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Are you currently trying to drop a few pounds? Maybe it’s more than just a few; maybe you are aiming for significant weight loss. By maintaining a healthy body weight you will be reducing your odds of developing all kinds of serious health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing issues, and gallstones just to name a few. Of course, knowing that it’s ideal to be at a healthy body weight and actually reaching that number are two totally different things.

According to statistics, a whopping 45 million Americans go on a diet each and every year in hopes of losing weight and hitting their target. Of course, January is often the most popular time for starting the diet, which can be blamed on all the holiday treats and sweets. But just because 45 million try to diet each year, it doesn’t mean they are successful.

Maybe you’ve tried dieting in the past and had results, only to have the weight come right back on, or maybe you didn’t get results at all. It’s easy to pass of dieting as useless after an experience like that. This is where the latest trend in dieting may have grabbed your attention.

There is a popular new diet plan as of late: yes, it is the Keto Diet. The keto diet is, in fact, a lifestyle choice. If you’ve been curious about what the keto diet is, what you can eat when on it, and what kind of results you can expect, then you’re going to want to read on and check out this guide on Keto. You’ll find everything you need and want to know about the diet.

What is the Keto Diet?

It seems as though every couple of years there is some new “miracle diet” that comes along. The plan proves to offer the results that no other diet has been able to provide you with, it won’t leave you hungry, and you’ll feel great about yourself during the process. These are pretty big promises and at the end of the day, most of the fad diets just aren’t able to follow through. But can that be said about the keto diet?

First, it’s important to take a closer look at what the keto diet is. The keto diet, short for the ketogenic diet, is all about reducing the amount of carbs you eat and then increasing the amount of fat, thereby forcing your body to use fat for energy instead.

It takes about two to seven days for a person on the keto diet to hit a ketosis state. This is the official point at which your body no longer has enough carbs stored up to use for energy, so it begins to use fat instead. As well, your body will begin to make ketones to make up for the missing carbs. So obviously, the idea behind it as a weight loss diet is that you will be using fat for energy, thereby burning it faster and more efficiently, and you won’t be storing carbs.

What makes the keto diet so interesting though is that wasn’t originally intended as a weight loss method. The keto diet was originally meant to help those with a seizure disorder. Ketones are believed to help reduce seizures, so by forcing your body to make them, the idea is that you can help to limit your seizures. As these people were using the diet, some noticed they lost weight, which sparked interest among health professionals.

What You Can and Can’t Eat on the Keto Diet?

For many people, the word “diet” is a bad word. It is one that they don’t want to hear let alone think about. Dieting always has a negative connotation as people automatically assume they will be cutting everything “yummy” out of their diet and they will probably be walking around hungry the majority of the time. While there are certainly diets out there that do follow this rule, the keto diet doesn’t have to be one of them. In fact, many find the keto diet to be quite satisfying in terms of the foods they can eat.

To put it in simple terms, you will want to focus on low-carb foods. These include such things as vegetables, eggs, fish, seafood, and meat. As well, you can have olive oil and butter.

As for what to avoid, the foods that have a high amount of starch and sugar are a big no-no. These include things like candies, baked desserts, rice, pasta, potatoes, soda, bread, beer, juice, and fruit.

Now there are also a few foods that fit in that “within moderation” category. What this means is that you can have them as long as you don’t go overboard. These foods are berries and nuts.

The whole focus is on protein and fat in the food choices you make. So, you can still feel very satisfied and also extremely full while on the keto diet.

Some people also find that specially formulated supplements can help with the keto diet. Take a look at the products available through www.mrketo.com which features various drink mixes that contain key ingredients in the keto diet. These can help boost your results and are extremely convenient from a consumption standpoint.

How Much Weight Will You Lose?

The next question people typically have is how much weight they can expect to lose on the keto diet. Just like with any diet plan, the results will differ depending on the person and how closely they follow the plan. People report losing anywhere from a few pounds per month to much more substantial amounts like 20-40lbs. Again, it’s very subjective and depends on the person.

How Will You Feel on the Keto Diet?

As for how you will feel on the keto diet, most will attest to the first week or two being the worst. The period of two to seven days where you are waiting to enter the ketosis state can be extremely hard to go through. Some common symptoms during that period include tiredness, a feeling of being unwell almost like the flu, headaches, nausea, cramps, light-headedness, and feeling like your mind is in a fog. This is all due to the lack of glucose in your body. In most cases, these symptoms clear up after about a week.

Is It Safe?

Of course, no-one wants to jump on a diet if it’s not safe, which is why it’s wise to be sure it’s the right option for you. Naturally, speaking to your doctor before starting keto is always a good idea. They will know your medical history, any health issues you may have, and can offer personalized advice. Most doctors are in agreement that it should only be used in the short-term, not as a long-term solution. So with that in mind, it can be relatively safe and easy to give it a try.

How to Increase Your Odds of Weight Loss

Whether you plan to give the keto diet a try or not, there are some other things you can be doing at the same time that will help increase the odds of weight loss. Each of these tips is safe to use in the long-term and almost everyone can benefit from them.

Sleep is something that people often overlook when it comes to weight loss. If you aren’t getting enough sleep or enough good quality sleep, then you may be hindering your weight loss goals.

Another tip is to start including regular physical activity into your lifestyle. This doesn’t mean you have to join a gym and start lifting weights, it just means you need to get moving. Aim for 30-40 minutes of activity three to four times a week at a minimum. Anything that gets your heart rate up will count as activity. This can include such things as hiking, swimming, dancing, biking, chores, etc.

Stress can also throw your weight loss goals off, which means you want to get a better hold on it. This means dealing with things in your life that are causing worry, stress, and anxious feelings. A great way to combat stress is through exercise, so that goes back to the previous point.

The final tip is to start substituting water anytime you want a drink. Rather than coffee, energy drinks, soda, juice, and beer, water will give you the boost of hydration you need and it doesn’t contain any calories. In terms of weight loss, alcohol can be your biggest enemy as it is often high in calories and sugar. It can also mess with your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

A Lifestyle Change that May Work for You

At the end of the day, deciding to make the switch to a keto diet is really dependent on your personal health, your weight loss goals, and how committed you are to altering your diet and lifestyle.

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