Anyone who is looking to lose weight usually takes the dieting route to get there. It is said that what we eat (or do not) contributes to 70% of weight loss whereas exercise contributes only 30% to it. With a plethora of weight-loss diets, the dieter is spoiled for choice. One such popular weight loss diet is keto diet. Here, we give you a lowdown about the diet as well as tips to succeed at it.
What Is A Keto Diet?
Keto is short for a ketogenic diet. It is a diet plan wherein carbohydrate intake is minimized and fat intake is increased. This is done to get the body used to fat as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates.
While different types of bodies have different requirements, the keto diet works on a broad formula that usually works like this:
- 60 – 70% of your total body calories from fat
- 15 – 30% of your body calories from proteins
- 5 – 10% body calories from carbs
This algorithm of the diet eventually means that you should be able to consume not more than 50 gms of carbs per day. For most people on this diet, after 2 to 7 days of starting on it, their body might experience ketosis. Ketosis is a state where the body will not find enough carbohydrates for your cells to generate energy. At this point, the body will eventually start making and using ketones (an organic compound) as an alternate source of energy instead of carbohydrates while also burning fat to gain more energy. Thus, as a result of this diet, your body burns fat, which helps you lose excess weight.
5 Tips To Make Your Keto Diet Successful
Here are 5 tips to make your keto diet successful:
- Eat Measurable Foods To Track Your Carbs
In a keto diet, a lot is dependent on the number of carbs that you consume daily. Therefore, it is extremely important to measure your daily carb intake. The thing with carbohydrates is that we can easily underestimate the amount we eat. It is easy to give in to carbohydrate cravings. An extra spoonful of rice. Hidden sugars in some sauce. A healthy-looking sandwich made of wheat or other grains. Such seemingly innocent indulgences can end up creating a serious dent in your weight-loss plan. To make things easy, download an app that reminds you about the ideal daily carb intake based on your weight loss goal. Such apps are easily available online. Those who are tech-savvy can always strap on a stylish fit bit to keep a tab on the carb intake. Another simple way to track your carbs is by keeping a physical note. Simply calculate your daily carb requirement with the number of carb meals you intend to eat throughout the day.
- Join A Keto Group
There is nothing as amazing as a bunch of people to share your weight-loss journey with. Connect with like-minded friends who are looking for a great way to lose weight. You can ideate and share your diet charts and meal plans together. It also becomes easy to hang out with such friends as it can help you in keeping tempting foods at bay while ordering food.
You can also join online keto groups and share your success, goof-ups, or keto diet wisdom with each other. This way, you can make your weight loss journey fun too.
- Customize Your Daily Keto Meal Plan
Creating your own diet plan is very critical for the success of a weight loss diet. However, while doing so, remember that what works for one may not be as effective for the other. So, if your friends or members of your keto group chart out a particular meal plan, check for a week if it works for you. If you still end up feeling hunger pangs quite often, then it’s time to customize the keto meal plan according to your needs. To customize the plan, follow the same formula of total carbs divided by the number of meals you intend to consume throughout the day. An interesting idea would be to plan an early dinner followed by a light keto-friendly snack 2 hours before bedtime to curb late-night cravings. You can make such minor tweaks to your meal plan depending on how your body reacts to the diet.
- Control The Cheat Days
As it is, giving up your favorite food to make the switch to keto diet and curbing your cravings isn’t easy. At this point, cheat days can prove to be quite a tempting idea while dieting. However, the cheat days can easily take you off the track. Dieting wisdom suggests that you shouldn’t add cheat days to your diet plan at all, at least for the first 6 – 8 weeks. This is because by this time you might start seeing some positive results and your body would have got into the diet groove. Early cheat days might make you drop your guard and binge on non-keto food. This tendency could make you start regaining the lost weight or hit the weight loss plateau, all of which can make you demotivated. Thus, it is important to tread the path of cheat days with caution. Make sure you control your cravings even on your cheat days as much as possible.
- Go For Homemade Keto Foods
Another big demotivating factor for those contemplating a keto diet is the cost. Most keto foods that you order from niche restaurants can come at a premium, burning a hole in your pocket. However, if you put in a little effort and thought, you can make similar keto dishes right at home! This way, you can cut down on expensive keto takeaways and largely limit them into your monthly budget. What’s more? You’ll not have to worry about contamination when the food is home-cooked.
Losing weight is not an easy task. It is very common for people to lose their motivation whenever they start on a new diet or an exercise regime. It is the same with the Keto diet too. However, remember that it is always possible to bounce back with some focus and renewed motivation. Good luck!