Of the top five questions, I get asked regularly at Wabi Sabi Wonderful Life, right behind “how do I start my own business?” or “how can I get more motivated to exercise/read more/meditate/start a diet…(add your personal favorite thing to procrastinate on here)?” is typically a question along the lines of “what diet will work for me?”
That last one is a doozy. The short answer is, if that answer were easy, everyone would be exactly the size they “want” to be. Aha, I guess there is no single easy answer! However, we’re going to start a “diet” wellness series to take a look at some of the weight-loss eating plans that are in the news right now. Among them, you may find the one that fits best with your lifestyle and gets you the results you want. After all, the diet that has the best chance of working for you is the one you can stick to and enjoy.
That said, we have been getting a lot of questions about the Keto diet lately–so that is where we will begin this series. The Keto diet is a high-fat, very-low-carbohydrate, and moderate-protein eating plan designed to put your body into a state of ketosis, where it will burn fat as energy.
The real trick to this eating plan is not cheating from the restricted food list, as doing so puts your body back out of ketosis and you need to start back at square one to re-set it. If you are truly carb-addicted, or you can’t imagine life without bread, rice, pasta, cereal or potatoes (among other things) for the full duration of the diet, Keto is NOT for you.
The plan itself is “easy”. 50-60% of your daily diet comes from fat sources–so you can indulge in meats, bacon, high-fat fish, avocados, eggs, nuts, cheese, oils and high-fat dairy. Protein intake should be moderate: eat .5-.8g of protein per pound of your body weight daily. A Keto diet only allows for only 20g of carbs per day–and this is where things can get hard for most people as carbs add up quickly, even with just eating vegetables. To be successful, stick to that eating plan daily, and try to maintain it for a month.
Typically, it takes about 3-5 days of following the plan to start to put your body into ketosis, and reaching a full state of fat-burning ketosis can take 7-30 days. Did I mention that if you go off plan even once with a high-carb meal, you will need to start from day one to re-set?
A lot is happening in your body when you try to transition it to a state of ketosis. It will fight back a bit–sometimes more than a bit, and for a few weeks. It is a hard way to start a new eating habit, but the negative effects do subside with time.
So, how do you know when your body is in ketosis?
Unfortunately, as your body fights the transition to ketosis, you can expect a few unpleasant things to happen before the reported “good stuff” like fat burning, increased focus, improved energy and better sleep begin to set in. But these are signs that you are getting there:
- Keto flu: transitioning to ketosis may lead to what many have called the “keto flu” which can include headaches, nausea, sleepiness, fatigue. An energy drop will typically occur while in the Keto flu. After a few weeks, most keto-dieters report increased energy and mental focus once you are fat-adapted.
- Bad breath: Acetone, a by-product of the development of ketones, will become evident on your breath, in your sweat and in your urine. You can add edible essential oils to your food or water to help combat the scent of acetone, such as mint, lemon, or basil. Deodorant may be more necessary before workouts. I recommend an all-natural option or salt crystal for this purpose.
- Weight loss. The first week or two will lead to rapid weight loss from fluid as glycogen storage gets depleted; the weight loss after the first few weeks will represent your fat burn.
- Digestive issues: your digestion can shift between constipation and diarrhea during the first few weeks, and typically subsides over time. Increase your fiber intake (with vegetables and supplements) to help alleviate this issue, as well as increasing your water intake to a gallon per day.
- Sleep disturbances: while after a few weeks, the Keto diet has been reported to improve sleep quality, during the first few weeks, while your body adjusts to ketosis, you may experience sleep disturbances.
Are there ways to speed up the process of getting your body into a state of ketosis? Yes. Exercising and intermittent fasting can help—just remember to drink lots of water, and add electrolytes as needed to avoid dehydration when exercising.
Please note, the Keto diet should be followed only with doctor permission and supervision if you have (or have had) any liver, kidney or gall bladder issues. This diet is extremely taxing on those organs. This diet is also not recommended if you are pregnant, thinking of getting pregnant, or nursing.
We will continue this series over the next few weeks or months. Please message us or leave comments below if there is a particular eating plan you would like us to cover.
NOTE: I’m not a medical practitioner and the tips here are not intended to diagnose, cure or treat any health issue or disease. Please consult your regular health practitioner before starting any new diet plan. For personal coaching on how to make distinctive positive changes to your life, please get in touch with me through the contact form by clicking contact us above. I look forward to hearing from you!