In the world of health and fitness, many people are now talking about ketosis and whether or not they are in the state of ketosis. Many people think that being in ketosis is a temporary state, but it isn’t. In this article, we’ll look at what ketosis really means, why ketosis is so important, and how do you know if you are out of ketosis or not.
What you'll read:
What is Ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. The best way to achieve ketosis is by following a low-carb diet with moderate protein intake. When you eat a lot of carbs, your body produces glucose which it then uses as energy. In the process, it also converts some of the carbs into fat, which is stored in your liver and other tissues. This process is called glycogenesis.
When you restrict carbs to only a few grams a day, your body starts to burn fat for fuel instead. This state is known as ketosis.
Benefits of Staying in Ketosis
There are many benefits of staying in ketosis, such as:
- You’ll experience rapid weight loss.
- You’ll be burning fat instead of sugar, so you won’t have any sugar cravings or need to snack on sweets.
- You’ll lose belly fat much faster than on other diets.
- You’ll feel full and satisfied on fewer calories.
- You’ll be more energetic because your brain has a lower demand for glucose.
- You’ll have more stable blood sugar levels.
- You’ll be able to eat more food without feeling hungry.
- Better brain function
- Increased mental clarity
- Improved moods
- More energy
- Reduced sugar cravings
- Increased appetite control
How To Get Into Ketosis?
Eating a lot of fat and only a few carbs puts you in a metabolic state called ketosis. However, many people who try the keto diet end up failing because they don’t eat enough fat. To ensure you stay in ketosis, it’s important to eat a healthy balance of healthy fats. This will keep your body in a fat-burning state and prevent you from going back to relying on sugar for fuel.
Some of the food with health fats includes avocados, fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, olives, eggs, some nuts and nut butters, seeds, and oils etc. If you are following the standard keto diet, you should be eating about 20-30 grams of net carbs per day.
This means the amount of carbs you take in minus the amount of carbs you use for fuel. If you are not in ketosis, your body is using glucose for fuel instead of fat, which slows down weight loss.
Also, if your body is not in ketosis, it begins to store fat rather than burn it off. This causes many people to gain weight back even after they have lost it on the keto diet. To stay in ketosis, it’s important to pay attention to the foods you eat.
How Do You Know if You Are Out of Ketosis?
Now we are on the main topic! So, how do you know if you are out of ketosis or not?
You will need to measure your blood ketone levels using a blood ketone meter. This is the best way to know whether you are in ketosis or not.
There are many blood ketone test strips, which are very easy to use. You can purchase one of these online.
You will need to keep track of your ketone levels for about a week and check them regularly. If your ketone levels are above 0.5, you are in ketosis.
Another way to measure ketosis is through urine testing. However, this method is not reliable and many people find it inaccurate.
Other ways to know whether you are out of ketosis or not are measuring some symptoms that you may experience during your keto diet journey.
We will list a few symptoms below to know if you are out of ketosis or not:
Mood Swings – When you are in ketosis, you will experience less mood swings because your brain has a lower demand for glucose. Glucose is the primary fuel your brain uses for energy.
If your body is not in ketosis, it produces more glucose which makes you feel tired and sluggish. This is one of the main reasons many people fail when they try to go on keto diet.
They try to follow the diet and exercise plan without changing their eating habits, which is very difficult. They end up feeling tired and exhausted because their body is not getting the fuel it needs. This causes them to crave sugar and carbs which makes them fall out of ketosis and gain weight back.
Fatigue – When you are in ketosis, your body starts using fat for fuel instead of glucose. This makes you feel more energized and less tired. if you are out of ketosis, your brain uses glucose for fuel which makes you feel tired and exhausted.
This is one of the main reasons many people fail when they try to go on keto diet. They try to follow the diet and exercise plan without changing their eating habits, which is very difficult. They end up feeling tired and exhausted because their body is not getting the fuel it needs. This causes them to crave sugar and carbs which makes them fall out of ketosis and gain weight back.
Then, they get even more tired and exhausted because they have to deal with all the sugar and carb cravings.
Brain Fog – When you are in ketosis, you will experience less brain fog. Brain fog is caused by glucose. Glucose is the primary fuel your brain uses for energy. If your body is not in ketosis, it produces more glucose which makes you feel tired and sluggish. This is one of the main reasons many people fail when they try to go on keto diet.
Weight Gain – When you are in ketosis, you will experience less weight gain. And if you are out of ketosis, it starts to store fat and build a fat layer. This causes you to gain weight.
Final Word
Hopefully, after reading this content brief, you have learned how to easily get into ketosis and stay there and how do you know if you are out of ketosis. This will help you on your keto diet journey to lose weight and keep it off forever!
If you want to read more about ketosis, you should read our other two articles on ketosis:
