ketosis
You may have heard of a high-fat low carb approach to losing weight that continues to gain popularity. It has changed the way people lose weight and think about food.
If you’re new to the ketogenic diet and want to get started today, then check out: Frequently asked Questions about Keto
The aim of the ketogenic diet is to get your body into a state of ‘ketosis’.
When your body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates; your cells start to burn fat to produce energy. As part of this process, it makes ketones.
Sounds great but there is a catch.
It can often be hard to know if you’re in ketosis or not.
So the question is…how can you be sure?
Use this simple guide to see our 11 signs that you are in ketosis.
1. FAST WEIGHT LOSS
Rapid and dramatic weight loss is one of the more positive and obvious signs that you are in ketosis.
Typically, in the first week of the keto diet, people see a very quick drop in weight — anywhere from a few pounds to as much as 10!
Now… you may be thinking;
“How is this much weight loss possible? And is it safe and maintainable?”
Firstly, a lot of the initial weight loss will be stored as carbs and water.
Nevertheless, seeing fast weight loss when you start a new diet is both incredibly satisfying and motivating.
When in ketosis the body breaks down carbohydrates into glycogen which it stores in the muscles and liver. Attached to each gram of glycogen is approximately 4 grams of water.
That’s a lot of excess water weight right?!
Your body is forced to use up these glycogen stores as energy; since you’re no longer eating carbohydrates in your diet.
And the water molecules have nothing to attach to so are therefore flushed from your system.
After the initial week of rapid weight loss, it’s quite normal to expect a slower but consistent drop in body weight.
With glycogen reserves depleted, you can be confident that any further weight loss is coming from stored body fat.
2. REDUCED APPETITE
Many newcomers to the ketogenic diet, for the first time in their lives, report a decreased appetite and feelings of satiety.
It’s a great feeling if you have been struggling to lose weight from over-eating or snacking in the past.
Imagine: no more hunger pangs, cravings or binge eating. Not to mention the shame and guilt we pile on ourselves for ruining our diet.
So how can a ‘diet’ make you feel full and not crave food and snacks?
The high amounts of fat consumed on the ketogenic diet are intensely satisfying and keep hunger locked away for hours.
Fat also has a much lower impact on blood sugar levels.
This results in stable insulin levels which is crucial to weight loss and eliminating hunger pangs.
Ketogenic diets also require you to consume medium amounts of protein.
And like fats, eating healthy protein will keep you feeling full after meals.
Not only do high protein foods help to rev your metabolism but they have an interesting effect on your ‘hunger hormones’ – leptin and ghrelin.
Without becoming too technical, protein boosts your ‘satiety hormone’ (leptin), while reducing your ‘hunger hormone’ (ghrelin).
4. DIGESTIVE TROUBLES
Constipation and diarrhoea are further signs you are in ketosis.
If you’re lucky, you may not experience digestive issues at all. However, these symptoms usually subside as your body adapts.
Make sure you add plenty of keto approved vegetablesand fruits to minimize effects further.
Choose foods such as; Avocado, Spinach, Cucumbers, Zucchini and Berries
5. INSOMNIA
One of the less desirable signs you are in ketosis can be insomnia.
I recall how I would wake up at night and struggle to fall back asleep. Even so, despite the frustration of insomnia, I would rarely feel tired the following day.
Best of all, this symptom of ketosis should improve within a week or two.
And once you’ve made the transition, you’ll not only enjoy better sleep than before adapting to keto but you may also need less sleep.
What I found really helpful when I was having trouble sleeping was this humidifier and a few drops of Lavender Essential oil.
6. BAD BREATH
People often report bad breath once they reach full ketosis.
It’s actually a common side effect. Many people on ketogenic diets and similar diets report that their breath takes on a fruity smell.
This is caused by elevated ketone levels. The specific ketone is acetone, a ketone that exits the body in your urine and breath.
While this breath may be less than ideal for your social life, it can be a positive sign for your diet. Many ketogenic dieters brush their teeth several times per day or use sugar-free gum to solve the issue.
The ketone acetone is partly expelled via your breath, which can cause bad or fruity-smelling breath on a ketogenic di
Luckily, any bad breath is only temporary on the keto diet and will subside as your body learns to run on ketones.
In the meantime, chewing gum and mints will go a long way to keeping your breath smelling fresh.
What I found particularly helpful when I was going through the early phases of Keto and struggling with bad breath was to keep hydrated and use this Mouthwash and this toothpaste.
Don’t worry too much as when you make the transition from Ketosis to Keto adapted this problem should go away.
7. TEMPORARY FATIGUE
Hold on! Didn’t I just say that following a keto diet GIVES you energy?
It is true however while your body makes the transition to ketosis, short-term fatigue is a well-known side effect.
Your body has learned how to use and burn carbs efficiently all your life. So when you start a ketogenic diet, your body is forced to change to a whole new process.
It must now learn to burn a different fuel source as efficiently as it once did with carbohydrates.
But expecting instant results is impossible and unrealistic.
Feeling fatigue and weakness is what causes many people to abandon the ketogenic diet.
However, remembering that this is a temporary feeling should motivate you to keep going.
8. INCREASED KETONES
The whole point of a ketogenic diet is to force your body to ramp up the production of ketones.
Insulin levels fall and your body releases fatty acids into the bloodstream.
Your liver then converts these fatty acids into ketones to be used as energy.
You can detect elevated levels of ketones quite easily by using a ketone breath analyzer.
Ketone strips are a cheaper alternative but can give inaccurate readings if you have drunk too much water. I, however, did use them when I first started out on Keto just to make sure I was heading in the right direction.
9. A DECREASE IN EXERCISE PERFORMANCE
As discussed above, removing carbs can lead to general tiredness at first. This includes an initial decrease in exercise performance.
It is mainly caused by the reduction in your muscles’ glycogen stores, which provide the main and most efficient fuel source for all forms of high-intensity exercise.
After several weeks, many ketogenic dieters state that their performance returns to normal.
In certain types of ultra-endurance sports and events, a ketogenic diet could actually be beneficial.
There are also some further benefits, primarily an increased ability to burn more fat during exercise.
One study found that athletes who had switched to a ketogenic diet burned as much as 230% more fat when they exercised, compared to athletes who were not on a ketogenic diet
Short-term decreases in performance can occur. However, they tend to improve again after the initial adaptation phase is over.
When I found that my performance was not up to scratch and I was struggling to lift weights, I added in this Keto friendly protein shake.
It not only helped me add more protein to my diet but really aided me to get back to my optimum performance in the gym. It comes in a few different flavors so you can decide which one you would prefer.
10. TEMPORARY HAIR LOSS
Yes an odd one to say the least but when i started on my Keto journey i found that my hair started to fall out. The more i researched the more i noticed that this seems to be a common issue especially with women. It seems that this normally happens within 3-6 months of starting the diet.
Thankfully this is a temporary problem and should rectify itself within a few months. Just make sure that you are eating enough calories and not letting yourself go hungry.
11. LEG CRAMPS
Another sign that you may be in ketosis is leg cramps. These are caused by an Electrolyte imbalance so make sure you are taking enough potassium, magnesium and sodium.
2300mg Sodium
1000- 4700mg potassium
300- 400mg magnesium
What I found particularly helpful when I was suffering from these types of muscle cramps was this Magnesium Oil.
