The keto diet is 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 on your own 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 vegetables, grains, sauces, juices, and limit your fruit intake.
Before you start, determine your fitness goals
Before doing any diet, the first thing to do should always be your "why" or ultimate 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 this is your goal, maintaining a calorie deficit is your main idea.Progress itself can be measured by looking at the numbers on the scale or by changing your body composition, which can be assessed using any body fat analysis tool.
Increased muscle mass
Gaining muscle mass is basically gaining weight, and it's not always right for everyone.Also, the ketogenic diet may not be the best diet for building muscle mass, given the role of carbohydrates in muscle training and recovery.But that doesn't stop everyone, and some people see results.To build muscle, you need to focus on extra calories, exercise, and macronutrient balance.And to accurately measure your progress, you need a body composition test.
Better performance
Fat can be an abundant and valuable source of energy that athletes use a lot.This is why the Keto diet is ideal for improving performance 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.
Better health
Better health is not necessarily the main goal of those following the keto diet, but rather health is improved as a result of weight loss.This is because the keto diet is quite strict and getting plenty of 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
How to get into ketosis:
- Increase physical activity.
- Significant reduction in carbohydrate intake.
- Checking your ketone levels
- Eat protein.
How to switch to a keto diet yourself
Once you have determined your main health and fitness goals, the next step is to calculate the number of calories you need to eat each 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.While calorie control has the biggest impact on your weight, understanding keto macros is still the foundation 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 very low carbohydrate intake.
For most people, the requirements look like this:
- 70% of calories from fat
- 25% of calories from protein
- 5% calories from carbs
However, the ideal macronutrient ratio for you may depend on your individual fitness level, metabolic efficiency, and other factors.Now you are ready to plan your dream keto menu.But before you start eating bacon and cheese, there are a few things to consider.Nutrition and the quality of the food you eat remains important to your overall 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 meals should include healthy carbohydrate substitutes.Good products for this include: cauliflower, rice, portobello mushroom bread, spaghetti squash.
How to live the keto diet correctly
Planning your keto menu is only half the battle;Your progress is the result of consistency.This means you must 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 drop off 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 the label carefully.
Anything in a package, including any high-calorie drinks and common medicines 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 ingredients can increase blood sugar levels and affect ketone production.
- Use sweeteners and flour substitutes.
Sugar and flour are difficult to eliminate completely from your diet, but it is possible if you know what to replace them with.No matter what nutritional approach you choose, make sure it allows you to maintain your health, well-being, and positive results.