Guide to Trying Keto

What is it?

The presence of insulin prevents fat metabolism.

You may hear the term keto flu, which is basically a made up catch-all term for the uncomfortable effects of the initial transition into the diet.

Core Ideas

Eat if — and only if — you are hungry.

Only focus on muscle building after finishing weightloss

Gaining muscle at the exact same time as losing weight is a complex task that requires ideal conditions. If you're really interested in gaining muscle, plan on a longer timescale. It will be much easier to enter and maintain strong ketosis without also trying to ensure you're consuming ample calories/protein. A one or two month long cut is going to put you in a much better metabolic position down the road. There is debate right now about whether or not building muscle on keto is harder or easier (for instance, much muscle can be gained without any exercise or diet changes by simple addition of testosterone, a known effect of losing weight! ). Either way, doing so is certainly more plausible after a solid portion of keto-adaptation has occured, lest your caloric intake emphasis thwart the reduction of insulin to ketogenic levels during the period when you have not yet regained sensitivity.

Do not forget to take enough salt.

If you are ever less than high energy while in ketosis, you are almost certainly just salt deficient. Take a 1/2 teaspoon casually, by pouring onto your tongue and taking a large swish of water. The same applies to waking up hungry. Taking these salt bumps within the hour before sleep can also help mitigate the onset troubles some people experience during keto-adaptation, due, in part, to novel high and steady energy levels.

References