So I think most people know the basics but if not a Ketogenic Way Of Eating (WOE) is high fat (75%), medium protein (20%), and low carb (5%). The idea here is to eat as little carbs as possible to prevent your body from needing to create Insulin. Insulin stores body fat and salt as well as prevents body fat from being lost. The goal here is to become fat adapted so that your body starts using fat as its primary source of energy.
“Keep It Simple”
Now please keep in mind this guide is for someone looking to lose weight, I am not diabetic so I feel advising a diabetic might not be the best thing for me. I try to keep this diet as simple as possible. Making it overly complicated might stress you out, add Cortisol (stress hormone which hinders weight loss), and also lower your chances of sticking to this WOE. In an effect to keep my life simple I do not count calories or portions. I simply eat only when I’m hungry and stop once I’m full. In Ketosis it’s not a bad thing to let your body tell you when to eat and when to stop eating. If you’re ever in a stall and not losing weight look at intermittent fasting before trying to count calories.
“Net Carbs and Food Labels”
When looking at a food label you need to look for total carbs and then subtract sugar alcohol and fiber from the mix to get your net carbs. You generally want to be under 20 net carbs a day. A quick is example is let’s say a label say has 20 total carbs but has 12 grams of fiber and 3 sugar alcohol. To get net carbs would then be 20-12-3=5 net carbs! Note: Diabetics generally count total carbs not net so this would be a flat 20 carbs for them. In an effort to make this even simpler my rule here generally is 3 net carbs or less per serving and as much fat as possible adding as much fat as possible as well. Cooking in oil or butter helps a lot here, also salt your food to help replace lost salt.
“Electrolytes”
You’re body is flushing electrolytes so replacing them is something you need to do every day. Himalayan Pink Salt helps here as does drinking the sugar free Powerades (I love the red, purple, and blue flavors). Supplements work as well but try to get your electrolytes from food sources first. Again I don’t count these I am just trying to add as much as I can as I go.
“Cheat Days”
Again I can’t stress this enough that I only do this diet to lose weight and do not recommend a cheat day for anyone who can avoid it, even more so if you’re Diabetic. That warning out of the way I don’t believe in torturing yourself. If you see a food you’ve been craving awhile eat a small portion of it and move on. Yes it might break you out of Ketosis and yes it probably make you feel bad. The reason why I suggest it is because either nothing will happen to you and you’ll be a happier person and more likely to stick to a Ketogenic WOE, or you’ll feel like crap after and through negative reinforcement you’ll be more likely to avoid carbs in the future. In most cases you’ll even want them less. Either way it’s a win towards staying low carb and in Ketosis. In an effort to keep it simple I did 1 week keto than a cheat day then 2 weeks keto and a cheat day upping the week each time until I no longer wanted carbs at all.
“Foods”
I want to include a rough list a good and bad foods here. Bad foods are: pasta, most fruits, sugar, potatoes, starches, and grains. Good foods are: fatty meats, eggs, cheese, milk, nuts, avocados, fish. The idea here is to get as much fat as possible with as little carbs as possible.
“Tips”
1: There are some foods that most people can consume but will hinder weight loss in others. Caffeine and dairy both are generally fine but can hinder weight loss in some. If you find you could be losing more weight try cutting 1 of these out and see if it helps.
2: Get 2-3 staple meals you know are keto friendly and stick to those until you are comfortable with them before branching out. This is primarily just a move in keeping it simple.
3: The “Keto Flu” generally happens to people only when they haven’t been replenishing electrolytes back into their body. make sure you’re adding salt, potassium, and magnesium to your diet and the symptoms should be minimal if you get any at all.
4: Becoming fat adapted is a big process for your body. Literally every cell in your body has to undergo some form of change to accept fat as its new fuel source. This takes time so don’t get discouraged if you takes you awhile. For some it can take up to a month or more.
I hope this guide has somehow helped you on your journey through ketosis and please remember I am not a doctor and this is just the information I’ve learned to help me loss weight through Ketogenics.
