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Keto — What is it? How do you get started?

Written by Jaime Monsen, Certified Health Coach | Jun 9, 2020

Keto. It's one of the more popular weight loss programs. But what is it exactly? How do you get started? Learn more in this video from Midlothian health coach Jaime Monsen and read on for a recap. 

What is Keto?

Keto is a great resource for anyone who wants to lose weight, get off medication, or to improve general health concerns. It is a great, specific program to follow to get a little more aggressive with weight loss. It is essentially following a carbohydrate restriction. You're going to be eating a lot more fat and protein, and your carbohydrate intake is going to be 20 grams or less per day, so you can actually go into ketosis. 

What do you need to go to get started? 

All you really need to do to follow this program is to track your carbs. You don't need to worry about counting calories or worrying about counting proteins or fats. There are great phone apps, such as Carb Manager, that will help you follow all your numbers so you can reduce your carbohydrate limit. 

Why do you want to reduce your carbohydrate limit? 

When we eat a high carbohydrate diet, our bodies constantly produce a hormone called insulin. As insulin continues to get produced and keeps regulating blood sugar, it is stored in fat cells, which causes them to expand. To get weight loss going with keto, drop the carbohydrates and eat things like meats, seafoods, certain types of cheeses, and nuts. You're going to really be limiting simple carbohydrates, added sugars, and processed food. 

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