factors.Now you're ready to start planning the keto menu of your dreams.But before you start eating bacon and cheese, there are a few things to consider.Nutrition and the quality of the food you eat remain important to your overall health and well-being.Additionally, choosing more nutritious foods can help with energy levels and mood, which in turn will motivate you to stick with the ketogenic diet for longer.Some of the foods should include healthy substitutes for carbohydrates.Products that are excellent for this are: cauliflower, rice, portobello mushrooms, spaghetti squash.
How to properly transition to a keto diet
Planning your keto menu is only half the battle;your progress is the result of consistency.This means that you have to stick to your diet plan for more than a few weeks.But sticking to a diet is not just about willpower, it's about developing healthy habits and daily routines that will allow you to achieve success.You also don't have to be perfect on the keto diet for it to be effective.It's possible to get off track and still see progress, as long as you stay consistent with your calorie goals and keep working towards them.To follow the keto diet, use the following strategies:
- Read labels carefully.
Anything that comes in a package, including any high-calorie drinks and common medications like cough medicine, can be loaded with hidden carbs.Make sure the label does not contain ingredients such as maltodextrin, dextrose, sugar, cane syrup or starch.Because these substances can increase blood sugar levels and reduce ketone production.
- Use sweeteners and flour substitutes.
It is difficult to eliminate sugar and flour completely from the diet, but it is possible if you know what to replace them with.Regardless of which nutritional approach you choose, make sure it allows you to maintain your health, well-being and positive results.