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The keto diet is the most effective and popular way of losing weight and improving your health. When followed well the ketogenic diet can boost your blood ketone levels. When you have enough ketone levels, your body will have a new source of fuel for your cells.
Your body undergoes many biological changes when on a keto diet. However, it can be difficult for most people to know whether they are in ketosis or not. In this guide to keto, we shall discuss some of the most common signs you should look out for to know you are in ketosis.
10 Signs to Show You Are in Ketosis
Weight loss
The first and most common sign that you are in ketosis is by losing weight. However, you can lose weight because of the keto diet or because of other reasons. If you are strictly following the keto diet to the latter, you can attribute this sign to the diet. When your body is in a state of ketosis, you will notice that you shed weight consistently.
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Increased Energy and Focus
Once your body is in ketosis, you will notice that you will have increased energy and focus. Having increased energy and focus can benefit you in almost all aspects of your life. Many people struggle to wake up early in the morning or struggle to remain awake during the day.
A keto diet can help you to stay focused and alert during the day. When your body is finally in ketosis, it will tend to produce more ketones making you have increased energy. Having more energy will enable your brain to function better for a more extended period.
Decrease in Appetite
When you stop eating carbs, you do not get hungry as much. You will still get hungry, but the hunger pangs will not be that strong. Instead, you will find that you only eat a certain amount of food to get you through the day. The reason as to why you won’t feel hungry is because your body can regulate the hormones which trigger your brain that you need to eat.
Change in Toilet Routine
Another sign which you might observe when in ketosis is a change in your toilet routine. Now do not worry, you will not need to break your toilet, but you will note several changes. Some of the changes include constipation, diarrhoea or nothing at all.
You might go for a day without using the toilet, and you may be required to add fibres or magnesium in your diet. When you add a lot of fat in your diet, you might end up getting diarrhoea since your body is not yet used to the fats. Some people are lucky, and they do not have any change at all.
Feeling Thirsty
When on a keto diet a lot of water is flushed from your body, and you may end up feeling thirsty. You might also end up drinking more water than usual if you lose electrolytes from your body. The many trips to the bathroom can be annoying, and you might end up drinking less water to reduce the bathroom visits. Avoiding to drink enough water to stop urinating is not a good thing. You should drink more water to avoid being dehydrated.
Ketones in Your Urine
Another sign to look out for if you are in ketosis is ketones in your urine. One simple way of knowing if you are in ketosis is by testing the ketones in your urine. To check for ketones, you use a urine test strip. Urine test strips are affordable, and you can get them in your local pharmacy.
Bad Breath
Bad breath is another sign associated with being in ketosis. It is not fun at all to wake up with bad breath in the morning. The main reason for the bad breath is because your body produces acetone which leaves your body through urine and breath. The bad breath is most prominent in the morning, but it can be reduced by brushing your teeth first thing when you wake up.
Fatigue
Switching to a ketogenic diet can be challenging for new dieters, and many find that they are experiencing fatigue and weakness. Fatigue and weakness make a lot of people to give up along the way even before getting into the state of ketosis.
These side effects are normal since your body is being forced to adapt to a whole new diet. It will take a person between 7-30 days before your body is in ketosis. To reduce the fatigues, you should take electrolyte supplements.
Lack of Sleep
Many people using the keto diet claim that they have insomnia when getting into ketosis. When you reduce your carb intake drastically, you will find that you wake up during the night many times. However, your sleep pattern will gradually improve as the weeks pass by. Many people who have been using the guide to keto for a long time claim that they sleep much better after adapting to the diet than before.
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Cramping
Reducing your carb intake can throw your mineral and electrolyte balance out of whack. This means that your body will not get essential minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium. If your body does not have these minerals, you will experience cramping. Many keto fans like eating high-fat foods like bacon and cheese. However, you should use a guide to keto and incorporate other foods such as leafy greens, nuts avocados, fatty fish and seeds to make sure that you are getting enough minerals in your body.
Conclusion
Several signs like the ones above can tell you that your body is in ketosis. Ultimately if you follow a guide to keto consistently, your body will get in the state of ketosis within no time. However, if you are already losing weight, feeling healthier and enjoying your keto diet, you do not need to keep on testing your ketone levels.
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