How to get into nutritional ketosis fast

In Ketosis or not? Using Ketone Test Strips helps you find out.

Ketogenic diets have gained popularity as a quick way to lose weight. This was very appealing to me when I started researching the ketogenic diet. My goal was to lose 20 pounds and complete my four years weight loss journey, then go back to my normal eating habits and hope I would not gain the weight back. However, when I got hold of the Keto Zone diet, I realized this was more than a way to quickly lose weight. It could be a lifestyle change. One of the things that intrigued me about the ketogenic diet was nutritional Ketosis.

Nutritional ketosis occurs when the liver breaks down fats as an energy source when glucose is deficient in the body. This happens when the body is deprived of carbohydrates and it has no choice but to go for the next fuel source which is fats. During ketosis, ketones are released and passed out of the body through the urine. The concentration of ketones in the urine can be tested by using ketone test strips.

Why do you want to get into ketosis?

For the first three years of my weight loss journey, I did not pay much attention to what I ate. I focused more on working out, and less on diet. The more I worked out, the more hungry I got, which led me to eat more. I experienced a lot of food cravings. I especially craved sweets and starchy food like bread. I was tired most of the time.  When I started on the keto diet, I could not wait to feel all the positive things I had read about being in ketosis. I got into ketosis on the second day of my keto journey. I did not need Ketone strips to know I was in ketosis but did a urine test just to confirm. I woke up that morning feeling like a brand new person. I was energetic and my brain was clear and focused. The brain fog was gone. As the day went by, I noticed I was not as hungry as I once was. I had no food cravings! I could not remember the last time I felt this great. The weight, especially the stubborn belly fat, started to melt away. I lost 20 pounds in just a few months and continued to keep it off.

How do you get in ketosis fast?

The goal of the ketogenic diet is to use fat as an energy source. This happens when the body has used up most of its glucose. The time it takes to get into ketosis depends on the amount of glucose in the body, therefore it varies from person to person. However, there are things you can do to get there sooner than later;

• Consume less than 20 grams of carb per day. This amount is lower than most people typically consume so it helps to keep track of all the carbs you eat. Carbs are very sneaky as they are found in so many foods that are readily available. One way to keep track of the carbs consumed is to read nutrition labels. Some food like fresh veggies may not come with nutrition labels, and a simple google search will tell you how much carbs are in the food.

• Avoid night time snacking. Try to allow at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. One thing that we changed when we got on the Keto Zone diet was we started eating dinner at 6.30 pm and did not eat anything else until the next morning. To stay hydrated at night we drank water or tea.

• Adding fats to your diet. If you feel hungry after meals, add some more fat to your diet. This will help reduce the urge to snack between meals. Fats make you feel fuller longer. My two favorite oils are MCT oil and avocado oil. MCT oils help speed up ketosis. Both oils are easy to incorporate in the day to day meals because they can be consumed raw. Adding them to stew, sauce, salad, or blending it in coffee enhances the flavor and has no aftertaste.

• Drink plenty of water. When we got on the Keto Zone diet, our bathroom visits increased during the first week.  We noticed that we lost more water through the urine, and so we needed to drink more water to avoid getting dehydrated, constipated or getting the keto flu. I drunk at least 80 ounces of water per day. I once heard that recommended water or fluid intake per day is your weight in pounds, divide by 2. Take that number, and that’s the recommended fluid intake per day in ounces. I’ve continued to adjust my water or fluid intake based on my weight. Water too makes one feel full longer and helps avoid snacking between meals.

• Keep protein consumption below 1 gram of protein per kilogram of your weight. High amounts of protein too will keep you out of ketosis.

• No cheat days. Eating starchy foods like bread, muffins, potatoes, carrots, will keep you from getting into ketosis. Staying consistent on Keto friendly foods help get to ketosis fast.

• Exercise. This will help you burn through the glucose reserves faster.

Please note, at times its difficult for some people to get into ketosis, and may experience the Keto flu. Keto flu is not contagious and it goes away after a few days. Drinking more water and temporarily adding a little bit of sodium to the food helps reduce the symptoms. Eating spinach and nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews )which are rich in magnesium, and avocados which are rich in potassium helps.

In my opinion, the biggest challenge when on a diet is hunger and food craving. Ketosis stops the food cravings which helps you make better food choices!

Having difficulty getting into ketosis?  Leave me a message below, I may be able to help.