What Kind of Nutritional Strategy is Keto?
Low carbohydrate (<20g net carbs), moderate protein (based on height), and high fat (used as a lever for caloric deficit, maintenance, or lean mass gain).
How Does Keto Work?
A Standard American Diet is high in carbohydrates. The body uses those carbohydrates, glucose, and sugar for energy. When you start a nutrition strategy such as Keto that is low in carbohydrates and high in fat, the body has to adjust its preferred fuel source from carbohydrates, glucose, and sugar to fat. The fat energy will come partially from your dietary intake, but mostly from your current fat stores provided you are eating the appropriate amount of dietary fat.
The objective of Keto is to get into a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis is the process by which the body is fueled by stored fat. Ketones are the byproduct of the breakdown of fat molecules. With time, your body will become fat adapted (burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates, glucose, and sugar), hunger levels will radically decline, inches will drop off your body, energy levels soar, mental clarity skyrockets, and so much more.
What’s the Difference Between Slow Carb, Low Carb, and Keto?
Slow Carb is an approach that takes longer to get into for those experiencing difficulties cutting carbohydrates down cold turkey. For example: if you’re currently eating 300g of net carbohydrates per day we would cut that down to 200g, then 150, then 100, then 50, then 20 at a gradual rate so your body isn’t quite so shocked by the change.
Low Carb is reducing net carbohydrate intake to about 50-75g per day.
Keto is a maximum of 20 net carbohydrates per day. Being as close to 0 net carbohydrates per day will produce more rapid fat loss.
All three strategies employ the same methodology of reducing carbohydrate intake combined with moderate protein intake, and high fat consumption.
What’s the Hardest Part of Starting Low Carb/Keto?
The hardest part of starting a Low Carb/Keto nutrition strategy is consuming the right amount of energy (calories) to create enough of a caloric deficit to lose fat and eating the appropriate amount/ratio of macros (carbohydrates, protein, and fat). These are figured out specifically for you in our coaching packages based on your age, height, weight, and activity level. There’s no guessing or wasting time on your part. You get started off on the right foot automatically.
Do I Have to Exercise to Lose Fat Doing Low Carb/Keto?
Exercise is not required to start losing weight with a Low Carb/Keto nutritional strategy. It does help to speed along the process to get you further faster toward your fat loss goals, but you’ll need to mind your heart rate to burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates, glucose or sugar for fuel. You will get your customized fat burning heart rate range in our coaching packages. You will also get a list of exercises that burn the most fat in the least amount of time should you choose to add exercise into your lifestyle change strategy. I didn’t exercise for the first 6 months of my journey and lost about 50 pounds through nutrition alone.