We all know it by now ketogenic diet, the new diet that allows constant weight loss by attacking fat deposits and promoting the growth of lean body mass. We know that you can lose weight relatively quickly. We know you don't go hungry. And we know that it is also quite effective from a health point of view, protecting us from inflammatory states and making us stronger.
Today we will talk about a new aspect: what happens if we happen to go astray. A party or a sudden craving, and here we are having a meal based on carbohydrates. But is it a tragedy? We tell you right away: no. And how to fix it? Well, to know this, you have to keep reading!
What is ketosis
To explain what happens in the event of a mistake, we must necessarily begin by explaining what the ketosis, so that, at the next accident, you will be able to adjust yourself. Well, ketosis is a physiological process that leads the metabolism to break down tissues to draw energy from fat. This through ketone bodies, elements that our body produces to survive in states of carbohydrate deficiency.
The ketogenic diet is characterized precisely by this carbohydrate deficiency. In fact, it is a diet in which the proportion of carbohydrates does not exceed 10% of the total calories ingested in a day. As we have said, the reduction of carbohydrates leads the body to the production of ketone bodies, thanks to which the body draws the energy necessary to sustain itself from fatty deposits.
Many follow a ketogenic diet simply to feel good. In this case, we tend not to take more than 30% of protein, drawing the remaining 60% of calories from lipids, i.e. from fats. In fact, this tendency leads the body to recognize fats as an energy source more quickly.
However, people who intend lose weight and already have a fat reserve in their body, they will introduce a greater intake of protein instead. This choice is also useful for those who train, as proteins are what nourish the muscles.
Ketogenic diet: what happens if you go wrong by consuming carbohydrates?
Let's recap: we said that in the ketogenic diet carbohydrates must not exceed 10% of the total amount of food eaten in a day. Yeah, but if you're diligently following the ketogenic diet what happens if you screw up? Eating a carbohydrate-based meal is much easier than you think. Imagine you are invited to a party: you will eat chips, pizza, sweets and drink alcohol. In short, you will have done nothing but eat carbohydrates.
The effect? You will come out of ketosis.
Is that a problem? Have you screwed up all your sacrifices? Absolutely not!
Ketosis is not like a winning lottery ticket: it can happen to you several times in your life and even several times in a week! In short, it will be enough to get back in line and at the latest within a week you will be back up and running.
How to get back into ketosis fast
To get back into ketosis, simply start following the diet again. However, there are little tricks that will get you back into ketosis faster. Curious to know which ones?
- The intermittent fasting. Especially the 16/8 fast, which is the easiest to follow because you just eat nothing from dinner until lunch the next day. This will purify your body by pushing it back into ketosis faster;
- Calculate Calories: While the ketogenic diet doesn't require you to go into a calorie deficit, keeping tabs on calories for some time will help.
- Cut down on carbs further: For a few days, cut out that 10% as well, to give your metabolism a jolt.
You'll know you've entered ketosis by the smell of your urine, which changes slightly. But if you want to be sure, you can find numerous tests on the net to measure ketone levels in the body through breath, blood and urine. Simple tests that you can do at home without problems.
How to avoid falling back: the tricks to not go astray
The fact that getting back into ketosis is simple should absolutely not lead you to think that it is permissible to overstep frequently. Far from it. First, because when you go wrong, you certainly don't do it for a spelled salad with organic vegetables, so with every mistake, what you will do is introduce unhealthy food into your body, and this is always wrong.
Second, because getting back into ketosis always takes at least a couple of days, which means that the more you go wrong, the longer it will be to reach your ideal weight. What to do then?
First, you begin to have awareness of why you go wrong. Is it nervous hunger? Are you not eating enough? Find the problem and deal with it. Then, plan: eat at fixed times and have numerous snacks so as to always keep you full and have fewer temptations.
And now? Well, bon appetit, there you are the menu!
