The ketogenic diet has taken the health world by storm. The high-fat approach to losing weight seems like a foreign concept to a lot of people, yet there are many people who have lost 40 pounds or more while doing this diet. Some people are curious about the diet, but don’t know where to start; while others think they are doing it right, but are going about it all wrong.
It can be difficult to know exactly what is going on inside your body. The main objective of the ketogenic diet is to get your body into the metabolic state of ketosis. When you reach ketosis, your body becomes a fat-burning machine as opposed to a sugar-burning machine. Because the body burns fat for energy, the fat on your body starts to vanish. How do you know whether or not your body is in ketosis, though? The following signs can help you determine if you are in ketosis.
Weight Loss
This is the sign that people want to see, and people who follow the diet perfectly can experience between 4-10 pounds of weight loss within the first week. Most of this weight is water and carbs that the body has stored in fat cells. After the initial rapid weight loss, you can continue to lose body fat if you stick to the diet and exercise. A lot of people go wrong after the initial process and start making common keto mistakes, which destroys the progress.
Mental Clarity & Energy
A lot of people get the afternoon crash and instinctively reach for an unhealthy snack and some sort of caffeine out of habit. One of the benefits of ketosis is that your blood sugar isn’t riding a crazy rollercoaster, helping you to feel continuously alert and energized.
Loss Of Appetite
You aren’t as hungry when you are on the keto diet because the healthy fats that comprise 70% of the diet help to keep you full. This means that you only eat when you necessary. Not only does this prevent overeating, but it also helps to reduce your caloric intake, which is an essential part of losing weight.
Short-Term Fatigue
Hang on a second…Didn’t we just talk about mental clarity and more energy? Yes, yes we did. It can take a little time for the body to catch up with the process of ketosis, though. While the body is catching up, some people can experience the “keto flu,” a phase in which one can experience fatigue, mild nausea, and minor headaches. This can only last for a couple days so don’t let this deter you from sticking to the diet. The benefits will come.
Upset Stomach
A person who is entering into ketosis may experience a couple digestive troubles. You may experience nothing of the sort, but it is possible to experience constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms will subside once the body adapts to being in the state of ketosis. Eat the following keto-approved veggies to minimize digestive troubles.
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Peppers
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Cucumbers
- Cabbage
- Berries
