Keto Induction Meal Plan – A Detailed Beginner’s Guide

Curious about what a ketogenic diet is all about? You’re not alone! We found out from experts that it is definitely not a fad diet that only gives temporary albeit drastic changes.

A ketogenic diet is even recommended for some people by doctors themselves. But what goes into a keto induction meal plan, what are the benefits, and is it suitable for you? Continue reading to find out!

What’s a Ketogenic Diet?

Ketogenic Diet – Image/Shutterstock

The ketogenic diet is one of the most effective weight loss methods that also offers numerous health benefits.

It is a high fat, very low carb, and low protein diet used by doctors in the 1920s to treat serious illnesses like a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease^[1], diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Aside from the effect of the keto diet on weight loss, it also helps in reducing the risk for these diseases by burning the body’s fat reserves to boost energy levels and strength.

Does It Work For Women?

Up until now, most studies about the keto diet’s efficacy is centered on animals and men.

However, recent discoveries showed that although women’s hormones are more sensitive to lifestyle and dietary change, they can also benefit from it.

According to Dr. Anna Cabeca^[2], a double board-certified Ob-Gyn, a Regenerative and Anti-aging Medicine expert, and a women’s health expert, an alkaline ketogenic diet can be very helpful for men and women alike.

Especially for women undergoing menopause or perimenopause, the diet is one of the most effective ways to reduce menopause symptoms along with other benefits like weight loss, better sleep, and enhanced blood sugar control.

Dr. Cabeca also discovered that combining an alkaline diet with a keto diet got rid of its side effects such as constipation, fatigue, and nausea.

Who Are On Keto Diet?

If you’re considering trying a keto diet, you’re in good company. Many people, including athletes and celebrities, are now embracing this diet for months to years.

By switching to fats and ketones for fuel, benefits include better mental focus, leaner and stronger muscles, and better overall health.

Some celebrities diet secrets revealed the diet to be behind remarkable weight loss stories.

Some of these celebs who are or have been on a keto diet are Kim Kardashian, musicians Tim McGraw and Mick Jagger, actresses Halle Berry, Megan Fox, and Gwyneth Paltrow, and well as NBA superstars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Other celebrities who have been reported to benefit from the diet are Adriana Lima, Rihanna, Tom Jones, Robin Wright, Drew Carey, Tim Ferris, Joe Rogan, Alec Baldwin, and Jessica Biel. Aside from losing considerable weight, they claimed they gained more strength and endurance as well.

How Does The Ketogenic Diet Work For Weight Loss?

Here are some important points you need to understand about the ketogenic diet and how ketogenic diet foods for weight loss work:

• A keto diet aims to bring the body into a state of ketosis, wherein the body shifts its metabolism from glucose or carbohydrate (primary fuels) to fat utilization.
• Drastically cutting down your carbohydrates and calorie intake will deprive your body of the required amounts to keep it going, so it switches to a state of diet-induced ketosis, which means it will burn stored fat instead of the food you eat for energy.
• Once your body achieves ketosis, the liver will use fatty acids from your stored fat to build molecules called ketones. Ketones are then burned for fuel.

What Foods To Eat On Keto Diet

Foods To Eat On Keto Diet – Image/Shutterstock

If you decide on a keto induction meal plan, you can enjoy the following ketogenic foods to eat:

• Grass-fed meat like beef, pork, lamb, goat, veal, turkey, chicken, and other poultry.
• Wild fish like sardines, catfish, tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, anchovies, and the like.
• Free-range, cage-free eggs.
• Dairy products like milk, heavy creams, sour cream, yogurt, and aged full-fat cheese.
• Low-carb vegetables like broccoli, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, onions, peppers, cabbage, mushroom, and asparagus.
• Lots of healthy fats and oils from nuts and seeds like cashews, pumpkin seeds, or macadamia nuts as whole or butter, olive oil, sunflower and safflower oils, sesame oil, ghee, and grass-fed butter.
• Small amounts of low-sugar fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and avocados.
• Spices and herbs with no added sugars to make healthy meals to reduce belly fat even better.

Use these in quick, healthy meal recipes to make your diet fun, interesting, and exciting.

Studies have also shown that chicken broth is an important addition to a targeted keto diet meal plan.

It helps against dehydration and compensates for carbohydrate and sodium depletion.

what Foods To Avoid During Ketosis?

Foods To Avoid On Keto Diet – Image/Shutterstock

The following are ketogenic diet foods to avoid because they are too high in carbohydrates and will not be helpful for weight loss:

• Refined sugars.
• Whole refined grains like barley, corn, rice, oats, wheat, and rye.
• Sweet fruits like apples, bananas, and citrus.
• Cookies, candies, doughnuts, and other baked goods that are flour-based.
• Sugary drinks like soda and juices
• Pasta and bread.
• Low-fat diet meals, drinks, or products.
• Legumes, lentils, and beans like kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, and peas.
• Starchy vegetables like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and parsnips.

If you’re wondering what are good weight loss foods, these foods are not one of them.

Try to eat as little of these or if you can, completely remove them from your diet.

Keto Image – Image/Shutterstock

What Are Some Nutrition Facts Ketosis And Benefits Of Ketosis?

Nutrition Facts Ketosis – Image/Shutterstock

Some benefits of the ketosis diet that contribute to weight loss and overall health include:

• Ketogenic dieting to burn fat- Increased fat burn during exercise and workouts.
• Regulation of hormones like cholecystokinin that help you lose weight by allowing you to feel full earlier.
• The advantages of the keto diet also include suppression of appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods.
• A higher portion of fat loss from the abdominal cavity for a flatter stomach.
• Reduced risk of a metabolic syndrome characterized by abdominal obesity, high blood sugar levels, elevated blood pressure, high triglycerides, and low HDL.
• Maintenance of a healthy weight.
• Regulation and stabilization of blood sugar levels.
• More weight loss without starving.

Keto Diet Vs Other Diets

The main difference between other diets and the keto diet is the common dieting mistakes emphasizing fat being harmful or bad for you and only low-fat food is beneficial.

In a keto diet, you reap benefits from fat sources from your own body and the food you eat.

Other advantages of a keto diet over other kinds of diets are:

• Long-term weight loss and maintenance.
• Reduced blood pressure and risks of lifestyle diseases like heart disease.
• Reduced bad cholesterol levels and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol.
• A natural and healthy decrease in appetite.
• Curbing of unhealthy cravings.
• Satisfaction and satiety after meals.
• Better insulin resistance by reducing the number of triglycerides in the blood, which greatly helps in the improvement of type 2 diabetes.
• Reduced inflammation. How does ketogenic diet reduce inflammation? The low-carb diet reduces glucose levels in the blood which is a factor that contributes to inflammation.

Related: Pescetarian Diet for Weight Loss

FAQ’s:

Que: What exactly is a ketogenic diet?

Ans: Ketogenic diet is a term for a low-carb diet (like the Atkins diet). The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates.

Que: Does keto diet really work?

Ans: Yes, it helps to people lose weight.

Que: Does ketosis have side effects?

Ans: Yes, it can cause some side effects, including the low carb flu, leg cramps, bad breath, and digestive issues, especially in the first few days or weeks.

Conclusion

Now that you know more about the keto induction meal plan, you can assess if you can handle all the discipline, sacrifices, and commitment you need to fully experience its benefits.

Keep in mind that although diets like these are a good way how to lose weight without exercise, a keto diet still requires a lot of work as it involves a major lifestyle change.