Picture this – you’ve heard about the Keto diet, and you’ve seen the transformation of the people who have tried it. You’ve seen the meals you can eat with Keto and thought – yeah, these foods aren’t too bad! – You give the Keto diet a shot, and months after being on the Keto diet, you’re wondering why you haven’t lost as much as you think you should.
Nutritionists and weight loss experts agree that the Keto diet doesn’t work for everyone. In this article, we’ll discuss all you need to know about the Keto diet, and how you can make the diet work for you.
What is the Keto diet exactly?
The Keto diet’s concept works around ketosis, the metabolic state wherein your body burns fat instead of glucose. It’s a proven method that has worked for thousands of individuals, including athletes and celebrities.
The biggest draw for the Keto diet is the food selection. The diet allows for foods that are mostly avoided in other diet schemes. The only rule in the Keto diet is to drastically lower your sugar and carbohydrate intake, and let your body do all the work.
The body’s preferred source of energy is glucose, which comes from sugary and carb-rich foods. Excess carbohydrates are stored as fat in the body, which causes weight gain. The whole premise of the Keto diet is about forcing your body to use your stored energy in fat instead of carbohydrates, so you can start losing weight.
To activate the state of ketosis, you need to eliminate most of the carbohydrates in your diet, and that includes most of the things you didn’t know you wanted in your diet – pasta, rice, soda, bread, sugar – all of these must be eliminated from your diet if you want the Keto diet to work.
Why doesn’t Keto work for everyone?
The most obvious reason why the Keto diet doesn’t work for everyone is that not everyone understands which types of food they should avoid. Many of those who think they are following the Keto diet is unaware that some of the foods they eat contain enough sugar and carbohydrates to put off ketosis. It doesn’t help that there are many foods branded as keto-friendly, but in fact, contain carbohydrates and sugar.
The best way to avoid eating foods that may contain more than the allowed carbohydrates and sugar in your diet is to prepare your own meals. Don’t rely on pre-packaged “keto” foods, since you can’t be sure how these foods are prepared. By making your own keto-friendly meals, you can be confident that you are following your diet to the letter.
Overeating
Overeating is another reason why the Keto diet doesn’t work for some. With so many tasty foods that you can eat with the diet, it’s doesn’t take much to tempt someone to eat more than they should. The Keto diet allows you to eat fat-rich foods, and many think that it’s okay to eat fatty foods, regardless of how much you eat.
Inactivity
It’s also important to note that simply following the Keto diet would not be enough to lose weight. Weight loss still follows the rules of caloric deficit, where your body needs to burn more calories than you consume. If your body consumes more fat than what you actually burn, then there is a greater chance that you gain weight instead of losing it, regardless if you’re following your Keto diet to the letter.
The Keto Flu
Among those who follow the Keto diet the right way, the Keto flu is the top reason why they quit the diet altogether. The Keto flu is an unfortunate consequence of having a diet that restricts your carb intake drastically. For most individuals who encounter the Keto flu, the signs are similar to flu symptoms, and this discourages them from continuing the Keto diet.
Many are unaware that carbohydrates and sugar are addictive. The body feels compelled to consume foods rich in carbohydrates and sugar not only because they are great sources of energy, but also because they activate certain pleasure centers in the brain.
Cutting off carbs and sugar causes withdrawal symptoms, which are interpreted as the Keto flu. The body eventually adjusts and overcomes the withdrawal symptoms, allowing your body to fully take advantage of ketosis to lose weight. Taking supplements that help you overcome the symptoms of the Keto flu, such as UltraCore Supplements’ Ultra Keto Burn, would help immensely in overcoming the Keto flu, and allow you to follow the Keto diet without any problems.
