The keto diet is well known as a low-carb diet in which the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy.But switching to a low-carb, high-fat diet all at once can be challenging.
There's no doubt about it - this is a limited meal plan.In addition to eliminating all refined carbohydrates, you should avoid starchy vegetables, grains, sauces, juices, and limit fruit intake.
Before you begin, determine your fitness goal
Before doing any diet, the first thing you should always do is "why" or your main goal.This will determine your dietary 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 this is your goal, maintaining a calorie deficit is your main idea.Progress itself can be measured by seeing a number go down or by changing your body composition, which can be assessed using any body fat analysis tool.
Increase in muscle mass
Gaining muscle mass is basically gaining weight, and it's not always ideal for everyone.Additionally, the ketogenic diet may not be the best diet for building muscle mass, given the beneficial role of carbohydrates in muscle training and recovery.But that doesn't stop everyone, and some people are seeing results.To build muscle, you'll need to focus on extra calories, exercise, and macronutrient balance.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.This is why the keto diet is suitable for performance enhancement in endurance athletes and those who do not require frequent high-intensity training.The timing of nutrient intake and adequate nutrition is the main focus of this goal, and progress in performance can be measured by assessing metabolic efficiency.
Improved health
Improving health is not always the main goal of those following the keto diet, unless health is improved as a result of weight loss.This is because the keto diet is quite restrictive and getting many 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 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 enter ketosis:
- Increased physical activity.
- Significant reduction in carbohydrate intake.
- Check your ketone levels
- Eating protein.
How to go on the 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 weight, gain weight, 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 for your age, height, weight, gender and fitness level to estimate your daily needs.Although calorie control has the biggest impact on your weight, understanding keto macros is still essential for continued success.Meeting your daily carb goal is critical, 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% 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 level, metabolic efficiency, and other factors.Now you're ready to start planning the keto menu of your dreams.But before you start eating ham and cheese, there are a few things to consider.Nutrition and the quality of the foods you eat remain important to your overall health and well-being.Additionally, choosing more nutritious foods can help with energy levels and mood, which will motivate you to stay on the ketogenic diet longer.Some of the meals should include healthy carbohydrate substitutes.Foods that are great for this include: cauliflower, rice, portobello mushroom buns, spaghetti squash.
How to go on a keto diet properly
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 following a diet is based not only on willpower, but also on 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 is possible to go 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 raise blood sugar levels and impair ketone production.
- Use sweeteners and flour substitutes.
Sugar and flour are difficult to completely eliminate from your diet, but it is possible if you know what to replace them with.No matter what diet approach you choose, make sure it allows you to maintain health, wellness, and positive results.