Whether you are lazy, dirty, or strict keto, learning how it works is important to your overall success. Here are tips to help you know how to lose weight on keto.
The ketogenic diet plan is really not a new thing. Even our grandmothers and great-grandmothers knew that cutting out carbs would help with weight loss. “Cut the bread in 1/2” or “only eat 1/2 serving of potatoes” was the weight loss advice back then.
They may not have called it a low carb diet, but they understood that overindulging in certain foods was not good for you. Of course, back then, the average adult didn’t consume nearly the amount of sugar and carbs that we do now. The level of physical activity was higher for most as well. They often spent more time gardening, walking to the store or to work, walking to school, walking to church on Sundays.
Even cleaning the house, or doing the laundry required more physical exertion than it does now. Now, don’t get me wrong, I certainly do not want to go back to washing my clothes on a washing board. I also adore the idea of a dishwasher. But you can see how our technology has given us the ability to move less.
Back in our grandparent’s time, processed foods were also far more rare. Most of the time, food was cooked from scratch at home, with an abundance of homegrown vegetables and meats. Things like GMO, high fructose corn syrup, and soy or corn in everything didn’t exist. That generation did not see nearly the amount of obesity that we see today.
Let’s look more at keto and it’s beginnings.
Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, a low carb lifestyle came to be the “in” diet plan. Dr. Robert Atkins created what is called the Atkins diet, and he advocated for a low carb, high protein diet. Most of his patients started out on less than 20 carbohydrates a day, moving up to as much as 50-75 in what was referred to as “maintenance”. Most people following his advice saw long term benefits of fat loss, better cholesterol levels, and better overall health.
Drs. Michel and Mary Dan Eades also had a similar diet plan. Called “Protein Power”, their goal was the same. Cut the carbs, starting at 30 a day, and up your protein intake for lean muscle mass building.
The ketogenic diet was simply repackaged, renamed, and is now a sensation. You only need to search Facebook or other social media to see many people singing it’s praises and how it has worked for them.
***I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV or YouTube, so please consult your health care practitioner for full health information before starting any diet. This is simply to add to your research, and does not constitute medical or diet advice***
What are the different types of keto that I hear about?
You have probably heard these terms thrown around, and may have wondered the differences in them. Keto itself is a diet that has a goal of getting into a state of ketosis, or getting your body to use the store fat for energy.
- Strict Keto-eliminates all inflammatory, starchy, and sugar foods. This means no grains of any sort, no potatoes or legumes, and all sugar is out, including honey. This counts all macros in foods, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and works at keeping them all in balance. The focus is more on whole, natural foods.
- Lazy Keto-a keto diet that is only concerned about carbs. Some will count “net carbs” which is total carbs minus fiber, and some will count “total carbs” to keep their carb intake at their desired levels. All starchy and sugary foods are still out. The focus is still on whole natural foods, but will allow for some processed low carb foods.
- Dirty Keto-a keto diet that includes all foods that fit into your macros. If you have the macros for a white potato, eat it. Low carb pitas, or more processed low carb foods are part of this diet. A lot of people follow this idea of keto, as it is far easier for a busy lifestyle. This focuses on overall health, and the desire for more whole foods, but drive thrus are totally okay, as long as you stay within your macro levels.
- Low Carb High Fat (lchf)-this is the diet that reduces carbs, but doesn’t have the overall goal of ketosis.
Let’s talk about how to lose weight on keto. Is it really that difficult?
NO. Not at all. First, you need to decide what form of keto you want to start with. Are you wanting to just lose stored fat, and a few pounds, or do you need to heal from the inside out? Do you need help with out of control insulin levels, hormones, or unwanted weight gain?
If you are needing to get hormones or insulin levels under control, strict keto may be the best start for you. By removing the inflammatory foods, you can allow your body to heal. However, if you are working a full time job, raising a family, and other life happening, lazy or dirty keto may be a better choice for you.
The best part of keto is that you can make it YOURS. YOU can choose to listen to your body (and your doctor!) and see what is working for you. If you are doing well and reaching your goals on a “lazy” keto diet, then stay with it. No need to be more strict, right? If you find that you are not reaching your goals, try going more strict and see what that does for you.
Other posts that may be helpful:
Your keto diet grocery list
how to meal prep for the keto diet
Here’s the tips I used learning how to lose weight on keto.
You want to start with the keto diet, but do you really know how to lose weight on keto? Here's some background on how it works and tips to help you! #keto #lchf #ketodiet #lazyketo #dirtyketo #ketosisAre you in ketosis?
The most important part of how to lose weight on keto diet is that you need to be in ketosis. So many people get this fundamental principle wrong. You’re not on a keto diet if your body is not in ketosis. Your body has to be using ketones for fuel, if you wish to see weight loss. If you’re not in ketosis and your body is still using glucose for fuel, the results you were hoping to achieve will not come, or they won’t be as rewarding.
Be patient with this part, as it can take anywhere from 4-7 days to get into ketosis. You can certainly buy the urine strips to test, but they may not give accurate results. A better group of measurements are: how do you FEEL? Do you have more energy? Is your skin looking better? Are you sleeping better at night? How do your clothes fit? Are they getting looser?
You must be at a caloric deficit.
This will be controversial. Some will say calories matter, some will say they don’t and just keep track of your macros. However, if you are keeping careful track of macros, and finding that the scales are not moving, you may need to lower the overall caloric intake. Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, start with a goal of a 500 calorie deficit and see if that doesn’t move things along.
Keep your macros in check.
In the initial stages of this diet, it’s very important that you track everything that you eat. Because a lot of us start out addicted to carbs and sugar, you may be eating more carbs that you realize. By tracking your food intake (even those fat bombs!) you will get a better overall picture of what your macros really are.
Most keto dieters start around 20 grams of carbs per day, although some consume as many as 50. A good app such as carb manager will help you determine what you should start at, as well as keeping track of what you are eating.
Be patient with starting the keto diet.
While many experience rapid weight loss, especially in the beginning, this should not be looked at as a “crash diet”. It can and WILL take time for your body to adjust from using glucose intake to using stored body fat for fuel.
Make sure you get plenty of sleep, and drink lots of water. Skip the hard exercise for the first few weeks, while your body is adjusting. Go for light walks to keep moving, but be gentle with your body. After all, it’s the only one you have.
Just remember, you didn’t get out of shape or overweight, or have out of control hormones overnight. Be good to yourself as you work to correct them, okay? I’ll be here with you, cheering you on as I work on this too! I love you all!
What are some tips you have learned when starting on keto? Please be sure to share with the rest of us in the comments!
Zach
Some of Zach's favorite keto resources include:
Perfect Keto: For those who are looking for easy supplements that support a Keto diet, Perfect Keto offers a variety of products that make it easy to stay in ketosis including keto bars, whey protein, and keto nootropics.
KetoLogic: For those who have a sweet tooth, KetoLogic sells keto-friendly chocolate candies with only 1g of net carbs & zero added sugars.
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