Jump-Starting Keto: Offline Strategies For Success

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has been proven to aid weight loss and provide numerous health benefits. To jump-start the keto diet, it is essential to understand the basics of the keto diet and make necessary adjustments to your food intake. Here are some key steps to help you get started:

- Master your macronutrients: Understand the requirements of a ketogenic diet, which typically includes limiting carbohydrate intake (commonly starting at 25 grams per day) and adjusting your protein and fat intake based on your goals. Use a macronutrient calculator to determine your target protein, fat, carb, and calorie goals.

- Balance your blood sugar: Monitor your fasting and post-prandial blood sugar levels to ensure you are keeping them low, thereby minimising your insulin response.

- Track your body composition: Weigh yourself regularly and measure your body fat percentage to track changes in your body composition. This will help you understand the impact of the keto diet on your weight and body fat.

- Test your ketone levels: Use blood ketone meters, breath ketone meters, or urine test strips to measure your ketone levels and confirm that your body has entered ketosis.

- Adjust your diet: Based on your ketone levels and body composition goals, make adjustments to your diet, such as increasing healthy fat intake, reducing carbohydrate intake, or intermittent fasting.

- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids to support your body's mineral and fluid balance during the keto diet.

- Plan your meals: Pre-plan and track your meals to ensure you stay within your macronutrient goals and avoid unexpected carb intake.

- Allow for treats: Include keto-friendly treats and fat bombs in your diet to satisfy your cravings without derailing your progress.

Reduce your carb intake

Reducing your carb intake is the most important factor in entering ketosis. Here are some detailed tips to help you reduce your carb intake:

Gradually Reduce Your Carb Consumption

You can start by cutting out packaged snacks such as crackers and biscuits, then move on to baked goods like cookies and muffins, and finally eliminate bread and other refined grains from your diet. This gradual approach will help you adjust to a low-carb lifestyle without feeling too restricted.

Choose Low-Carb Alternatives

Instead of focusing on what you can't eat, explore low-carb alternatives. For example, you can use shredded zucchini or yellow squash instead of pasta, mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, and cauliflower crust for pizza. There are also low-carb flour options made from nuts, coconut, and almond flour that you can use for baking.

Avoid Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas and sweetened iced teas are loaded with carbs and can cause spikes in blood sugar levels. Opt for water, flavored seltzers, or infused water with berries or herbs to add a natural sweetness.

Choose Low-Carb Snacks

Packaged snacks like chips, pretzels, and crackers are often high in carbs and low in protein and fiber, leading to increased consumption. Instead, choose snacks like nuts, cheese, and eggs, which are lower in carbs and higher in protein and healthy fats. You can also find many creative low-carb snack ideas online.

Start Your Day with a Low-Carb Breakfast

Breakfast cereals and granola can be high in carbs and sugar. Opt for a low-carb breakfast like eggs, low-sugar yogurt, crustless quiche, or nut butter on celery sticks. Starting your day with a low-carb meal will help you stay on track and feel more satisfied throughout the day.

Be Mindful of Hidden Carbs in Restaurant Meals

When dining out, be mindful that starches like potatoes, rice, pasta, or bread are often included as sides. Consider ordering extra vegetables instead or taking half of the starch portion home. You can also ask for a side salad to increase your fiber intake and feel fuller faster.

Remember, reducing your carb intake doesn't have to be restrictive or overwhelming. Start by making small changes and gradually incorporate more low-carb alternatives into your diet. You can also use a macronutrient calculator to help you plan your meals and track your progress.

Increase your physical activity

Being more physically active each day can help you get into and stay in ketosis. It may also be beneficial for some types of athletic performance.

When you exercise, you deplete your body’s glycogen stores. These are normally replenished when you eat carbs, which are broken down into glucose. The glucose that isn’t needed immediately is stored as glycogen. However, if you minimise your carb intake, your glycogen stores remain low. In response, your liver increases its production of ketones, which can be used as an alternative fuel source for your muscles.

• Best exercises on the ketogenic diet: Carbs are the main source of energy for high-intensity activities, such as sprinting, boxing, swimming laps, or jumping rope. Therefore, following a low-carb ketogenic diet may not be well-suited for these types of activity. Instead, try incorporating a variety of low-intensity, steady-state activities into your workout routine, such as jogging, biking, rowing, or yoga.
• Cardio on a keto diet: Cardio and the keto diet go hand in hand. The lower intensity of jogging or similar exercises is ideal for maximising your use of fat as the main energy source. To maximise fat burn, get your heart rate up to the right speed—not too fast, not too slow. At moderate intensities, a ketogenic diet can possibly improve your endurance performance for longer bouts of cardio.
• Keto supplements: If you need and want higher performance when doing cardio, particularly if you’re still transitioning into a ketogenic state, you may want to consider additional keto supplements such as MCT oil or exogenous ketones before exercise to load up fats into the bloodstream ready for immediate use.
• Keto and weightlifting: There’s a general misconception that a ketogenic diet and weightlifting/increasing strength aren’t compatible. The reality is you certainly can gain strength and muscle while eating keto, you just need to be smart about the type of workouts you do and the way you fuel them. As discussed, without glucose stored as glycogen in muscle cells, your muscles will struggle with any high-intensity activities lasting a little longer than 10 seconds. This may mean that lots of strength and muscle-building routines can get harder due to this struggle for the right type of energy. For this reason, we want to focus on the phosphagen system, using creatine for energy to fuel very short, intense bouts of exercise (less than 10 seconds each). For weightlifting, this suggests using very low numbers of reps in your workouts, with greater rest in between. 5 sets of 5 reps or fewer would be ideal and can work very well for strength and muscle gain.

Remember, working out in a fasted state has been shown to drive up ketone levels. But keep in mind that although 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.

Fast for short periods

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a great way to jump-start ketosis. It involves eating only during a certain time window, usually eight hours, over a single day. For example, you could eat only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and then fast during the remaining 16 hours.

There are different ways to implement IF. The 5:2 method involves eating normally for five days and then restricting calories to 400-600 per day for two non-consecutive days. Alternate-day fasting involves eating a calorie-restricted diet every other day. The 16:8 method involves eating only during an eight-hour window each day.

Fasting for 24–48 hours can help a person reach a state of ketosis, but most people do not need to fast this long. Fasting for just 12 hours overnight can be enough to enter ketosis.

Fasting for longer periods may activate more benefits. A 2019 study found that subjects who fasted for longer experienced:

• Lower blood pressure
• Decreased blood lipid levels
• Reduced insulin levels
• Reduced blood sugar levels
• Increased ketone levels

However, anyone interested in trying IF should speak with a doctor first, as it is not suitable for everyone. For example, it is not recommended for people with type 1 diabetes, as it can increase the risk of developing keto acidosis, a potentially life-threatening condition.

If you are trying to get back into keto, it is important to distinguish between real hunger and "mouth hunger", where you just want something tasty to eat. You can do this by asking yourself:

• Am I hungry enough to eat a piece of dry chicken breast?
• Am I craving something in particular, or will I eat just about anything reasonable?

If you are truly hungry, drink some water and eat something simple and light like veggies, lean proteins, broths, and soups.

Consume more healthy fats

When following a keto diet, it's important to remember that not all fats are created equal. While the keto diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, some types of fat are healthier than others. Here are some tips to increase your healthy fat intake while on the keto diet:

• Avocados and avocado oil: Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and provide a good amount of fibre, essential vitamins, and minerals. Avocado oil also has a high smoke point, making it ideal for cooking at high temperatures.
• Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds are a great way to boost your intake of healthy fats, plant-based protein, and fibre. Include a variety of nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, and Brazil nuts. Flax seeds and chia seeds are also excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids and fibre.
• Nut and seed butters: These offer the same benefits as whole nuts and seeds but in a more versatile form. Choose nut and seed butters without added sweeteners, as these may be inappropriate for a keto diet.
• Oily fish: Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, anchovies, and sardines are rich in high-quality protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Salmon is also a good source of vitamin D.
• Olive oil: Olive oil is a staple of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and is a good source of anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fatty acids. It's great for light cooking, dressings, or as a finishing oil.
• Coconuts and coconut oil: Coconuts and coconut oil are popular on the keto diet as they are a natural source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are easily absorbed and used by the body. Coconut oil may also help increase HDL ("good") cholesterol.
• Full-fat Greek yogurt: While it contains some carbs, full-fat Greek yogurt can be a healthy addition to a ketogenic diet. It provides a good amount of fat, protein, and beneficial probiotics.
• Eggs: Eggs are nutritious and versatile, making them an easy addition to a ketogenic diet. Be sure to eat the whole egg, as the yolk is rich in B vitamins and antioxidants that support eye health.

When increasing your healthy fat intake on the keto diet, it's important to choose nutrient-dense, whole foods and avoid ultra-processed oils, meats, and fried foods. Additionally, be mindful of your portion sizes, as overconsuming fat can lead to weight gain.

Test your ketone levels

Testing your ketone levels is a great way to make informed decisions about your health and diet. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you understand the process and interpret your results:

Methods of Testing Ketone Levels:

• Blood Testing: This is considered the most accurate method to measure ketone levels. It involves using a ketone blood meter and blood test strips to detect the presence of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the most abundant ketone in the blood. The procedure is similar to blood sugar testing, where you prick your finger with a lancet to draw blood and then apply a drop to the test strip. The meter will then provide a reading. Blood ketone testing is especially important for people with diabetes to monitor their ketone levels and prevent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
• Urine Testing: Urine test strips are a convenient and affordable way to test ketone levels. These strips change colour based on the presence of the ketone acetoacetate. The colour of the strip is then matched to a colour chart to determine the ketone level. Urine testing is less accurate than blood testing and can be affected by factors such as dehydration.
• Breath Testing: This method measures the amount of acetone, the least abundant ketone, in your breath. Breath testing devices are generally expensive and slightly less accurate than blood testing. However, they are painless, non-invasive, and do not require additional supplies like lancets or strips. Breath acetone levels ranging from 2-40 parts per million (ppm) may indicate nutritional ketosis.

Understanding Ketone Levels:

• Nutritional Ketosis: This refers to the optimal state where your body can effectively use stored fat for energy, which can lead to weight loss and improved blood sugar levels. The target range for nutritional ketosis is typically between 0.5 to 3.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) of blood ketones.
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): This is a dangerous condition that can occur in people with diabetes when there is a lack of insulin and extremely high levels of blood ketones and blood sugar. DKA is a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment.

When to Test Ketone Levels:

• For Weight Loss: If your primary goal is weight loss, achieving "light nutritional ketosis" (0.5-1.0 mmol/L) is a good starting point. From there, you can aim for "optimal ketosis" (1.0-3.0 mmol/L).
• For Therapeutic Benefits: For therapeutic benefits related to medical conditions like epilepsy, cancer, or endocrine disorders, higher ketone levels in the range of 3.0-5.0 mmol/L or higher may be recommended.
• For Diabetics: People with diabetes should test their ketone levels when their blood sugar is high or they are ill. It is important to follow the recommendations of your healthcare provider and create a care plan for managing ketones.
• For Keto Dieters: Testing ketone levels is optional for those on a keto diet, but it can be useful when starting out. Testing can be done early in the morning or a few hours after a meal.

Interpreting Ketone Test Results:

• Blood Ketone Levels: A reading of less than 0.5 to 0.6 mmol/L on a ketone meter indicates trace or small amounts of ketones. Moderate to large levels of ketones warrant a call to your medical team.
• Urine Ketone Levels: The colour of the urine test strip will indicate the level of ketones, ranging from trace to larger ketones. It's important to follow the instructions provided with the test strips for accurate results.
• Breath Ketone Levels: Breath acetone levels of 2-40 ppm or higher may indicate nutritional ketosis. Different breath testing devices may have specific guidelines for interpreting results.

Remember, it is always best to consult with your healthcare provider to determine your ideal ketone levels and diet plan. They can guide you based on your specific goals, medical history, and current health status.

Frequently asked questions