The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb diet that pushes the body to burn fat instead of relying on sugar for energy.
Learn how to use the keto diet for weight loss and discover practical tips to optimize fat burning, helping you reach your health goals faster.
What is keto?
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that pushes the body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
Typically, the body utilizes glucose, or blood sugar, derived from carbohydrates and sugars to generate energy. However, during ketosis, the liver switches to burning dietary and stored body fat instead.
Ketosis is achieved by following a strict macronutrient breakdown:
- 70 percent of calories from healthy fats
- 20 percent of calories from protein
- 10 percent of calories from carbs
This macronutrient ratio helps keep blood sugar and insulin levels stable, which is critical in triggering and maintaining ketosis.
Watch the video below to learn about how to approach the ketogenic diet protocol for fat-burning.
Benefits of keto
By restricting carbohydrate intake, the ketogenic diet significantly reduces blood glucose and insulin levels associated with profound metabolic changes and incredible health benefits.
Here are three advantages of following a ketogenic diet.
1. Promotes fat loss
Reducing carbohydrate intake triggers ketosis and the production of ketones, also called ketone bodies, which are metabolic by-products of fat breakdown.
Ketones offer a more efficient alternative to glucose, delivering a steady energy supply to cells while naturally curbing appetite.
This explains why high-fat diets are more effective at reducing body fat percentage than a low-fat, low-calorie diet.
This has been confirmed by research published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, which concluded, “A low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet seems superior to low-calorie low-fat diets in fat mass, visceral fat, and weight reduction.”1
2. Reduces cardiometabolic disease risk
Keto can help restore cardiometabolic imbalances, including high blood glucose, hypertension, and insulin resistance linked to various chronic health conditions.
The keto diet dramatically reduces carbs, eliminating the rapid blood sugar and insulin elevations that occur with high-carb diets. This helps support stable blood sugar levels, making it beneficial for those at risk of type 2 diabetes.
A low-carb diet has also been linked to better cholesterol balance, thereby supporting cardiovascular health and reducing heart disease risk.
3. Promotes cognitive health
Unlike glucose, ketones provide a stable and efficient energy source for brain cells and are known for their neuroprotective benefits. This explains why the keto diet was originally used as a therapeutic approach for epilepsy.
Ketosis may enhance mental clarity, focus, and memory while also boosting nitric oxide production. This powerful vasodilator is associated with improved blood flow and a reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
A study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging found that the ketogenic diet improves the overall mental state and cognitive function of Alzheimer’s patients, highlighting its potential as a safe and effective intervention for neurodegenerative disorders.2
How to lose weight on keto
Consistency is key to maximizing your weight loss potential on a ketogenic diet.
Preparing a well-organized meal plan can help you avoid non-keto foods, stay within your macronutrient limits, and steadily progress toward your health goals.
Additionally, maintain your ideal macronutrient ratio and carefully check labels to avoid hidden carbs and sugars that can inhibit ketosis, such as maltodextrin and modified starches.
Consuming between seven to ten cups of non-starchy vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, and leafy greens, daily can further support weight loss by promoting fullness so you don’t reach for carb-heavy snacks.
How much weight you will lose on keto depends on several factors, including how well you adhere to the diet, your activity level, starting weight, and metabolic health.
Many keto dieters lose several pounds of water weight in the first couple of weeks, followed by a steady loss of one to two pounds per week. Staying committed to the plan is essential for long-term results.
Combining keto with intermittent fasting
Combining keto with intermittent fasting is an excellent strategy to boost fat-burning and promote a healthy body weight.
Intermittent fasting involves periods of time-restricted eating and fasting, which promotes insulin sensitivity and stabilizes blood sugar levels, helping push the body into a deeper state of ketosis.
There are several fasting methods, including 16:8, 18:6, and 20:4, in which dieters fast for 20 hours and consume their daily calories within 4 hours.
However, the most popular approach is the 16:8 intermittent fasting pattern due to its simplicity, consisting of 16 hours of fasting and an 8-hour eating window.
“Combining keto with intermittent fasting helps lower insulin release to an optimal level more quickly,” explains Dr. Berg. “A good rule of thumb is not to eat unless hunger begins affecting your mood and performance.”
If you struggle to extend fasting periods, bulletproof coffee, which is prepared with grass-fed butter and coconut oil, is a great way to prolong your overnight fast and curb hunger without spiking blood sugar and insulin.
How to get started
A ketogenic diet can be highly effective for weight loss, but sticking to it correctly can be challenging.
Here are four tips to confidently start keto and achieve a healthy waistline fast.
1. Track your macronutrients
Strictly adhering to the 70/20/10 keto macronutrient ratios will help your body become fat-adapted fast.
These ratios can be simplified into three main principles:
- Reduce net carbs to between 20 and 50 grams daily
- Consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight
- Eat enough fat to satiate you until your next meal
It’s crucial to remember that overconsuming carb-rich foods, proteins, and fats can disrupt ketosis or cause your body to burn dietary fats rather than tap into fat reserves, ultimately stalling weight loss.
2. Slowly introduce intermittent fasting
Some degree of insulin resistance is common for those who are overweight, which can cause intense cravings and hunger during fasting.
Though intermittent fasting is vital to a balanced ketogenic eating plan, slowly introducing it into your routine can help prevent grazing or snacking on non-keto foods.
It’s recommended to begin with three meals a day, without snacking, and gradually eliminate breakfast as your body adapts to ketosis, which often leads to reduced hunger and cravings.
3. Prepare for the keto flu
Many keto dieters experience headaches, brain fog, fatigue, cravings, and other symptoms as the body undergoes the profound metabolic change to ketosis.
This temporary state is known as the keto flu and is typically exacerbated by potential B vitamin deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances, and poor dietary management.
To minimize the risk of keto flu symptoms, consume enough potassium from vegetables, salt, and water to stay hydrated.
Additionally, eat plenty of high-fat foods, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and meats, to stay satiated and curb cravings for sugar and carbohydrates.
4. Eat nutrient-dense, high-quality foods
A dirty keto diet can quickly deplete essential nutrients, potentially causing or worsening deficiencies that can trigger cravings and derail your weight loss and health goals.
That’s why it’s important to prioritize nutrient-dense foods, such as those outlined in the Healthy Keto® plan. These include organic, non-GMO produce, grass-fed and wild-caught meat, and free-range eggs that nourish your body and optimize your health while supporting weight loss.
Key takeaways
How to use the keto diet for weight loss?
To use keto for weight loss, limit your carbohydrate intake to no more than 50 grams per day, which triggers ketosis, enabling your body to burn fat more effectively and promote weight loss.
To maximize results, track your macros, focus on nutrient-dense foods, and consider adding intermittent fasting to further boost fat burning and support ketosis.
FAQ
1. Is the keto diet good for weight loss?
Yes, the ketogenic diet is an excellent strategy for losing weight, as it induces ketosis, a metabolic state that utilizes fat instead of sugar to generate energy for the cells.
Beyond fat loss, ketosis offers many other health benefits, including enhanced energy, mental clarity, and a reduced risk of metabolic conditions, such as insulin resistance and diabetes.
2. How much weight can you lose per week on keto?
How much weight you can lose weekly depends on several factors, including how well you adhere to the diet, exercise level, starting weight, and metabolic health.
However, many keto dieters experience noticeable water weight loss in the first few weeks, followed by a steady weight reduction of about two pounds per week.
3. Why am I not losing weight on keto?
If you’ve hit a plateau on keto, it may be due to consuming too many carbs. Keep your net carb limit under 50 grams daily, and consider reducing your intake to 20 grams to enter a deeper state of ketosis.
Metabolic imbalances, such as insulin resistance, can also slow progress. To maximize fat burning, it’s recommended to incorporate intermittent fasting and reduce the number of meals you consume each day.
4. Can I do keto with intermittent fasting?
Yes, it’s recommended to combine keto with intermittent fasting to promote weight loss.
Combining keto with periods of caloric restriction pushes the body into a deeper state of ketosis, which accelerates fat burning, improves energy levels, and enhances mental clarity.
