Are you looking to jump into a new diet but don’t know where to start? The keto diet is one of the most popular rules right now, and more people are turning to it every day.
It’s a low-carb, high-fat diet designed to help you lose weight by reducing your overall carbohydrate intake while increasing your fat intake.
While this may sound intimidating at first, following the basic rules of keto can make it easy for anyone to get started on the keto diet.
What is the Keto Diet?
At its core, the ketogenic diet is an eating plan based on drastically limiting your consumption of carbohydrates so that your body enters a metabolic state known as “ketosis.”
In this state, your body switches from burning glucose for fuel to burning fat instead.
This switch in fuel sources leads to increased levels of ketones in your bloodstream, which can lead to improved energy levels as well as other potential benefits such as better cognitive function and weight loss.
Starting a Keto Diet
Before jumping into any new diet plan, it’s important to do some research and understand what foods will be involved in the meal plan.
With the keto diet specifically, you should aim to keep your daily carb intake below 25-50 grams per day while increasing your fat intake above 70%.
This means that you should focus mainly on healthy proteins like fish or poultry as well as healthy fats like avocados or olive oil.
You also want to reduce or eliminate processed carbohydrates such as white bread and sugary snacks.
It’s also important not to be overly restrictive when starting out – try adding some healthy carbs into meals, like sweet potatoes or leafy greens, if it helps you transition more easily onto the keto diet.
Also, some supplements like magnesium and potassium may help prevent symptoms of “keto flu” (which can occur when transitioning onto the keto lifestyle).
Basic Rules for Sticking with Keto
Once you have an understanding of which foods are allowed on a keto diet and which are not, here are a few basic rules that will help keep you on track:
Plan Ahead
A big part of sticking with any dietary change is being prepared. Make sure that you take time each week to both plan meals ahead and shop for groceries accordingly so that everything will be ready when it needs to be eaten.
Planning ahead will help ensure you stay within budget while still eating nutritious meals without too much effort.
Keep Track
Keeping track of what food items contain carbs (like fruits or grains) can help ensure that you don’t go over your daily allotment by accident.
Consider creating a spreadsheet or tracking app where you record what goes into each meal throughout the day so that it’s easier for you to stay within your limits come dinner time.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is an important part of any dietary change, especially when following a low-carb lifestyle! Aiming for 8 glasses (or 64 ounces) of water throughout the day can help ensure optimal health while providing essential electrolytes during digestion and metabolism processes.
Eat Whole Foods
Eating whole foods instead of processed alternatives is key when following any dietary change.
However, with the ketogenic lifestyle, it becomes even more critical since processed items typically contain hidden carbs that can quickly add up throughout the course of a day.
Instead, opt for fresh produce & organic meats whenever possible – this provides essential nutrients while avoiding extra added sugars & preservatives found in packaged goods.
Be Patient
Last but certainly not least — remember that everyone’s body responds differently depending on their genetics & lifestyle choices.
So patience is key when starting with any dietary change. Make sure to put pressure on yourself only if the results are seen after a period of time.
Adjusting macronutrients & calorie intakes over time will yield optimal results eventually.
Conclusion
The key to success with the ketogenic diet is understanding how your body functions and nourishes itself as it switches from burning sugar for fuel to burning fat instead. By following these basic rules, planning ahead, tracking macros, staying hydrated, and eating whole foods, you will be well on your way to reaching optimal health & wellness.
FAQs
Everyone’s body is different, and the amount of time it takes for the body to adjust to burning fat for fuel will vary. Generally speaking, most people start to experience positive changes within a few weeks or months. It’s important to stay patient and consistent with the diet and track your progress to see how you’re doing.
As with any dietary change, it is important to be mindful of potential side effects. These can include fatigue, headaches, nausea, constipation, and “keto flu” (which can occur when transitioning onto the keto lifestyle). To avoid these symptoms, it is important to ensure that you get adequate amounts of electrolytes through foods such as avocados and nuts or supplements like magnesium and potassium. Additionally, it’s important to stay hydrated and get enough rest.
Counting calories is not necessarily required, as this dietary change focuses more on carb intake than overall caloric intake. However, if you are trying to lose weight, it could be beneficial to track your macros to ensure that you’re consuming the proper amount of macronutrients to support your goals.