Jumpstart Weight Loss: Keto Diet Secrets Revealed

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that causes weight loss and provides numerous health benefits. Here are some tips to jumpstart weight loss on a keto diet:

- Minimize your carb consumption: Eating a very low-carb diet is the most important factor in entering ketosis.

- Include coconut oil in your diet: Consuming coconut oil can help you get into ketosis.

- Ramp up your physical activity: Being more physically active each day can help you get into and stay in ketosis.

- Increase your healthy fat intake: Consuming plenty of healthy fats can boost your ketone levels and help you reach ketosis.

- Try a short fast or a fat fast: Another way to get into ketosis is to go without eating for several hours.

- Maintain adequate protein intake: Getting into ketosis requires a protein intake that's adequate but not excessive.

- Test ketone levels and adjust your diet as needed: Testing ketone levels can help you determine whether you need to make any adjustments to get into ketosis.

Calculate your macronutrient goals

To calculate your macronutrient goals, you need to determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to support its vital functions, and it can be calculated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which takes into account your sex, height, weight, and age. Your TDEE is the number of calories your body burns in 24 hours and is calculated by multiplying your BMR by a factor corresponding to your physical activity level.

Once you know your TDEE, you can modify it to achieve your desired weight goal. If you want to lose weight, create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than your TDEE. For moderate weight loss, aim for a deficit of around 10-20%.

To ensure you're getting the right amount of macronutrients, it's important to track your protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake. Use a nutrition app like MyFitnessPal to log your food intake and ensure you're adhering to your daily macronutrient goals.

Here's a breakdown of the three macronutrients:

• Protein: This is the building block of human muscle mass. Eating too little protein may lead to muscle loss, while consuming too much can cause the body to convert the excess into glycogen, potentially pushing you out of ketosis. Aim for 0.55-0.77 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.
• Fat: Fat is your primary fuel source on the keto diet, so adequate fat intake is crucial for getting into ketosis. Aim for 70-80% of your daily calories from healthy fats like fatty fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocado oil.
• Carbohydrates: To enter ketosis, you must severely limit your carbohydrate intake. Start by restricting carbs to 20 grams per day and then explore your own "carb edge" as you become more familiar with the ketogenic diet.

Balance your blood sugar

Balancing your blood sugar is an important part of the keto diet. Here are some tips to help you do that:

• Master your macronutrients: The hardest part about going keto, especially for beginners, is learning how to adjust your food intake to meet the requirements of a ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb diet (25 grams of carbs per day is a common starting point). The rest of your daily calories will come from protein and fat, the exact amounts of each depend on your goals (muscle building, fat loss, endurance athletics, disease management, etc.).
• Balance your blood sugar: In addition to a preferred nutrition app, your glucometer will become another very important tool in your keto toolkit. We recommend the Keto-Mojo glucose and ketone meter. This is an accurate and affordable dual-function meter (glucose and ketones). Additionally, it electronically syncs with Heads Up Health so you can monitor your glucose and ketone readings next to all your other health metrics, which is important for tracking progress and fine-tuning keto for your own goals.
• Maintain adequate protein intake: Getting into ketosis requires a protein intake that’s adequate but not excessive. The classic ketogenic diet used in people with epilepsy restricts both carbs and protein to maximise ketone levels. The same diet may be beneficial for people with cancer, as it may limit tumour growth. However, for most people, drastically cutting protein intake to increase ketone production isn’t a healthy practice.
• Fill up on healthy fats and protein: At mealtime, fill your plate with foods that provide energy in the form of protein and fat. But try to choose the most nutritious sources. For example, meat, poultry, and seafood that is grilled (not breaded or fried) are smart choices. Some dairy products like eggs and cheese may also work in your food plan.
• Choose high-fibre foods: When choosing carbohydrate foods, look for foods with more fibre as it has a minimal effect on blood glucose levels. Fibre also provides other benefits: You are likely to feel full longer when you eat high-fibre foods, and consumption of high-fibre foods can also help you to lower your LDL cholesterol.

Track your body composition

Tracking your body composition is an important aspect of the keto diet. It can help you understand how your diet changes are connected to how you are feeling on any given day.

• Weighing yourself every few days is an important monitor. The state of ketosis causes a diuretic effect resulting in weight loss due to loss of body fluid in the first few weeks of going keto.
• Track both weight and body fat on a ketogenic diet. If the weight number isn’t moving down but the body fat number is, you are on the right track.
• Tracking body composition while on the ketogenic diet can be done with wireless scales from FitBit, Withings and more.
• For more advanced body composition testing, consider periodic DEXA scans, which are considered the gold standard.
• You may also want to track body measurements. In many cases, scale weight may not be moving as fast as you’d like, but your body composition is indeed improving dramatically.

Test your ketone levels

Testing your ketone levels is a great way to monitor your progress and adjust your diet accordingly. Here are some detailed instructions on how to test your ketone levels:

Urine Test Strips:

Urine test strips are a cheap and convenient way to check your ketone levels. You can purchase these strips over the counter at pharmacies, supermarkets, or online. They typically come with a colour chart that you can use to compare the colour of the strip after dipping it into your urine sample. It is recommended to stick to a specific time of day, such as the morning or several hours after your last meal, for the best comparison. Keep in mind that the strips usually expire within three to six months, so consider how often you intend to use them.

Blood Ketone Meters:

Blood ketone meters, originally designed for people with type 1 diabetes, are a more reliable and accurate way to measure ketone levels. You can usually find blood strips at places that sell urine strips. However, you will need a meter to read the blood strips as well. Blood strips are more expensive than urine strips, but they provide a more accurate measurement of ketone levels.

Breath Ketone Meters:

Breath ketone meters, such as the Ketonix, Keto Stat, and LEVL, are another way to measure ketone levels. These devices measure acetone levels in your breath. They vary in design and price, and some require setup before use, such as charging and downloading a companion app. It is important to note that alcohol can interfere with the readings of some breath ketone meters.

When to Test for Ketones:

It is recommended to test for ketones when blood sugars are elevated or when someone with diabetes is ill. Clinical recommendations suggest testing for ketones when blood glucose levels are above 240 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). For pregnant individuals with type 1 diabetes, it is advised to check for ketones when blood sugars are above 200 mg/dL. The American Diabetes Association recommends checking for ketones every four to six hours when ill or when blood sugar is above 240 mg/dL.

Monitor your bloodwork

Monitoring your bloodwork is an important part of the keto diet. It can help you understand how your body is responding to the diet and whether you need to make any adjustments. Here are some key things to keep in mind when it comes to monitoring your bloodwork while on the keto diet:

• Master your macronutrients: The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. This means that you need to significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake and increase your consumption of healthy fats. Use a macronutrient calculator designed for ketogenic diets to determine your target protein, fat, carb, and calorie goals. Then, use a nutrition app like MyFitnessPal to track your daily food intake and ensure you are adhering to your goals.
• Balance your blood sugar: A glucometer, such as the Keto-Mojo glucose and ketone meter, can be a valuable tool on the keto diet. It will help you monitor your blood sugar levels, which tend to drop when you reduce your carbohydrate intake. Tracking your fasting blood sugar and post-prandial blood sugar (measured one to three hours after eating) can give you valuable insights into how your body is responding to the diet.
• Beat down body composition: Tracking your weight and body composition is crucial on the keto diet. The diet can cause a diuretic effect in the first few weeks, leading to weight loss due to fluid loss. Use a smart scale that measures body fat percentage, such as the Tanita BF-679W, to track your progress. This will help you distinguish between weight loss due to fluid loss and actual fat loss.
• Test your ketone levels: There are three methods to test your ketone levels: blood ketones, breath ketones, and urine ketones. Blood ketones are considered the most accurate method, but breath and urine tests are also options. Testing your ketone levels will confirm that your body is in a state of ketosis and help you fine-tune your diet.
• Don't forget the bloodwork: In addition to tracking your macronutrients, blood sugar, weight, and ketone levels, it's important to get periodic lab tests to monitor your overall health. Recommended tests include a lipid panel (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), fasting insulin or c-peptide, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). These tests can help you identify any potential issues or deficiencies and make sure your body is responding well to the keto diet.

Frequently asked questions