To be on a keto diet means that you’re going to be eating fatty foods all the time. About 75% to 80% of your calories will come from fat. Initially, this may seem like fun. You get to eat all the bacon you want.
However, after a while, you’ll find it tougher to stay on the diet because most of us have been raised on a diet that was high in carbs and protein. Making the switch is challenging.
You’ll not be allowed to eat more than 50 grams of carbs per day. In fact, it’s better to stick to just 20 grams. Even protein is best consumed in an amount that makes up 20 percent of your calories a day.
Your goal should be to focus on high fat foods. That said, you can’t just eat any ol’ fat. Your foods should be good quality fat that is beneficial to your body.
So, what is good quality fat?
Coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil are good sources of fat. Margarine and refined vegetable oils are bad sources of fat and should be avoided.
The general rule of thumb is that the source of fats needs to be as natural as possible. Margarine is man-made. Hydrogenated oils such as corn oil, canola oil, etc. are also man-made and go through a series of chemical processes that make them very unhealthy. They may look golden and clean, but they’re highly detrimental to your health.
Some of the best keto foods to eat are:
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Cocoa butter
- Ghee
- Lard
- Butter
- Full fat cottage cheese
- Bacon
- Cured meats
- Salmon, sardines, and other oily fish
- Almost all types of vegetables (avoid white potatoes)
- Peas
- Most meats
You may notice that many of the foods mentioned above are carbs and protein. The list above are foods that are ideal for the keto diet. Your portion sizes, however, will need to abide by the rules of the keto diet.
In other words, even if you’re eating vegetables, you shouldn’t have more than 50 grams. If you’re eating meat such as chicken, the calories from it should not amount to more than 25 percent of your daily calories.
It may seem difficult to follow a keto diet if you need to plan so much. How do you even cook a keto meal and keep track of the calories and fats, etc.?
The best way around this will be to do your research online or get a book that shows you how to plan a keto diet. Alternatively, you may wish to engage the services of a nutritionist who will be able to plan a diet for you that’s easy to follow and sticks to the keto rules.
If you’re more of a do-it-yourself type of person, that’s fine. There are many keto recipe books to help you navigate the diet. As long as you use the ingredients and follow their recipes, you’ll be able to whip up keto dishes that taste good and help you to lose weight.
The secret to accelerating weight loss with the keto diet is to just follow the rules and maintain a daily caloric deficit of about 500 calories. You can find your numbers here: https://www.freedieting.com/calorie-calculator
The foods above are a guideline and if you stick to them, you’ll be doing great. Ultimately, it’s your compliance to the rules of the diet that matter. Focus on the rules and portion sizes. Once your body reaches a state of ketosis, you will burn more fat than you ever thought possible.
