The 3 biggest mistakes I see people make while on a Ketogenic diet

I should start by saying that I’m a huge proponent of a ketogenic diet for specific medical conditions, as well as working with athletes and the general population on adopting the diet. The evidence supporting a ketogenic diet is substantial, which is a large factor in why I advocate for it so adamantly. Depending on your medical condition(s), ketogenic diets should be kicked off with guidance from a medical professional, especially if you’re diabetic and taking insulin. Within days of beginning a ketogenic diet, insulin injections must be reduced dramatically less you risk hypoglycemia.

Over the past 6 years of practice, I’ve placed thousands of patients on a ketogenic diet, and all have seen significant success. Over those years, I’ve also had patients come into my office already on a keto diet. Based on that experience with and proximity to the diet, I’ve compiled a short list of the three most common mistakes people might make if they jump into a keep diet absent any medical guidance.

1. Too much protein

Low-carb intake is a staple of keto, and because of this, most people lean on meats and cheeses for daily fuel. This excess intake of protein is hard on the digestive system and the kidneys, and most are unaware that a normalized protein intake, in line with your regular eating, should mirror your intake while on keto. To find out how much protein you should be consuming throughout the day, measure your weight in kilos – that’s how much protein you need. For example, one weighs 180 lbs which is 81 kgs. their body requires 81 grams of protein per day. Nothing more and nothing less.

2. Not enough fat

Arguably the most prominent issue with the ketogenic diet is that is can be extremely difficult to get your daily intake of fat, particularly if you’re doing keto correctly and striving to get the majority of your fat from clean fats and oils. Tracking your nutrition is critical to ensuring that you’re getting everything you need, and fat bombs are a bare necessity in reaching proper intake.

3. Wrong type of exercise

Often, when people begin a keto diet the inspiration is losing weight. Therefore, the beginning of a keto diet is usually accompanied by an increase in exercise as one pursues fitness. The problem with that equation is that keto shifts the types of exercise our body needs in order to be successful. When losing weight, the body is in a catabolic state, which means that it’s breaking down fat and using it for fuel. Without adequate protein amounts, your body also runs the risk of breaking down muscle to use for fuel. Because of this, the ideal exercise while on keto is high-intensity interval training, which will increase your metabolism, accelerate your weight loss, and ensure that muscle levels aren’t jeopardized.