How can you transition off the keto diet without regaining weight. What is maintenance keto and how does it work. How long should the transition period last. What foods can be reintroduced during maintenance keto. How does maintenance keto differ from standard keto.

Understanding Maintenance Keto: A Transition Strategy

Maintenance keto is a crucial phase for those looking to transition away from the strict ketogenic diet while preserving their hard-earned weight loss results. This approach involves gradually increasing carbohydrate intake while simultaneously decreasing fat consumption. The primary goal is to find a sustainable balance that prevents rapid weight regain while reintroducing a broader range of foods into one’s diet.

During maintenance keto, individuals typically increase their daily carbohydrate intake from the standard 20-30 grams to around 50-60 grams. This allows for greater dietary flexibility and helps prevent the potential negative effects of long-term carbohydrate restriction. Simultaneously, fat intake is reduced to compensate for the increased carbs, ensuring that overall calorie intake remains stable.

Key Features of Maintenance Keto:

• Gradual increase in carbohydrate intake
• Reduction in dietary fat consumption
• Focus on nutrient-dense, whole foods
• Emphasis on listening to one’s body and adjusting accordingly
• Transition period typically lasting several months

The Importance of a Gradual Transition

Why is a gradual transition important when moving away from the keto diet? A slow, methodical approach allows the body to adapt to increased carbohydrate intake without experiencing rapid weight gain or metabolic disruptions. This process helps maintain insulin sensitivity and prevents the body from reverting to its pre-keto state of primarily relying on glucose for energy.

A typical maintenance keto transition might span six months or more, depending on individual needs and goals. This extended timeframe provides ample opportunity to experiment with different carbohydrate levels and food reintroductions, allowing for a personalized approach to post-keto nutrition.

Sample Maintenance Keto Timeline:

1. Month 1: Increase carbs to 45-50 grams per day
2. Months 2-4: Maintain 50-60 grams of carbs daily
3. Months 5-6: Gradually reintroduce a wider variety of foods

Reintroducing Carbohydrates: Which Foods to Prioritize

When increasing carbohydrate intake during maintenance keto, it’s essential to focus on nutrient-dense, whole food sources. This approach ensures that the additional carbs provide maximum nutritional benefit while minimizing the risk of blood sugar spikes and cravings.

Recommended Carbohydrate Sources for Maintenance Keto:

• Non-starchy vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini)
• Leafy greens (e.g., spinach, kale, Swiss chard)
• Low-sugar fruits (e.g., berries, avocados)
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes (in moderation)
• Whole grains (small amounts, if tolerated)

By prioritizing these nutrient-rich carbohydrate sources, individuals can support their overall health while gradually adapting to a higher carb intake. This approach also helps maintain stable blood sugar levels and promotes feelings of satiety, reducing the likelihood of overeating or experiencing intense cravings.

Balancing Macronutrients: Adjusting Fat and Protein Intake

As carbohydrate intake increases during maintenance keto, it’s crucial to adjust fat and protein consumption to maintain a balanced calorie intake. How should macronutrient ratios be modified during this transition phase? While individual needs may vary, a general guideline is to reduce fat intake proportionally to the increase in carbohydrates.

For example, if carbohydrate intake increases by 30 grams (120 calories), fat intake should be reduced by approximately 13 grams (117 calories) to maintain caloric balance. Protein intake typically remains stable during this transition, as it plays a vital role in preserving lean muscle mass and supporting overall health.

Macronutrient Adjustments During Maintenance Keto:

• Carbohydrates: Gradual increase from 20-30g to 50-60g per day
• Fat: Proportional decrease to offset increased carb intake
• Protein: Maintain consistent intake based on individual needs

By carefully balancing macronutrients, individuals can prevent unintended weight gain while allowing their bodies to adapt to a more flexible eating pattern. This approach also helps maintain metabolic flexibility, allowing the body to efficiently utilize both fat and carbohydrates for energy.

Monitoring Body Composition and Adjusting Accordingly

During the maintenance keto phase, it’s essential to closely monitor body composition and make adjustments as needed. How can individuals track their progress and ensure they’re maintaining their weight loss? Several methods can be employed to assess body composition and overall health during this transition period.

Effective Ways to Monitor Progress:

• Regular weigh-ins (weekly or bi-weekly)
• Body measurements (waist, hips, thighs, etc.)
• Progress photos
• Body fat percentage measurements
• Bloodwork to assess metabolic health markers

By consistently tracking these metrics, individuals can identify trends and make necessary adjustments to their diet and lifestyle. If weight gain occurs, it may be necessary to reduce carbohydrate intake slightly or increase physical activity. Conversely, if continued weight loss is observed, calorie intake may need to be increased to achieve stability.

Incorporating Exercise: Supporting Metabolic Health

Exercise plays a crucial role in maintaining weight loss and overall health during the transition from keto to a more balanced diet. How does physical activity support metabolic health during maintenance keto? Regular exercise helps preserve lean muscle mass, improves insulin sensitivity, and supports a healthy metabolism.

During the maintenance phase, individuals should aim to incorporate a combination of cardiovascular exercise and resistance training into their routines. This balanced approach helps burn calories, build lean muscle, and improve overall body composition.

Recommended Exercise Types for Maintenance Keto:

• Cardiovascular exercise (e.g., walking, jogging, cycling, swimming)
• Resistance training (e.g., weightlifting, bodyweight exercises)
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
• Yoga or Pilates for flexibility and core strength

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with two to three strength training sessions. This combination of exercises supports metabolic health, helps maintain muscle mass, and contributes to long-term weight management.

Mindful Eating and Listening to Your Body

As individuals transition away from the strict guidelines of the keto diet, developing a mindful approach to eating becomes increasingly important. How can mindful eating practices support long-term weight maintenance? By focusing on hunger and fullness cues, savoring meals, and paying attention to how different foods affect the body, individuals can develop a healthier relationship with food and maintain their weight loss more easily.

Key Principles of Mindful Eating:

• Eating slowly and without distractions
• Paying attention to hunger and fullness signals
• Noticing the taste, texture, and aroma of foods
• Being aware of emotional triggers for eating
• Choosing foods that nourish and energize the body

By incorporating these mindful eating practices, individuals can better navigate the increased food choices available during maintenance keto. This approach helps prevent overeating and supports a more intuitive, balanced relationship with food.

Addressing Potential Challenges and Setbacks

Transitioning from a strict keto diet to a more balanced eating pattern can present various challenges. What are some common obstacles individuals may face during maintenance keto, and how can they be addressed? Understanding potential setbacks and having strategies in place to overcome them is crucial for long-term success.

Common Challenges During Maintenance Keto:

• Cravings for high-carb foods
• Difficulty adjusting to increased carbohydrate intake
• Temporary weight fluctuations
• Social pressures and food-related events
• Emotional eating triggers

To address these challenges, individuals can employ various strategies such as meal planning, practicing stress-management techniques, and seeking support from friends, family, or a professional nutritionist. It’s also important to remember that setbacks are a normal part of any lifestyle change and should be viewed as learning opportunities rather than failures.

Long-Term Sustainability: Finding Your Optimal Diet

The ultimate goal of maintenance keto is to transition to a sustainable, long-term eating pattern that supports overall health and weight maintenance. How can individuals determine their optimal diet beyond the maintenance phase? This process involves ongoing experimentation, self-reflection, and a willingness to adjust based on personal needs and preferences.

Some individuals may find that they thrive on a slightly higher carbohydrate intake, while others may prefer to keep their carbs relatively low. The key is to find a balance that provides sustained energy, supports metabolic health, and allows for enjoyment of a wide variety of foods.

Factors to Consider When Determining Your Optimal Diet:

• Energy levels and mood
• Digestive comfort
• Ability to maintain a healthy weight
• Food preferences and cultural considerations
• Long-term health goals

By continuously assessing these factors and making adjustments as needed, individuals can develop a personalized approach to nutrition that supports their health and wellness goals for years to come. Remember that dietary needs may change over time, so remaining flexible and open to adaptation is crucial for long-term success.

How I Got Off of the Keto Diet Without Gaining Weight Back

• I lost 40 pounds in a year on the keto diet, but then I wanted to quit.
• To quit without gaining all of the weight back, I used “maintenance keto.” 
• Maintenance keto is a period when you increase your carbohydrate count and decrease fat consumption.

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When I started the keto diet, I was the heaviest I’d ever been.

By the end of the 12 months, I’d lost 40 pounds. Following the keto diet was easier than I expected, I ate foods I loved, and I always felt satiated. 

Weight loss was my initial goal, but after a year, I began to not recognize my body and lose my curves. My dilemma was that if I went off of keto, how would I not gain the weight back? 

So once my body was at a point where I felt healthy and strong, I consulted with nutritional experts to begin my version of “maintenance keto,” a transition out of following a strict keto diet when you gradually increase your carbohydrate count and decrease fat consumption.

Some choose to stay on keto-friendly foods but increase carbohydrates with green vegetables. Others decide to incorporate food outside of keto and stick to under 50 grams of carbs. Some use this period to transition into a fully balanced macro diet with no limitations. 

Although it worked for me, it’s important to note the keto diet is not ideal for everyone and can come with risks. These are the steps I took with my network of experts while listening to my body. It’s important to consult with your doctor before drastically changing your diet.

I used 6 months of maintenance to transition out of the diet and ensure I could healthily maintain weight  

I think because I was following clean keto — a version of the diet that focuses on supplying your macro fat count with mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like fish, avocado, and seeds — my transition was easier. 

Instead of living by convenient macro numbers that would drive up my fat intake, I listened to my body and balanced healthy fats with carbs from vegetable produce to help make up my daily food intake. 

In my first few months of keto maintenance, I began increasing my carbohydrate count.

On strict keto, my carbohydrate count was at 20 to 30 grams a day (mostly from green vegetables). For the first month of maintenance keto, I increased my carbohydrate intake to 45 to 50 grams daily while decreasing my fat intake to make up the difference. I kept my protein intake and menu of food items the same.  

I focused on eating more green vegetables while minimizing extra healthy fat additions to my meals. I still cooked with oils and ate fatty pieces of meat, but cut out fat bombs or extra avocado and nuts. 

For months two through four, I stuck with roughly 50 to 60 grams of carbohydrates a day. I also ventured into fruits and vegetables with heavier carbohydrate counts, like squash and carrots. 

On months five and six of maintenance, I stepped back from counting macros and began opening up my diet to more foods, including a little bit of dairy. I began following more of a paleo diet, which consists of meats, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, and produce (including most fruits and vegetables). 

On month six, I began having foods I ate before keto and saw how they interacted with my body.

For example, the first bite of a traditional milk-chocolate bar with cane sugar after a year and a half of no sugar tasted grossly sweet. I couldn’t believe I ate sugar for so long without seeing how incredibly sweet it was.  My favorite food was always potatoes, but when I ate one after 18 months it initially tasted bland and my heart was broken. 

Month six was taking elements of keto, paleo, and my new preferences or aversions to food and making them my own. I also learned about what made me feel energized after eating or what made me feel bloated or tired.

Overall, maintenance keto worked for me and my lifestyle 

Even though I’m not currently on the keto diet or maintenance keto, I do visit these two eating lifestyles often.

Rachel Hosie/Insider

By going 12 months on keto, and six on maintenance keto, I lost 40 pounds and felt at peace and in love with the way I felt (body image aside).  

During months five and six, I gained a few pounds. But for the two years that followed, my weight generally stayed in the same 5-pound range. As someone who could fluctuate 5 pounds a day consistently, I couldn’t believe it.

My body, at that point, was exactly where it wanted to be. 

How To Maintain Weight After Keto: Reintroducing Carbs Without Canceling Out Your Results

One of the key features, dare I say ‘pitfalls’ of the ketogenic diet is its highly restrictive nature. Given that the keto diet carb limit can be as little as 20 grams a day, it takes a whole lot of willpower and determination to go through with this low-carb diet. You may have been faithful in following the diet (and congratulations, by the way), but for some reason or another, feel like it’s time to get off the low-carb wagon. Maybe you have been wondering if falling off the rails of ketosis might affect your well-deserved weight loss progress. Here is a foolproof guide on how to maintain weight loss after keto.  

Anyone who has been on any weight loss program can attest to this fact – losing weight is easier when compared to maintaining the new weight. While there are many weight loss programs out there, none offers its users one thing – the guarantee that they will maintain their new weight even if they sway from their new lifestyle.

Granted, you cannot turn back to your old habits and expect to lose weight. But, can you abandon a diet and avoid gaining the lost weight back? More specifically, is there a way that you can stop keto dieting and maintain your weight?

How Does The Keto Diet Work?

The keto diet is a high-fat low carb diet that restricts the amount of carbs you can consume to as little as 20 grams a day (2). This way, you get most of your calories from fat, forcing your body to use different energy pathways. Instead of using carbs for energy, your body burns fat, thus entering a state of ketosis (3).

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How To Maintain Weight After Keto?

There are many reasons why experts advise against following keto long-term, one of them being the fact that the low-carb, high-fat diet limits the consumption of nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, and grains, which poses a concern for long-term health.

With this knowledge, you might want to get off the keto diet after a while. But if you do, will you gain all the weight back? Indeed, if you fall into the same unhealthy eating habits you were accustomed to before beginning the keto diet, you will gain all the weight (and even more) back. However, there are some methods that you can use to ensure that your transition from keto does not have adverse effects on your weight loss journey.

The ketogenic diet drastically limits the number of carbs you should consume a day – 20 to 50 grams to be precise (12). 

When transitioning away from keto, one thing you can do is gradually increase your carb intake. You can begin by increasing the daily amount by 10 grams each week. While doing so, track your weight and how you generally feel.

Increase the intake each week or every other week, depending on your personal goals.

In this approach, you do not phase out the keto plan entirely. Instead, you add a little more food into your diet. However, you have to ensure that you maintain a calorie deficit.

Weight loss is only possible through maintaining a calorie deficit. So, even if you decide to add more food into your diet, you are advised to do so without raising your carb intake too high, so that your body gets out of ketosis.

You just need to eat a little bit more fat and protein than you have been eating.

Read More: Calorie Deficit But Not Losing Weight: What’s The Culprit Behind It?

Lean protein such as skinless chicken, fish, and lean cuts of red meat have a high thermic effect. This means that they contain elements that either boost your metabolism naturally or are high in fat or protein; which requires more energy to digest and therefore, raise your metabolism.  

Foods with low thermic effects, such as carbohydrates, cost the body relatively little energy to digest and metabolize. 

While fat loss may be your primary goal while going on the keto diet, you may want to switch things up a little bit.

This approach, however, is not necessarily geared towards weight maintenance. By focusing on muscle gain, you maintain a low body fat percentage while adding more muscle mass.

A high muscle mass:

• Improves metabolic flexibility
• Strengthens bones
• Reduces the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes
• Makes it harder to regain fat

To increase your muscle mass, focus on resistance training. As you will be building mass, you will need to add more calories and protein to your diet but keep carbs low.

You should only add more carbs around workouts alone.

You could also opt for a less restrictive diet that allows you the flexibility to eat extra vegetables that the keto diet does not ‘allow’. However, avoid taking junk food and stick to Paleo foods only.

This change adds variety to meals, which is always a welcome addition to any diet.

While transitioning to a low-carb diet, start by raising your carb limit by 10-20 grams, and maintain it for one to two weeks before reassessing again.

However, once you begin transitioning, you might gain a pound or two. Don’t worry, though, as this is mainly water weight.

Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time before regularly eating again (19).

The main idea behind intermittent fasting is that you have an “eating window,” during which you do not limit your food intake, and periods of fasting when you refrain from eating. 

Intermittent fasting offers a wide array of benefits, such as fat loss, lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood sugar, better health in general, and increased longevity.

There are various methods of doing intermittent fasting. You could try:

• Fasting for 12 hours a day
• Fasting for 16 hours
• Meal skipping
• Fasting for two days a week
• Alternate day fasting
• A weekly 24-hour fast
• The Warrior Diet

Intermittent fasting also has its downsides. For one, people on this kind of diet may not eat enough nutrients, such as fibre. This can increase the risk of cancer and have an adverse effect on digestive and immune health.

Read More: The Warrior Diet: Benefits, Side Effects, And Weight Loss

• Keep On Moving

To maintain your keto diet weight loss, adopt a more active lifestyle. This will not only help keep the weight off, but it will also improve your general well-being. 

Practice regular movement throughout the day by taking frequent breaks, going on walks often, and stretching or doing yoga during the day (10).

The benefits of regular movement cannot be overlooked. In fact, maintaining regular activity throughout the day has proven to have a much more significant impact on your overall health than one heavy exercise session.

Summary On How To Go Back To Eating Normal After Keto And Maintain Weight Loss:

• Do it gradually
• Add more protein to your diet
• Adopt a more flexible keto plan by adding more food – as long as you remain in a calorie deficit
• Switch your focus from fat loss to muscle gain
• Transition to a low carb non-keto diet, such as Paleo
• Try intermittent fasting.
• Be active throughout the day

FAQs

In the first week, you may lose 2 to 10 pounds of water weight. The first month could see you losing 4 to 10 pounds (about 1 to 2 pounds a week).

Although the results vary from person to person, you might expect to lose at least one pound of fat per week.

To determine whether a diet is safe or effective, you must look at four things:

• How it changes your body’s composition. The best diet is one that reduces your body fat. Many fad diets are known to help in the loss of water weight and not fat loss, which is counter-productive, as it is so easy to gain water weight back.
• How it affects your overall health and wellbeing. Any diet that causes you stress, anxiety, and generally has a negative effect on how you feel about yourself should be abandoned. Avoid diets that have a negative impact on your mental health.
• If it has long-term benefits or if you can follow the diet long-term. Generally, if you cannot follow a diet for its long-term benefits, ditch it. A good diet is one whose benefits can be enjoyed months (even years) to come. If you cannot keep up with a diet, then maybe it is not for you. Pick a plan that is feasible for you.
• If it meets your nutrient needs or goals. Your diet should not have a negative impact on your health. The diet should not negatively impact your body’s ability to ward off diseases.

So, does the keto diet fulfill all these requirements? To demystify this, we first have to look at how the keto diet works. The keto diet is a low-carb diet that limits carbs, such as those in grains, starchy vegetables, and fruit. The diet puts emphasis on the consumption of foods high in protein and fat.

Keto restricts the type and amount of carbs you eat and focuses more on fats and proteins, such as:

• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Non-starchy vegetables, and
• Meat.
• Fats and oils

It excludes and limits most grains, legumes, fruits, bread, sweets, pasta, starchy vegetables, and some nuts and seeds.

The keto carb limit for most people is 20 grams. The diet suggests that a person consume less than 20 grams of carbs a day so that you can enter ketosis.

Ketosis occurs when you do not have enough glucose (sugar) for energy, so your body breaks down the stored fat, converting it to ketone bodies which can be used for energy.

The carb limit for keto is miles ways from what is generally recommended. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbs make up 45-65 percent of your daily calorie intake.

Ergo, if your daily calorie intake is 2000 calories, then carbs should make up 900 to 1300 calories, which would be 225 to 325 grams. 

For this reason, following the keto diet has potential side effects, such as:

• Headaches
• General malaise
• Bad breath
• Skin rashes
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Weakness
• Muscle cramps.

• So, Is It Safe?

Mayo Clinic states that this high-fat, very low-carb diet is thought to have brain-protecting benefits (21). As many as half of young people with epilepsy had fewer seizures after following the diet (5).

Some early research also suggests that it may have benefits for blood sugar control among people with diabetes. 

However, there is very little evidence to show if the keto diet is efficient or even safe over the long-term for anything other than epilepsy. Furthermore, the diet cuts out many healthy foods, which may make it difficult for you to meet your daily micronutrient needs.

All in all, the diet may be recommended for some people with uncontrolled epilepsy. However, its high-fat content plus the limits on nutrient-rich foods may pose a concern for long-term health.

Also, eating large amounts of fat and protein from animal sources increases your risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Whether you’re looking to simply pep up your fitness routine, jazz up your diet with mouth-watering low-calorie recipes or want to get your act together and significantly drop that number on your scale – BetterMe app has got you covered! Improve your body and revamp your life with us!

Very few things are as unmotivating as putting in all your effort into something and not seeing the results. As the keto diet is highly restrictive, it takes a lot of determination. It is no shock, therefore, when one gets frustrated when their input does not give them the desired results.

Have you been on the keto diet yet you have nothing to show of it? (18) You may be making these mistakes:

You Are Consuming Too Many Carbs

For your body to enter ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat for energy and not glucose, your carb intake must be drastically reduced. 

Your carb intake should be at most 5 to 10% of your daily calorie intake. Unless this happens, your body will not enter ketosis, and you will not lose weight.

You Are Consuming Too Many Calories

There is only one secret behind weight loss – creating a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit is a shortage in the number of calories consumed relative to the number of calories required for maintenance of current body weight.

There are two ways to create a calorie deficit.:

• Reducing the number of calories consumed
• Expending more calories through physical activity

You still need to watch your calorie intake while on the diet because keto-friendly foods, such as avocado, nuts, and nut butter, are high in calories. This is despite the fact that you feel satisfied after eating ketogenic meals and snacks because of the filling effect of fat and protein.

You can still consume too many calories on the keto diet by eating large portions and snacking throughout the day (13).

To ensure that this does not happen, pay attention to portion sizes, increase physical activity, and snack in moderation in between meals. 

You Are Not Eating Nutritious Foods

To trigger weight loss, cut out processed foods from your diet, as they provide extra calories and are nutrient-deficient (22). They are high in calories and low in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Instead, focus on nutritious, whole foods.

You Have An Undiagnosed Medical Condition

Medical conditions such as depression, PCOS, Cushing’s Syndrome, hypothyroidism, and hyperinsulinemia cause weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight (4, 8, 16, 23).

As such, it is advisable that you seek professional advice from a licensed professional before going on any diet.

You Have Unrealistic Weight-Loss Expectations

Losing 1 to 2 pounds or 0.5 to 1 kg a week (depending on starting weight) is recommended. Anything more drastic than this may not be easy to maintain in the long run (17).

You Are Stressed Out Or Haven’t Been Having Enough Sleep

Chronic stress and lack of quality sleep have proven to have a negative impact on weight loss (6). 

When you are stressed out, your body produces excess amounts of a hormone called cortisol – also known as the stress hormone (20). 

Elevated levels of cortisol in your body can encourage your body to store fat, especially in your midsection. 

Furthermore, chronic stress also leads to sleep deprivation, eventually causing weight gain. Lack of sleep negatively impacts hunger-regulating hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, causing an increase in appetite (14). 

To reduce stress and get better sleep, practice meditation, yoga, and spend less time on electronic devices, especially before bed (15).

You Are Actually Not Achieving Ketosis

Unless your body goes into ketosis, you cannot lose weight. To achieve ketosis, carbs should represent 5 to 10 percent of your calorie intake. 

You Are Not Getting Enough Physical Activity

Your sedentary job may just be the reason why you are not losing weight. Physical activity stimulates fat loss and helps build muscle. This can eventually boost your metabolism by increasing the amount of energy burnt at rest.

Conclusion

As you can see, the journey towards a healthier body does not stop at just losing weight. It would be best if you still worked hard to maintain your new weight, or all your hard work may be lost. Follow our helpful tips on how to maintain weight after keto and enjoy your journey (plus some of the foods restricted before).

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

SOURCES:

1. 4 Options Once You Reach Your Goal Weight With Keto (paleoleap.com)
2. Beyond Weight Loss: A Review Of The Therapeutic Uses Of Very-low-carbohydrate (Ketogenic) Diets (2013, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
3. Carbohydrates (2014, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
4. Cushing’s Syndrome: Update On Signs, Symptoms And Biochemical Screening (2015, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
5. Effects of Ketogenic Diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies (2017, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
6. Effects of Chronic Social Stress on Obesity (2012, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
7. How To Maintain Long-term Keto Weight Loss Results For Life (2020, ruled.me)
8. Hypothyroidism And Obesity: An Intriguing Link (2016, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
9. If I Stop Keto, Will I Gain the Weight I Lost? (2019, keto-mojo. com)
10. Incidental Movement, Lifestyle-embedded Activity And Sleep: New Frontiers In Physical Activity Assessment (2007, cdnsciencepub.com)
11. Is A Keto Diet The Best Way To Lose Weight? (bbc.co.uk)
12. Ketogenic Diet (2020, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
13. Ketogenic Diet for Obesity: Friend or Foe? (2014, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
14. Lose Sleep, Gain Weight: Another Piece of the Obesity Puzzle (2010, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
15. Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults – a prospective cohort study (2011, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
16. Obesity and Weight Gain in Relation to Depression: Findings from the Stirling County Study (2009, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
17. Rate of weight loss can be predicted by patient characteristics and intervention strategies (2011, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
18. Reasons for not losing weight on a keto diet (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
19. Seven Ways to do Intermittent Fasting (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
20. Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity (2016, pubmed. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
21. The truth behind the most popular diet trends of the moment (2019, mayoclinic.org)
22. Ultra-processed food consumption and excess weight among US adults (2018, cambridge.org)
23. Weight Management Interventions in Women with and without PCOS: A Systematic Review (2017, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

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Keto diet: what you need to know before you try

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February 04, 2021

read 10-15 minutes

We figure out who suits and why such a diet can be dangerous, how to choose products and make a menu. The material was checked and commented by Evgenia Mayevskaya, PhD, gastroenterologist, nutritionist at the GMS Clinic.

What is the keto diet

The keto diet, or ketogenic diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet. The keto diet helps lower blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, improve well-being and lose weight by changing metabolism.

The change in diet induces a state of ketosis, a metabolic regime in which the body receives fuel from animal foods. Ketone bodies become the main source of energy: acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyric acid. These are substances that are formed in the liver from the fatty tissues of the body and consumed fats. Ketone bodies feed the internal organs, muscle tissue and brain instead of glucose.

The process of ketosis can be started with the help of fasting, but the keto diet allows you to enter this state and stick to it all the time without risk to health.

Signs of ketosis:

• acetone or fruity breath;
• increased levels of ketone bodies in blood, urine and breath;
• decreased appetite and hunger;
• a breakdown, which after a few days may be replaced by normal health and increased brain activity;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, thirst and frequent urination;
• weight loss;
• irritability;
• insomnia.

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state of the body in which fats and adipose tissues of the body become the main source of energy instead of glucose.

Types of keto diet:

• standard: 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates of total calories;
• cyclical: five days on keto alternates with two days on high-carb foods;
• targeted: suitable for those who play sports;
• High Protein: Differs from the standard in the ratio of elements (60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs).

Most studies and expert articles are devoted to the standard and high protein regimens. Cyclic and target options are less studied and recommended for athletes and bodybuilders.

The keto diet is a diet that is high in fat and low in carbs. The body gets energy from animal food instead of glucose. Such a diet can help lower blood sugar and insulin levels and lose weight.

Foods to Avoid on a Ketogenic Diet

The keto diet cannot be called carbohydrate-free: their daily amount is 5% of the diet or 20-50 grams of the product.

But to start and maintain a state of ketosis, you need to remove from the menu or reduce the amount of high-carb foods:

• starchy cereals and products: rice, pasta, flakes, potatoes;
• sugary foods and drinks: soda, fruit juices, pastries, and so on;
• any fruit other than berries;
• beans and beans;
• dietary and low-fat foods;
• sauces and flavorings that contain sugar and unhealthy fats;
• alcohol.

Foods to include in your diet

The main products that are included in the keto diet:

• meat: steaks, sausages, bacon, chicken and turkey;
• fish: salmon, tuna, mackerel;
• seafood;
• eggs;
• butter and sour cream;
• cheeses: cheddar, goat, cream, mozzarella or blue cheese;
• nuts and seeds;
• olive, coconut and avocado oils;
• fresh avocado and guacamole;
• low carbohydrate vegetables: most green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers;
• seasonings: salt, pepper, spices and herbs.

Low carb foods that are suitable for the keto diet:

• 0% carbohydrates: beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, pork (including bacon), jerky, salmon, sardines, trout, butter, olive, coconut and avocado oils, water, coffee, tea.
• 0-5%: liver, shellfish, shrimp, tuna, lobster, cod, tomatoes, cauliflower, cucumber, asparagus, mushrooms, cheese, sour cream, yogurt (including Greek yogurt).
• 5-10%: broccoli, onions, Brussels sprouts, kale, eggplant, sweet peppers, green beans, avocados, olives, strawberries.
• 10-15%: grapefruit, apricot, walnuts.
• 15-25%: almonds, peanuts.

As a snack, experts advise eating seafood, cheese, olives, meat, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, berries, dark chocolate, and small portions of food left over from breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You can read the continuation of the article at the link to RBC Style

Gastroenterologist
Nutritionist (nutritionist)

Source RBC Style

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More

What is the ketogenic diet?

The ketogenic diet is incredibly popular, and for good reason: it works. The keto diet is good for health and weight in every way.

You’ve probably heard people at work, at the gym, and on TV—especially on the news or on celebrity shows—talk about the keto diet all the time, which makes it feel like some kind of newfangled diet. But in fact, nothing is further from the truth. The ketogenic diet, high in fat, moderate in protein and very low in carbohydrates, has been around for over 100 years and was originally developed to treat epilepsy. When there were cures for this disease, the keto diet faded into the background.

Let’s go back to a time when there is already a lot of research confirming the powerful effects of ketosis on the body and on all aspects of health. Ketosis is the foundation of the ketogenic diet. When you’re in ketosis and following a ketogenic eating plan, you’re creating ketones like beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which helps reduce inflammation and trains the body to use its own fat stores for fuel instead of storing them.

Low carbohydrate intake, as in the ketogenic diet, helps to reduce glucose levels in the body, which has a powerful effect on the body. The ketogenic diet requires 25-50 grams of carbohydrates daily. For those who are accustomed to much higher amounts, this is a very low consumption rate. For example, the average American consumes 300 grams of carbs a day, which makes these people what I call “sugar burners.” And reducing your carbohydrate intake allows you to become a “fat burner” – your metabolism becomes more flexible, which is an indicator of optimal health.

What are the benefits of a keto diet?

Why is the ketogenic diet so effective and healthy? Here are some of its potential benefits:

• Fat reduction
• Improved fitness and athletic performance
• Improved cognitive and mental health
• Improved immune system function
• Increased longevity
• Improved heart health
• Improved respiratory function
• Provides some protection against cancer
• And much more!

Many people think that the keto diet is difficult to follow because of the low carbohydrate intake. It is believed that all the tasty, satisfying food that we used to eat is completely absent from such a diet. I declare that it is not. You can still eat your favorite foods, it just becomes more mindful of how you prepare them. The dessert recipes below are a great example of this. The preparation uses healthy sweeteners that really contribute to health promotion and weight maintenance. Do you want to know what is the best news? These desserts are truly delicious!

The Best Sweeteners for the Keto Diet

The sweeteners used in these recipes, such as monk fruit sweetener, stevia, and erythritol, will help balance your blood sugar levels. A special sugar mentioned as an alternative to regular sugar is called allulose. This is a relatively new type of sugar that is becoming more and more popular. Studies show that allulose may promote weight loss, reduce the risk of heart disease, and be used in type 2 diabetes. Allulose is suitable for consumption by people with diabetes. Another benefit is that it tastes like sugar and can be measured just like regular sugar!

If you love delicious, mouth-watering chia seed cakes, cookies or puddings, be sure to try the following recipes. And the best part is that such a delicacy does not need an excuse in the form of a special celebration or holiday. Why? Because these desserts are healthy. They are rich in healthy fats, high-quality protein and fiber, which help promote health. Remember, just because a food has no sugar doesn’t mean it has to be tasteless!

Healthy Keto Dessert Recipes

Dark Chocolate Keto Brownie

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely ground almond flour
• 1/4 cup sugar-free cocoa powder
• 2 Art. tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 3 tbsp. spoons of water or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup of arhut sweetener
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20cm x 20cm baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Separately, break two eggs into a large bowl and beat them with an electric mixer until the whites and yolks are combined and a light foam appears.
4. Slowly add the melted butter to the eggs and continue to mix.
5. Gradually add dry ingredients while continuing to mix until you have a thick, shiny brownie batter.
6. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish and level with a spatula.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle rack of the oven, then let the dessert cool completely. As it cools it will become harder. These brownies are delicious with or without frosting.

Easy Keto Dark Chocolate Glaze Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 4 teaspoons butter minced chocolate with stevia or loincloth sweetener
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and wait until the chocolate chips melt gradually over medium or low heat.
2. When the crumbs are melted, cool the frosting and then spread it over the cooled brownies.

Almond shortbread

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour
• 7 tbsp. tablespoons softened butter
• 1/2 cup erythritol or allulose
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 177°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, mix oil and erythritol or allulose until fluffy.
3. Add vanilla extract and almond flour.
4. Place heaping tablespoons of batter on a baking sheet, then smooth out to about 1.3 cm thick.
5. Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown around the edges.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet and harden before serving.

Chia seed chocolate pudding

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. spoons of chia seeds
• 4 tbsp. spoons of monk fruit or erythritol sweetener
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened chocolate almond milk

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well with a whisk.