The Keto Diet: Everything You Need to Know

 Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

The ketogenic diet has been rising in popularity, and for good reason — it is simple and yields significant results. Whether you want to lose fat, increase energy, enhance brain health, improve your blood sugar levels, or improve your overall health, keto may be the diet you are looking for.

However, before we learn how to start a keto diet, we must develop a deeper understanding of what it is and why it is so effective. Knowing the what and why behind this way of eating plays an integral role in your keto diet success as well as knowing how to get started.

 What Is the Keto Diet?

The keto diet can be described in many different ways, but the most common 

definition is that it is a high-fat, low-carb, low-to-moderate protein diet.

However, if you don’t know what phrases like “high-fat” and “low-carb” mean

it is difficult to understand what eating keto actually looks like.

The simplest way I’ve found to conceptualize the keto diet is this: If you restrict carbs to

the point that you enter and sustain ketosis, you are on keto.

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body is consistently using and burning a

highly efficient alternative fuel called ketones. To produce ketones and enter ketosis, we

must continually trigger a process in the liver called ketogenesis. The healthiest way to

do this is by limiting carb consumption more than any other low carb diet.

This is why this version of the low carb diet is called the “ketogenic diet” — Its primary

objective is to limit carbs to the point that you stimulate ketogenesis and enter nutritional

ketosis.

If you’re not promoting ketone production and maintaining ketosis, then you are

technically not on the keto diet. However, this begs the question: Is undergoing such a

massive shift in your diet so that you can be in ketosis worth it?

The keto diet is simple but may be difficult to adapt to at first. To go from eating all of the

high-carb foods you desire to filling up on fat for fuel requires a massive change in your

physiology and in your lifestyle.

Are the results of this keto journey worth the climb? It depends on the person.

For many people, the answer is a clear and definitive “yes.” High-quality studies on the

keto diet have found that it consistently leads to the same amount or slightly more

weight loss than many other popular diets. Furthermore, the current research also

indicates that keto can help with many of the common conditions that people struggle

with today, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

 There are two primary mechanisms behind these incredible results:

1.   It naturally reduces calorie intake. The keto diet

 encourages the consumption of highly-satiating whole

 foods and the restriction of appetite-stimulating processed

 foods. Because of this, many keto dieters feel full

 throughout the day without needing to eat as many calories

 as before. This spontaneous reduction in calorie

 consumption typically leads to weight loss and the

 improvement of various biomarkers linked to heart disease

 and type 2 diabetes.

2. It increases ketone use. Ketones are our most efficient

 energy source in many ways, but they aren’t produced

 unless we lack the sugar needed to support brain function.

 When we burn ketones for fuel, they have many positive

 effects throughout our body, including brain health

 optimization, increased energy levels, and appetite

 reduction among other benefits

 This powerful combination of sustainable calorie reduction and ketone

 production is what makes the keto diet unique and useful in ways that

 other diets cannot emulate. Plus, you can follow it for as long as you

 desire (we will take a closer look at this later in this article).

  To achieve your health and body composition goals, however, you must overcome the

 hardest part of most diet plans — getting started. Fortunately, making the switch to keto

 isn’t difficult when we filter out all the unnecessary info and break it down into three

 easy-to-follow steps.

 Start Here: Three Steps to Starting a Successful

Keto Diet

Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

 Now that you know the what and the why behind the ketogenic diet, let’s learn about

how you can get started. Although there are many different approaches to keto you can

try, most of your results will come from following these steps:

 

1.   Eat the right foods.

 

2.   Eat the right amount of those foods.

 

3.   Prepare for the keto flu.

 Step 1: What to Eat and What to Avoid to

Follow the Keto Diet

Just by following this step alone, many people are able to lose weight and improve their

health significantly. By replacing carb-heavy foods with keto-friendly foods, you will

naturally eat fewer calories than before, causing you to lose weight and enhance many

aspects of your health.

 Let’s begin step 1 with a basic keto food list:

 Keto Food List

Here is a brief overview of what you should and shouldn’t eat on the keto diet:

 Do Not Eat

●   Grains – wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.

●   Sugar – honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.

●   Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, etc.

●   Tubers – potato, yams, etc.

 

 Do Eat

●   Meats – fish, beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, etc.

●   Low-carb vegetables – spinach, kale, broccoli, and other

 low car veggies

●   High-fat dairy – hard cheeses, high fat cream, butter, etc.

●   Nuts and seeds – macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds,

 etc.

●   Avocado and berries – raspberries, blackberries, and other

 low glycemic impact berries

●   Sweeteners – stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and other low

 carb sweeteners

●   Other fats – coconut oil, high-fat salad dressing, saturated

 fats, etc.

 Troubleshooting for Step 1: Hidden Carbs and

 Keto-Friendly Replacements

When you start restricting carbs, you’ll notice that so many of your favorite foods come

with added sugars and carbs. These foods can quickly kick you out of ketosis and turn

your keto diet into a lackluster low carb diet.

 To ensure that you are keeping your carbs as low as possible, use these strategies:

 

                        ●   Read labels carefully. Anything that comes in a package

 (this includes any calorie-containing beverages and

 common medications like cough medicine) may be filled

 with hidden carbs. Make sure the ingredients label doesn’t

 have any ingredients like maltodextrin, dextrose, sugar,

 cane syrup, starch, etc. because these ingredients can

 increase blood sugar levels and impair ketone production.

●   Use keto friendly sweeteners and flours. Sugar and flour

 are hard to eliminate for the diet completely, but it is

 possible if you know what to replace them with.

●   Eat keto versions of your favorite carb-rich foods. Just

 because you are eating keto foods doesn’t mean you have

 to cut out pizza, pasta, desserts, and sweets. All you have

 to do is make sure they are keto-friendly.

 Key Takeaway For Step 1 of Starting Keto

By following step 1 of starting a keto diet (i.e., exclusively eating keto-friendly foods),

you will be able to experience many of the benefits of keto dieting — even if you don’t

track your calories or net carbs. However, to increase your chances of getting the

results you want, it is best to follow step 2 as well.

 Step 2: Eat the Right Amount of Keto-Friendly 

Foods

Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

 Your calorie consumption (i.e., how much you eat) is the most important variable to be

aware of when you are trying to lose or gain weight. If eating keto foods (i.e., following

step 1) isn’t getting you closer to the results you want, you may need to track how much

you eat more precisely.

 To illustrate the importance of calories, here are some principles behind dieting that

have held true after a tremendous amount of scrutiny:

●   When we eat fewer calories than we use throughout the

 day (i.e., we are in a calorie deficit), we lose weight.

●   When we eat more calories than we use throughout the day

 (i.e., we are in a calorie surplus), we gain weight.

 And the two previous statements hold true regardless of the fat and carb content of your

diet (when calorie consumption is equal).

 If we follow the data further, we find that:

●   Severely restricting calories (i.e., extended fasts and very

 low calorie diets) will cause dramatic weight loss that

 increases the likelihood of hormonal issues and weight

 regain in the future.

●   Being in an excessive calorie surplus will cause an increase

 in fat mass and health issues like heart disease and type 2

 diabetes.

  Altogether, we can conclude that — if you want to gain or lose weight in the healthiest

 way possible — slow and steady wins the race. In fact, research indicates that losing

 weight at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week is best.

 

 How to Figure Out How Much You Should Eat on the Keto

 Diet

There are two main methods you can use to figure out how much to eat on keto for

optimal results (and they both require some experimentation):

●   Check your results and adjust food intake from there.

 This method requires you to measure your results every 3-5

 weeks and change how much fat you eat based on what

 you find. Losing weight too fast and feeling fatigued all the

 time? Eat a bit more fat with your meals or add a keto

 snack to your day. Barely losing any weight? Reduce the fat

 content of your meals. After making the appropriate

 adjustments to your keto diet, check your results after

 another 3-5 weeks to see if you are reaching your goals at

 a healthy pace.

●   Use our keto calculator and track your calorie

 consumption. If you’d rather be more precise with your

 food intake, I recommend using our keto calculator to

 establish a starting point for your calorie, fat, carb, and

 protein consumption. Once you know how much you need

 to eat, try using a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal or

 Cronometer. Both the calculator and the tracking app will

 help you figure out exactly how much you need to eat every

 day to reach your goals.

 Fat, Protein, and Carb Intake: How Much of Each

Macronutrient Should You Eat?

Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

 Although calorie consumption is one of the most critical variables that determine

 whether you lose or gain weight, you must also take note of how much fat and protein

 you eat if you want to decrease your body fat % and maintain (or build) as much muscle

mass as possible.

  Let’s take a quick look at the importance of each macronutrient and how to find your

ideal intake for each one:

●  Carbohydrates. Without restricting carb consumption, you

 cannot enter ketosis. For most people, we recommend

 eating below 35 grams of carbs a day. Don’t worry, carbs

 are technically not essential, so most of us can get away

 with limiting them as much as we want.

● Fat. On the keto diet, fat will be your primary calorie source,

 so it is essential that you eat enough to get the results you

 want.

●  Protein. Protein is an essential part of every diet. Without

 eating enough, you will increase your likelihood of losing

 muscle mass, and your overall health and well-being will

 suffer. On the other hand, eating too much protein can

 decrease ketone production. This is why it is essential to

 eat the right amount of protein while you are keto dieting —

 not too much, not too little.

 Key Takeaways for Step 2 of Starting the Keto Diet

The most effective way to lose (or gain) weight is by eating the right amount of calories.

Since fat will be your main source of calories while you are on the keto diet, you will

need to adjust your fat consumption based on the results you are currently getting and

the results you want to get.

The fundamental principles you can use to help you figure out how much you should eat

are as follows:

●   Eating fewer calories than you need to maintain weight will

 lead to weight loss.

●   Eating more calories than you need to maintain weight will

 cause weight gain.

●   It is healthiest to lose weight at 1 to 2 pounds per week.

While you are on keto, it is important to eat the right amount of each macronutrient as

 well.

 Follow these three keto principles to help you with this:

●   Keeping carbs lower than 35 grams per day will help you

 stay in ketosis.

●   By manipulating your daily fat intake (your main calorie

 source), you can increase/decrease weight loss or

 increase/decrease weight gain.

●   Eating the right amount of protein will help you preserve

 muscle mass as you lose weight.

 By following steps 1 and 2, you will vastly increase your chances of getting the results

you want. However, you will only see progress if you stick to the diet, which may be

more difficult than you think. Even the most strong-willed of us may give up if we don’t

take notice of step 3: preparing for the worst.

 Step 3: Preparing for the Worst — The Keto Flu

and How to Remedy It

Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

If you have never tried the keto diet before, you are probably a carb-burning machine.

By following keto, you will be robbing your body of its primary fuel source — and this

abrupt dietary shift will cause many changes throughout your body.

As a result of these changes, you may experience something called the “keto flu”. Keto

flu is basically an umbrella term for the flu-like symptoms that may occur as your body

adapts to a significant decrease in carb consumption.

Fortunately, you can make it through this flu — especially now that you are going to be

prepared for it.

If, during the first few days of keto dieting, you experience fatigue, mental fogginess,

and/or other keto flu symptoms, try using these three strategies to help remedy them

right away:

●   Increase your sodium, potassium, and magnesium intake

●   Eat more fat (especially MCTs

●   Drink more water

 How Long Should You Stay On Keto For?

Long-Term Safety and Other Concerns

Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

 

There is not enough evidence to definitively conclude if keto is or is not safe and healthy

for long-term dieting (i.e., longer than a year). However, based on the current research

literature and anecdotes from keto dieters, the keto diet seems to be safe and healthy

for extended periods of time under these conditions:

 

●   The person is able to achieve a healthy weight and body

 composition on the diet.

●   The person is “healthy” while following the diet, as indicated

 by relevant lab tests and their overall sense of happiness

 and well-being.

●   The person can maintain their keto lifestyle without it

 diminishing their quality of life.

These three conditions serve as helpful indicators for how safe and healthy keto dieting

is for you. When all three are met, keep doing what you are doing (unless, of course,

your doctor strongly advises against it).

However, if you find that the keto diet is difficult to stay with for the long-term (for any

reason), you can also use it as a short-term tool to help you lose some extra weight

and/or improve various health conditions.

For example, many keto dieters don’t actually stay on keto all year long. Instead, they

will follow a strict keto diet for a couple of months or so, transitioning back and forth

between ketosis (less than 30g carbs) and lower carb consumption (less than 100g

carbs) throughout the year.

No matter what dietary approach you choose to use, make sure it allows you to

maintain your health, well-being, and results. If your diet isn’t doing these things for you,

try making adjustments (based on some of the principles you learned from this article)

until it does.

How to Know If Your Keto Diet is Working for You

Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

Although the research and success stories for the keto diet are promising, they do not

apply to everyone. Just because someone thinks the keto diet is the best diet for them

doesn’t mean it will be ideal for you.

This is why we recommend tracking your results to see if your dietary changes are

healthy and effective for you. When you are on the keto diet, we recommend monitoring

these four variables:

●   How you feel. Once you follow the three steps to starting

 the keto diet, pay attention to how you feel. Are you feeling

 better than you did with your previous lifestyle? Or, are you

 feeling down and drained most of the time? If you are really

 struggling with keto after 1-2 months, then consider

 adjusting your way of eating so that it fits better with your

 lifestyle and eating habits and enhances your sense of

 wellbeing.

● Body composition. In most cases, people use the keto

 diet to lose fat. One of the simplest ways to keep track of

 your fat loss is by using the scale and measuring your waist

 circumference. If both the number on the scale and your

 waist circumference are going down, then you are on the

 right track.However, don’t make any changes to your diet

 until you’ve followed it for at least 3-5 weeks. Your waist

 circumference and weight will naturally fluctuate from day to

 day. Monitoring these numbers every 3-5 weeks will provide

 you with a much more accurate representation of how well

 your diet is working for you. In other words, if you aren’t

 losing weight or inches after a week, don’t panic. Stick with

 your diet plan for at least 3 weeks before you check your

 progress and adjust your diet (if you need to) from there.

● Blood biomarkers. Sometimes how you feel and how

 much weight you lose don’t reflect what is happening inside

 your body. For this reason, we recommend consulting with

 your doctor before and after making this dietary change.

 Pay close attention to how your blood-work changes after

 you’ve followed keto for at least a month. Keep track of

 what happens to your blood sugar, cholesterol, A1C, and

 triglyceride Although research suggests that keto can help

 improve each one of these biomarkers, some people may

 experience the opposite. For those of you who find that

 keto is taking your biomarkers to unhealthy levels, you may

 want to dial your fat consumption down and increase your

 carb consumption from whole foods to see if that helps

 improve your blood-work and overall health.

● Ketosis. To find out if you are reaping all of the benefits of

 keto, you will want to make sure you are in ketosis. You can

 do this by checking for the signs of ketosis or investing in

 ketone tracking tools. If are struggling to get into ketosis,

 you may need to (1) decrease your carb consumption and

 check your medications and packaged foods for hidden

 carbs, (2) eat less protein (but only if your protein intake is

 high), or (3) use a blood ketone tracking meter to get a

 more reliable measurement.

 Putting It All Together — Three Key Steps to

Starting the Keto Diet

Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body

Although you can find a seemingly endless stream of info on how to maximize your keto

diet, most of your results will come from these three steps:

●   Eat keto-friendly foods and avoid carb-ridden foods.

●   Eat the right amount of calories, fats, carbs, and protein to

 meet your goals

●   Prepare for the keto flu

To find out if the keto diet is safe and effective for you, make sure you

are tracking these variables in some way:

●   How you feel

●   The changes in your body composition

●   Relevant biomarkers

●   Ketosis

By monitoring these four variables throughout your keto journey, you will get almost all

of the info you need to answer three crucial keto questions:

●   Is keto safe and healthy for me?

●   Is keto getting me the results I want?

●   Am I following keto correctly

 Click Here to Get Your Custom Keto Diet Plan Specific to Your Body