In this article, I will explain what is keto diet in the simplest language, that’s why I’ve named it “Keto Diet Explained For Beginners”.
I know sometimes reading every piece of information online might seem overwhelming but I will explain it in the clearest form possible.
At the end of this article, you will be able to:
- know exactly what is a keto diet
- learn its benefits for your general health
- understand how to apply it for a quick weight loss
So, without further ado, let’s have a look into the simple meaning of the Keto Diet for beginners and how you can use it to lose weight fast.
What Exactly Is The Keto Diet?
The Keto Diet, short for Ketogenic Diet, is actually the trend in the health and weight loss world.
For a very long time, Keto has been linked to weight loss and for other health purposes as well.
Not only it has helped obese people lose big weight in a small amount of time but Keto Diet has been employed to treat mostly seizures in children and adults.
Children suffering from epilepsy and who had a hard time responding to medication were often put on a Keto Diet to help control their seizures.
Basically, Keto Diet is a high fat and low carb eating lifestyle which has been adopted by many for quick weight loss.
A few years ago, I lost almost 20kgs with a moderate carb intake diet. You can read my weight loss journey here.
It really worked and I went from fat to thin but the problem was at a certain point, my body became used to it and I plateaued after losing 18.7kgs.
It’s true that I reached my desired weight but if I wanted to lose more weight, it would take much longer because my metabolism would find itself comfortable and would barely burn fat like I would want to.
I’m not saying that my weight loss didn’t work but I’m just saying it usually works perfectly for the first few months.
But after a few years, I took on a few pounds, and at the same time, I was learning keto.
I realized that if I had done keto, I would have lost my 18.7kgs excess fat in one month or two instead of 7 months with my weight loss program.
I started researching more about what was behind this keto thing and explained it to my sister who wanted to lose weight.
She started the keto and did it for 1 month and the results were unbelievable: she was down by 12kgs. She passed from 68kgs to 56kgs.
Does Keto Diet Really Work?
Keto Diet does work! My sister is a living testimony that keto works for weight loss.
There are various ways of losing weight and keto has been proven to be one of the best ways to lose weight fast and safely.
Keep in mind that you won’t starve while doing the keto diet.
It’s not only a fad dieting but also can enhance your general health. Studies have shown that the keto diet has many benefits for the body, which I will discuss later in this article.
The Ketosis State Explained
Ok, now we’ll get into the juicy stuff so you know how to apply it for a quick weight loss.
What I did to lose my 18.7kgs of excess fat was reducing my intake of carbs, especially and switching from high fat to low-fat foods such as milk, cheese etc…
But Keto Diet is exactly the opposite. With Keto, you will eat high-fat foods and also take a moderate amount of protein and a very low amount of carbs.
Why is that you ask?
Well, normally, our body’s primary source of energy is sugar. So, when you eat carbs, your body breaks the nutrients in the carbs and transforms this into glucose.
Your body, then, uses/burns this glucose for the various essential functions of the body.
Now let’s see all this at a ketogenic point of view.
When we reduce our intake of carbs drastically and increase our intake of fats in foods, the body will, therefore, look for its energy in those fats.
Due to the fact that the body’s main source is not glucose anymore, it will have no choice than to take the fats as its new source of energy.
Consequently, your metabolism will put itself in ketosis and starts to burn fats.
Ketosis is simply the state in which your body uses fats as a source of energy.
When you reach a ketosis state, your body starts burning stored fats instead of sugar to perform its daily essential functions.
Obviously, when your body burns the fats in the foods you’ve eaten, you start losing weight.
You should also be aware that your body does not enter the ketogenic state overnight.
It might take a few days for your body to understand and adapt itself to what you are trying to do.
Keto Diet For Beginners Part II – How To Get Started With Keto Diet
Benefits of Keto Diet
At least 20 studies have revealed that a keto diet has many health benefits. From losing weight to improving specific health issues, the keto diet has proven to be very effective.
Apart from the original purpose of the keto diet, i.e, for seizure control, it is also beneficial for other health issues and health in general.
Sidenote: Children that are often non-reactive to epilepsy treatment are often put under a keto diet which helps them control their seizures.
Weight Loss
We will start by the very reason you’re here, weight loss.
Keto Diet has the ability to help someone lose up to 40lbs in a few months.
Losing weight with Keto Diet, especially for beginners, is not complicated but neither too simple.
But as I said, Keto Diet is one of the best and proven ways to lose weight fast.
Reducing your carb intake will have a very positive effect on your weight but allowing your body to draw energy from the fats you’ve taken, that’s when weight loss happens drastically.
Blood Sugar Control
Keto is very effective in controlling blood sugar levels.
As a matter of fact, keto has the ability to level both the blood sugar level and insulin, therefore reducing the risk of diabetes.
Control of Appetite
Studies have shown that people on a keto diet crave for fewer snacks or sometimes no snacks at all during the day than people who do a low carb diet.
This is simply because the body is now working with a more lasting source of energy, fats!
Glucose is burned much quicker than fats. That’s why with keto, the body is dealing with more fats to burn, which take more time therefore you are full for a longer period of time.
And as a result, we can say that keto diet has the power to curb and control our appetite.
Mental Stability Improvement
Huge blood sugar spikes resulting from our sugar consumption can definitely affect our mood.
Many people often choose a keto diet to enhance their mental stability. It’s not that these persons are mad but reducing the blood sugar level brings a balance in the whole body.
Consequently, people are better focused simply because of the ketones produced by your body in this time of ketosis. And the brain uses these ketones as a source of energy to function.
What To Eat On A Keto Diet Plan
Essentially, you will be replacing the source of energy of your body. In normal times, your body will take its energy from the carbs we eat, as I’ve explained above.
But with keto diet, you must make sure you’re providing enough fats over carbs for the body to draw its energy from these fats, so you can lose weight fast.
This should serve as the main guideline for your keto diet meal plan; cutting on sugars and carbs so that the body doesn’t burn them for future use.
Foods List For A Keto Diet Plan
- Meats and Fish – chicken, lamb, pork etc.
- High Fat Dairy such as cheese, butter, cream etc.
- Nuts and Seeds – almonds, cashews etc…
- Leafy Greens
- Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, arugula
- Avocados
- Berries (raspberries, blueberries etc..)
- Sweeteners such as stevia
- Eggs
- Olive oil
Foods To Avoid
Your goal while keto-dieting is to reduce your sugar intake so that the body doesn’t use it as its main source of energy.
By reversing this process, there are obviously some foods you should avoid otherwise, you won’t ever get into a ketosis state, which is the key to losing weight with a keto diet.
So, below is a list of the foods to avoid while on a keto diet:
- Carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, cereals
- Grains such as wheat, rice, oats, corn, etc.
- Fruits such as apples, oranges bananas (which are high in natural sugars)
- Sugars such as honey, agave sugar, maple syrup, soda, etc.
- Legumes – lentils, beans, chickpeas
Bottomline
I hope you’ve learned something in this quick guide on what is a keto diet for beginners and how you can use it for a rapid weight loss.