If you’ve been on the fence about doing keto, now is the time to start.
We are about 8 weeks out from lake season (or perhaps pool season if that’s your scene- but we definitely do lakes here in Oklahoma) , and 8 weeks is what you need to fully experience the benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle.
Even if you’re not committed to sticking with it beyond this time frame, or are uncertain of the long-term health implications– 8 weeks is that magic time frame to see all of the benefits of this popular diet. So let’s do this right.
The keto diet is not new, and there are many ways to use this diet as a tool.
Many will tell you to get 99% of your calories from fat, and only 1% from proteins and carbohydrates. This is the medical ketogenic diet.
But this strict form of keto is designed to treat serious health conditions, and the side effects are deemed “worth it” compared to the alternative. For the average person just wanting to lose weight, reduce inflammation, reduce diabetes risk, lower blood sugar, and just all around feel better- there are other options.
The standard keto diet (nutritional keto) is considered to be about 75% fat/ 20% protein/ 5% carbohydrates; which is far more manageable than the medical keto diet, but still very effective at getting the body into ketosis.
That makes the standard ketogenic diet a great place to start.
Spending the first few weeks in standard keto mode will help get you on track, and then you can transition into a more moderate or higher protein keto diet where the ratios balance to about 65% fat/30% protein/ 5% carbohydrates.
This 65:30:5 ratio is very easy to manage, makes it easier to get all of your nutrients, maintain a ketogenic state, and continue to lose weight.
And just to be clear, this is calories, not grams. 1 gram of fat contains about 9 calories, protein 4, and carbs 4.
Translation from Calories to Grams
| Daily Calories | Fat (g) | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) |
| 1500 | 125 | 75 | 19 |
| 2000 | 167 | 100 | 25 |
| 2500 | 208 | 125 | 31 |
| Daily Calories | Fat (g) | Protein (g) | Carbs (g) |
| 1500 | 108 | 113 | 19 |
| 2000 | 144 | 150 | 25 |
| 2500 | 181 | 188 | 31 |
Exercise
After the first week or two, which usually leaves you feeling fairly drained and sometimes with flu-like symptoms, you will begin to feel more energetic. Likely more so than you have in a long time.
Use this energy! Funnel it into a new workout routine. But start slow if you’re not accustomed to regular workouts.
By week four you should be doing daily workouts, for at least a half hour a day (I find that mornings work best, especially if you’re likely to find reasons that you can’t get to it).
When you’ve reached your eighth and final week you will likely be up to a more intense workout schedule, just because you’ll want to use that energy and love seeing the progress.
After 8 Weeks Keto
After living keto for eight weeks you should see a significant difference in your lifestyle, how you feel, and how you look.
Where you go from here is up to you. But, if you decide to stop, then don’t stop all at once.
Ease yourself off of the diet, eating more pasta and healthier starches, but continue to avoid refined sugars for a few weeks. (Eating processed/refined sugar, i.e. table sugar, while on a low carb diet has been shown to damage blood vessels).
If you decide to continue, make a plan for how long and get regular check-ups. There’s still inconsistent data available for the long term effects of a ketogenic lifestyle. I’ve personally been on a ketogenic diet for two years, with the best numbers I’ve ever had in my life. BUT, not everyone is the same.
If there are signs of detrimental side effects, such as increasing bad cholesterol, then look into other options.
Just because keto works so well for some people, does not mean it will work for everyone.
Our-OK-Family 