If you’re hoping to lose weight on the ketogenic diet, we have some proven to work powerful tips to help you. But before we get started, remember that weight loss is not a linear process so there will be some weight fluctuations (think eating out and weekends) throughout your weight loss journey [1].
What Is The Keto Diet?
The keto diet is a low carb, a high-fat diet where 60-75% of your daily calories will come from fat, 15-30% from protein, and the rest from carbs. When you’re on the keto diet, your body will eventually run out of glucose, it’s primary fuel source, and then be forced to use fat for fuel. Your body will convert fat into ketones and use it for energy via a process called ketosis [2].
Ketosis has many health benefits such as improved cognitive performance, and it has also been used as adjuvant therapy for several health conditions such as epilepsy and cancer.
Can You Lose Weight On Keto?
Here are some ways the ketogenic diet can help you lose weight.
Sugar elimination
You can’t consume sugar on the ketogenic diet, and sugar consumption has been linked to increased weight gain, including abdominal fat. Lowering carb intake has also been shown to promote weight loss [3].
High protein
The keto diet allows a generous protein intake of up to 15-30% of your daily calories per day. High protein diets have been found to suppress appetite and increase satiety by reducing ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and increasing peptide YY (Satiety hormone) [4].
Improves insulin sensitivity
Insulin resistance has been linked to weight gain and obesity. The ketogenic diet can promote weight loss by improving insulin sensitivity [5].
Burns more calories
Some studies have found that the keto diet is better for weight loss than other types of diets. One study examined the long term effectiveness of the keto diet in obese patients. In this study, 83 obese patients were put on the ketogenic diet for 24 weeks. Results revealed a significant reduction in body weight and BMI. They also found a significant improvement in cholesterol profile and blood glucose level. The study concluded that the keto diet was safer to administer for a relatively long period and that it did not cause any significant adverse effects [6].
5 Tips to Speed Up Weight Loss On Keto
1. Print a list of high-calorie keto foods
If you ingest more calories than your body needs, you’ll gain weight, and if you consume fewer calories, you’ll lose weight. Find out your daily macros using a keto calculator and stick to it. Some keto-friendly foods such as avocados, peanut butter, and cheese are calorie-dense, and you could easily overeat them. E.g., two tablespoons of peanut butter have 188 calories, and one avocado has 322 calories.
If you need to consume 1300 calories per day to lose weight and you spend 510 calories on avocado and some peanut butter, you’re not going to have many calories left for the rest of your meals. You may also forget about the calories and end up overeating.
Print or write down a list of high-calorie keto foods and stick it somewhere in your kitchen or bedroom. It will act as a quick reminder to watch your calories when you’re eating those foods. You could also save high-calorie foods for the last meal of the day. E.g., if you love peanut butter, keep it for dinner so you know exactly how many calories you may have left to squeeze in some peanut butter.
2. Meal Plan
Meal prepping can make it easier to make sure you get the right amount of your macros (carbs, protein, and fat) in each meal [7]. It will also save you the time and stress of deciding what to cook every day. You can even make some delicious low carb snacks and desserts to fit in your macros with each meal.
If you don’t like the idea of meal prepping, consider creating a weekly meal plan, so you know exactly what and how much of each item you need for each meal. Meal planning will also make it easier to buy your groceries because you already know the things you need to buy.
3. Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is when you follow cyclical eating and fasting plan. This means you would fast for a certain period, and eat during a particular time frame. Some people fast for several days a week while others fast for once a day or a few hours every week. Intermittent fasting is popular in the keto community for its weight loss and overall health benefits [8]. Three of the most popular types of intermittent fasting are:
- 16:8- fasting for 16 hours and eating during an 8 hour time frame
- 23:1- fasting for 23 hours and eating during a 1-hour time frame
- 20:4- fasting for 20 hours and eating during a 4-hour time frame
The 16:8 fasting protocol is the most commonly practiced one and it’s more than enough to reap the weight loss benefits of intermittent fasting. It’s also easier to follow than the other two types because you’ll already be in a fasting state when you’re sleeping and then you have to skip your breakfast.
4. Practice High-Intensity Intermittent Training (HIIT)
HIIT is a popular and proven way to speed up weight loss, especially in the abdominal region and it’s easy to incorporate it into any exercise [9]. E.g., if you like walking, you could walk at your average pace for 1 minute, brisk walk for 2 minutes, walk at your maximum speed for 1 minute and then slow down for another minute. Repeat this 5-15 times for a fat-burning workout.
5: Track your food and drinks consumption
Keep a food diary or use a weight loss app to track your daily food and drinks consumption. It will make it easier to see what you’re doing right and where you need to improve [10]. Some weight loss apps also have built-in communities where you can interact with others, join challenges, and receive support.
Conclusion
Some small things such as tracking your food intake and keeping an eye on high-calorie keto foods can make a big difference to your weight loss workout plan journey. Practicing intermittent fasting and high-intensity interval training are also proven ways to lose weight faster on keto.
