KETO AND ELECTROLYTES - WHAT YOU NEED & WHERE TO GET THEM

The ketogenic diet has gained in popularity over the last few years and for good reason! Those who adhere to this way of eating tend to experience dramatic changes in their health and wellbeing, including weight loss as a result. However despite the benefits, one main side effect of living a ketogenic lifestyle is a change in electrolyte balance in the body.

Electrolytes are a delicate balance of minerals within the body that help with organ and cellular functions. They are essential for many processes in the body and are necessary for survival. The most important functions of electrolytes are to maintain hydration and acidity levels as well as muscle and nerve function. 

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WHAT ELECTROLYTES DO YOU NEED ON KETO?

While there are multiple minerals that make up our electrolytes, the most important ones that require our attention on keto are sodium, magnesium and potassium.

• Sodium - plays an extremely important role in managing fluid balance, blood volume & pressure, muscle contractions, and nerve function just to name a few.

• Magnesium - important for nerve function, energy production, protein synthesis, blood pressure regulation, blood sugar control, and over 300 enzymatic processes in the body.

• Potassium - works in tandem with sodium on many of the same body functions, as well as flushes out excess sodium from the body and helps with muscle cramps.

WHY DO WE LOSE ELECTROLYTES ON KETO?

Each electrolyte must be kept in balance and within a healthy range to function at their best so we can feel our best. Once you begin a ketogenic diet your body starts to process electrolytes differently. 

• When you eat fewer carbs on a keto diet the body produces less insulin

• Lower insulin levels cause the kidneys to excrete more sodium

• Lower sodium can lead to “keto flu” symptoms

PLUS

• Carbohydrates are stored in the body with water

  (“carbo” = carbon molecules + “hydrates” = water molecules)

• Lower dietary carb intake leads to increased water excretion, and decreased water retention

In addition, a lot of foods high in these specific minerals are also high in carbohydrates that are limited on a ketogenic diet. 

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HOW TO TELL IF YOUR ELECTROLYTES ARE LOW?

When we start a ketogenic diet the body goes into a state of withdrawal from carbohydrates. The physical and mental dependence on carbohydrates stems from a lifetime of regularly relying on glucose (carbohydrates) as its main source of fuel.

Not everyone will experience symptoms when they transition away from a high carbohydrate diet, some people have little to no side effects. But some people will likely experience a few or more symptoms of what’s known as “the keto flu”. The keto flu usually results due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Symptoms of Sodium deficiency:

• Weakness

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Muscle cramps

• Brain fog

• Irritability

Recommended Intake of Sodium on Keto = 5000 - 7000mg DAILY

Symptoms of Potassium deficiency:

• Hypertension

• Adverse cardiovascular effects

• Kidney damage or failure

• Heart palpitations

• Muscle cramps

Recommended Intake of Potassium on Keto = 1000 - 3500mg DAILY

Symptoms of Magnesium deficiency:

• Muscle twitches & cramps

• Anxiety & depression

• Fatigue

• Muscle weakness

• High blood pressure

• Heart palpitations

• Dizziness

Recommended Intake of Magnesium on Keto = 300 - 500mg DAILY

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HOW TO GET ELECTROLYTES ON KETO THROUGH WHOLE FOODS

When you eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and other whole foods it’s possible to achieve balanced electrolytes without relying on supplements. However on keto it can be tricky to get enough of these foods to meet the daily requirements. Plus it’s important to remember that our digestive system plays an important role in the absorption of these nutrients, not just what we consume through diet.

There are many sugar free sports drinks on the market now that are acceptable on a keto diet. These are convenient and good in a pinch, but a single bottle doesn’t contain enough electrolytes for a ketogenic diet and can be expensive.

Food Sources High in Sodium include:

• Pickle Juice

• Bouillon 

• Bone Broth

• Table Salt

• Sea Salt

• Himalayan Pink Salt

An easy way to ensure you’re getting enough sodium on your ketogenic diet is to simply add more salt to all of your meals. If you feel any drastic keto flu symptoms coming on, many people find sipping pickle juice can help.

Food Sources High in Potassium include:

• Avocado

• Spinach

• Mushrooms

• Brussels sprouts

• Broccoli

• Salmon

• Artichokes

• Almonds

It may be a bit more difficult to consume enough potassium from food sources throughout the day. This is where you may want to consider adding a potassium supplement to your daily routine to ensure you avoid electrolyte imbalance and keto flu symptoms.

The issue is that potassium supplements in pill form are maxed at 99mg. This is hardly enough to cover the 1000-3500mg of potassium required daily on a ketogenic diet. Many people add a premade electrolyte mix, or use a No Salt or Salt-Free powder (found in the salt section of most grocery stores) that is made up of potassium chloride to keep their electrolytes balanced.

Food Sources High in Magnesium include:

• Pumpkin Seeds

• Dark Chocolate

• Almonds

• Avocado

• Halibut

• Salmon

• Spinach

• Swiss Chard

• Artichokes

• Pine Nuts

Magnesium is responsible for some of the most important processes in our body. It may be difficult on a ketogenic diet to consume enough magnesium from diet alone to keep electrolytes in balance. Many people add a premade electrolyte mix, or take a magnesium pill or powder supplement.

It is important to note that the type of magnesium you take is extremely important as they vary in how they are absorbed and will affect your body. 

Magnesium Bisglycinate is the most absorbable form of magnesium that won't cause any digestive upset. If you suffer from constipation, you may want to consider taking a Magnesium Citrate which helps promote bowel movements. Magnesium supplements are best taken in the evening as they may also calm the nervous system and help relax the body before sleeping.

Whether you take electrolytes on your ketogenic diet or not is entirely up to you. For some people who consume a variety of whole foods high in minerals, simply adding some more salt to those foods is enough. But if you’re experiencing any symptoms of electrolyte imbalance listed above, you might be more inclined to include supplementation daily. It’s also a convenient and easy way to ensure your daily electrolyte requirements, without going over on your carb intake for ketosis.

It’s important to note that keto flu is possible at ANY POINT you are living a ketogenic lifestyle, not just at the beginning as you transition into ketosis. If you’re feeling nervous or overwhelmed about starting a keto diet, click here to learn how coaching can help you get started on keto correctly so you feel your absolute best while working towards your keto weight loss goals!

KETO WEIGHT LOSS & BODY IMAGE

So you’ve started a ketogenic diet, and are seeing better results than you ever have before. You’re finally losing weight while eating foods you enjoy, and it feels like something you can actually stick to this time. The weight comes off pretty quickly too, which helps keep you motivated to keep going!

Pretty soon you can barely recognize the person in the mirror. You’ve achieved results beyond what you even thought was possible, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by all your family and friends. They’re praising you with compliments for your new smaller frame, and want to know the secret to how you’ve achieved such dramatic results. They assume you MUST be so much happier and healthier since losing the weight.

But there’s a catch. You don’t always see what they see when you look in the mirror. Logically you know that you’ve lost weight, but you still see your former, larger body in the reflection. You’ve put in all the work to lose the weight with keto, but your brain hasn’t quite caught up.

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Our body image refers to how we perceive ourselves and our bodies visually. It includes how we talk and think to ourselves (and to others) about our bodies, how we think others view our bodies, and our level of connectedness to our bodies.

No matter what the scale says, adjusting to a new body size can do a number on our self esteem. For some people, body image can become a big preoccupation especially if you view yourself as being outside the “norm” in terms of your body type, weight, or have newly developed stretch marks or loose skin from your weight loss.

There are many factors that can influence your body image including:

• Comments about your appearance (good or bad)

• How often you compare yourself to others

• Exposure to the media (photoshopped or idealized images vs “normal” bodies)

• Experiencing discrimination based on your appearance

• Ideals you develop about your appearance from a young age

Any of these factors or more can have an effect on how you view your body before, during, and after keto weight loss. 

Developing and fostering a negative body image can affect your mental and physical health and may increase the chances of:

• Developing anxiety or depression

• Having trouble concentrating

• Avoiding social situations

• Avoiding physical activities

• Suffering from eating or exercise disorders

• Making reckless health choices

• Feeling uncomfortable in your skin
  
  

While you may not suffer from any of these specifically, having a poor body image after weight loss can directly influence your mood, confidence and self esteem. Some days it can feel like you’ve put in all this work to feel happier and healthier, but it STILL doesn't work causing you to feel frustrated and defeated.

YOUR REASONS FOR LOSING WEIGHT WILL IMPACT HOW YOU FEEL AFTER

Body image after weight loss can be really challenging. Some people consciously or subconsciously have used their excess body weight as a shield. Maybe it’s kept you from applying for that big job, or speaking up in your relationships, or stopped you from getting back into dating after a bad breakup. Maybe your extra body weight has helped you stay safe, and kept you from putting yourself out there in fear or criticism or rejection. If everything about being overweight was so bad, we wouldn’t stay there as long as we do. It is important to identify, acknowledge, and develop a new thought process for not holding yourself back in your life.

If you set out on your keto weight loss journey with the goal of creating a true lifestyle change - creating healthy habits, improving energy, increasing mobility, being more active, and being healthier you are more likely to achieve body acceptance after your keto weight loss.

However, if you are motivated to lose weight based on external pressures, idealized societal norms, or engrained ideas of beauty from a young age, self image even after weight loss tends to be more negative. 

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WEIGHT LOSS CAN LEAD TO IMPROVED BODY IMAGE

First of all, you can ABSOLUTELY have a positive body image no matter what your size, and appreciate your curves and everything that your body does for you regardless of your weight. But it’s also totally possible that your body image will improve after you’ve lost weight.

You may gain more confidence in your new size, and be able to appreciate the hard work and your dedication to achieving your goals. Weight loss can encourage you to continue to take care of your body and your overall health, and create a true keto lifestyle change. When you look in the mirror you will be able to feel better about yourself, and identify parts of your body that you do like more regularly. It can reinforce the healthy changes to your lifestyle, and validate feelings of accomplishment towards your weight loss goals.

EVEN IF YOU FEEL BETTER PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY YOU MAY STILL STRUGGLE

Body image is perceptual, not physical. So even when you have lost weight, how you perceive yourself may not have changed - especially if the weight loss was rapid. Despite the pounds and inches lost, you still may view yourself as “heavier, stockier, shorter, larger” than you really are.

Many people who have lost weight know the struggle of looking good on the outside, but still suffering on the inside emotionally. It’s so common after a lifetime of our inner critic telling us negative stories for it to damage how we perceive ourselves, even if we’ve lost weight. Then hearing praise and compliments from loved ones about our incredible keto weight loss may not actually help as it reinforces that we were a) overweight before, and b) emphasizes our physical body versus who we are inside.

It’s important to realize and acknowledge that weight loss doesn’t automatically equal a positive body image. It can create loose skin, stretch marks, muscle loss and a reduction in your curves. It can also create fear around eating food like carbs, overeating or binge eating tendencies, and anxiety around gaining weight again. 

It takes time to heal your relationship with food, with your body, and with yourself. Weight loss isn’t a guaranteed path to body acceptance. It doesn’t automatically mean you can try on any piece of clothing and feel great. It takes more than just weight loss to change our negative perceptions of ourselves.

You have to believe that you deserve to be happy and content no matter what your size or how your body looks. That’s how you can start to see the value in just being who you are. It takes a shift to a more positive mindset and transitioning away from the negative self-talk. It’s truly an individual process, but it’s best to surround yourself with positive empowering people. A keto health coach can hold that space for you without judgment as you figure it out, and fully support you through this journey.

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TIPS FOR BODY ACCEPTANCE AFTER KETO WEIGHT LOSS:

• Write out affirmations that resonate with you and say them daily.

• Appreciate your body and everything it does for you.

• Believe that you have the right to be proud of what you’ve accomplished.

• Practice meditation to feel more in tune with yourself and grounded.

• Shut down the negative inner voice immediately and ask “Is that REALLY true?”

• Take photos of yourself to see your progress.

• Surround yourself with positive people who accept you as you are.

• View yourself as a whole person, not just a person who lost weight.

• Keep a gratitude journal to focus on all the positives in your life.

• Don’t compare yourself to others, everyone is on their own unique journey.

• Dress your new body in clothes that fit well and are comfortable. 

• Share your journey with others.

• Give yourself grace and time to adjust to the physical, emotional, and psychological changes that come with weight loss.

• Don’t avoid the mirror, face your reflection head on and say your positive affirmations to rewire your negative self-talk.

• Hire a coach to help support you to achieve true body acceptance.
  

When it comes to your weight loss journey, you want to be sure that you are happy and healthy throughout the entire process. One step to achieving that is being able to accept your body at any size to truly learn to love the person you are, and appreciate the person you are becoming.

Sometimes when we’ve physically lost weight on keto quickly, our perceptions and emotions haven’t had a chance to process everything. For example, if you’ve spent your entire life being “the bigger girl” in your friend group, and suddenly you’re not - you may feel like you’ve lost part of your identity. It’s also possible to develop a fear around eating and gaining the weight back, especially after receiving so much praise from those around you for losing it. 

This may be a sign that it’s time to put your trust in someone who can help you to truly heal your relationship with food, and your body. It takes strength to recognize we don’t know everything, and might benefit from another person’s perspective and expertise. You can learn more about how Keto Success Coaching will help you work towards your weight loss, positive mindset, and body acceptance goals to truly live your best life!

DO CALORIES MATTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS ON KETO?

If you’ve tried to lose weight before, chances are you have tried cutting calories to achieve your weight loss goals. You’ve probably heard that the key to losing weight is all about the amount of calories you’re consuming in relation to the calories you’re burning that matters. So how does it work on a keto diet, especially when you’re allowed to eat high fat foods? Do calories still matter on a keto diet, or do you just have to limit your carb intake to get drastic weight loss results?

It may not be as simple as an easy yes or no answer. There are many other factors that come into play when it comes to calories, even on a ketogenic diet.

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WHAT IS A CALORIE?

Calories measure the amount of energy in your food. So when referring to the number of calories in a particular food, you are basically stating the amount of energy your body can get out of that food you’re consuming.

Different macronutrients have different calorie contents:

• 1g protein = 4 calories

• 1g carbohydrate = 4 calories

• 1g fat = 9 calories

Your body is using calories all day to run both voluntary and involuntary functions to keep things running smoothly. These calories are either coming from the food you eat, or the fat already stored on your body.

CALORIES IN vs CALORIES OUT

To simplify, to lose weight you have to eat fewer calories than you use for energy. YES, even on a ketogenic diet. The amount of calories you consume should be lower than the amount of calories you burn throughout the day.

If everyone is different, how are you supposed to know how many calories you need per day? There are tons of keto macro calculators online that can help get you started in determining the adequate amount of fat, protein, carbs, and calories you need per day. This will allow you to track how many calories you’re consuming every day to ensure you’re remaining in a deficit. The best Apps for tracking your macros and calories on keto based on what most keto-ers use regularly are CarbManager, MyFitnessPal, and Cronometer. 

With that being said, not all calories are created equal so while being in a caloric deficit is important, there are other factors that play a role in how efficiently your body burns calories.

THE THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD

The thermic effect of food (TEF) refers to the amount of energy it takes to consume and break down certain foods within the body. For example, your body requires a lot more energy to break down protein than it does carbohydrates or fats. So that means that your body has to work harder and burn more calories to digest protein, therefore the thermic effect of protein is higher.

The TEF amount of protein is 25% which means that your body uses 25% of the calories from that protein source you’re eating JUST to break it down! With carbohydrates the TEF amount is only 8% so the calories leftover are much higher.

Example:

If you eat 100 calories of protein ~ 75% of calories are leftover after digestion.

If you eat 100 calories of carbs ~ 92% of calories are leftover after digestion.

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OXIDATIVE PRIORITY

Researchers have coined the term Oxidative Priority to refer to the order in which the body chooses which fuel to burn first when there are multiple options found in the bloodstream. Oxidation simply means “fuel burning”. 

The priority in which the body burns fuel is as follows:

#1 ALCOHOL: when alcohol is in your bloodstream, it will be burned first no matter what other macronutrients are available because the body has no way to store alcohol. This means all other macronutrients are put onto a back-burner and stored until the alcohol has been burned through.

#2 PROTEIN: your body has countless ways to use protein from building muscle, creating hormones, protecting cell membranes, etc etc. Therefore your body will find a use for protein fairly quickly since it’s essential in so many different processes in the body and won’t be stored.

#3 CARBOHYDRATES: if your liver and glycogen stores are already full, carbohydrates can easily be stored on the body waiting to be used for fuel.

#4 FATS: technically, our bodies have an unlimited capacity to store fats in our fat cells to wait around indefinitely until they need to be used for fuel. This is an adaptive result from our ancestral hunter-gatherer days when food was more scarce.

This just goes to show that calories from different macronutrient sources have a vastly different metabolic effect on the body.

SATIETY

Satiety refers to how satisfying and full you feel after eating. This is important for two main reasons when it comes to your keto weight loss goals.

First, a diet that has a high level of satiety such as keto, allows you to decrease the number of calories you consume so you can tap into your body fat stores. Second, it helps decrease cravings so that you don’t feel the need to overeat at meals.

Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, even more so than fat! This means that if you eat a meal that is higher in protein, you are less likely to crave sweets or more savory foods afterwards. Aim to consume 0.8g - 1g of protein per pound of body weight, broken up into each meal daily. This will help you feel more full and satisfied which helps burn body fat and lose weight.

QUALITY OF FOOD

Imagine that you have two meals that are exactly identical in Thermic Effect, Oxidative Priority and Satiety, but one of those meals is ALSO full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes while the other is void of any additional nutritional value. 

When you consume calories made up of whole foods you are getting a wide variety of nutrients that help your metabolic system run most efficiently. This makes a difference with not only how satisfied you’ll feel after your meal, but how well your metabolism will burn calories in general.

CALORIES MATTER ON KETO

If your goal is weight loss on a ketogenic diet, then YES calories do still matter. The benefit of eating a ketogenic diet is that the foods are full of fat and protein so you may notice a natural decrease in appetite. It is extremely helpful in decreasing sugar cravings because your meals themselves are so satisfying.

A keto diet is also very thermogenic in nature. It can help you burn calories more efficiently while you feel more satisfied with less food. This is an important factor to note that it is an incredible tool for weight loss, but you must still be aware of what you eat, and how much you eat. If you still eat more than your body needs, it WILL be stored as fat. Regardless if you’re in ketosis or not. 

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SHOULD YOU COUNT CALORIES ON KETO?

This decision is entirely up to you, your weight loss goals, and where you’re at in your keto journey. 

Some people prefer to simply focus on eating whole, nutrient dense foods and avoiding all processed keto foods and treats. For some people it is more about the type of calories they’re consuming vs the amount of calories they’re consuming. 

If you’re new to keto, have reached a keto weight loss stall, or have a specific goal weight you’d like to achieve, tracking your macros and counting calories is highly recommended. This is the only way to know for sure that you’re eating the right amount of calories and carbs to move you towards your goals. 

If you’ve been living a ketogenic lifestyle for quite some time, you may not feel the need to count calories and just stick to keto foods. But if you find yourself overeating or consuming too many processed keto foods or treats, you can always rely back on using macro tracking and calorie counting as a tool to remind yourself of carb counts, calories, and appropriate portion sizes.

Keto is an incredible way to lose weight while eating foods that are totally satisfying. Whether you count calories or not, they definitely play a role in achieving your weight loss goals even when you’re in ketosis. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about starting a keto diet, or want help tweaking your current eating habits to reach your ideal weight click here to learn more about how coaching can help get you in a body you’re comfortable and confident in. You can also join the free Keto Weight Loss for Women facebook group for additional information and support.

HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN YOU LOSE ON KETO? (AND HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?)

Most people that start a ketogenic diet do so with the intention of losing weight. They are curious to try it after seeing countless transformation and success stories of people who have shed some serious pounds in what seems like no time at all. Of course with anything in life, and diets especially, there are a lot of factors that come into play when it comes to how your body will respond to following a keto diet and how much weight you will lose.

Everyone is different, starting from a different place in terms of their current body weight, diet and lifestyle, so there is no “one size fits all” answer to how much weight you can lose on keto. Until you start a keto diet for yourself, you won’t know exactly how your body will respond, or how you will mentally react to adhering to this new way of eating. After the initial water loss on keto, a general rule is 1-2lbs of fat loss per week. So for example, if you have 50lbs you want to lose that should take about 25 weeks - which is about 6 months. 

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Some factors that contribute to how much weight you can lose on keto include:

BODY COMPOSITION

How much body fat do you have to lose? What’s your muscle mass? If you have a lot of excess weight to lose, you will likely experience a faster rate of weight loss - especially in the beginning. If you have less weight to lose, it may take longer to see results.

CURRENT HEALTH CONDITIONS

Are you overweight or obese? What’s your energy level like? Do you have thyroid or hormonal issues? Do you have insulin resistance or blood sugar problems? Your current health conditions will play a role in how much weight you can lose. It may take a little longer to get the results you want if you have certain medical conditions, but that’s ok! Living a ketogenic lifestyle will still work and improve your overall health.

METABOLIC RATE

Do you have a slow metabolism? Do you have a fast metabolism? Everybody expends energy from the foods they consume at different rates. It may slow your weight loss results, but as you continue along your keto journey your metabolism will also likely improve.

ACTIVITY LEVELS

While it isn’t absolutely necessary to exercise in order to lose weight on a keto diet, it will impact how much weight you lose overall in the long term. The energy you spend on a daily basis through exercise in addition to the way you’re eating will have a direct result on how your body burns fat. A decrease in body fat percentage, combined with an increase in muscle mass causes your body to burn more energy at a resting metabolic rate (ie when not exercising).

HOW OFTEN YOU GO “OFF-PLAN”

One of the biggest factors in determining how much weight you can lose is how closely you adhere to your keto diet. If you’re just starting out on a keto diet, it’s important that you follow the keto diet, with no off-plan or “cheat days” for roughly 3 months. This will allow your body to get into ketosis and become fat adapted. This is where the real fat burning occurs, and if you eat too many carbs during this time you will knock yourself out of ketosis.

QUALITY OF FOOD

Are you choosing whole keto foods like meats, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, low carb vegetables and healthy fats? Or are you eating highly processed keto junk foods? Are you watching for hidden carbs and sugars? It’s important to read and understand nutrition labels, and focus mainly on whole foods to get the best results on keto. Processed keto foods that contain sugar alcohols have been known to stall weight loss for some people.

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The biggest factor in how much weight you will lose on a keto diet is consistency. Keto is not just a diet, but a true lifestyle change that shifts your metabolic state.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOSE WEIGHT ON KETO?

While results will vary on an individual level based on these various factors, below is a general outline that people typically experience when they begin a ketogenic diet.

What to expect after the 1st week on keto:

On a typical calorie restriction + exercise regime it is likely that you will lose about two pounds your first week. When you start a ketogenic diet it is possible to lose anywhere from two pounds to ten pounds in your first week! This loss is almost entirely from water weight, not fat loss. But it can be extremely motivating to kickstart your new keto lifestyle. 

Why does this happen?

Simply put, carbohydrates cause you to retain water. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in your body, and on a molecular level for every 1 gram of glycogen there are 3 grams of water attached. So when you restrict your carbohydrate intake on a ketogenic diet, your body will decrease its glycogen stores and the water attached to it. Once you’ve burned through your glycogen stores, your body will convert to burning fat instead for energy.

What to expect after a month on keto:

As you continue to stick with your new keto lifestyle after about 4-5 weeks you will have burned through all of your glycogen stores and the fast-paced water weight loss will slow down. If you’re following your keto diet properly you should start to experience more energy, a decrease in appetite, and your body will actively be burning fat for energy. The average monthly weight loss at this point is anywhere between four to ten pounds (which equates to one to two pounds a week).

What to expect after 3 months on keto:

At this point in your keto journey you will have likely experienced some significant weight loss (depending on the factors above). It is possible to have lost anywhere between 15-30 lbs in this short period of time. It is also extremely common at this stage to experience a brief plateau or weight loss stall. There is no need to panic, or question if you’re doing something wrong! This is simply a brief phase where your body is re-calibrating to all of the changes you’ve been making. Our bodies crave balance and will constantly seek a state of homeostasis. If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, your body needs time to heal and re-adjust. This may take a few weeks or up to a month or so.

Don’t get discouraged or give up at this point! Just because the scale isn’t reflecting your efforts, doesn’t mean that your body isn’t changing. Be sure to take measurements, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, and take lots of body photos along the way. These are all better indicators of your progress compared to only focusing on the number on the scale.

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While there are many factors that contribute to how much weight you can lose on a keto diet, it is an extremely powerful tool that can improve your overall health. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and loses weight at a different rate. Just because someone you know had super quick weight loss results on keto, doesn’t necessarily mean the same will happen for you. The most important thing to keep in mind is that keto is a lifestyle change, not just a diet. That means there is no rush to lose weight as fast as possible. Slow weight loss is sustainable weight loss. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, and want any help starting your keto diet off RIGHT click here to learn how I can help set you up for keto weight loss success!