The ketogenic diet has gained immense popularity as a powerful tool for weight loss and metabolic health. By drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing fat consumption, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of glucose. While the ketogenic diet offers numerous potential benefits, it's also easy to make mistakes that can hinder progress and even lead to adverse effects. This article will explore common ketogenic diet mistakes and provide practical solutions to avoid them.
Understanding the Ketogenic Diet and Ketosis
"Keto" refers to ketogenesis, a process in the body that results from significantly reducing the carbohydrates in your diet and increasing your fat intake. Normally your body gets energy from readily available carbohydrates, but on a keto diet, your carb intake is slashed. When you're on the ketogenic diet, you are in a state similar to fasting - your body is using fat for fuel. However, without regular replenishing of carbohydrates, the body begins to break down fat for energy, resulting in the formation of ketones.
While there is no strict definition of a low carb diet, anything under 100-150 grams per day is generally considered low carb. This is definitely a lot less than the amount of carbs in the standard Western diet. You may achieve great results within this carb range, as long as you eat unprocessed whole foods. But if you want to get into ketosis - which is essential for a ketogenic diet - then this level of intake may be too high. Most people will need to go under 50 grams per day to reach ketosis. Keep in mind that this doesn’t leave you with many carb options - except vegetables and small amounts of berries. To calculate your net carbs, subtract fiber, sugar alcohols, and other nondigestible carbs from the total amount. These are the carbs to watch on a ketogenic diet.
Common Ketogenic Diet Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
1. Not Cutting Carbs Enough
Eating a lower amount of carbs per day may have metabolic benefits and support weight loss. If you want to get into ketosis and reap the full metabolic benefits of low carb diets, going under 50 grams of carbs per day may be necessary. The big secret behind why the ketogenic diet works so powerfully at any age is ketosis. Ketosis is an intense, fat-burning state. Instead of using carbohydrates for energy, our body starts to use our fat as fuel. This can double our results. But to enter ketosis, we need to limit carbs. And here’s the problem. “Many people don’t realize how many carbs are in common, healthy foods,” says Dr. Alexander H. Blackwell. Eating too much fruit is a common example. You think you do a great job, but actually, block yourself from entering ketosis.
Solution:Keep close track of your sugar and carb intake by reading nutrition labels. The nutrition label on food packaging will tell you how many grams of carbohydrates and sugar is in a serving size. If the food doesn’t have a nutrition label, look up the content of the food on the internet. The recommended carb intake is around 5% of our total calories. Finding this carb reduction tough when first getting started on the Keto diet is normal. However, it is essential if we want to reach and maintain Ketosis. That is the only way to start burning 20lbs every month. And thankfully, things get easier after the first week or two because our body starts to adapt. Do not give up early.
2. Eating Too Much Protein
Protein is a very important macronutrient that most people consume adequate amounts of. It can improve feelings of fullness and increase fat burning more than other macronutrients. Generally, consuming more protein should lead to weight loss and improved body composition. However, low carb dieters who eat a lot of lean animal foods can end up eating too much protein. When the body doesn’t have sufficient carbs, amino acids from proteins you eat will be turned into glucose via a process called gluconeogenesis. This can become a problem on very low carb ketogenic diets and prevent your body from going into full ketosis. According to some scientists, a well-formulated low carb diet should be high in fat and moderate in protein. Eating too much protein will lead to protein conversion into glucose (sugar) in the body. So if you eat too much protein, your body may not use fat as an energy source. Excessive protein consumption on a low carb diet can prevent you from getting into ketosis.
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Solution:A good range to aim for is 0.7-0.9 grams of protein per pound (1.5-2.0 grams per kg) of body weight. To prevent getting too much protein, focus on fat sources that do not include protein such as butter or oils over just eggs and meat. Remember that your main goal on keto is enjoying healthy fats. Thankfully, that includes delicious foods like nut butter, olive oil, and avocados. So, remember to have some form of healthy fat with every meal, and keep your protein intake in check.
3. Not Eating Enough Fat
Most people get the majority of their calories from dietary carbs - especially sugars and grains. When you remove this energy source from your diet, you must replace it with something else. However, some people believe that cutting out fats on a low carb diet will make your diet even healthier. This is a big mistake. If you don’t eat carbs, you must add fat to compensate. Failing to do so could lead to hunger and inadequate nutrition. There’s no scientific reason to fear fat - as long as you avoid trans fats and choose healthy ones like monounsaturated and omega-3 fats instead. A very low carb diet must be high in fat. Otherwise, you won’t get enough energy or nutrition to sustain yourself.
In order for the keto diet to be successful you must eat a high fat - not just low carb diet. Most experts agree that at least 70% of your calories should come from fat. Fat is an important nutrient in getting your body to produce ketones. So pile on the avocados and olive oil - don’t be afraid. Fat is key to success!
Solution:A fat intake around 70% of total calories may be a good choice for some people on low carb or ketogenic diets. To get fat into this range, you must choose fatty cuts of meat and liberally add healthy fats to your meals. Aim for 4-5 different fat sources throughout the day. Adding fats like olive oil, butter, cream, coconut, or canola oils to meals without being accompanied by extra protein is critical to achieve both satiety and nutritional ketosis. If you remain fearful of adding dietary fat to your meals, now is the time to critically re-evaluate those fears. Focus on a variety of natural fats including eggs, avocados, raw nuts, seeds, oils and butters. Don’t forget about ghee, heavy cream, coconut oil and coconut cream as well.
4. Inadequate Sodium Intake
Insulin has many functions in your body, such as telling fat cells to store fat and your kidneys to retain sodium. On a low carb diet, your insulin levels go down and your body starts shedding excess sodium - and water along with it. This is why people often get rid of excess bloating within a few days of low carb eating. However, sodium is a crucial electrolyte. Low sodium levels can become problematic when your kidneys dump too much of it. This is one reason people experience side effects on low carb diets, such as lightheadedness, fatigue, headaches, leg cramps, and even constipation. Low carb diets lower your insulin levels, making your kidneys excrete excess sodium. This can lead to a mild sodium deficiency. Inadequate mineral replacement - Insulin causes your kidneys to retain salt and water. When a person follows the keto diet, the insulin level should drop which causes the kidney to naturally release water and minerals, especially sodium, potassium and magnesium.
Solution:The best way to avoid this issue is to add more sodium to your diet. You can do this by salting your foods - but if that doesn’t suffice, try drinking a cup of broth every day. Therefore, salt your food liberally. If experiencing keto flu, eat a cup of broth or bullion once or twice a day. Consuming adequate sodium becomes all the more critical, as the rate of sodium excretion by the kidneys into the urine increases quite significantly while in nutritional ketosis. This means that most people on a ketogenic diet need to consume closer to 5000 mg (i.e., 5 grams) of sodium -- which equals 12 grams of salt -- per day in order to maintain an adequate balance. Neglecting to consume 5 grams of sodium can put your circulatory system into disarray and trigger the notorious “keto flu” symptoms: headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue and constipation. Fortunately, you can keep these symptoms at bay and improve your overall well-being and function by simply salting your food moderately and consuming 2 servings of broth or bouillon daily. For most people, this results in about 3 grams of sodium from regular food plus 2 grams from broth, totaling 5 grams per day.
5. Not Drinking Enough Water
Water plays a crucial role in helping the body's systems function regularly, including metabolism. Low carb diets have a diuretic effect on the body, causing it to lose both water and electrolytes. Many keto dieters do not consume enough water or electrolytes, especially during the beginning days of their diet. Dehydration is an increased possibility on keto. “The drastic decrease in carbohydrate intake on the ketogenic diet can cause shifts in your fluid and electrolyte balance. Carbs are stored along with water in the body, so as these stores are depleted, that water is lost along with them,” says Alyssa Tucci, RDN, a nutrition manager at Virtual Health Partners in New York City. She also says that the body flushes out the buildup of ketones in urine, which also depletes water and sodium from the body. Overall the biggest mistake people make is not drinking enough water and not following the right amount of carbs, proteins and fats.
Solution:Drink up. Tucci recommends waking up to a large glass of water and sipping regularly throughout the day to reach a goal of consuming half of your body weight numerically in ounces of water daily. Adults maintaining a keto diet should drink at least 64 ounces of water daily. If you are starting the keto diet, you need even more water because as soon as you start cutting out carbs your body will start to lose water naturally. Water is crucial to keep your body functioning at its best by circulating nutrients, flushing out toxins and burning fats. Hydration for children is weight dependent so check with your healthcare team about water goals.
6. Giving Up Too Soon Due to the "Keto Flu"
Your body is designed to preferentially burn carbs. Therefore, if carbs are always available, that’s what your body uses for energy. If you drastically cut back on carbs, your body needs to shift to burning fat - which comes from either your diet or your body’s stores. It can take a few days for your body to adapt to burning primarily fat instead of carbs, during which you will probably feel a little under the weather. This is called the “keto flu” and happens to most people who go on ultra low carb diets. The feeling of exhaustion and weakness is a common sign of having the keto flu, which is often felt on the first days of a keto diet. What is the keto flu, you ask? It’s the transition that your body goes through, switching from burning sugar to burning fat for energy. It doesn’t happen to everyone, FYI. But in a study published in the March 2020 Frontiers in Nutrition that analyzed online forums where people reported their keto flu symptoms, people described 54 different symptoms of the keto flu, most commonly headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, brain fog, GI distress, decreased energy, faintness, and changes in heartbeat, which started within several days of beginning keto, peaked after one week, and diminished after four weeks.
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Solution:If you feel unwell for a few days, you may be tempted to quit your diet. However, keep in mind that it may take 3-4 days for your body to adjust to your new regimen, and full adaptation may take several weeks. On a low carb diet, it can take a few days to overcome unpleasant symptoms and several weeks for your body to fully adapt. It’s important to be patient and not to abandon your diet too soon. Use your judgment to decide whether this diet is working for you and whether you’re willing to continue. Clevenger recommends eating foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and sodium, as well as hydrating to ease keto flu symptoms. There are also electrolyte rehydration drinks that can help you replenish sodium, magnesium, and potassium levels, she says. To get rid of the symptoms within 20 minutes consider getting electrolyte sources by increasing your salt and water intake-avocado, dark chocolate, salted nuts and chicken broth are good options.
7. Rushing into Keto
Surely, you’ve heard of the stories: Yes, the Keto diet can melt 20lbs per month or even more if you’re doing it right. Thousands of men and women over the world have used this eating strategy. It’s proven, and the results speak for themselves. People transform completely, losing flabby arms, big thighs, and stubborn belly fat quickly.
Solution:But before you get too excited, be careful. You can actually end up worse than you were before. According to health & wellness expert Dr. Alexander H. You will keep craving sweets because you won’t know enough about healthy dessert substitutes. You will keep snacking unhealthy food because you won’t have a well-thought-out meal plan that keeps you pleasantly full. The weight won’t go down. It might even go up! Instead, Dr. Alexander recommends a professional, custom plan based on your body type, age, and eating preferences. “Look for support and ideas on how to manage the diet correctly,” he says. “Your health is the number one priority. Invest in it now so you could save money in the future.” Prior to starting a keto diet, individuals may benefit from tapering down their carbohydrate intake, instead of reducing carbs cold turkey. Atkins sets you up for success with plans personalized to your lifestyle, as well as an incredible library of recipes.
8. Not Getting Enough B Vitamins
Have you reduced carbs and then felt tired? Not enough Vitamin B might be the reason why. “B vitamins are mostly found in whole grains,” explains Alexander. “Lacking them can make you feel tired, lower your energy levels and slow down your weight loss progress.”
Solution:Fortunately, you can still get plenty of B vitamins from keto-friendly foods. You just need to eat the right keto foods. Here are our favorite options: Meat, eggs, and dairy products. Combine with seeds and nuts and dark, leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli for a more complete nutritional profile. What to do if you still feel tired? Talk to your doctor about taking a B vitamin supplement to boost your energy levels.
9. Not Eating Enough Fiber
There is a lot of fiber in fruits and whole grains. But you cannot have much of these on the Ketogenic diet. So, you need to be extra careful to get a nice amount of fiber during the day. According to Dr. Alexander, “Fiber is essential to help regulate digestion, hunger and fullness cues. It helps provide long-lasting energy and a steady blood glucose level.” In other words, fiber is critical. If you do not eat enough, you may feel hungry, overeat, and ruin your hard work.
Solution:The recommended approach is to eat more vegetables. All leafy greens are great. Follow this simple rule: The darker the color, the better. Do not like eating vegetables all the time? Consider trying fiber supplements to refresh your body.
10. Leptin Resistance
Leptin is a powerful fat-controlling hormone. It sends a signal to your brain that says, “you’re full,” so you know when to stop eating. If your body produces leptin properly, your appetite will be in check. But when your body produces too much leptin, your brain stops receiving the signal. So, you don’t feel full easily. This causes overeating and eventually excessive weight gain.
Solution:One of the many benefits of Keto is that it can help fix leptin resistance. That’s because it consists of whole foods. “Healthy sources of protein, fat, and fiber are proven to help improve sleep, decrease sugar pangs, and combat snacking habits.”
11. The Google Curse
With a bit of light research on Google, you will find thousands of keto weight loss transformations. The proof is everywhere, and it is easy to get excited. Many people read a few articles, note a few keto recipes, then try to get started on their own. But this is a dangerous mistake. Just knowing you need to reduce carbs is not enough.
Read also: The Keto-Brain Fog Link
Solution:The solution is a personalized keto diet that takes your age, physical shape, and medical conditions into consideration. If you’re eating strategy is fine-tuned to your body, you will experience a dramatic transformation. You will lose weight quickly and keep it off because you will experience less hunger, fewer cravings, and loss of control. If you follow a personalized Keto meal plan, this will not only happen quickly. It also will be pretty easy.
12. Eating the Wrong Types of Fat
When it comes to consuming dietary fat, it’s not only about quantity, but quality, too. Fat is essential and two of its primary functions in humans are: 1) as a fuel source, particularly when “keto-adapted,” and 2) to build and maintain vital membranes for all the cells in the body.
Solution:On a ketogenic diet, monounsaturated and saturated fats should provide the majority of your dietary fat intake to supply the body with energy, as the body prefers to use these types of fats for fuel. Monounsaturated and saturated fat sources are both readily available and delicious. Monounsaturated fats are found in abundance in certain oils such as olive, avocado, and canola, as well as in some animal fats such as lard. Saturated fats are naturally concentrated in most animal fats such as dairy fat, beef (suet), and lamb, as well as “tropical oils” (e.g., coconut and palm oil). Dietary saturated fats are readily burned off to be used for fuel (i.e., they won’t accumulate in your blood) when a person is keto-adapted.Polyunsaturated fats, on the other hand, are only required in small quantities and are not well-tolerated in large amounts. Therefore, highly concentrated sources such as most vegetable oils should be limited and avoided whenever possible. Common sources of polyunsaturated fat include soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, and peanut oils.Avoid artificial trans fats all together, such as commercial shortening and margarine, as they are strongly linked to coronary artery disease.
13. Stagnant "Macro Ratios”
There are three major macronutrients (or “macros”) that supply humans with energy (calories) from foods: carbohydrate, fat, and protein. On a well-formulated ketogenic diet, your daily energy needs should be satisfied by approximately 5-10% carbs, 70-80% fat, and 15-20% protein. What people frequently overlook is the fact that when you initially begin a ketogenic diet and are losing weight, a significant portion of that 70-80% of energy from fat will actually come from burning your own body fat stores from adipose tissue-so it’s NOT entirely from dietary sources.
Solution:Later down the road as you approach “weight maintenance” and are aiming to remain weight-stable while keeping your energy levels high and metabolic health at optimum, the fat needed to supply your daily energy will have to come from your food. After all, in this scenario you no longer have as much excess fat to lose! Although your intake of dietary fat will need to increase, no matter if it’s Day 1 or Day 500, you will continue consuming approximately the same, moderate amount of protein in addition to non-starchy vegetables (your main source of carbohydrates plus essential vitamins and minerals). So while it seems counterintuitive for someone wanting to stay slim, you will need to eat more fat as you approach and then achieve weight maintenance.
14. “Needing” to Fast
You may have noticed a recent frenzy of people advocating fasting as potent tool for rapid weight loss, enhancing ketone levels and increasing life span. But think twice before deliberately enduring calorie-free days. Much of the research supporting these benefits has been done in mice.
Solution:Well-done human research on the long-term safety and efficacy of fasting raises important concerns, particularly if one chooses to fast longer than one day. Fasting for more than 2 days can lead to lean tissue loss and even a permanent reduction in reduction resting metabolism, among other significant health concerns. Of particular concern to us is when periods of fasting, whether short or long, are performed by people taking medication for diabetes or high blood pressure.
15. Buying Processed "Keto" Foods
Buying processed food is one of the top mistakes you can make at the grocery store. While you can technically get into ketosis consuming processed meats, you may miss out on nutrients and increase the risk of diseases. With a rise in popularity, keto products are trying to meet the high demand. But not every keto product is healthy for you or good for your diet. It can be tempting to replace your cakes and cookies with sweet keto bars. Sugar alcohol is an artificial carbohydrate used to sweeten foods. They have a lower calorie count than traditional sugar. They can be a source of empty calories in your keto diet. “They are just as nutrient empty as any other processed food,” Dr. Riggs says.
Solution:Reducing your carbohydrate intake is great, but higher-quality products, when your budget allows, will help improve your health, too. That means choosing omega 3-rich foods, like wild salmon; grass-fed, local, or organic meats; and snacking on whole foods rather than processed keto-approved treats. It also means trying to follow a balanced diet as best you can by incorporating as many nutrient-rich fruits and veggies as you can.
16. Excessive Snacking
Be sure you are only snacking when you are truly hungry and not due to other factors such as emotions or boredom.
Solution:If you are hungry and need a snack, nuts seeds, avocados, or cheese are great options. Focus on small portions of these foods and giving yourself enough time after eating to feel satisfied before going back for seconds.
17. Hidden Carbohydrates
There is no official definition for a food to be labeled “low carb.” Many foods carry this claim but are not keto friendly. Common hidden sources of carbs can be found in condiments, sauces and salad dressings. Keep in mind that foods labeled “low sugar “or “sugar free” does not necessarily mean low carb and may not be acceptable on a keto diet.
Solution:Read labels carefully!
18. Not Watching Your Veggie Intake
Vegetables have carbohydrates. And that means that you have to watch how much of them you eat - even lettuce. If you're not careful or are eating them as a free-for-all, you could overconsume carbs and kick yourself out of ketosis. On the other hand, you may be skipping veggies altogether if counting every baby carrot is getting too complicated.
Solution:It’s important to get your vegetables in (they contain the fiber that will prevent constipation, a potential side effect of keto, according to University of Chicago Medicine) while minding portions and properly counting carbs. Go for nonstarchy options in a rainbow of colors for a variety of nutrients, says Tucci, like leafy greens, cucumber, tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and asparagus.
19. Going It Alone and Not Clearing the Diet With Your Doctor
Many followers of the keto diet try it because they’re hoping to use it therapeutically for a medical condition.
Solution:If that’s you, talk to your doctor first and make sure they’re on board with your plan - especially if you’re also taking medication, says Clevenger. “Some medications may need to be adjusted by your healthcare practitioner as your signs and symptoms improve,” she says. Just one example is insulin, as a lower dose may be needed now that you’re severely limiting carbohydrates.
The Importance of Individualization and Professional Guidance
Low carb diets may offer a potential solution for health conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, just cutting back on carbs isn’t enough to lose weight or boost health. The length of time it takes a person to adapt to nutritional ketosis varies from one individual to the next, as each person has a unique biochemistry and varying degrees of metabolic damage needing repair. With very rare exceptions, it is possible for everyone to enter nutritional ketosis.
As with any new diet, it’s a good idea to consult a dietitian or another healthcare professional before you start. If you want to know more about the Keto diet and whether or not it is right for you, talk to the weight loss diet experts at Texas Weight Loss. Our experts can discuss healthy medical weight loss methods for you, letting you know how to lose weight in the best fashion for your body and health.