Staying Steady On Keto: Managing Weight Through Intake

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that has been used for centuries to treat specific medical conditions. It has gained popularity as a potential weight-loss strategy due to its low-carb nature. The keto diet is distinctive for its exceptionally high-fat content, with 70% to 80% of calories coming from fat, while also being moderate in protein.

The premise of the keto diet for weight loss is based on depriving the body of glucose, the main source of energy, which is obtained from eating carbohydrate-rich foods. When the body is deprived of glucose, it starts burning fat reserves and produces ketones that give an energy boost. This state is called ketosis.

To reach and maintain ketosis, it is recommended to keep carb intake to less than 50 grams per day, with some sources suggesting a more restrictive limit of 20 grams per day. This means that the majority of an individual's calories should come from fat. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this would translate to about 165 grams of fat per day.

It is important to note that not all fats are created equal. Natural, whole foods high in fat, such as avocados, olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish, are recommended. On the other hand, artificial trans fats and highly processed vegetable oils should be avoided due to their negative health impacts.

While the keto diet can be effective for weight loss, it is important to note that results may vary from person to person. Additionally, there are potential side effects, and some people may need to take precautions or avoid the diet altogether. It is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet.

How much fat to eat on keto

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that has been used to treat specific medical conditions and is also gaining attention as a weight-loss strategy. When following a keto diet, it is essential to cut down on carbohydrates and increase the consumption of healthy fats and proteins.

The amount of fat you should consume on a keto diet depends on your personal goals and health status. Generally, fat should account for about 60% to 80% of your total daily calorie intake. For example, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, you should aim for about 165 grams of fat.

Some experts suggest a slightly lower fat intake, recommending that 55% to 60% of your daily calories come from fat (122 to 133 grams of fat per day on a 2,000-calorie diet).

It is important to note that fat is the most prominent feature of a keto diet. You should aim to consume upwards of 120 grams of fat daily, and you can adjust this amount for extra satiety.

How to Calculate Your Fat Intake on Keto

To determine your ideal fat intake on a keto diet, you can follow these steps:

• Calculate your daily calorie needs.
• Aim for 60% to 80% of those calories to come from fat.
• Divide the calories from fat by 9 (as each gram of fat provides nine calories) to get your target fat intake in grams.

For instance, if you consume 2,000 calories per day and aim for 70% of those calories to come from fat, your calculation would be:

2,000 calories x 0.7 (70%) = 1,400 calories from fat

1,400 calories / 9 = 155 grams of fat

Benefits of Adding Healthy Fats to Your Keto Diet

Incorporating healthy fats into your keto diet offers several advantages:

• Steady Source of Energy: Fats provide a consistent source of energy, preventing the rapid blood sugar spikes and energy crashes associated with carbohydrate-rich diets.
• Weight Management: Increasing fat intake can aid in weight loss and weight management. Fat is satiating, reducing snacking between meals, and pairing it with low carbohydrate intake helps stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Brain Health: Fats are essential for the brain's structural integrity and function, with cholesterol and myelin playing crucial roles in cognitive processing.
• Heart Health: Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in foods like olive oil, avocados, and fatty fish can increase HDL ("good" cholesterol) and decrease LDL ("bad" cholesterol), promoting heart health.

How to Include Healthy Fats in Your Keto Diet

Including healthy fats in your keto diet is straightforward. Here are some suggestions:

• Avocados: Add them to salads, smoothies, or make a keto-friendly pudding.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use it for salad dressings or drizzle it over roasted vegetables.
• Fatty Fish: Salmon and sardines are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Try recipes like Keto Salmon with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce or Keto Tuna Patties.
• Eggs: A great source of healthy fats and protein that can be included in various recipes or enjoyed on their own.
• Cooking Fats: Coconut oil, MCT oil, butter, and ghee are excellent choices for cooking, baking, and frying. You can also add them to bulletproof coffee.

Potential Issues with Not Eating Enough Fat on Keto

Not consuming enough fat on a keto diet can lead to several issues:

• Difficulty Reaching or Maintaining Ketosis: The keto diet aims to shift your body's fuel source from carbohydrates to fat. Insufficient fat intake may result in symptoms like fatigue and brain fog, commonly associated with the "keto flu."
• Breakdown of Muscle Protein: In the absence of sufficient dietary fat and carbohydrates, the body may start breaking down muscle protein for energy.
• Vitamin Deficiencies: Fats are crucial for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Inadequate fat intake can lead to deficiencies of these vitamins.

Who Should Be Cautious About Adding More Fat to Their Keto Diet?

While fats are essential on a keto diet, some individuals may need to be cautious about consuming too much fat:

• Weight Loss Plateau: If you're struggling to lose weight, it could be a sign that you're consuming too much fat. Your liver may be converting dietary fats into ketones instead of burning your body fat.
• Digestive Issues: Introducing too much fat too quickly can overwhelm the liver and gallbladder, especially for those with conditions like pancreatitis or liver disease.

In most cases, an ideal fat intake on a keto diet is between 60% to 80% of your daily calories. It is important to focus on healthy fats from minimally processed whole food sources, such as avocados, extra virgin olive oil, and fatty fish.

By calculating your fat intake based on your daily calorie needs and incorporating a variety of healthy fat sources into your meals, you can ensure you're getting enough fat to support ketosis and maximize the benefits of the keto diet.

How to calculate keto macros

To calculate your keto macros, you need to take into account your fitness goal, body type, weight, activity levels, and body fat percentage.

Firstly, you need to establish your calorie needs, which will depend on whether you are looking to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your weight. If you are trying to lose weight, you will need to eat fewer calories, and if you are trying to gain weight, you will need to eat more.

Once you have determined your calorie needs, you can calculate your macro goals. On a keto diet, the typical macro ratio is 5% of calories from carbs, 25% of calories from protein, and 70% of calories from fat. This ratio is intended to promote ketosis, which is a metabolic state where the body uses fat instead of glucose as its main source of energy.

To estimate your keto carb needs, you should aim for less than 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day. This amount may vary depending on your calorie intake. If you are consuming less than 2,000 calories per day, 20 grams of carbs may be sufficient, while if you are consuming more than 3,000 calories per day, you may need up to 50 grams.

Next, you need to calculate your protein needs, which depend on your activity level and fitness goal. If you exercise moderately 2 or more days a week and want to maintain your weight, you should aim for 0.6g/pound of body weight per day. If you want to lose weight, you should increase this to 0.9g/pound of body weight per day.

Finally, you can calculate your fat needs based on your remaining calories. Each gram of fat contains about 9 calories.

Let's say your daily calorie intake is 1,800 calories.

• Carbs: 20g x 4 calories/gram = 80 calories from carbs
• Protein: 150g x 4 calories/gram = 600 calories from protein

Subtract the calories from carbs and protein from your total daily calorie intake:

1,800 calories - (600 calories from protein + 80 calories from carbs) = 1,120 calories remaining for fat

Now, divide your remaining calories by 9 to get your daily gram intake of fat:

1,120 calories / 9 = 124 grams of fat per day

To calculate your macros as a percentage, divide the calories from each macro by your daily calorie intake and multiply by 100%. For the above example, this would be:

• (80/1800) x 100% = 4.4% of calories from carbs
• (600/1800) x 100% = 33.3% of calories from protein
• (1120/1800) x 100% = 61.1% of calories from fat

The total percentage should add up to 100%.

You can also use online keto calculators, such as the one provided by Ketogenic.com, to calculate your personalized calorie and macronutrient recommendations. These calculators take into account various factors, such as your body fat percentage, activity level, and fitness goals, to provide you with accurate macro ratios.

What to eat on keto

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. It's important to eat a variety of nutritious foods to get all the health benefits of the keto diet. Here's a detailed list of what to eat on keto:

Animal Proteins

Fish and shellfish are keto-friendly, with salmon and other fish being carb-free and rich in B vitamins, potassium, and selenium. Salmon, sardines, mackerel, and albacore tuna are also high in omega-3 fats, which are associated with lower insulin levels and increased insulin sensitivity.

Meat and poultry are staple foods on keto, with no carbs and rich in B vitamins and minerals. They're a great source of high-quality protein, which may help preserve muscle mass.

Eggs are an extremely healthy protein source for keto, with less than 1 gram of carbs and about 6 grams of protein per large egg. They can trigger hormones that increase feelings of fullness and contain antioxidants that protect eye health.

Dairy and Dairy Alternatives

Cheese is a great fit for keto, with most types being very low in carbs and high in fat. It's also rich in protein and calcium. However, cheese is high in saturated fat, so it should be consumed in moderation.

Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are high in protein and calcium. They can help decrease appetite and promote feelings of fullness.

Cream and half-and-half are very low in carbs and high in fat, making them ideal for keto. Like other fatty dairy products, they're rich in CLA, which may promote fat loss. However, they should be consumed in moderation due to their saturated fat content.

Unsweetened plant-based milk, such as soy, almond, and coconut milk, are keto-friendly as long as they are unsweetened. Sweetened options have too much sugar.

Green Leafy Vegetables

Green leafy veggies are extremely low in carbs and rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens are packed with vitamin K and iron.

High-Fat Veggies

Avocados and olives are unique among vegetables as they're fairly high in fat and low in net carbs. They also contain fiber and are good for heart health.

Other Non-Starchy Vegetables

There are several other non-starchy, low-carb veggies that are full of nutrients and antioxidants. Examples include cauliflower, spaghetti squash, jicama, turnips, bell peppers, zucchini, and summer squashes like yellow squash and zucchini.

Other Plant-Based Foods

Nuts and seeds are healthy, high in fat, and low in carbs. They're linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and depression. Examples include almonds, walnuts, pecans, and Brazil nuts.

Berries are low in carbs and high in fiber, making them a good fruit option for keto. Examples include raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. They're loaded with antioxidants that may reduce inflammation and protect against disease.

Dark chocolate and cocoa are delicious sources of antioxidants. Dark chocolate contains flavanols, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Choose dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids and eat it in moderation.

Fats and Oils

Olive oil is high in oleic acid, which has been found to decrease heart disease risk factors. It's also rich in polyphenol antioxidants that protect heart health.

Butter and ghee are good fats to include in the keto diet. Butter has only trace amounts of carbs, and ghee is carb-free. They don't appear to be as harmful to health as previously thought.

Avocado and coconut oils are also good choices.

Beverages

Unsweetened coffee and tea are healthy, carb-free drinks. They contain caffeine, which can increase your metabolism and improve your physical performance, alertness, and mood. They're also linked to a reduced risk of diabetes.

Unsweetened sparkling water is a great keto-friendly alternative to soda, as it's refreshingly fizzy and generally free of sugar or sweeteners. However, some varieties may contain small amounts of fruit juice, so be sure to check the label.

Common keto weight loss pitfalls

Not being in ketosis

The first and most obvious pitfall is not being in ketosis. One of the biggest reasons people don't see keto diet results is because they're not in ketosis. Tracking your ketone levels is crucial to staying in ketosis. An excellent way to keep your ketone levels up is by taking exogenous ketones.

Not looking out for hidden carbs

Some of the foods you eat can have more carbs than you realize. These hidden carbs can put you over your daily carb limit and bust your weight loss efforts. Eliminate processed foods, as these often contain a lot of sneaky carbs, even those branded as “healthy”. Cut out artificial sweeteners, as these can raise insulin levels and affect ketosis.

Not checking how your body reacts to dairy

You don’t have to be lactose- or casein-intolerant to have a problem with dairy. It can impede weight loss even if you’re digesting it with ease. Some dairy — like yogurt and whey protein — may elevate insulin levels and kick you out of ketosis. Measure your ketone levels before and after consuming dairy to see how your body reacts.

Eating too many calories

Although it’s harder to overeat on a high-fat (and more filling) keto diet, it’s still possible to eat more calories than you need. If you don’t stay at a calorie deficit, you won’t lose weight. Track your calories. If you don’t see meaningful weight loss after several weeks, make sure you use a keto calculator.

Not getting enough physical activity

Incorporating more physical activity into your lifestyle is vital when trying to lose weight on a ketogenic diet. Aside from stimulating fat loss, adopting an exercise routine benefits health in countless ways. For example, exercise lowers your risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety and obesity.

How to increase physical activity on keto

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein eating plan that has been linked to a range of health benefits, including weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and decreased hunger levels. However, its effect on athletic performance is still a subject of debate. While some claim that keto can boost fat burning and enhance endurance, others argue that it could drain energy levels and hinder muscle growth.

• Understand the impact of keto on exercise: The keto diet may not be ideal for high-intensity exercises that require short bursts of energy, such as weightlifting, sprinting, or boxing. This is because the body's primary source of energy during these activities is carbohydrates, which are restricted on a keto diet. As a result, you may experience decreased energy levels and impaired performance during high-intensity workouts.
• Focus on low-intensity, steady-state activities: Opt for low-intensity, steady-state exercises such as jogging, biking, rowing, or yoga. These activities are less affected by the keto diet and can be more easily incorporated into your routine.
• Consider the timing of your workouts: If you are just starting the keto diet, you may experience an adaptation period where your body gets used to burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. During this time, you might feel less energised, so it is essential to be mindful of your energy levels and adjust your workout intensity and duration accordingly.
• Incorporate strength training: Strength training, such as weightlifting, squats, and push-ups, can help you build and maintain muscle mass. This is crucial as muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue, which means you burn more calories even at rest.
• Vary your exercises: While low-intensity cardio may be more comfortable, incorporating some high-intensity exercises can also be beneficial. Just be mindful of your body's limits and adjust the intensity or duration as needed.
• Reach a fat-adapted state: To effectively perform high-intensity exercises like burpees, sprints, or mountain climbers, aim to reach a fat-adapted state. This involves consistently keeping your carb intake to 30-50 grams or lower for several weeks so that your body becomes more efficient at burning fat.
• Consider carb timing: If you are very active, you can consume carbs strategically around your workouts. For example, eat half of your daily carb allowance (up to 25 grams) 30-60 minutes before your workout and the remaining half as part of your post-workout recovery.
• Combine keto with intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting can further enhance the benefits of keto and improve your body's fat-burning capacity. However, make sure to listen to your body and adjust your fasting window and eating schedule based on your energy levels and performance.
• Prioritise recovery: Keto can be demanding on the body, so ensure you allow adequate time for rest and recovery between workouts. This will help prevent injuries and support your body's adaptation to the keto diet.
• Monitor your progress: Keep track of your physical activity, energy levels, and body composition as you adjust to the keto diet. This will help you understand how your body responds to different exercises and make any necessary adjustments to your routine.
• Be mindful of your overall calorie intake: To lose weight on the keto diet, you still need to create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn. Focus on healthy fats, moderate protein, and a limited number of carbs to support your energy levels and physical performance.

Frequently asked questions