Fat is a key component of the ketogenic diet. In fact, how much fat on keto in your diet will determine whether you achieve your goals or struggle to get the scale moving.
So, Are you looking for a low-carb diet to lose weight, a diet where you can eat fat to lose fat? Though the idea may seem strange at first, but it definitely has an answer, and that is a ketogenic diet! The ketogenic diet, or the keto diet, helps in the creation of ketones. This happens when the fat intake of our body goes past the carbohydrate intake hence inducing the ketosis process inducing weight loss and also preventing diseases like obesity or low metabolism. This diet plan has gained popularity amongst those people who wish to maintain their blood sugar levels and lose weight at the same time, following the principle of eat fat to lose fat.
Dietary fat is the cornerstone of the ketogenic diet. It will be your primary source of fuel and calories as you restrict carbs and adapt to keto.
Fat Consumption and Energy Production
By eating so much fat and so few carbs, you are starving your body of its primary fuel source (sugar). This will cause you to increase your fat burning capacity while you also convert fatty acids (and some amino acids) into ketones as another alternative fuel source.
As you continue to restrict carbs, your body will produce so many ketones that it will enter ketosis. Getting and keeping the body in this state of ketosis has many benefits that include increased weight loss, improved cognitive function, and sustained energy levels etc.
Keep in mind, however, that following the keto diet is not the only way to get into ketosis. Fasting, severe caloric restriction, and ketone-boosting supplements can boost your ketone levels as well — but the keto diet provides us with the healthiest way to do this and lose weight at the same time.
Fat Consumption, Calories, and Weight Loss
The main reason why high-fat, low carb diets, like the keto diet, are so effective for weight loss is because they help us eat fewer calories without noticing. Keto-friendly foods (i.e., foods that are high in fat and very low in carbs) tend to be much more satiating than the carb-ridden, processed foods that we tend to eat.
By eating high-fat, low carb keto foods instead of carb-laden foods, many of us will feel fuller longer and consume fewer calories throughout the day. This will trigger your body to rely on its own fat stores for fuel (i.e., you lose body fat) as long as you maintain a calorie deficit (eating fewer calorie than you need to maintain your body weight).
With that being said, it’s also important to eat enough calories on the ketogenic diet to avoid any metabolic slowdown, thyroid problems, or other health conditions that are associated with very low calorie intake.
The healthiest way to lose weight is at a steady and sustainable pace of 1 to 2 pounds per week. To do this, you must eat the right amount of calories and fat.
How to Increase Your Keto Diet Fat Intake
if you wish to be specific, keto diet plan can be segregated into portions of 70% fat, approximately 25% of protein and just 5% of carbohydrates.
how many grams of fat on keto
After you’ve figured out how much fat you need to eat, you will probably be wondering how it is possible to eat that much fat in one day.
Fortunately, fat is one of the easiest macronutrients to add to your meals. By simply drizzling some healthy oils on top of your meals, having an extra serving of bacon or cheese, or adding fat bombs to your diet, you will be able to increase your fat intake almost effortlessly.
However, it is easy to overdo it once you start adding more fats into your daily diet.
Once you know how much fat you need to eat, make sure you consider the source of your fats. It is best to consume healthy fats whenever possible.
The Best Sources of Healthy Fats for the Keto Diet
There are many foods that can provide you with healthy fats on the ketogenic diet. The best sources are -
- Meats like fish, poultry, lamb, etc
- High-fat dairy products like cheese, butter, full cream, etc
- Avocado and berries
- Nuts and seeds like walnuts and sunflower seeds
- And other fats like coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil, avocado oil, ghee etc.
What If You Don’t Meet Your Fat Goals?
When you don’t meet your fat goals, it’s not a big deal at all. As long as you are restricting carbs and eating enough protein, missing your fat goals will only lead to more fat loss.
However, it is best to avoid being in a steep calorie deficit consistently because you will eventually experience adverse effects. Hunger pangs will hit you harder, your metabolism will slow down, and your health and vitality will begin to deteriorate.
For these reasons, it is best to make sure you are eating enough fat to keep your calorie deficit below 30% on most days. This will allow you to lose weight in a way that won’t slow your metabolism as much and impair your health.
If you are struggling to eat enough fat to maintain a 30% calorie deficit, find a way to fit more of the healthy fats into your diet. To increase fat in your diet, strategy is to add a couple of extra tablespoons of healthy oils in dressings, soups, smoothies, and curries to fit some extra fats in.
Eating Too Much Fat:-
Despite what many low-carb proponents claim, you can gain fat from eating fat — and this can happen even if you are restricting carbs. However, you will only turn the fat you eat into body fat if you are in a calorie surplus.
In other words, the factor that determines whether or not you will lose or gain fat is not how much fat you eat, but how many calories you consume. This means that you can only overdo your fat intake if it puts you in a calorie surplus and causes you to gain fat.
Summary
Fat is essential for our health in many ways. While you are on the keto diet, it plays a significant role in dictating whether or not you lose and gain weight as well.
Since fat is your primary source of calories when you are restricting carbs, we must not underestimate its importance. If you don’t eat enough, you will run the risk of slowing your metabolism, increasing your hunger and cravings, and impairing your health and vitality. In contrast, if you eat too much fat, you will start to turn it into body fat and gain weight in an unhealthy way.
To achieve your goals, it is essential that you eat the right amount of fat while you are on keto.
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