【Most Complete】 – Keto Diet Weight Loss Guide for Beginners
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, low-protein diet with moderate supplementation of other nutrients that has been supported and recommended by many celebrities, doctors, and dietitians around the world in recent years. In addition to weight loss, the keto diet can reduce insulin resistance, lower blood sugar, and enhance cardiovascular health to some degree.
How the Keto Diet Weight Loss Works
Under normal conditions, the body prefers to use glucose (from foods high in carbohydrates) as an energy source. In the absence of sufficient glucose as an energy source, the body uses fat metabolites and shifts the body from consuming carbohydrates for energy to consuming fat for energy. Thus, a keto diet promotes the body’s fat metabolism, leading to a reduction in body fat. Since the keto diet consumes almost no digestible carbohydrates, it can be very effective in lowering blood sugar and reducing insulin resistance.
Dietary Requirements of the Keto Diet
There are many things you should not eat during the keto diet weight loss, as referenced below.
— All regular staple foods: bread, rice, noodles, rice flour, meatloaf, pancakes, buns, and steamed buns.
— Almost all snacks that can be found in supermarkets: cookies, cakes, rice crackers, and ice cream.
— Almost all fruits: except avocado.
— A few vegetables: vegetables can generally be used above ground (e.g. leafy greens, tomatoes, etc.); below-ground vegetables are not recommended (e.g. potatoes and carrots).
— Some nuts: peanuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews
— Almost any beverage usually has a sweet taste: fruit juices, soy milk, milk tea, lattes, and Frappuccinos.
— Since the keto diet consumes a lot of animal products, users who are allergic to animal proteins, or are vegetarians, should consider whether they can accept a relatively complex diet plan.
The Keto Diet Weight Loss is Suitable for People
People who have stuck to the diet plan for a long time or have tried various other diets without good results, please remember not to go on a keto diet for weight loss for a long time. The first keto diet is recommended to last for 1 month, after which it is best not to go on keto for more than 1-2 months at a time.
After ketosis, it is recommended to continue on a low-carb diet for a while and then slowly return to a normal diet structure.
Contraindications to the Keto Diet Weight Loss
Those with severe heart, liver, spleen, lung, or kidney dysfunction.
Patients with severe liver impairment, chronic metabolic acidosis, and severe cardiovascular disease.
Patients use medications such as (anti-epileptic drugs such as zonisamide & acetazolamide).
During pregnancy and lactation.
FAQ About the Keto Diet Weight Loss
1、The “flu” of Keto Effects
In the early stages of a keto diet, many people will feel fatigued because they have consumed all of their carbohydrates. During the early stages of the keto state, you may also feel dizzy, nauseous, fatigued, inattentive, irritable, depressed, and other flu-like states. This state will last about 2-3 days; its length and severity will vary from person to person.
2、Micronutrient & Dietary Fiber Deficiencies
Since micronutrient deficiencies (such as B vitamins) can quickly occur during a keto diet, additional vitamin supplementation is recommended during a keto diet.
If you consume an adequate amount of vegetables in your diet, you will not be deficient in dietary fiber, but it is still recommended to consider additional dietary fiber supplements.
3、Protein Intake is Too Low or Too High
【Low protein intake】: Many people will choose to drink oil and not eat meat to achieve keto results, for fear of protein explosion. But this will seriously affect the health of the body. Insufficient protein intake can cause serious adverse reactions. Do not rely on drinking oil to enter a keto state.
【Excessive protein intake】: Too much protein intake, protein will produce sugar in the body through the so-called “glycation” so it is difficult to enter the keto state.
4、An Unconscious & Sudden Intake of Carbohydrates or Sudden Intake of Protein Can Lead to The Withdrawal of Ketone Bodies
Consciously consuming too many carbohydrates or proteins in your life can lead to a decrease in ketone bodies in your urine, which can lead to ketosis. Please don’t feel like you’ve lost everything because your ketones have dropped, just keep following your diet rules and get into ketosis again.
5、The Diet Structure is Too Single
Many people strictly limit the abundance of food because they don’t know what they can eat during the keto period (such as eating only grilled meat and cabbage), which can easily lead to an unbalanced diet and affect health (women are prone to menstrual disorders). It is also difficult to follow a single food type for a long period, which can lead to overeating and rebound after weight loss. It is recommended not to limit the types of foods you eat, but to eat as many foods as possible.
How to Tell If You Have Ketosis
①、Self-observation
In a keto state, the body will show these signs, such as thirst, frequent urination, bad breath, more focused memory, and a better mental state. Friends can observe their situation.
Pros: economical and convenient
Cons: too subjective, may lead to inaccurate judgment results
②、Urine Ketone Body Test Paper Determination
This is generally available in pharmacies or hospitals. We can put the square end into the urine for 2 seconds and then remove it, gently absorb the excess urine with absorbent paper, compare the color with the colorimetric card in the bottle for about 30 seconds, and look at the change of the + sign to determine whether it enters the ketone body.
Pros. Quick, convenient, affordable, easy to grasp
Cons: not allowed to use again after a while, more suitable for first-time use
③、 Blood Ketone Meter Determination
This test is slightly bloody and requires poking your finger and putting a drop of blood on the test paper to determine if you are in ketosis by reading the data.
Pros: High accuracy, known as the best standard for measuring ketosis
Cons: Compared with the first two testing methods, the price is slightly higher, in addition, the finger will be a little painful, and friends who are afraid of pain need to endure a little oh.
④、Breathing Ketone Body Meter
This requires the installation of the appropriate software on the computer, through the exhaled gas, according to the instrument flashing different color lights can determine the concentration of acetone, the concentration from low to high are: blue, green, yellow, and red.
Pros: compared with the urine ketone test, more accurate and convenient, as long as the blowing can be.
Cons: inconvenient to use, the current price is about $200, and the test data is also susceptible to alcohol and other beverages.
Tips：
In addition, some foods, such as coconut oil, can affect the concentration of ketone bodies, because they contain a large amount of MCT, which can quickly enter the liver and be converted into ketone bodies, so try not to eat before measurement, so as not to affect the accuracy of the results.