Ketogenic Diet Faq
With all the new people finding, switching, and transitioning into a low carb diet, I figured it was about time I put together an FAQ on all the common questions that are asked when someone is starting out. I don’t go too in depth in the answers, but I tried to give a direct answer and then link to a more in depth article on the topic to help you fully understand it. If you have any other questions you’d like to be added, changed, or are unsure about – please feel free to leave a comment below so I can fully explain, or make changes to the answers on this page. Best wishes, and to all the new people out there – good luck and happy dieting! Frequently Asked Questions Click any of the questions below and it will take you to the answer. How Long Does It Take To Get Into Ketosis? A ketogenic diet is not a diet that you can whimfully choose to go on and off of at any point. It takes time for your body to adjust and go into a state known as ketosis. This process? Anywhere from 2 – 7 days, depending on your body type, activity levels, and what you’re eating. The fastest way to get into ketosis is to exercise on an empty stomach, restrict your carbohydrate intake to 20g or less per day, and be vigilant with your water intake. To improve the rate at which you enter ketosis, there is a method called Fat Fasting. I’ve written an article on Fat Fasting on a Ketogenic Diet and everything involved with it. Make sure that if you use this method, it is only for a few days, otherwise it can bring harm to you. Where Can I Find Low Carb Recipes? Everywhere on the internet! There’s recipes on almost every health website nowadays, and a quick Google of what you want will definitely help you out. You can even convert high carb recipes that use sugar or fruits in them to low c Continue reading >>
Does The Controversial Ketogenic Diet Really Work? Dietitians Give Their Verdict On The Low Carb High Fat Program Beloved By Celebrities
Favoured by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Gwyneth Paltrow for its rapid results, the Ketogenic Diet has been making headlines non-stop over the past 12 months. The low carbohydrate, high fat program sees participants eat moderate protein and receive the majority of their energy intake from fat. But does it really work? The Dietitians Association of Australia recently weighed in on the controversial diet and revealed the three things people need to consider before jumping on board the Keto bandwagon. The Dietitians Association of Australia recently weighed in on the controversial diet and revealed the three things people need to consider before jumping on board the Keto bandwagon In a recent media alert, the DAA first explained the thinking behind the program and how it works. 'As fat is the main source of energy being consumed, the body must then use this (that is, break it down) as its main energy source or "fuel",' they explained. 'When dietary fat is metabolised for energy, by-products called "ketone bodies" (molecules that are made by the liver from fatty acids) are produced which are used up by the body’s tissues, muscles and the brain. This process is known as "ketosis". 'The body can enter ketosis during times of severe energy restriction (such as during fasting or starvation) or prolonged intense exercise, or when carbohydrate intake is reduced to around 50g per day, or less – the equivalent of around two slices of bread, and a banana.' While there are many low carb, high fat diets available, the Keto Diet remains 'proportionately lower in carbohydrates' at around 20 to 50 grams per day to keep the body 'in a state of ketosis'. When it comes to weight loss, the DAA says those who follow a Keto Diet will 'undoubtedly result in short-term weight loss'. This, Continue reading >>
Why Your Ketogenic Diet Isn’t Working Part One: Underfueling And Overtraining
“My training, racing, and health were all great… until I crashed.” For athletes, it’s not uncommon for the transition to a ketogenic diet from a standard high-carbohydrate diet to look something like this: Take all the carbs out of your diet, cold-turkey - feel awful… Build the metabolic machinery to burn fat more efficiently - feel great! Suddenly, out of nowhere - crash. Like a rollercoaster, you went from feeling terrible to feeling on top of the world, and then back to feeling terrible. The question is “why the crash??” You think: maybe I just need to do a few more fasted training sessions each week. Or, maybe I need to drop my carbs from 30 grams per day to 20 grams per day (broccoli just has too many carbs)... Nope. You might just need to train less and eat more. Still here? Good. This is part one of a series of articles examining potential reasons why a ketogenic diet may fail to produce the expected benefits. Regardless of whether things are just now starting to go downhill, or you never saw results in the first place, the most important step is recognizing that something isn’t right. Getting into nutritional ketosis is one thing, but just because you’re registering 2.0mmol/L on the blood ketone meter doesn’t mean the diet is working for you. Ultimately, performance and health are the goals, and they may or may not coincide with high blood ketones. There are many aspects of life as an endurance athlete that must be accounted for in the equation of optimal health and performance. The most important one that we regularly see is people struggling on a ketogenic diet because they’re underfueling and overtraining. So that’s where we’ll begin! Ultimately, performance and health are the goals, and they may or may not coincide with high blood k Continue reading >>
Does The Ketogenic Diet Work For Women?
There are three things you should never ask a woman: How old are you? Are you pregnant? Do you eat carbs? If you’re a woman, what emotions come up for you when you read that last question? For some women, carbs are associated with their sense of morals, feeling proud if they restrict carbs and guilty if they indulge. Others can’t imagine giving up their daily bread, morning oats, fresh fruit, quinoa salad, or baked sweet potato. The Carbohydrate Conundrum Ever since the Atkins’ Diet first launched in 1972 and re-vamped in 1992, the “low-carb” kick has been part of headline news stories and put low-fat, whole-grain, granola-heads to the test. In recent years, the ketogenic diet of the 1920s has become popular, claiming humans were designed to consume fat as their primary fuel, shunning the mere thought of a sushi roll with rice or pre-workout banana. A typical ketogenic prescription includes a daily plate comprised of 60-70% fat, 20-30% protein, and 10-20% carbohydrate. While the low-carb diet has its critics, research shows convincing claims that ketogenic diets are beneficial, not only for weight loss, but also: With all these benefits, “going ketogenic” seems to be the answer to the diet our society has been looking for: health, brain power, and lean body mass. So what’s the downside? The goal of this article is not to argue whether ketogenic diets are good or bad, but rather is a full-scope look at the benefits and downsides to a ketogenic diet—namely for women. So, if you’re a woman, read on. Low-Carb for Life? A low-carb ketogenic approach can work for fat loss. If you cut out excess sugar and starch, which retain water and stores as fat when overconsumed, your body will naturally make positive body composition adjustments, and as an added bonus Continue reading >>
Not Losing Weight On A Low-carb Ketogenic Diet? Don’t Give Up And Read Further
The ketogenic diet is not only known to be one of the most effective weight loss tools, but has proven to have many health benefits. Ketosis is a state at which your body produces ketones in the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilization. Unless you can check your blood ketones, using Ketostix is an easy way to detect urinary ketones. It's not the most accurate method, but may be good enough to find out whether you are in ketosis. In some cases, weight loss may be difficult even on a low-carb ketogenic diet and there may be a few possible reasons for weight stalling, which I have listed in this post. If you want to know more about the ketogenic diet and how it can help you lose weight, have a look at my Practical Guide to Keto Diet which is freely available on my website also as PDF. 3 free diet plans to help you kickstart your diet, lose weight and get healthy Recipes, giveaways and exclusive deals delivered directly to your inbox A chance to win the KetoDiet app every week Top Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight on a Keto Diet 1. Carbs are Too High Your carbohydrate intake may be too high. Try to decrease your daily carbs limit. Also try to include coconut oil in your diet. Coconut oil consists of MCTs (Medium chain triglycerides), which are easily digestible, less likely to be stored by your body and are used for immediate energy. MCTs are converted in the liver into ketones, which helps you enter ketosis. If you want to know more about carbs, check out this post. For more about ketones, have a look at this post. 2. Protein is Too High or Too Low Your protein intake may be too high/ low. Protein is the most sating macronutrient and you should include high-quality animal protein in your diet. If you don't eat enough protein, you Continue reading >>
Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
These are the top 10 reasons you’re not losing weight on a low carb diet. A great FREE printable for the fridge and an easy reminder to stay on track. Just click on the image below to save the PDF for printing. UPDATE – watch the quick video below. No compatible source was found for this media. Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight Eating LCHF Too Many Carbohydrates – are carbs starting to sneak back into your diet? Be honest and start tracking everything using KetoDietApp. A little treat here and there adds up. Some are more carb sensitive (or insulin resistant) than others. I know that my carbs have to be around 50g/day to be feeling great and in control of my appetite. Lower than that and I will lose a little bit of weight, above that and I know my weight loss will stall. I generally go between 35-70g/day without too much tracking because I have done it for so long. Too Much Fruit – yes I use berries on my breakfast and desserts, but that is it. I allow my children to eat fruit (without gorging) as they are fit, healthy and in the normal weight range. For me, the sugar and fructose in fruit is too much. Sure, enjoy it as a treat and eat only low carb nutritent dense berries. See fruit as an occasional sweet treat. Packed with fibre, antioxidants, nutrients……… “If you are overweight, fruit is not your friend” Too much Dairy – my biggest downfall is milk. I love my lattes and flat whites. Now milk is great, full of protein and calcium, but it also contains about 5% carbs. A latte can range from 9g to 15g carbs depending on the size you choose. Most dairy such as milk, cream and yoghurt contains approximately 4- 5% but you are more likely to drink a large glass of milk, eat a bowl of yoghurt or drink a large latte than eat 250g of full fat cheese Continue reading >>
When Paleo Is Not Working
Filed under: carbohydrates, carbs, clean eating, Diet, fitness, Fruit, health, health/nutrition, healthy, healthy resources, intolerance, lifestyle, lifestyle advice, Motivational, nuts, Paleo, research, Root vegetables, stress, stress management, sweet potato, tips, weight loss Share Tweet Pin it Fancy Add With the New Year, you may have recently embarked on your Paleo journey and are finding it a never ending challenge to transition from your old lifestyle to this new one. You might also be a long time Paleo follower but sometimes find yourself picking away at a fresh loaf of bread, or indulging in some Standard American Fare. It may also just be that you feel as if you are doing everything right, following all the ‘rules’, yet you are failing to see the results in weight loss, increased energy or improved general health. There is so much contradictory and conflicting information out there when it comes to the Paleo lifestyle and it could happen that you are led to make changes based on some wrong information that may not be ideal for YOU in the long term. There are some common pitfalls that novices and veterans alike may want to address when their Paleo plan no longer seems to be working for them. Too Few Carbohydrates. For many when embarking on a Paleo diet carbohydrates can become associated with instant fat gain. This can result in someone limiting their carbohydrate intake to very low amounts. Fat gain (and fat loss for that matter) is much more complicated than that and humans well adapted to function on both carbohydrates and fat for energy. Even when adequate amounts of fat are consumed to make up for the lesser amount of carbohydrates, limiting the amount carbohydrate consumed by too much can lead to intense cravings and binging on unhealthy foods. Sourc Continue reading >>
Which Foods Or Supplements Work To Promote Ketosis?
You’re starting to see exogenous ketone supplements hit the market, but it’s important to note that these supplements do not enhance the production of ketones in your body. It is simply a way of increasing the amount of ketones so to speak. The only two things that I am aware of that promote the production of ketones are coconut oil and MCT oil. Coconut oil contains MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides), but isn’t as potent as MCT oil. Some people, like myself, can’t handle MCT oil but are okay with coconut oil. Continue reading >>
What Is A Ketogenic Diet?
Alright, here’s what the ketogenic diet (often referred to as “keto”) is and the basics of how to follow it. What is the ketogenic diet? For those who don’t know the ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high fat diet (LCHF) with many health benefits. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. The reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. Benefits: Ketogenic diets generally cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased level of ketones provide the numerous cited health benefits. Ketogenic benefits include: Fighting diabetes Epilepsy control Alzheimer’s disease Certain cancers Cognitive performance High blood pressure control Satiety Weight/fat loss Reduced cholesterol levels The most obvious and commonly cited benefits is the decreased insulin levels. This is why fasting becomes a great solution to people’s type 2 diabetes, cushing’s disease and many other metabolic diseases. Fasting as well as the ketogenic diet increases insulin sensitivity, improves insulin resistance and allows your body to use the hormone insulin more effectively (which is important for fat loss). There are also four different classifications of the ketogenic diet. The standard ketogenic diet is accepted as reducing your carbohydrates intake to 5% carbs, with just enough protein (20%, let’s say) and the rest coming from fats. Inflammation is the root cause of so many of our ailments, which lower insulin levels decrease. Energy use: The basic principle around ketogenic diets is that our bodies first port of call f Continue reading >>
Low Carb Vs Keto: Why Ketosis Is Different From A Low Carb Diet
Are you making a critical mistake when it comes to ketosis? I’ve been extremely guilty of it in the past. One of the biggest mistakes for people trying to improve their health is the misconception that a low carbohydrate diet equals a ketogenic diet. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and could be killing your efforts to get all of the health benefits you are looking for. There are some critical differences in what people think a “low-carb high-fat” (LCHF) diet is and what a ketogenic diet is. High carb doesn’t mean diabetic. Just like low carb doesn’t mean ketogenic. If you’re not super down with what ketosis is, it is simply a metabolic state of using fats for energy. This provides a lot of benefits that we can get into later, but long story short, there are numerous benefits that you’re going to be missing out on if you are simply “low-carb” and not definitively in ketosis. Your low carb diet can actually be pretty brutal if it is not a ketogenic diet. As evidence, this is a maddening conversation that bubbles up more and more as I won’t shut up about ketogenic diets: Person: “Yeah, I tried ketosis and it sucked, I felt awful. Doesn’t work for me.” Me: “Hmm, that’s weird, did you check your ketone levels?” Person: “No. But, I was low carb. Ketosis isn’t for me. It sucks.” Me: “Well… low carb doesn’t mean you’re burning fats and utilizing ketones, so your body was still probably trying to use carbs as fuel, but you didn’t have enough around eating low carb, which is why it sucked.” Person: “I’m not tracking. Ketosis sucks. And so do you.” This person was low-carb, not keto. There is a huge difference. By why? Time for some definitions: Low-carb: Eating an arbitrarily “low” number of carbohydrates, or just a Continue reading >>
In Ketosis, But Not Losing Weight?
In ketosis, but not losing weight? If so, you are not the only one. Many people hit plateaus eventually… Some sooner, and some later than others. A ketogenic diet is a diet consists of high fats and high proteins, with carb intake at only 50 grams of carbs or less per day. The reason this diet has become so popular is because of the dramatic weight loss that happens in the first 4 weeks of following it. The point of a ketogenic diet is to turn the switch in your body from using carbs as energy, to using fats (lipids) as energy. The results can be pretty fast, but there are downsides. The first 3 days of starting a ketogenic diet is referred to as the keto flu because of how it affects your body and mind. The most common side effects of the keto flu are headaches, irritability, mood swings, diarrhea, and energy loss. The keto flu is the point in time when your body is switching from using carbs as energy and produces ketones that signals the body to use fat as energy. Let’s talk about a few different scenarios that can be the cause of a weight loss plateau during a keto diet. Calorie Intake The single most important part of losing weight for any kind of diet that is out there is of course your calorie intake – a lot of people on a keto diet come to the conclusion that they can eat anything as long as there are very little or no carbs. It’s only true to an extent. Sure, you can eat things like bacon, ham, hot dogs, burgers, etc, but you still have to intake the right amount of calories. Just because your body is using fat as energy, does not mean you can eat a ton of calories. You can eat absolutely no carbs, but if your calorie intake is high, you are not able to lose weight and in fact will gain weight if too many calories are taken in. Exercise The next problem Continue reading >>
How To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat Through Ketosis
Losing stubborn belly fat is one of the biggest challenges when getting in shape. Belly fat is not only aesthetically unappealing, it has health consequences. It can make you vulnerable to many conditions such as diabetes and heart problems. In this blog, we will share with you why belly fat is so ‘stubborn’ to burn, explain what exactly is Ketosis and how you can lose stubborn belly fat through Ketosis. We will also share a specific exercise and a diet plan to help burn this belly fat. What is Stubborn Belly fat and why it is bad for our health? While you may have fat all over different parts of your body, it isn’t the same. Stubborn belly fat is the soft layers of fat around the waistline that covers your abs. To be more precise, there are three types of fat: Triglycerides– A fat circulates in your blood Subcutaneous Fat– The layer of fat directly below the skin’s surface. This is the fat you can grab with your hands Visceral Fat– The dangerous fat. This is located beneath the muscles in your stomach Belly fat unfortunately does not just sit still. Some visceral fat is necessary, but too much can lead to health problems. You can estimate whether you are carrying too much belly fat by measuring your waist with tape. Anything over 80 cm (31.5 inches) in women and 94 cm (37 inches) can provoke health issues. Carrying excess visceral fat is associated with an increased risk for: Coronary heart disease Cancer Stroke Dementia Diabetes Depression Arthritis Obesity Sexual dysfunction Sleep disorders Why is Stubborn belly fat so “Stubborn”? To understand what makes belly fat so difficult to burn,let’s dive into the biology. Burning fat is a two-part process: Lipolysis is the process whereby fat cells release molecules of stored fat into the blood. Oxidation Continue reading >>
Top 15 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight On A Low-carb Diet
Low-carb diets are very effective. That is a scientific fact. However, as with any diet, people sometimes stop losing before they reach their desired weight. Here are the top 15 reasons why you're not losing weight on a low-carb diet. Weight loss isn't a linear process. If you weigh yourself every day, then there will be days where the scale goes down, other days where it goes up. It doesn't mean that the diet isn't working, as long as the general trend is going downwards. Many people lose a lot of weight in the first week of low-carbing, but it is mostly water weight. Weight loss will slow down significantly after that initial phase. Of course, losing weight is not the same as losing fat. It is possible, especially if you're new to weight lifting, that you are gaining muscle at the same time that you're losing fat. To make sure that you're losing, use something other than just the scale (which is a big, fat liar). Use a measuring tape to measure your waist circumference and have your body fat percentage measured every month or so. Also, take pictures. Take note of how your clothes fit. If you're looking thinner and your clothes are looser, then you ARE losing fat no matter what the scale says. Weight loss isn’t linear and there’s a lot more to weight than just body fat. Be patient and use other ways of measuring than just the scale. Some people are more carb sensitive than others. If you're eating low-carb and your weight starts to plateau, then you may want to cut back on carbs even further. In that case, go under 50 grams of carbs per day. When you go under 50 grams per day then you're going to have to eliminate most fruits from your diet, although you can have berries in small amounts. If that doesn't work either, going under 20 grams temporarily can work... eat Continue reading >>
Ketosis: What Is Ketosis?
Ketosis is a normal metabolic process. When the body does not have enough glucose for energy, it burns stored fats instead; this results in a build-up of acids called ketones within the body. Some people encourage ketosis by following a diet called the ketogenic or low-carb diet. The aim of the diet is to try and burn unwanted fat by forcing the body to rely on fat for energy, rather than carbohydrates. Ketosis is also commonly observed in patients with diabetes, as the process can occur if the body does not have enough insulin or is not using insulin correctly. Problems associated with extreme levels of ketosis are more likely to develop in patients with type 1 diabetes compared with type 2 diabetes patients. Ketosis occurs when the body does not have sufficient access to its primary fuel source, glucose. Ketosis describes a condition where fat stores are broken down to produce energy, which also produces ketones, a type of acid. As ketone levels rise, the acidity of the blood also increases, leading to ketoacidosis, a serious condition that can prove fatal. People with type 1 diabetes are more likely to develop ketoacidosis, for which emergency medical treatment is required to avoid or treat diabetic coma. Some people follow a ketogenic (low-carb) diet to try to lose weight by forcing the body to burn fat stores. What is ketosis? In normal circumstances, the body's cells use glucose as their primary form of energy. Glucose is typically derived from dietary carbohydrates, including: sugar - such as fruits and milk or yogurt starchy foods - such as bread and pasta The body breaks these down into simple sugars. Glucose can either be used to fuel the body or be stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. If there is not enough glucose available to meet energy demands, th Continue reading >>
Does Ketosis Makes Your Brain Work Better And Faster?
Ketosis won't make you smarter, it won't increase your IQ, nor will it give you super powers. However, I believe that for most people ketosis will not impede brain function, either. Some studies postulate that the brain prefers to function in a state of ketosis, making it more efficient at going about its business. BHB (a major ketone) may be an even more efficient fuel than glucose, providing more energy per unit oxygen used. From my layperson's perspective, it makes sense that ketosis is beneficial for brain function, especially when paired with the knowledge that ketosis was (and is sometimes still) used as a treatment for seizures, which originate in the brain. For more information on the varied benefits of ketosis, see my answer to Is the Keto diet effective? Continue reading >>
