The keto diet has gained its trend in the world and is promoted as the fat burner of the diet. Stemming from its origins being to help health concerns, let’s see how this turn into a trend and how keto can help us losing weight!

What is Ketosis?

Ketosis is a state for a body where it uses its primary source of fuel as fat instead of the typical carbohydrate. How this state affects losing weight is by the fact of using the body’s stored fat as the primary fuel instead of our food, or precisely, carbohydrates. This is achieved by going low on carbohydrates so the body is forced to use ketones. Being in this state helps reduce the body fat percentage while trying to keep our muscles in shape.

Ketones: After our body breaks down fats, it is deconstructed into ketones and it fuels the body.

Benefits of Ketones

Now that we understand what ketosis is, we can explore the benefits of the keto diet. Hopping into a low carb diet can allow us to access the following benefits:

1. Weight Loss: Studies show the keto diet leads to slightly more weight loss compared to low-fat diets, often with less hunger.
2. Improved Blood Sugar Control: Can boost insulin sensitivity by up to 75%, helping manage diabetes and prediabetes.
3. Improved Heart Health: Improves body fat levels, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure.
4. Reduced Chances of Neurological Disease: Originally developed for treating epilepsy, showing promise for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s. Which means it can reduce the likelihood of being affected.
5. Reduced Hunger: Many people report feeling fuller longer, making weight loss easier without counting calories.

How to Achieve Ketosis

As discussed, ketosis is a low carbohydrate phenomenon which promotes the body to use fat instead. Now, to achieve this state, the following guideline can help you get the general idea of what percentage of nutrients are to be taken.

Here are some food that allows for an easier time to achieve ketosis:

• Fish: Something higher in fat content like salmon
• Meat
• Eggs
• Nuts

Being Consistent

Keto diet is very demanding that you need to minimize the amount of carbohydrates you consume. So, it’ll be very hard to be consistent while this last and here are some tips that you can follow to make sure it can ease being consistent:

• Track your macronutrient ratios
• Plan meals in advance
• Start with simple recipes
• Stay hydrated and listen to your body

Warning On Dieting

Although we all want to achieve the physique we dream for and food plays a big role in it. We must not use diet as a means to sustain but rather a tool for achieving it. Using food strictly for diet as a means to lose weight might do the following:

• Eating disorder: You view food now as calorie only instead of something to enjoy
• Negative feedback: This may make you want to starve yourself in great lengths to see the numbers on the scale go down
• Body dysmorphia: You may not see your body in any positive light anymore which might promote that you need to cut even more calories

Dieting extremely and trying to come back to your regular lifestyle might hinder your progress as well by:

• Severe bloating
• Blood sugar spikes
• Energy crashes
• Potential weight regain

So, we should be careful how we perceive dieting. It might be a trend and see a lot of promotion of it, it is in the best interest of yourself that you do not take it to the extreme or make it your lifestyle.

Lifestyle Changes

So, “if dieting is a tool, our weight might come back up.” Might be the thoughts but what we can take away from dieting is what we can achieve in our lifestyle. Changing our lifestyle is akin to changing our environment and how we live and feel. So, how can we achieve lifestyle changes? Let’s look at the following points:

• Start with small, achievable goals
• Learn mindful eating practices
• Develop cooking skills
• Build sustainable exercise habits
• Create healthy routines that work long-term

While the diet is touted to have many advantages, such as weight loss and better health, it is also crucial to view it as a means to an end, rather than a lifestyle. Achieving a state of ketosis is a process that demands patience and consistency, and it is key to a healthy mindset to dieting. Healthy living over dieting is the key to sustaining weight loss in the long-term. By embracing better habits and a mindset of balance, you can meet your goals without compromising diets that can lead to setbacks.