First, you should know that I don’t consider the Ketogenic diet an actual diet… I don’t diet. Diets are temporary and often don’t teach what really needs to be taught. This is a lifestyle. It is the way our ancestors ate and a way we should go back to.
A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat, adequate protein diet that was initially developed in the ’20s to help people with neurological diseases such as epilepsy. On a ketogenic diet, you’re attempting to get your body into ketosis, which is a metabolic state where you begin to use fat as your primary source of fuel, instead of carbs.
What Is Ketosis?
If you are following the standard American diet, your body normally relies on carbs as the first source of energy. Carbs are broken down into glucose when you eat them, which triggers the production of insulin, a hormone that tells your cells to use the sugar for energy now or store it for use later.
When you switch to eating very limited carbs, your body breaks down fatty acids from fat stores and forms ketones, which are released into the bloodstream by the liver. Ketosis occurs when blood ketones are higher than normal.
Ketosis is a side effect of fasting. To trigger ketosis in your body, you would need to fast for about three days. Another way to do that is to decrease the amount of carbohydrates in your diet and increase the amount of fat. So a ketogenic diet — one that is very high in fat with some protein and very little carbohydrates — can be used to get your body into ketosis. To start ketosis and keep it going, you’ll have to eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrate per day, which is about 5 to 10 percent of your overall calories for the day.
There are three main types of ketogenic diets:
- Standard ketogenic diet: Macronutrient breakdown: 75 percent fat, 15-20 percent protein, 5-10 percent carbs.
- Cyclical ketogenic diet: Cycles between higher-carb “re-feed” days and standard ketogenic days. Example: Five days of keto followed by two days of higher carbs. You might hear it called “carb cycling.”
- Targeted ketogenic diet: Add carbs around workouts; follow standard keto the rest of the time.
What Foods Can You Eat on a Ketogenic Diet
The majority of meals on the ketogenic diet should be built around the following staples:
- Fat: Nuts and seeds, butter, avocado, ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, mayonnaise, beef tallow
- Protein: Fatty fish, chicken, turkey, ham, bacon, pork loin, pork chops, steak, veal, goat, lamb, eggs, peanut butter, sausage, shellfish, full-fat dairy
- Low-carb vegetables: asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, garlic, onion, green beans, mushrooms, bell peppers, pickles, romaine lettuce, shallots, butter lettuce, spinach, snow peas, tomato, fall/winter squash (such as butternut, acorn, spaghetti)
What Happens to Your Body on a Ketogenic Diet?
The first few weeks following a Ketogenic diet will be hard. Your body needs to adapt to using a different fuel source as its’ primary source of energy. You may experience what is known as the Keto Flu, where you experience a loss of strength and energy and feel almost ill, until your body learns to use fats for fuel.
It can take several months for your body to adapt to increasing the use of fat as a fuel source, so don’t give up after a week. Keep at it, try new foods, experiment with different recipes. Make sure you are taking a multivitamin and extra magnesium to help with the effects of the “Keto Flu.”
I use Exogenous Ketones to help my body get into Ketosis within one hour…I am a busy mom and my diet isn’t perfect! This helps me get all the benefits of being in Ketosis without having to stress over it. If you are interested, you could start with a Trial Pack to see for yourself. I have lost over 70 pounds following a Keto diet and using Exogenous Ketones.
Do Ketogenic Diets Work for Weight Loss?
Yes, very well.
People who follow the Ketogenic diet often report large amounts of weight loss in a short period of time, usually in the first couple weeks. However, this initial weight loss is usually water weight. Carbs hold on to water. When you drastically reduce your carb consumption, it is naturally that you will lose water weight that your cells have been holding on to.
When you are eating high amounts of healthy fats, your brain tells your body that you are satisfied, which means you will end up eating less calories as a by-product.
I combine a keto diet with this natural fat blasting system. I have been able to trim inches easily, whittle down my post baby belly, and gain copious amounts of energy using this simple system.
The Ketogenic may not be for anyone, but I do believe most people can benefit from it. If you have any pre-existing health conditions, please do your own research and consult a physician, of course.
I HAVE A FREE COMMUNITY FOR MOMS TO LEARN MORE AND GET SUPPORT WITH THEIR KETO JOURNEY! CLICK THE PHOTO TO JOIN US!
6 Comments
Colleen
March 23, 2018 at 11:08 amYes!!! I’ve lost almost 38 pounds with keto, and my type 1 diabetes got infinitely easier to manage! I love bacon.
Corinne
March 23, 2018 at 11:34 amI’ve heard of this before, but never really understood it. It definitely seems like a total lifestyle change. Do you find it challenging to live this way? Do you ever get to eat out?
Patrice
February 21, 2020 at 4:31 pmI do love advacados, coconut oil, and meat! I would just have a hard time giving up all the carbs. I’ve done low carb diets before though and they do work!
Kristin's Peppermints and Cherries
February 22, 2020 at 9:50 pmWhat an informative post! I love carbs but realize they have to be limited at times. We are blessed with so many good foods, and sometimes we just have to limit them!
Samantha
February 22, 2020 at 10:23 pmI’ve tried Paleo before but never Keto. You’ve definitely convinced me to try!
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