What Is the Ideal Ketosis Level for Weight Loss - 6 Easy Steps for Faster Keto Weight Loss
Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions?
- How long does it take to lose weight with the keto diet?
- Why is it taking much longer for me to lose weight?
- Why do I constantly have the “keto flu”?
As beneficial as it can be, achieving ketosis is very much like everything else that you do, which is out of character – hard! It takes commitment and willpower to push on through if you are to achieve the ideal ketosis level for weight loss.
This, unfortunately, is something that not everybody has nor is as committed to achieving. However, the fact that you are reading this means you are more in tune with your desire to get as much as you can out of the ketogenic diet.
It’s a good start!
Now, let’s take a look at what the ideal ketosis level for weight loss is and highlight a few simple steps that can get you there faster!
What is the Ideal Ketosis Level for Weight Loss?
Do any of the following scenarios describe your situation?
- You have been on the keto diet for a while, maybe more than three months, but your weight loss seems to have plateaued?
- You have lost some weight but not quite as much as you wanted, and for some reason, you are dropping any more calories?
- You have lost some weight, but it has come with an extended period of low energy levels and some bouts of keto flu?
- You weren’t exactly consistent with your keto diet, but you are resolved now and want to get it right this time around?
If any of this describes your particular situation, then you are in the company of thousands of others who are going through the same struggle to achieve optimal ketosis.
What’s optimal ketosis, you ask?
Well, this is the state in which your body fully accepts the new diet and begins to efficiently use up your internal supplies of fat as fuel.
How Do You Know You Haven’t Achieved Optimal Ketosis?
When you achieve optimal ketosis, you begin to experience all the wonderful keto side effects that everyone is raving about on the internet. This includes things like:
- High energy levels
- Your hunger and cravings disappear
- You can focus on work without experience energy slumps or bouts of tiredness
- You begin to lose that weight again
The good news is that it’s possible to achieve this ideal ketosis level for weight loss. The bad news is that it’s going to take a massive degree of commitment from you.
Easy Steps for Faster Keto Weight Loss
Are you ready to achieve excellent results with the keto diet? If so, here are some simple steps that you should start taking today to get there:
1. Severely Restrict Your Carb Intake
Yes, this is pretty much the core of the keto diet – low to no carbs at all. Unfortunately, what most people think is a low carb diet could actually turn out to have enough carbs to push them out of ketosis. Ideally, you should be consuming less than 20g of carbs on any given day.
As you can see, every carb counts here, and if you are to know where you are going wrong on the carb front, you can try and keep a food journal for a week or so. You will be surprised at just how much carbohydrates you are unknowingly consuming. Carbs tend to sneak in through condiments, different types of seasonings, and spices.
- Pro Tip: Use an app like MyFitnessPal to breakdown the nutrients in every meal you eat.
2. Exercise Daily to Deplete Your Glycogen
Your muscles have a surprising ability to retain glycogen reserves, which will then be used as a source of fuel first before they turn to your fat. To achieve a deeper level of ketosis, you need to make sure that these glycogen reserves are completely depleted. That way, your muscles turn to the fat instead.
If you are just getting started on the keto diet, then maybe you should consider taking daily brisk walks for an hour or so. If you are at a higher level, going for a jog or a run is the best way to get this done.
- Note: This is a trick you can use after your cheat days when you are on a keto diet. Just go for a high-intensity exercise session to burn through those glycogen reserves and jumpstart your ketosis process again.
3. Keep an Eye on Proteins
Gluconeogenesis! That term should strike just as much fear into your keto-dieting heart as carbohydrates. For the most part, many people almost only ever focus on cutting down on their carb intake. You have probably heard the phrase “net carbs” thrown around in keto forums more than gluconeogenesis. In reality, however, these terms should go hand in hand.
Gluconeogenesis is the process by which your body converts all that protein you are eating into a glucose energy source. As soon as you hear or see the term blood glucose anywhere, you know that you have been kicked out of ketosis. Consuming too much protein can do that to you. That is why you need to ensure that proteins make up no more than 20% of your daily calorie count.
4. Include MCT Oil In Your Diet
Medium Chain Triglycerides or MCT are fatty acids that act like a shot of energy when you take them during the keto diet. While you can get MCT from coconut, the best approach would be to buy MCT supplements. These are pure and easily converted into ketones by your liver, which raises your blood ketosis level faster, giving you a much-needed energy boost while helping you maintain an ideal level of ketosis at the same time.
5. Eat High-Quality and Healthy Fat
The typical keto diet contains an insane amount of fat in it. That, logically, can be problematic unless the fat is of a higher and healthier level that you would get when eating fast food. To help maintain an optimal level of ketosis, you should limit your fat intake to healthy fats such as olive oil, butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, and tallow.
6. Test and Adjust Accordingly
You can test your ketone level through your breath, urine, and blood. The idea is to find out what level you have achieved and adjust accordingly. In fact, this is something you should do more often even when you aren’t feeling those negative side effects of ketosis such as lethargy.
Like most good things, achieving the ideal ketosis level for weight loss takes work, testing, and adjustment. These six simple steps will help put you on the right track.