The ketogenic diet has gained a lot of popularity lately. Are you wondering why the surge in popularity when the diet has been there for over a century? Well, this is because the diet plan has proved to be very effective in weight loss. The diet involves the intake of a large amount of fat, moderate protein, and significantly low carbs. In the absence of carbs, the body starts to use fats for energy production. The breakdown of fats takes place in the liver, with ketones as the end products. Specifically, it is ketones that substitute glucose as fuels. The state in which the body uses ketones for energy production is referred to as ketosis.
Many people perceive a keto diet as a mere adjustment in the lifestyle, which helps them feel better. But is that the case? As we are going to see, it is not as easy as it may seem. There are several things that individuals often make mistakes when it comes to the keto diet.
The misconceptions involve, not only based on what to eat but also the most effective strategies for implementing it. Can You Eat as Much as You Want on Keto? In the course of this discussion, we are going to respond to this question. We will address some of the mistakes people make about keto. Let us begin.
How to be on ketosis
To get the state of ketosis, you must carefully consider your intake of macronutrients. This involves proteins, fat, and carbohydrates. Even though calories cannot impact ketosis, it affects the amount of weight you can lose. The number of carbs intakes while in ketosis varies among individuals. In case you are following the keto diet to the latter, your carb intake should be lesser than an individual on a cyclical keto diet such as the bulletproof diet, a plan that allows you a carb-free day every week. An intermittent fasting while on keto also leads to low cab intake and keeps one in ketosis.
While the keto carb calculators provide only a sketchy guide, you can understand where to start from if you use them. If you are on a bulletproof diet, you should aim at taking at most 50g of carbs daily, and consume them only at dinner time. A stricter and regular keto diet requires a maximum of 30g net carbs daily. If you are a starter, check out simpleketotest.com and you will have a customized meal plan.
Can you eat as much as you want while on keto? Not at all! There are so many reasons why you may not experience weight loss while on a ketogenic diet. To clearly respond to this question, let us look at some of them.
You are overeating
If you want to lose weight using keto, you must carefully examine your calories. While you may not be required to cut them, it will be ridiculous to consume more than twice the quantity you used to take before. If you overeat, you will have to forget the issue of weight loss on keto. You must always remember that fat contains a double quantity of calories compared to carbs and proteins. For this reason, it is imperative to carefully consider your diet, and their various apps that can help you with this regard. If you are new on keto, you may have to be assisted come up with the required keto intake to sustain your body as well as your lifestyle.
We mentioned earlier that will be addressing the myths people have regarding keto, and one of them is, we can all consume an equal amount and fail to be affected differently. Considering all the basic factors, a 200-pound individual and a 150 guy should not consume the same amount. As you, as you lose more weight and become slimmer, you will not be required to take many calories for sustenance. You have to reexamine your needs once you discover you have cut 10 to 15 pounds.
The point is, calories matter, but the macronutrient ratio is what is more important. Rather than eating as much as you want, focus on obtaining 5% of calories carbs, between 20 and 30% protein, and 70-80% from fat. Also, it is imperative to take in sufficient water to facilitate the breakdown of fat.
You are starving g yourself
While overeating can prevent you from losing weight, not eating enough has the same effect if you are on keto. If you have exceedingly reduced the intake of calories, the body assumes it is under starvation. This is the reason why ultra-low-calorie diets fail to work. As a result, your metabolic rate lessens to safeguard the organs and maintain the usual body functions.
Similarly, to conserve itself, the body slows down due to lack of enough energy or too much exercise. For this reason, you may think you are doing yourself a favor eating less when in real sense you are readying yourself for failure. You have to remember that your body requires the correct quantity of top-quality food and in the correct proportion to attain a healthy weight. It will be beneficial to calculate your weekly body calories requirement and maintain just that.
Too much protein intake
One of the common misconceptions among individuals is that keto is a high protein diet plan. In reality, it is a moderate diet plan that should contribute a maximum of 30% of your total body calories. Even though it is essential to always have the amount of protein in your meals to satiate, you must avoid taking an excess of it. Why? Because the intake of too much protein can end the state of ketosis through a process referred to as gluconeogenesis, where excess proteins are converted into sugar. The body will then use glucose instead of burning fat to produce energy.
The Bottom Line
To attain a healthy body weight, you must consume the correct quantity of quality food in the correct proportion. Eating as much as you want while on keto will prevent you from attaining the desired results. We have illustrated exactly how you can be affected. Importantly, carefully follow the directions of your physician while on keto to avoid negative effects.