The keto diet is well known as a low carb diet where the body produces ketones in the liver to use as energy.But switching to a low-carb, high-fat diet all at once can be challenging on your own.
There's no doubt about it - this is a limited food plan.In addition to eliminating all refined carbohydrates, you should avoid starchy vegetables, grains, sauces, juices and limit your fruit intake.
Before you begin, determine your fitness goals
Before committing to any diet, the first thing you need to do should always be your “why” or main goal.This will determine your dietary needs and guide you further.There are four main reasons someone might consider changing their diet, and not all of them are keto-friendly:
Weight loss
Losing weight or gaining weight is the most common reason people decide to try keto.If this is your goal, your main idea is to maintain a calorie deficit.Progress itself can be measured by seeing a number on the scale go down or by changing your body composition, which can be assessed using any body fat analyzer.
Increased muscle mass
Gaining muscle mass is essentially gaining weight, and that's not always ideal for everyone.In addition, 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 that doesn't stop everyone and some people see results.To build muscle, you need to focus on increasing calories, training and balancing nutrients.And to accurately measure your progress, you need a body composition test.
Improved performance
Fat can be an abundant and valuable source of energy that many athletes use.Therefore, the keto diet is suitable for increasing performance in endurance athletes and those who do not need frequent intense training.The timing of nutrients and adequate nutrition is the main focus of this goal, and improvements in performance can be measured by assessing metabolic efficiency.
Improved health
Improved health is not always the primary goal of those following a keto diet, unless health is improved through weight loss.This is because the keto diet is quite restrictive and getting enough vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) can be challenging.
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 tests.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:
- Increased movement.
- Significant reduction in carbohydrate intake.
- Check your ketone levels
- Eat protein.
How to switch to a keto diet on your own
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 asks 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 fundamental to continued success.Hitting your daily carb goal is important, especially if you're trying to achieve ketosis.The keto diet is designed with strict macronutrient requirements, including high fat intake and very low carbohydrate consumption.
For most people, the requirements look something like this:
- 70% calories from fat
- 25% calories from protein
- 5% 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.The nutrition and quality of the food you eat remains important to your health and well-being.In addition, choosing more nutritious foods can help with energy levels and mood, which in turn will encourage you to stick with the ketogenic diet for longer.Some of the foods should include a healthy carbohydrate substitute.Foods that are great for this include: cauliflower, rice, portobello mushroom dumplings, spaghetti squash.
How to go on a keto diet correctly
Planning your keto menu is only half the battle;Your progress is a result of consistency.This means that you will have to stick to the meal plan for more than a few weeks.But following a diet is not only based on willpower, but also on developing healthy habits and daily routines that will allow you to succeed.You also don't have to be perfect on the keto diet for it to be effective.It's possible to go off track and still see progress, as long as you're consistent with your calorie goals and keep working toward them.To follow a keto diet, use the following methods:
- Read labels carefully.
Anything that comes in a package, including high-calorie drinks and common medications like cough drops, 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 decrease the production of ketones.
- Use sweeteners and flour substitutes.
Sugar and wheat are hard to completely eliminate from your diet, but it is possible if you know what to replace them with.No matter what diet you choose, make sure it allows you to maintain your health, well-being and positive results.