The ketogenic diet is one of the effective ways to lose weight and comes with tons of benefits which include improved mental cognition, balanced body hormones and relief from symptoms of various diseases like diabetes, some types of cancers. Ideally, when you enter a state of ketosis, your body switches from using glucose to using mainly ketones for fuel, but how long does it take to get into ketosis? Here is your guide on how to get into ketosis:
Tips to Get Into Ketosis
Ketosis makes it easier for your body to access and burn fat, rather than rely on carbs as an immediate energy source. The following are tips on how to get your body into ketosis. They will help you make sure your body uses fat for energy generation.
Here are 6 proven & effective tips to get into ketosis.
1. Focus on lower carb intake
When starting a low carb diet like Keto, some people find comfort in cutting out carbs gradually. However, if you want to get into ketosis fast, you need to have a significant drop in the number of carbs you eat daily. 20g to 25g net carbs is the average safety amount that will work for anybody on this diet. Your limit might be a bit higher (up to 100g), especially if you are an athlete or an advanced weight lifter.
2. Eat enough healthy fats
Healthy fats make up for a large component of the Keto diet. Though it may take a while to transition into this style of diet, be sure to increase the intake of quality fats, at least 75 to 80% of your calories. This will eventually help your body transition to using fat as its main source of energy. However, if your aim is to cut weight, it is; therefore, advisable to reduce your fat intake gradually. This will help your cells to burn fat stores instead of dietary fat.
Eating a lot of healthy fats is going to help you reach ketosis faster because healthy fats help you increase your Ketone levels. You are advised to choose your sources of fat wisely to ensure that your Ketone levels are more sustainable. Some of the Healthy fats that you need to include in your diet are:
3. Take Exogenous Ketones
One of the practical and effective ways of getting into Ketosis is by taking exogenous Ketones. They are nutritional supplements that help to reduce the chances of getting Keto flu as well as speeding up your ketosis process. Taking exogenous Ketones for long can also speed up the process of Keto adaptation.
Exogenous Ketones act as an alternative source of energy to your body which is even more efficient than glucose. By consuming it along with carbohydrates, your body will burn the ketones first hence, saving carbs for later use. This eventually allows you to enter a metabolic state that would not have occurred naturally.
The most effective exogenous ketones are the ones made with beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Our bodies produce three types of ketone bodies for energy which include BHB, acetone and acetoacetate (AcAc) and each is used by the body in a different way. BHB is the most abundant, which is why it is often used in exogenous ketones.
Exogenous Ketones
Exogenous ketones include Ketone esters and Ketone salts. Both can quickly induce a deep state of ketosis without fasting or involving any diet.
4. Do more exercise at the beginning
Working out will help to deplete the reservoir of stored glycogen. When glycogen reserves are low, and not being refilled with carbs, the body turns to burn fat for fuel. Therefore, increasing your exercise power can help you enter ketosis faster. Workout accompanied with slow cardio exercises such as walking, very light jogging and hiking are highly recommended.
Remember: Avoid intensive workouts that would involve your heart rate to go up too high such as sprints and heavy compound lifts at the beginning of this diet. Once your body has gotten used to using fat for energy, you can then start performing exercises. However, if you are an athlete, an intermediate or advanced lifter, you don’t need to start off with low-intensity exercises.
5. Take a lot of protein
Eating plenty of healthy protein is essential for inducing ketosis. Protein provides important nutrients you need to be healthy. In addition to this, protein in combination with healthy fat is highly satiating hence, your body makes Ketones from it, and so your body won't slow down or start breaking down muscle for energy.
Therefore, when it comes to choosing your dietary proteins, you will want to stick with anything organic or grass fed. Some of the best types of proteins for Keto are:
6. Start intermittent fasting
Fasting simply means creating an eating schedule. It doesn’t necessarily involve changing what you eat. It’s associated with a number of health benefits, including improved concentration, reduced blood sugar levels, and faster weight loss, plus it also decreases symptoms of various diseases. When intermittent fasting is used in combination with a Keto diet, it can help you get into ketosis faster and aids in weight and fat loss as well.
Fasting actively limits your consumption of calories and it can be done in 3 approaches. These include:
Take Away Tips
Verdict
Getting into ketosis isn’t an easy task, but it can be achieved by following the right diet and looking after yourself. All you need to do is to follow the Ketogenic diet which involves cutting down on carbs, eating lots of fat and moderate amounts of proteins as well.