Low carb diets like keto have become extremely popular for weight loss in recent years. But there’s still a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about what ketosis is, how low carb diets work, and whether they are safe and sustainable.

In this post, we’ll dig into the science and myths around ketogenic diets, tips for overcoming sugar addiction, and the right way to slim down without sacrificing your health.

What is Ketosis and How Does it Work?

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state where your body switches from burning carbohydrates for energy to burning fat. This happens when you significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake, usually to below 50 grams per day.

Without enough carbs coming in, your body starts breaking down fat for fuel instead. The liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and provide energy for the brain when glucose levels are low.

Some of the most common ketone bodies are:

Acetoacetate
β-Hydroxybutyrate
Acetone

Being in nutritional ketosis generally means having blood ketone levels between 0.5-3.0 mmol/L. This state allows you to efficiently burn fat stores while preserving muscle mass.

Ketosis should not be confused with ketoacidosis, which is a dangerous condition that occurs in uncontrolled diabetes when ketone levels become extremely high.

Nutritional ketosis is safe for most people and commonly achieved by following a ketogenic diet.

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

A ketogenic diet is any low-carb, high-fat diet that gets your body into ketosis.

Typically, this involves limiting net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) to 20-50 grams per day. Some versions are even more restrictive, allowing only 10-30 grams of net carbs.

The macronutrient ratios on a keto diet typically look like this:

60-75% of calories from fat
15-30% from protein
5-10% from carbs

This forces your body to burn fat rather than carbs for fuel. And turning fat into ketones allows you to supply energy to your brain when glucose is in short supply.

Following a strict keto diet means severely restricting high-carb foods like grains, starchy veggies, legumes, sweets, and most fruits.

Some of the foods you can eat more freely on keto include:

Meat
Fish
Eggs
Full-fat dairy
Nuts and seeds
Non-starchy veggies
Avocados
Berries
Fats like olive oil and coconut oil

Benefits of Ketosis

There are several evidence-backed benefits to being in ketosis, including:

1. Accelerated Fat Burning

Being in ketosis allows your body to burn through fat stores more efficiently. This leads to faster weight loss compared to low-fat, calorie-restricted diets.

Numerous studies show keto diets lead to more significant reductions in body fat, waist circumference, and body mass index compared to low-fat diets.

2. Reduced Hunger and Appetite

Ketosis works to suppress appetite in a few ways.

First, ketones help regulate hunger hormones like ghrelin to reduce appetite. High-protein and high-fat keto foods also increase satiety and help control cravings.

Finally, your body has better access to fat stores for energy, so you don’t get hunger or energy crashes from low blood sugar as often. Multiple studies demonstrate lower self-reported hunger and appetite on ketogenic diets.

3. Improved Blood Sugar Control

Following a ketogenic diet can help manage blood sugar levels and may even reverse type 2 diabetes.

When you’re in ketosis, your body isn’t relying on carbohydrates. This lowers and stabilizes blood glucose levels while also improving insulin sensitivity.

Multiple clinical trials show keto diets reduce HbA1c and improve glycemic control better than low-fat diets. Some report greater reductions in diabetes medications compared to a conventional diabetic diet.

4. Increased Mental Focus and Physical Performance

Your brain can’t burn fat directly for fuel. But during ketosis, ketones function as an alternative energy source to provide mental clarity and focus.

Ketones also appear to benefit physical performance and endurance. Some research indicates a keto diet can enhance exercise efficiency and recovery.

5. Neuroprotective Effects

Early research suggests ketosis may reduce risk factors for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Studies show ketones can protect and improve cognitive function. A ketogenic diet may also aid epilepsy treatment by reducing seizure frequency.

Signs You’re in Ketosis

Here are some signs indicating your body has successfully switched to burning fat in ketosis:

Weight loss. Rapid fat burning often leads to losing several pounds quickly.
Suppressed appetite. Ketosis naturally reduces cravings and hunger.
Increased energy and focus. You may notice mental clarity and physical endurance improving while in ketosis.
Reduced blood sugar and better glycemic control. Your blood glucose levels stabilize and insulin sensitivity improves.
Ketones in the blood. Blood ketone meters let you accurately measure the level of circulating ketones.
“Keto breath.” Some people develop bad breath as a result of ketone excretion. Stay hydrated and use gum or mints to treat keto breath.
GI issues. Constipation, diarrhea and other digestive issues are common initially as your body adjusts to a higher-fat diet.
Changes in exercise performance. You might notice decreased endurance but increased efficiency when exercising in a low carb state.

Debunking Common Keto Myths

Despite proven benefits, there’s still a lot of misinformation out there about ketogenic diets. Let’s clear up some common keto myths:

Myth: Keto is dangerous for your heart health.

Fact: Eating more fat does not clog your arteries or raise CVD risk as once believed. Saturated fats even raise beneficial HDL cholesterol. Keto improves most CVD risk factors like blood pressure, triglycerides, and blood sugar.

Myth: Keto will damage your kidneys.

Fact: There’s zero evidence that ketosis harms kidney function in otherwise healthy people. Keto has shown kidney-protective effects for diabetic patients.

Myth: Keto causes nutritional deficiencies.

Fact: You can get all essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from keto-friendly foods. Just eat plenty of quality proteins, leafy greens, healthy fats, nuts/seeds, and low-carb veggies.

Nutrient-dense foods prevent deficiencies on keto.

Myth: Keto is unsustainable long-term due to side effects.

Fact: The “keto flu” side effects like fatigue, cramps, headaches, nausea, and constipation often go away within 1-2 weeks as your body adapts to ketosis.

Staying hydrated, getting enough electrolytes, eating enough calories, and exercising can all help reduce initial keto flu symptoms.

Myth: You need carbs for energy.

Fact: After adapting to burn fat for fuel, most people experience steady energy and improved endurance without carbs.

Fat provides more than enough energy reserves with less storage space required. The keto flu will pass as your body becomes fat adapted.

Myth: Keto causes high cholesterol.

Fact: Keto improves cholesterol by raising protective HDL and decreasing triglycerides and small, dense LDL particles. Total LDL may increase from large, benign particles. But total LDL is a poor marker of CVD risk.

How to Overcome Sugar Addiction

One big hurdle to starting a keto diet is overcoming sugar addiction. Here are some tips to break free from sugar:

Go cold turkey. Quitting sugar altogether tends to be more successful long-term than gradual reduction. Avoid trigger foods.

Wait out cravings. Sugar cravings are temporary. Distract yourself until the feeling passes, about 5-10 minutes.

Load up on protein and fat. Eating satiating keto foods prevents sugar cravings from kicking in.

Discover natural sweeteners. Stevia, monk fruit, erythritol, and sucralose provide keto-friendly sweetness.

Manage stress. Unmanaged stress drives sugar cravings. Try relaxing practices like meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and nature.

Get quality sleep. Lack of sleep fuels sugar cravings. Aim for seven to nine hours per night.

Track progress. Logging meals and ketone levels provides accountability and motivates you to stick to the diet.

Find healthier treats. Satisfy your sweet tooth with unsweetened chocolate, nut butters, flavored seltzers, or keto ice cream.

Stay active. Regular exercise helps eliminate sugar cravings, regulates appetite hormones, and burns calories.

Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss

Intermittent fasting complements a ketogenic diet perfectly to accelerate fat burning and weight loss. Here’s how it works:

Fasting upregulates fat-burning enzymes. Going several hours without food forces your body to rely on fat stores. This increases the enzymes needed to burn fat efficiently.

Insulin drops to tap fat stores. Lowering insulin is key to losing weight. Fasting keeps insulin low so you access stored body fat for energy.

It controls hunger. Ketones suppress appetite during the fasted state. You naturally eat less when limiting eating windows.

It optimizes ketone production. Fasting gets you into ketosis faster by depleting liver glycogen stores so your body starts generating ketones.

Follow an intermittent fasting protocol like 16:8, which involves a 16 hour fast each day with an 8 hour eating window. Or try alternate day fasting for two 24-hour fasts each week.

Start gradually, like 12-14 hours overnight fasts. Work up to longer fasting periods. Listen to your body.

Stay hydrated with water, black coffee or plain tea during fasting windows. Get enough electrolytes and minerals like sodium, magnesium and potassium. Take 1-2 rest days from fasting each week.

How Long Does it Take to Get Into Ketosis?

It typically takes 2-7 days to enter ketosis when first transitioning to a keto diet. You can get there faster by:

Cutting carbs under 20-30 grams per day
Fasting intermittently
Exercising to deplete glycogen stores
Eating plenty of fat to feel satiated
Staying hydrated
Consuming exogenous ketones
Tracking blood or breath ketones

Within a month, your body adapts to efficiently produce and burn ketones for fuel. This “fat adapted” state allows you to achieve the benefits of ketosis more easily.

Signs You’ve Gone into Too Much Ketosis

Ketosis provides powerful health benefits when achieved through a well-formulated ketogenic diet. Consuming too little protein or calories can sometimes lead to excessive ketosis.

Here are signs you may have elevated ketone levels beyond optimal:

Blood ketones over 3-5 mmol/L
Severe bad breath
Significant fatigue, weakness, or lightheadedness
Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
Constipation
High uric acid levels, gout attacks
Low blood sugar symptoms like shakiness or racing heart
Poor concentration and focus
Trouble sleeping
Dehydration

The simplest solution is to eat a little more. Increase protein and calories slightly, especially before or after exercise.

Monitor ketones and blood sugar. See your doctor if symptoms persist. Drink plenty of mineral-rich fluids and get sufficient sodium.

Potential Short-Term Keto Side Effects

It’s normal to experience some adverse effects when first transitioning into ketosis, including:

Fatigue and Weakness: Your body isn’t yet efficient at burning ketones. It takes time to adapt. Add electrolytes and eat more fat.

Dizziness and Drowsiness: As carb stores deplete, blood pressure and blood sugar can drop. Stay hydrated and get enough minerals.

Muscle Cramps or Spasms: Low magnesium and potassium levels can cause muscle issues. Eat more nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.

Constipation: Dehydration and ditching fiber-rich carbs can cause GI issues. Increase non-starchy veggies, fluids, and magnesium.

Heart Palpitations: Palps may result from electrolyte imbalance. Supplement magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

Sugar Withdrawal: Cutting carbs leads to low energy and cravings at first. Wait it out and the symptoms pass.

Decreased Physical Performance: Your body needs time to adapt to using fat and ketones efficiently for exercise.

Trouble Sleeping: Melatonin drops when carbohydrates are restricted. Try melatonin supplements before bed.

“Keto Breath”: Acetone odor from ketone excretion can cause bad breath. Drink more water.

How to Transition Off Keto

If you decide to stop keto after reaching your health or weight loss goals, here are some tips for an easy transition:

Gradually up carbs by 5-10 grams a week
Add carb-rich foods like fruits, beans, and ancient grains
Eat carb-heavy meals right after exercise
Choose complex carbs with fiber over refined carbs
Consider a Paleo or Mediterranean diet once off keto
Include intermittent fasting windows
Check blood sugar and watch for weight regain
Stay active to allow for more carb flexibility

The key is slowly easing out of ketosis to avoid side effects like fatigue, cravings, and GI distress. Listen to your body’s feedback.

Potential Long-Term Health Concerns

More research is still needed on the long-term effects of ketogenic diets. Potential concerns include:

GI Issues: For some people, high amounts of fat long-term may irritate the gut lining and cause diarrhea or IBS.

Thyroid Problems: Over time, very low carb intake may negatively impact thyroid function in sensitive individuals.

Kidney Stones: Keto may raise calcium and uric acid kidney stone risk due to high protein, sodium and acid load. Stay hydrated.

Nutrient Deficiencies: Some vitamins like C and fiber are reduced on keto. Eat plenty of low-carb vegetables.

“Keto Crotch”: A few people report unpleasant symptoms like a fishy odor. The cause is unknown but usually resolves quickly.

Heart Disease: Keto improves most CVD risk factors but raises LDL cholesterol for some people. Monitor lipids.

No long-term issues are proven, but it’s reasonable to get bloodwork done routinely. Pay attention to your body on any diet and adjust as needed.

Healthy Low Carb Foods to Eat

Here are some of the healthiest low carb foods to eat on keto:

Meat: Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, organ meats.

Fish and Seafood: Salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, scallops, mussels.

Eggs: Pasture-raised whole eggs and 100% egg whites.

Dairy: Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheeses, butter.

Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.

Non-Starchy Vegetables: Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, onions, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms.

Fats and Oils: Avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, duck fat.

Herbs and Spices: Salt, pepper, garlic, basil, cilantro, dill, ginger, rosemary, sage.

Beverages: Water, sparkling water, unsweetened nut milk, coffee, unsweetened tea.

Sample Keto Meal Plan

Here’s what a simple low carb keto meal plan might look like for a day:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with sautéed peppers and onions, avocado, coffee

Lunch: Burger patty topped with cheddar and avocado on a lettuce wrap, side salad with olive oil dressing

Dinner: Grilled salmon with broccoli and side salad with ranch dressing

Snack: Smoothie made with coconut milk, almonds, cacao powder, and stevia

Make sure to drink plenty of water and mineral-rich fluids like broth throughout the day as well. Customize your plan based on your own carb limit and macro goals.

Takeaway

Ketogenic diets provide powerful health and weight loss benefits when done right. But there are still many misconceptions out there about safety and efficacy.

By sticking to nutritious low carb foods, drinking enough fluids with electrolytes, getting quality sleep and physical activity, and tracking your progress, you can safely experience the benefits of ketosis for yourself.

Understanding how ketosis works along with proven tips for keto success will help you formulate an effective low carb diet tailored to your individual needs.

The Truth About Low Carb Diets and Ketosis