“Lose weight in 10 days!” “Do this and start losing 1kg per week.” Yes, we understand your frustration. Don’t worry, this is not yet another unrealistic clickbait. Since you are here, you must have heard of the terms “ketosis” or “ketogenic diet,” and probably are curious to know more.
Before you read the guidelines for beginners, it is important to know how exactly ketosis helps you lose weight. Most of the food that we consume on a daily basis is carbohydrates, which get converted easily into glucose. This helps sustain our body with the energy produced.
Now, a ketogenic diet implies a reduction of carb intake with increased consumption of fatty foods. Due to the lack of glucose, your body will turn to burning the excess fat for energy. This is when the body goes into a state of ketosis, and the metabolism of the body has started to run on ketones, from the fatty acids in your liver.
Seems fairly simple, right? It is! However, as a beginner, you have to follow a set of guidelines before introducing your body to a new form of energy production:
Identify Your Target Weight: In following the keto meal plan, you will have to cut down on your regular carb intake to just 20-30 grams, depending on your target weight. The process is slow and uncomfortable at first because you are pushing your body to do something it is not used to. Start by making small changes to your diet like ordering veggies in place of carbs and having meat in place of rice.
Let go of Fat-phobia: This is the only diet plan where the more fat you eat, the more weight you lose. Stop counting your calories and incorporate fats like peanut butter, olive oil, ghee, and heavy cream into your diet. The increase in fat will help decrease your hunger pangs and enable you to go without food for a much longer time period. And of course, hydrate!
Choose Your Keto Diet Plan Wisely: Weight loss does not mean going hungry for hours. It means your diet has to consist of a wide variety of healthy ingredients, not a single lar quotient. There are different types of ketogenic diets suitable for your lifestyle and health targets to choose from, right here on our website.
Know Side-Effects and How to Deal: A common aftereffect of the keto diet is the keto flu. Not everyone faces it, but a certain proportion has reported becoming lethargic to the extent of being unable to move their limbs while your body is still learning to adjust to burning fat for producing energy. That’s absolutely fine; your body is just adjusting.
Plan Ahead: There are a few other things to incorporate before starting the ketogenic diet. Make sure to pick a considerably lazy week to change your body’s metabolism process because it is a huge change for your lifestyle in general. You might not know what to cook for a keto meal, so you might have a weak moment and resort to carbs. To avoid this, buy a keto-based cookbook to at least have a minimum of 4-5 meals you can consume daily. This will help sustain your progress.
Instead of perceiving ketosis as some intimidating and limiting option, keep in mind that a ketogenic meal is actually great to reach a sustainable weight choice and makes your body healthier than ever.