When you decide to go on a diet, there is only one goal in mind, regardless of the cost and the sacrifice it includes. All you want to achieve is weight loss. This is true for those who tried doing it through the very popular ketogenic diet.
What Is a Ketogenic Diet?
It is a type of diet where you restrict yourself from eating sugar and carbohydrates and then increase your fat intake. This way, without carbs and glucose to burn, your body turns into fat-burning mode. And then, it enters into a stage known as ketosis. For this reason, the ketogenic diet has become a popular choice for those who want to lose weight.
After all, due to the popularity of this diet, some dishes serve as a substitute for carbs and sugar. If you miss your bread, you can eat sugar-free bread made of almond flour. If you miss your noodles, you can try the shirataki noodles. There are also keto-friendly pizzas for your snacking needs and almond milk for your dairy needs.
Once you enter the stage of ketosis, you will immediately see results within five to six days. You can weigh in and see four to five pounds shed on your total weight. And with fats becoming your body fuel, you can move more. Also, your brain will become more efficient, and you will have longer hours of sleep. That is all because of this remarkable diet.
Unfortunately, there are instances when weight loss stops. This might be a cause for alarm to some. By knowing the possible reasons, you will learn how to avoid a stall and still enjoy the weight loss benefits of the ketogenic diet.
1. Not Getting Into Ketosis
This is the most common reason weight loss fails on this type of diet. The main reason behind this is that your carbs are too much compared to the acceptable intake. According to research, carb intake on the keto diet should be within the 5% to 10% range to achieve ketosis. This is around 20 to 50 grams of carbs that you are allowed to eat every day. You get “kicked out” from ketosis when you go beyond this, and weight loss is put on hold.
Your body must starve from carbs to achieve ketosis. It must produce energy from fats rather than glucose. And when energy comes from fats, it means you are in a state of fat burning. That’s when weight loss happens.
Begin to say goodbye to the carbohydrates you eat. This means you will stop eating bread, rice, root crops, and the likes. There are lists that are available online. Moreover, begin to embrace the fact that your diet will be dominated by food filled with healthy kinds of fat.
2. Consuming Too Much Protein and Carbs
It is a fact that there are “acceptable” carbs you can take. Some of them include nuts and dairy products. They are high in fats and make an excellent addition to the keto diet. But they still contain carbs. And when you go beyond the 5% to 10% macros, you defeat the purpose of carbohydrates starvation.
This goes the same with excessive protein consumption. Some people think a low-carb diet means you can choose to go high in protein. This is good to some extent, but you will never achieve the state of ketosis. Research shows that when too much protein is burned by your body, it turns into amino acids, which turn into blood sugar.
To achieve ketosis, you need to get your calories from about 56% to 60% of fats. Then your protein intake should be about 35%. And the small percent left should make up your carb intake. This is the most effective way to reach ketosis, which leads to weight loss.
3. Too Much Stress
High levels of stress can also cause weight loss to stop on the keto diet. This is because scientific studies show that stress causes hormone levels to adjust. It prioritizes other things than ketosis. This leads not only for weight loss to stop. But it even leads to weight gain. Because of stress, you will begin to crave comfort food, carbs, and sugar.
You cannot avoid stress, but you can control it. Here are the ways to do it:
Remember that there are seven days a week and 24 hours a day. Work six days and take one day off. When you take a day off, turn off your business phone and do not check emails. Spend it to enjoy that day and enjoy yourself. Do things that make you happy.
To sleep longer, invest in a big, soft bed. In addition, use clean, soft pillows and blankets. You can also opt for sleep improvement solutions like under-the-cover bed fansto guarantee a good night’s sleep.
Not only does it ease stress, but it is also healthy for the mind and body. Also, it stimulates your metabolism and burns calories. As a result, the weight loss process is also reinforced.
Final Thoughts
Being on a keto diet is both a challenge and a pleasure. Like any diet, it requires some sacrifice and giving up. What’s good about it is that you give up food unhealthy for the body and replace it with something beneficial for your health and well-being.
