You may have heard of the keto diet. It’s often used to improve conditions of people suffering from brain trauma or disorders like epilepsy.1 But, it can also be a great weight loss tool. The diet cuts out carbs almost completely and includes healthy fats and protein. Here’s how it works.
What Is Ketosis?
Your body can’t directly use any fat stored in your body for energy, which is why it can be hard to get rid of that flab. Here’s where ketosis comes in. Ketosis is the process by which your body converts stored fat into ketones which the body can then use for energy purposes.2
How To Achieve Ketosis
The actual classic ketogenic diet requires strict supervision from a dietitian or nutritionist. The complete absence of carbs can drop your blood sugar levels dangerously low if you’re not careful. If you’re attempting to use this diet for weight loss or building muscle alone, here are some safer alternatives to get that fat burning.
Note: The daily calorie intake for any healthy weight loss diet shouldn’t dip below 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 for men.
1. Cut Down On Carbs
It’s common knowledge that cutting out carbs promotes weight loss.3 Don’t completely cut out all carbs, especially if you are planning to include physical activity in your regime(which you should). Remove refined carbs like white bread, white rice, and pasta. Go for whole grain or whole wheat alternatives and reduce the amount you normally eat. You could also get carbs from oatmeal and vegetables and fruits like bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Try to eat them earlier in the day to promote fat burn.
2. Maintain Protein Intake
Maintaining muscle in your body requires your body to keep up its metabolism. This way it continues to burn fat.4 Make sure to keep your protein intake higher than usual to compensate for the carbs that you have cut out. Healthy sources of protein include tofu, beans, lean meats like chicken and turkey, and eggs.
3. Eat Smaller Meals
Eating 2–3 meals a day has the potential to slow down your metabolism. This is why it’s beneficial to eat 6 smaller meals along with snacks throughout the day at shorter intervals. It keeps your metabolism up and running
4. Include Coconut Oil
Studies show that coconut oil is a particular type of fat called medium chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT’s promote a faster metabolism because they are absorbed quickly and taken to the liver where they are converted into ketones.5 6 Using MCTs is a safer alternative to the classic keto diet which cuts out all carbs.
5. Try Weight Training And HIIT
Exercise obviously consumes energy and when your body is in ketosis, the energy that is burnt will be the stored fat in your body. This is partly why this diet has been so popular as a weight loss tactic for those who are obese. Routines like weight training and high-intensity interval training(HIIT) are very effective methods of burning calories in a short time period.
6. Include Healthy Fats
It seems counter-intuitive, but including more healthy fats in your diet actually helps. It keeps your heart healthy and it helps you lose weight. But this only applies to healthy fats. In a traditional keto diet, up to 80% of your calorie intake can come from fats.7 However, this can lead to hunger since fats don’t really help keep you full. In any case, as long as your carb intake is relatively low, it’s fine to include more nuts, olive oil, and avocados in your diet. Just make sure you’re not overdoing it in terms of calorie intake.
Caution
Do not attempt these methods if you are:
- prediabetic, diabetic, or taking medication for diabetes
- pregnant or breastfeeding
It’s recommended that you do not attempt any extreme dieting regimes without the supervision of a registered nutritionist or dietitian.
If you’re looking to get rid of stored fat in your body, see if these methods work to induce ketosis in your body.
References
