The post is brought to you by Layla from howtonight.com.
If you’re planning on beginning a whole new diet to lose weight and stay healthy, then that’s where the keto diet has your back! Loaded with a lot of health benefits for your mind and body, reaching ketosis won’t only have you shed the pounds, but make you feel great as well. But just like transitioning to a whole new diet, it can get quite difficult and you wouldn’t know where to start! To help you out, I show you a helpful guide on a keto diet for beginners.
What Is The Keto Diet?
Before we get started on what you should do when you begin the diet, let’s first tackle what the keto diet really is.
This diet involves consuming low-carb and high-fat foods, putting yourself in a state of ketosis. When you are in ketosis, your body will become very efficient at burning fat to use for energy. It will also turn fat into ketones from your liver, thus supplying energy your brain needs to function and think properly.
It is a short-term diet plan which lasts for up to 12 weeks at most, providing a lot of health benefits such as reducing blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as raising good cholesterol and lessening the risk of certain heart ailments and brain disorders.
Keto Diet For Beginners
At first, the sudden reduction of carbohydrates (down to 20 grams of carbs a day!) may be a bit daunting, but here are some tips to keep to the diet and achieve successful results:
- What To Eat and Avoid
When you are on a keto diet, you must focus on HEALTHY fats, not just bacon or steak! Here are what you should start eating:
- Meat
- Natural fats coming from butter and olive oil
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Vegetables growing from above the ground
- Fish and seafood such as salmon and tunas
- Blueberries
Here is a list of what you should avoid eating, namely CARBS:
- Starchy vegetables like potatoes
- Grains like pasta, bread, or rice
- Pastries, cakes, and donuts
- Sugary drinks like soda or fruit juices
- Fruits high in carbs, such as apples, mangoes, or oranges
- Exercise
Studies have shown that the keto diet may take a toll on your athletic performance, namely your endurance. This is because of the lack of carbs you consume. I recommend that you focus more on weight training and minimal cardiovascular exercise to avoid burning yourself out, going for fewer reps but more intense movements. If you plan on running or doing any cardiovascular exercise, remember to know your limits and take rests to recover, if needed. High-intensity interval training is a great choice, where you push yourself for a short period of time and recover, repeating this process until your workout is complete.
After your workout, have a few carbs or whey protein to avoid muscle depletion. And also, keep yourself hydrated during the whole workout.
- Getting Good Sleep
Carbs are used for energy, and when you replace it with fat, you may experience fatigue and lack of energy. That is why it’s best to always get the proper amount of sleep and avoid excessive activity, especially during the beginning of the diet. The first two weeks of transitioning to a low-carb and high-fat diet are tough so, create an effective schedule with proper sleep hygiene, getting at least eight hours of quality sleep per day. This will lessen the tiredness you’ll feel from the diet.
- Preparing Yourself For The “Keto Flu”
One of the most common side effects of the keto diet would be the “keto flu.” This occurs during the first one or two weeks of dieting. You may experience the following:
- Nausea
- Headaches or dizziness
- Fatigue
- Irritability
These symptoms happen because of your body adapting to the fat-burning process. Once you stop consuming food high in carbs, you lose water and salt going through your kidneys, causing dehydration and lack of salt your body is used to. If you are looking for other ways to aid you in your keto diet, try some nut free foods.
To help reduce these symptoms, I recommend that you drink broth twice a day and keep yourself hydrated. Adding more salt to your food will also help.
Wrapping It Up
And there you have it! As long as you are able to transition to the keto diet with the healthy foods and proper sleep, you won’t have any problem and experience the weight loss you’ve always wanted to achieve! It all boils down to being patient and finding what suits your body.
I hope that this article on the keto diet for beginners helped you become more knowledgeable about what you should do to create that meaningful change in your life. So don’t wait any longer and start today!
If you have any questions or would like to share your tips and experiences on the keto diet, then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.
Author’s Bio:
My name is Layla and I’m the writer of the Howtonight.com – lifestyle blog which mostly focuses on health and nutrition but we also publish articles related to pets, travel, and entertainment.
