5 Easy Steps to Follow the Ketogenic Diet as a Beginner
The keto diet has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. It’s been shown to have numerous health benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and reduced risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If you’re new to the keto diet, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered with these easy steps:
1. Understand What the Ketogenic Diet Is
Before starting any new diet or lifestyle change, it’s important to understand what it is and how it works. The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that promotes the body’s use of fat instead of glucose for energy. When following this diet, your body enters into a state called “ketosis,” where it burns stored fat for fuel rather than relying on carbohydrates from food. This can lead to rapid weight loss and other health benefits.
2. Choose Foods That Are Compliant With the Keto Diet
To follow the keto diet successfully, you need to choose foods that are compliant with the diet. Generally speaking, this means avoiding most types of carbs (including sugars, starches, and grains) while focusing on consuming plenty of healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, seeds, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed meats. Some people also include dairy products like cheese and heavy cream in their diets, although others prefer to exclude them due to potential digestive issues.
3. Start Slowly and Gradually Increase Your Intensity
If you’re new to the keto diet, it’s best to start slowly and gradually increase your intensity over time. One common approach is to begin by limiting your carb intake to around 20-30 grams per day, then gradually reduce it further as you adapt to the diet. You may also want to consider tracking your macronutrient ratios using tools like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer to ensure that you’re staying within the recommended ranges for fat, protein, and carbs.
4. Try Out These Delicious Keto Meal Recipes
One of the great things about the keto diet is all the delicious recipes available! Here are some simple and tasty options to get you started:
Grilled chicken with roasted vegetables
Baked salmon with cauliflower rice and sauteed spinach
Zucchini noodles with meatballs and tomato sauce
Bacon and eggs with avocado toast
Low-carb pizza made with almond flour crust and topped with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese
Remember to experiment with different flavors and ingredients to keep things interesting!
5. Monitor Your Progress Regularly and Adjust As Needed
Finally, remember to monitor your progress regularly and adjust your diet as needed. While many people experience rapid weight loss and other health benefits when they first start the keto diet, others may find that their results slow down after several weeks or months. To maintain success long term, be sure to listen to your body and make changes as necessary based on how you feel and how well the diet is working for you.