In terms of importance, as far as our health and wellness is concerned, making the correct dietary choices is essential. The problem, however, is that we do not always make the correct dietary choices, and our health is suffering as a result. Whether you’re looking to shed some weight, tone your muscles, or give your overall health a complete overhaul, one of the most important things you need to consider is your diet. Recently a lot has been said about the keto diet. Keto is basically a low carb, moderate protein, high fat diet taking the fitness industry by storm. It offers multiple benefits, though there is a lot to consider. Here’s a look at 5 things you need to know before starting keto.
You shouldn’t get too excited about your weight loss at first
Once you switch to keto and enter a ketogenic state, you’ll find that the weight falls off you like never before. During the first couple of weeks, losses of 5 – 7 pounds are not uncommon. But don’t celebrate just yet, as the majority of that weight will actually be water. Don’t get us wrong, you will lose some fat, but most of the weight you lose at first is in fact water. The simple truth is that it is virtually impossible to lose upwards of 14 pounds of fat in two weeks, no matter how strict you are or how hard you work.
You need to be wary of too much protein
Protein promotes muscle growth and repair, so surely the more protein you consume on keto, the more jacked you will look? Well, actually, no. The truth is that too much protein can in fact be detrimental to keto and could knock you out of ketosis. Most keto diets recommend that you get roughly 20% of your daily calories from protein.
Be sure to get plenty of good fats
Keto is a high fat diet, but don’t go reaching for the heavy cream, cheese, and bacon just yet. You see, whereas you can get away with a little unhealthy fats, for health purposes you should try to ensure that you get enough good fats in your diet. Healthy fats reduce LDL cholesterol, they reduce your blood pressure, they help to improve cardiovascular health, and they do a whole lot more on top of that.
You still need to track your macros
Being on keto is not an excuse to eat copious amounts of salmon, red meat, cheese, nuts, bacon, and anything else that takes your fancy. To ensure that you lose weight on keto and maintain lean muscle tissue you will need to make sure that you track your macros. Ideally you want 75% of your calories to come from fats, 20% to come from protein, and a max of 5% of your calories to come from carbs.
Be prepared for keto flu
Whereas keto flu isn’t an actual strain of the flu, it still makes you feel pretty awful. Keto flu can cause headaches, it can leave you feeling tired, it can leave you feeling foggy headed, and generally unwell. It occurs when your body transitions over into a ketogenic state when it lacks carbs. Keto flu lasts roughly 2 – 4 days, but once it’s passed, you’ll feel amazing.
