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A ketogenic diet is the latest fad of the millennial population. For those who are desperately trying to lose weight, following a ketogenic diet can be a miraculous way to do it. It has shown remarkable development in many individuals. In fact, most of the dieticians and physicians support using ketosis as the ideal way to lose weight and overcome BMI issues.
What is ketosis?
A process in the human metabolism where deposited fat is burned to deliver energy when a body is not supplied with ample carbohydrates in the diet is called ketosis. It is a physiological process to overcome the scarcity of carbohydrates in a person’s diet. The prime reason for triggering this biological phenomenon is to get rid of stubborn fat deposited in various parts of our body.
In this physiological process, our body sends signals to the specific organs in response to a ketogenic diet. The liver starts producing ketones by processing the dissolved body fat. It is quite helpful for overweight individuals to reduce weight and regain normal physiology within a stipulated amount of time. This diet should be advised and designed by an expert dietician as the choice of ingredients will depend on the individual cases. A general or typical diet contains 50 grams or fewer carbohydrates and 1.5 grams protein/kg of your bodyweight.
Most of the individuals fail to recognize that the diet is acting on overweight issues and helping them. For them, understanding the following symptoms and signs of ketosis is mandatory.
Signs and symptoms of ketosis
When there is an inappropriate supply of carbohydrates from your diet, your liver will start producing ketones from dissolved fat and protein delivered by the diet. Hence, the increased level of ketones will be reflected in a blood sample. In fact, a breath test can also reveal that your body is now tackling with a higher level of ketones. It can also be done using simple testing kits available online. Checking ketone levels will help a ketogenic diet enthusiast whether everything is going in the right direction or not. Nutritional ketosis will keep the ketone level in blood within 0.5 and 3 millimoles/liter.
Once your body will reach the expected level of ketosis, your breath will start stinking. The prime reason for such bad breath is the formation of ketones, specifically acetone that escapes from breath and urine. Bad breath can be a deal-breaker for your personal and professional life. You can opt for different easy remedies for bad breath. It is also a good sign that you have reached full ketosis with your diet.
Ketosis leads to weight loss. It has been found that individuals going through a ketogenic diet lose weight on a short or long term basis. The stored water and carbohydrate in muscles and liver are released and used for producing energy. This depicts the incident of a quick weight loss in the primary weeks. After this, your body will lose fat consistently once you stick to it.
As mentioned earlier, after losing carbohydrates and water from your muscles, you will lose weight drastically for a week or two. During this time, your body will demand more water. You will discover that your thirst has increased due to dehydration. It can result in electrolyte imbalance. To avoid such conditions, you need to concentrate on drinking oral rehydration solutions or electrolytes on a regular basis. Avoiding drinking water might lead to the formation of kidney stones when you are following a ketogenic diet regime.
Lack of water and the presence of ketones in your blood will also result in the occurrence of muscular spasms and cramps. As your body is devoid of the amount of water and electrolytes your muscles must have, in the first few weeks, you will experience cramps or muscular contractions. The same remedy mentioned above will work in this case. Keep a bottle of electrolyte fluid with you all the time and drink whenever you get the chance. Make it a habit.
When you have switched from a normal diet to a ketogenic one, your body will show a few symptoms to understand the changes. One such symptom is the occurrence of unusual headaches. Electrolyte imbalance and dehydration cause unusual headaches in an individual following a ketogenic diet. These headaches last for a week or more. Seek medical consultation if these headaches last longer.
As we proceed to learn more symptoms of ketosis, we understand that the dehydration of muscles results in most of the signs. When your muscles lack water and the ketone level in your blood is higher than usual, you will feel weak. In fact, you will also feel fatigued easily. Carbohydrate is easily burned and is considered as the prime energy source. It provides a quick way to release energy and support your daily activities. On the other hand, when you have switched to ketosis, the amount of energy released is reduced. This is a very common side effect that every individual face while following a strict ketogenic diet.
Your digestive system is accustomed to a common diet you have followed for years. On changing a diet to very-low-carbohydrate content and high protein content, your digestive system may react in a different way. The enzymes released to digest and assimilate carbohydrate will become excess whereas digesting protein will become an issue. This is why most of the followers complain stomach upset. The presence of excess protein may also lead to constipation. Drinking water and consuming fiber are a mandatory part to maintain your digestive system well.
Following a ketogenic diet may alter the sleeping patterns of an individual. It has been found that followers wake up in the middle of a night more often. Although, it happens in the initial weeks due to the depletion of carbohydrate levels and goes away later.
In the initial weeks of a diet regime, it will be hard for you to concentrate or focus on your work. Later on, when you are in a long-term diet plan, you will find a boost in your concentration level. You will be able to focus and will also enjoy better alertness.
Your hunger will reduce over time. The increased intake of vegetables and protein reduces hunger pangs. It takes more time to digest vegetables and protein-containing food. Hence, your stomach will be full most of the time. Your appetite will be suppressed to an extent helping your motive to lose weight.
Summary: These symptoms signify that your ketogenic plan to shed weight is working. If you are confused about the outcomes, you can contact a dietician to get proper information and check on your symptoms to confirm.
