There is no magic pill to lose weight fast. It will all take time, but we can speed things up. If you are determined to lose weight as fast as you can, then let’s make adjustments to the carb, fat, and protein ratios I mentioned in another blog. Reduce your carbohydrates down to closer to the 5% range, reduce your protein down to the 15-20% range, and increase your healthy fat intake accordingly. Slowly (over weeks) reduce your caloric intake down to close to 10 times your weight. You don’t want to reduce your calories down too much too quickly. Once you get your diet situated, you might want to implement intermittent fasting.
I have more info on intermittent fasting in my blog here, but you essentially are reducing the number of meals and the window of time you are eating them. Some people who intermittent fast will only eat 1 meal a day. I personally eat two, about 5-6 hours apart, so I eat nothing for 18 hours. This will expedite weight loss, because your body will go into starvation mode and start using your fat stores for food. Your body will eat your fat! Any exercise you can safely do will also turn your body into a fat burning machine. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is the most effective, but even a brisk walk will help to burn that excess fat.
How to lose weight with physical limitations?
Keto is a great way of losing weight for people with physical limitations. You do not have to exercise in order to lose weight. Exercising will speed up weight loss and improve your overall health, but is not necessary to lose weight. I have a back injury and have not been able to exercise the way I want. Everything hurts. Actually my back injury is what got me to start looking into the keto lifestyle to begin with.
Since I was not exercising the way I wanted to, I was steadily gaining weight, which was making my back pain worse. A vicious cycle. I was never real big, but I definitely had a gut. By following the keto lifestyle I have lost the extra weight, and have not exercised once. My point is that everyone can lose weight if they follow this plan. Exercise if you can, if it causes you additional pain, DON’T. There is a difference between muscle soreness and pain. If you aren’t sure what you are experiencing, talk to your doctor before continuing working out.
How long should you eat keto?
For my wife and I, we don’t consider following the keto diet to be a diet. For us, this is a lifestyle change. I compare it to someone who quits any other habit like smoking. That person changed their lifestyle to change their habits, changing the way you eat is the same idea. My wife and I have consistently been eating ketogenic since 2016.
To answer this question, you will need to know what your goals are. If you are just wanting to lose weight, you can stay on this diet until you reach your goals. The caveat is, as soon as you go off the diet, you WILL GAIN IT BACK! That is the real downfall to any diet. Our bodies do not truly “eat” fat cells. Instead we will force those fat cells to shrink when we are dieting.
So when you go off the diet, the extra sugar and carbs will allow those fat cells to swell right back up and retain water. If you want to get that summer pool body and be able to maintain it, I would suggest making keto a lifestyle. Some people will suggest going keto for a few months, and then having a carb day. This can have some real benefits to your body, IF you are consuming healthy carbs, and not empty carbs like a donut. Remember, a good portion of the weight you will lose is from water that your fat cells are no longer retaining. Sugar is what will cause your body to retain that water.
Nothing is worse than getting your body into the shape you want, then decide that since you are on vacation you will have a cheat meal or a few. Next thing you know, you look bloated and no longer want to get into your bathing suit because the sugars caused you to bloat and look puffy.
How long does it take to get into Ketosis
Well, this is a trick question. There is a difference between ketosis and being fat adapted. Most people refer to ketosis as being fat adapted, but they are actually different. The keto diet will allow you to get into ketosis which in turn will allow your body to become fat adapted. Think of ketosis that tool that unlocks fat adaptation. Once you are fat adapted, you can and will still be in ketosis which is why the term ketosis is used synonymously with fat adapted.
Getting into ketosis for the first time does not happen over night. It might actually take over a month depending on your body. The reason that it will take so long is that first we have to use up the glucose that is floating around our body. Then our body will realize that it will need a new fuel source and will start breaking down fats. So, now our body will have to create new enzymes that are required to use the fats and convert them to ketones. This is the process that takes the most time and why there is not set time to get into ketosis. Once the enzymes are created, our bodies will have to get the other systems used to using the ketones.
The time for how long this process takes will be dependent upon your anatomy, lifestyle and eating habits.
Returning to ketosis after a cheat meal
If you have recently been in ketosis, your body already has the enzymes and systems already in place to burn ketones. The time required to get back into ketosis is reduced once your body has become fat adapted. Everyone is different. The time can range anywhere from 3 days (sometimes less) to up to two weeks. If you are just wanting to lose a few pounds get into that swim suit, it may still take a few weeks. It takes time for your body to use up the sugars in your blood and create the enzymes needed to utilize fats. Once fat adapted, your body will begin emptying out those fat cells. This process still takes time. Adding in an extended fast can help accelerate the process.
The next time you go to the grocery store, find a tub of lard and pick it up. That will tell you how much volume the fat in your body takes up per pound. Now, think of how many pounds you would like to lose and get an idea of what your body will have to do in order to get rid of it. It can be a depressing thought, but remember our bodies are actually pretty amazing. The good news is that once your body is fat adapted, it is actually much easier to get back into ketosis. So if you do have a bad day, you can recover and get back into ketosis faster.
As i said earlier, changing your life will take time, commitment and dedication. You did not develop your bad habits over night. It probably took years for you to gain the extra weight you so desperately want to lose. So when you start the keto diet, start with the expectation that you will not lose 50 lbs in the first month. It will take time. But, if you are strict with following the diet (NO CHEATING), you will start to see a difference fairly quickly.
For me, after the second or third month, I really started to notice that my waist was shrinking and my clothes were fitting much better. My wife definitely was losing weight as well. She was not as strict with the diet that I was, and her results indicated that. She just didn’t lose weight as quickly. My wife wasn’t trying to lose much weight, but did understand that eating healthier will benefit us in the long run. It would have been much harder for me if my wife wasn’t also eating keto. If you can, get your significant other or even a friend to help be your accountability buddy.
Drinking water and losing weight
Drinking water can help flush out some excess sugars. Consuming enough water daily also helps to keep you hydrated, and allows for numerous bodily functions. Do not stop drinking water for the purpose of losing weight. You are better off drinking more water, and your body will naturally flush any excess. For more information on hydration while on keto, check out my blog here.
Benefit to your household being keto
If your significant other also decides to go down the keto path with you, it will make things easier. One of the biggest challenges for many people when not everyone in the house is on the diet is the availability of sugary snacks or non-keto foods. Removing all temptations from the house will make the transition easier.
For my wife and I, we used up our non-keto foods as we could, and resupplied with more ketogenic foods. Some foods we simply gave away or donated. If you are serious about losing weight and converting to the ketogenic lifestyle, then remove any temptations that will sabotage you and your success.
