The keto diet has become the new fad diet on the Internet now, but does it actually deliver weight loss results? As it stands, a keto diet can definitely help with weight loss while also improving your eating habits. Here’s how you can use keto to achieve your weight goals.
A stricter LCHF diet
Low Carb-High Fat diets, as the name suggests, are diets where you reduce your carb intake and replace it with a higher fat intake. Your daily carb intake would be pushed well below 100g per day. But a keto diet pushes the bar even lower. In a keto diet, you’re only allowed to consume 20-30 grams of carbs a day. And with most food items having some amount of carbs, you have no room to include any sugary or carb-rich foods in your diet.
You’re expected to rely more on protein and healthy fats to reach your daily calorie goals. They take longer to consume and keep you satiated for longer. Plus, they help in improving blood sugar levels, energy levels, and eating habits as well. The golden rule is to have a diet consisting of 55% fats, 35% protein, and 10% carbs. Following this rule will ensure healthy weight loss.
What to eat and what to avoid
As mentioned, your carb intake is strictly limited. Fiber foods must be your only source of carbs, as fiber takes much longer than simple sugars to be broken down. Green veggies are the best source of fiber, including foods such as broccoli, kale, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and capsicum. Other good sources are bell peppers, radish, and onions. They are high in fiber and low in simple sugars. Avoid potatoes as they are rich in starch.
You must have a good portion of protein in each meal. Rely on meats such as chicken, turkey, and ham. You can even have eggs and fish as they are also high in healthy fats. Avoid nuts as they have more carbs than you can incorporate into your diet. Also, avoid kidney beans and lentils. If you’re a vegetarian, you can have soya and pinto beans.
Keto and intermittent fasting
It’s very popular to combine keto with intermittent fasting for better results. You can follow a keto diet, which consists of very little carbs and a high amount of protein and fats, while also restricting your daily eating to a period of the day. During your fasting period, you’ll only be allowed to drink fluids like water and green tea to avoid breaking your fast and keeping the hunger pangs away.
There are many different methods of intermittent fasting, but the best one to combine with a keto diet would be the 16/8 method. You have an eating period of 8 hours and then you fast for 16 hours. Develop a plan where your sleeping hours are included in the 16 hours as your body is in a natural fat-burning stage during sleep.
