While my journey to lose 111 pounds on a ketogenic diet has been incredibly life-changing for my health, I wish I knew some best practices before I started.
Limiting fast-acting carbs and simple sugars is a fantastic way to reclaim your health while looking and feeling better. And in a desperate attempt to release excess weight and reclaim my health, I discovered keto.
After stepping on the scale and seeing the highest number my body had ever registered, I began the keto diet the next day. It was horrifying that I let myself get to this point, and I was determined to make a permanent change.
Over the years, I have tried just about everything one can imagine losing weight. Nonetheless, this approach was different—my body switched from running on glucose to operating optimally on fats and ketones, and this difference provided distinct advantages.
As a result of ketosis, my food and sugar cravings disappeared, and I needed reminders to eat, instead of eating mindlessly and excessively!
Reset your Metabolism with Ease
By adopting ketosis, I was able to redefine my relationship with food. I became a keener listener to my body's true hunger. And I learned to discern better the difference between genuine hunger and eating emotionally.
Keto reset my #metabolism and changed my relationship with food, but it took a lot of trial and error to achieve that success. So with that said, I would be remiss if I didn't share these tips and best practices. If you follow this guide, you will avoid the most common setbacks when starting a keto diet—enabling you to get ahead without unnecessary hurdles.
The notable changes you can achieve on a ketogenic diet reveal much more than an effective weight-loss tool, but you have to approach it with a plan to achieve maximum results. Here are 10 things you need to know before starting a #ketogenic diet in 2022:
What is a Keto Diet?
Being able to fit effortlessly into your skinny jeans while regulating your blood sugar and supressing fat-storing hormones like cortisol are all major benefits—excellent reasons to replace carbs with healthy fats and premium proteins.
A ketogenic diet encourages eating a lot of high-quality fat (70%), a moderate amount of protein (25%), and a small number of carbohydrates (5%). Your recommended calorie intake will depend on your health goals and various personal factors. Consider using a site like MyFitnessPal to create a starting point based on your goals, then adjust it as you go.
Glucose (sugar), fat, and ketones are all forms of energy that our bodies can utilize. To some degree, glucose is essential for the basic operation of the brain and body and preferable during times of intense exertion such as powerlifting. In contrast, fat and ketones are the brain's preferred fuel sources. Plus, the body benefits greatly from operating in a ketotic state during long periods of steady-state exercises, such as long-distance running.
Although the keto diet is most popular today because of its benefits related to weight loss, it originated as a therapeutic method for treating children with medically-resistant epilepsy in 1920.
In addition to reducing the debilitating effects of epilepsy, the well-researched approach has shown remarkable promise for supporting optimal cognitive and processing function for those with other neurological divergences like those with autism, ADHD, dementia, or Alzheimer's Disease.
Keto Diet Tips for Beginners
The keto diet, however, requires a holistic approach with an equal focus on macronutrients and micronutrients, as well as maintaining adequate hydration. You should take the following factors into account as you craft your carb-cutting master plan:
As a result of ketosis, my food and sugar cravings disappeared, and I needed reminders to eat, instead of eating mindlessly and excessively!
Tip #1: Reduce Carbs Slowly (Avoid Keto Flu)
Tip #5: Focus on Fiber
Tip #8: Focus on Quality Sleep Hygiene
Tip #9: Journal Your Food-Mood Connection
Tip #10: Get Moving!
Tip #1: Reduce Carbs Slowly (Avoid Keto Flu)
A carb-rich diet, such as the Standard American Diet (SAD), can cause significant short-term stress on the body as it tries to switch from running on glucose to sourcing its energy from fats and ketones as it enters metabolic ketosis.
Experiencing a balancing of #hormones, improved triglyceride levels, and an increase in mental sharpness and energy are benefits we want to enjoy as quickly as possible on keto. However, instead of quitting cold turkey, gradually reducing carbs over a week can give the body a chance to shift metabolic gears without severe shock.
And easing into ketosis may eliminate or reduce any adverse transitory side effects—like keto flu or keto rash—that can occur when cutting carbs all at once.
Start your low-carb, ketogenic diet by reducing your daily carb intake below 150 grams, which is considered the upper limit of a standard low-carb diet. Following a week or two of adjusting to the shift in carb intake, further restrict carb intake until you manage to maintain a daily net carb intake of 25 grams of net carbs (i.e., total carbs - fiber grams = net carbs), or 50 grams total carbs.
Tip #2: Stay Hydrated
Drinking a lot of water is always advisable, but it's particularly important on a diet high in fat and low in carbs because ketosis causes the body to lose fluids and electrolytes at an accelerated rate, which creates a need to replenish them more frequently to maintain an adequate level.
Carbohydrates and sodium help the body retain fluid. So when you eliminate fast-acting carbs and sugars, as you do when following a ketogenic diet, you trigger a significant release.
Water is not just beneficial for hydration on a keto diet. Besides supporting kidney filtering, it prevents dehydration, leading to fatigue and muscle cramps.
You can easily add hydration to your keto diet. Consume plain, seltzer, or flavored and unsweetened water, coconut water in limited amounts, and mineral-rich bone broth to replenish the fluids the body is losing due to the absence of carbohydrates and sugars in the diet.
Tip #3: Choose Carbs Wisely
When you reduce the number of starchy carbs and sugars in your diet, you can regulate blood sugar and other systems of the body, but that does not mean cutting out all nutrients-dense fruits and vegetables; you simply need to choose your produce with the goal of limiting fast-acting carbs in mind—and save the sweet potatoes and moderately-glycemic fare for carb-cycling or carb-up refeeds.
Low-glycemic fruits and vegetables provide you with nutrients and fiber, which are essential to your nourishment and to maintain regular digestion and elimination. On the carnivore diet—where you probably exclude all veggies and fruits—some people experience constipation.
Add the following vegetables and fruit to your keto meal plan to boost antioxidant intake and ensure that your blood sugar doesn't spike or compromise your ketosis:
Veggies (net carbs shown are for a 1 cup serving)
Arugula (.4g)
Spinach (.4g)
Watercress (1.3g)
Celery (1.4g)
Cucumber (1.9g)
Cabbage (2.31)
Bok choy (2.4g)
Cauliflower (3.2g)
Broccoli (3.5g)
Bell peppers (4g)
Kale (4.7g)
Eggplant (6.2g)
Fruits
Avocado (2.8)
Tomatoes (4g)
Lemon (1), (4.2g)
Lime (1), 5.1g
Blackberries (6.1g)
Strawberries (8.7)
Watermelon (11g)
Peaches (13g)
Papaya (13.2)
Blueberries (18g)
Tip #4: Find Swaps for Guilty Pleasures
It's not practical to store sugar in your keto pantry unless you're fermenting kombucha or coconut water kefir to boost gut health, but it doesn't mean a low-carb, high-fat diet has to be bland.
Many sugar alternatives perform perfectly in sweet and savory recipes to rework any sugary dish from monk fruit to stevia and allulose. Moreover, we can use almond, coconut, and lupin flour for baking bread and other goodies that enhance your keto journey.
Tip #5: Focus on Fiber
Diets devoid of fiber often cause constipation and other digestive issues. To avoid irregularity, consider adding the following ingredients to your weekly rotation to ensure your meals fill you up and aid in optimal digestion:
Spinach
Kale
Collard Greens
Mustard Greens
Zucchini
Broccoli,
Cauliflower,
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Celery
Avocado
Tomato
Blueberries
Chia Seeds
Flaxseed
Hemp Seeds
Almonds
Tip #6: Celebrate Non-Scale Victories
Seeing visible results on the scale after losing weight is a powerful source of inspiration and motivation. Nevertheless, establishing other personal benchmarks for success can help you keep things in perspective when the scale shows no change.
Does your goal involve balancing glucose and regulating insulin levels in your body? Do you want to reset your natural appetite and normalize hormone levels to curb cravings? Are you seeking increased energy so you can spend more time with your children and other loved ones?
Whatever it is that keeps you focused on reclaiming your health with the help of the keto diet, make it plain and keep it front of mind. Keep yourself motivated for the long haul by celebrating small achievements—apart from the scale—along the way.
Tip #7: Reduce and Manage Stress
Chronic stress causes many disturbing physiological changes in the body.
Elevated stress levels can throw everything off balance, from elevating fat-storing hormones like cortisol and insulin to disrupting sleep and adversely affecting mood. Additionally, poor sleep, increased stress, and compromised mood are the perfect recipe for an unintended binge you'll regret.
Although life is full of stressors and opportunities to fret, reducing and managing your stress will support your improved mental health as you transform your body and lifestyle. While following a ketogenic diet, consider any of the following anti-oxidant-rich food options perfect for managing oxidative stress and supporting improved well-being:
Swiss Chard
Wild Caught Salmon
Avocado
Dark Green Vegetables
Nutritional Yeast
Cremini and Shiitake Mushrooms
Papaya
Grass-Fed Beef
Additionally, you can minimize stress by adding activities like meditation, yoga, or taking a brisk, long walk. Experiment with different options and see which activities relax you and you like most; then commit to pampering yourself with self-care in the form of elevating your heart rate for at least 30 minutes, three times a week.
Tip #8: Focus on Quality Sleep Hygiene
Rest gives the body the chance to repair damaged cells, rebuild muscle tissue, and generate new healthy cells. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that you get enough sleep each night to perform well during the day.
Getting too little sleep can cause a range of issues, including being too pooped to exercise, needing to down another calorie-laden latte to boost energy, or experiencing cravings you had previously controlled when well-fed.
Here are some vital tips to promote healthy sleep #hygiene to aid in weight loss and overall well-being:
Avoid taking naps during the day.
Establish a routine for sleeping and waking at the same time each day to allow your body to adjust to your schedule.
Spend no more than ten minutes in bed awake in the morning; get up and after the day right away.
Those who skip sleep are also more likely to gain weight even if they eat the same number of calories, with people who don't get enough sleep reporting increased cravings.
Do not watch television, use the computer, or read while lying in bed.
Aside from causing fatigue and crankiness, chronic sleep deprivation can lead to fat storage by deregulating your hunger hormone, ghrelin, which spikes hunger while reducing leptin – that tells your body it's full.
It's also essential to beware as sleep deprivation can cause metabolic disruptions, which can lead to overeating and unwanted weight gain.
Drink caffeine-containing drinks sparingly.
Avoid substances, like alcohol, that interrupt sleep.
Breathe clean, fresh air.
Sleep in a quiet, comfortable room.
Furthermore, by going to bed earlier, you will be able to prevent late-night snacking, which is very helpful once you begin to incorporate intermittent fasting into your keto lifestyle.
Tip #9: Journal Your Food-Mood Connection
Studies have shown that people who keep food journals are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. Documenting your food intake and taking responsibility for the choices you make will likely reduce the number of calories you consume, since a higher awareness will impact your eating habits.
Furthermore, tracking how you feel physically and mentally after eating different foods is a powerful tool for creating your own customized meal plan. Ultimately, this will enable you to feel and look your best.
Tip #10: Get Moving!
You should exercise more to deplete your glucose stores and tone as you lose fat. In addition, adding regular physical activity to your weekly routine is helpful for improving mental health and overall feelings of well-being.
Adapting the body to a ketotic state and running primarily on fat and ketones for fuel is an ideal approach when engaging in regular, moderate-impact exercise. But you might benefit from strategically adding carbs just before strenuous activity in order to enhance your performance.
Set a workout schedule and frequency that suits your lifestyle. The right exercise plan is the one you will follow. And strive for increased strength and personal records while maintaining a daily calorie deficit to facilitate weight loss.
The Takeaway
The ketogenic diet provides many benefits to keep you looking and feeling your best. But to attain the results you desire, you need to take a comprehensive approach and plan.
Take 'before' photos and note your reasons for starting a low-carb, high-fat diet, as these items will prove invaluable at times when you need extra motivation to stay committed to your long-term goals.
Make sure you have your favorite low-carb food in your pantry and fridge; consider meal prep, and enlist some friends to assist you; there is strength in numbers, and people are more likely to stick to a diet if they have a buddy or two on-board to hold them accountable.
Resources
Seppa, N. (2009). Body & brain: Go against the grains, diet study suggests: Low-carb beats low-fat in weight loss, cholesterol. Science News, 174(4), 9–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/scin.2008.5591740408
Switching from a high-carb to a low-carb diet. (2004). Science, 304(5670), 493–493. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.304.5670.493c
Low carb diets provide rapid control of diabetes. (2021). News Digital Object Group. https://doi.org/10.1002/tre.0030026
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