Kick-Start Keto: Rapid Results And What To Know

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been around for over 100 years. It was originally introduced as a therapeutic nutrition plan for children with epilepsy. Today, it is primarily used to promote weight loss and manage blood sugar levels. To get into ketosis faster, it is recommended to reduce your carb intake, increase your physical activity, try intermittent fasting, and consume more healthy fats.

Cut carbs to 50g or less per day

To get keto to work fast, it is recommended to cut your daily carb intake to 50g or less. This is because the keto diet is a very low-carb diet that aims to induce ketosis, a metabolic state where your body uses fat as its primary fuel source instead of glucose.

By reducing your carb intake to 50g or less per day, you force your body to deplete its glycogen stores and switch to using ketones as fuel. This process can take 2-4 days, but for some people, it may take a week or longer. The time it takes to enter ketosis depends on various factors, such as your age, metabolism, exercise level, and current carb, fat, and protein intake.

To ensure you stay within the 50g carb limit, it is important to track your carb intake and be aware of hidden carb sources. Condiments, sauces, and dressings, for example, can be high in carbs. Additionally, when calculating your net carbs, remember to subtract the amount of fiber and half the sugar alcohol content from the total carb amount.

While cutting down on carbs, make sure to increase your intake of healthy fats. Aim for fatty cuts of meat and add liberal amounts of healthy fats to your meals, such as olive oil and avocado oil. This will help you stay within the recommended range of getting 55-60% of your daily calories from fat.

It is important to note that simply cutting carbs is not enough. To reap the full benefits of the keto diet, you must also increase your physical activity and make sure you are consuming adequate amounts of protein.

Increase physical activity

Exercise is an important factor in reaching ketosis. The more energy you use during the day, the more fuel your body needs. Exercise helps reduce the body's stores of a form of glucose called glycogen. Usually, eating carbs restores glycogen levels. However, when on a low-carb diet, glycogen stores are not sufficiently replenished, and the body is encouraged to turn to fat as a source of fuel instead.

It is important to note that the adjustment period can take some time, and during this time, you may experience fatigue. Additionally, while exercise increases ketone production, it may take 1-4 weeks for your body to adapt to using ketones and fatty acids as primary fuel sources. During this time, your physical performance may be temporarily reduced.

If you are just starting a ketogenic diet, it is recommended to go easy on the exercise during the first two to four weeks until your body has adapted to the diet. After this period, you should be able to step up the intensity of your workouts.

Low-intensity, steady-state exercises such as jogging, cycling, rowing, and yoga are generally less affected by the ketogenic diet and may be a good place to start. On the other hand, high-intensity exercises that require short bursts of energy, such as sprinting, boxing, or jumping rope, may be more challenging on a keto diet.

Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves cycling between periods of fasting and normal eating. It can be an effective way to lose weight and control certain health conditions.

There are several ways to do intermittent fasting, including:

• The 5:2 method: Five days of normal eating and two days of extremely low-calorie (around 500) intake.
• 24-hour fasts: Not eating for a full day.
• Time-restricted eating: Eating only during a certain time window, usually eight hours, over a single day. For example, eating only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and fasting for the remaining 16 hours.
• Alternate-day fasting: Eating a calorie-restricted diet every other day.
• The 16/8 method: Fasting for 16 hours and eating during an eight-hour window.

Intermittent fasting can be a useful tool when trying to reach ketosis, as it helps deplete your body's glycogen stores, encouraging your liver to increase its production of ketones. It may also help you reach ketosis faster than a keto diet alone.

However, it's important to note that intermittent fasting is not necessary to reach ketosis, and simply following a healthy keto diet may be sufficient. Combining the two practices may not work for everyone, and it's important to consult a healthcare professional before making any significant dietary changes.

Consume more healthy fats

To get keto to work fast, it is important to consume more healthy fats. This is because the keto diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. Here are some tips to increase your healthy fat intake while on the keto diet:

• Consume fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, anchovies, and sardines. These fish are rich in high-quality protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Salmon also provides a good dose of vitamin D, which is critical for immune function and bone health.
• Include avocados and avocado oil in your diet. Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy fats, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. Avocado oil has a high smoke point, making it ideal for stir-frying and searing.
• Use olive oil and avocado oil for cooking. These oils are rich in anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and can be used for light sautéing, dressings, or drizzling over cooked meats or vegetables.
• Eat nuts and seeds, or their butters/spreads. These are great sources of unsaturated fats, plant-based protein, and fiber. Examples include pistachios, walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, Brazil nuts, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
• Consume coconut and unrefined coconut oil. These are popular keto fat sources as they are a natural source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which the body can easily absorb and use. However, as coconut oil is high in saturated fat, it should be consumed in moderation.
• Include eggs in your diet. A single egg packs about 5 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein. Be sure to eat the whole egg, as the yolk is rich in B vitamins and antioxidants that support eye health.

It is important to note that not all fats are created equal. While on the keto diet, it is crucial to choose healthy fat sources and avoid excessive consumption of unhealthy fats, such as bacon, butter, and certain types of cheese, as they can negatively impact your cholesterol levels.

Test ketone levels

Testing your ketone levels is an important step in the ketogenic diet. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses ketones, or compounds made by breaking down fat, as its main source of energy instead of glucose. The presence of ketones in the blood and urine indicates that a person has entered ketosis.

There are three types of ketones: acetoacetate, acetone, and beta-hydroxybutyrate. These can be measured in your urine, breath, and blood, respectively. Testing your ketone levels can help you determine whether you need to make adjustments to your diet to reach and maintain ketosis.

Acetoacetate levels in the urine can be measured with ketone urine strips, which are easy to use and inexpensive. The strips change colour depending on the level of ketones present, with darker colours indicating higher ketone levels. While these strips are a simple way to test for ketosis, they may not be as accurate as other methods over long-term use.

Acetone levels can be measured with a breath meter, such as the Ketonix meter. After breathing into the meter, it flashes a colour to indicate whether you are in ketosis and what your ketone levels are. Studies have shown that breath meters are a reliable way to monitor ketosis.

Beta-hydroxybutyrate levels can be measured with a blood ketone meter, which works similarly to a glucometer. A small drop of blood is placed on a strip, and then inserted into the meter. This method is effective at measuring ketone levels, but the strips are more expensive than urine testing strips.

In addition to these methods, there are also simple ketone tests, such as strips and monitors, that can be purchased online to test ketone levels. Testing ketone levels regularly can help give you an accurate idea of whether you are in ketosis and allow you to adjust your diet accordingly.

Frequently asked questions