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I get these questions a lot …
How do I know when I’m actually doing keto?
Has my body switched from burning carbs to burning fat?
Am I doing keto right?
Really they all mean the same thing:
How do I know I’m in ketosis?
As you guys know being in ketosis is what makes the keto diet work so darn well, because ketosis is when your body starts producing ketones for energy, meaning your body is now burning your own fat as fuel.
Weight loss win!!!
If your body is not in ketosis then the diet just won’t work as well, if at all, so it’s very important to know.
So today I’m going to share my favorite signs and ways of knowing whether you’re in ketosis!
How to know if you’re in ketosis:
1 – Just Test!
The easiest and most certain way to know you’re in ketosis is to test whether your body is producing ketones. You can use one of these ketone test strips and it will tell you the level of ketone bodies in your urine.
Check out the ketone test strips here!
2 – Keto Flu
Whilst long term keto gives you so much more energy and clarity of thought, those first few days as you transition into ketosis can be a bit rough with what everyone calls keto flu.
So if you’ve just started eating keto and you feel a bit under the weather then it’s probably just you transitioning over to burning your own fat!
I have a blog post all about keto flu and how to cure it that you should probably read! 🙂
3 – Weight Loss
A lot of people experience pretty rapid initial weight loss when they first start the keto diet because the body is shedding carbs and water. This level of weight loss calms down once you’ve fully entered ketosis and then you will lose body fat, but at a safer rate.
4 – Keto Breath
When you first transition into keto your breath can get a little smelly, that’s because one of the ketones your body produces, acetone, will often form and be released through our breath.
So err keep your toothpaste handy for those first few days!
5 – Dry Mouth or Feeling Extra Thirsty
Thanks to that initial rapid water weight loss your body is going to be looking to replace those liquids which means you’re bound to feel a lot thirstier for a few days! Make sure you stay hydrated and get those electrolytes in!
6 – Loss of Appetite
So here’s the thing, when you eat less carbs you just get way less hungry. Pretty cool, right? This is because a high-fat diet does a better job of helping your body regulate your hunger hormones. So you will know you’re doing the keto diet right because you won’t have that pit of your stomach sudden hunger you use to have!
7 – Spending More Time In The Bathroom
As with any radical change in diet, you’re likely to see changes in your digestive system…
Don’t be alarmed if you suddenly have to pee more or get a spot of diarrhea or constipation, it will all clear up in a few days once you’ve fully enter ketosis!
8 – Insomnia
Carbs are well known for making us all feel a bit sleepy. I mean think about the last time you ate a big bowl of pasta or a non-keto pizza, didn’t you want to nap afterwards?
So when we cut these carbs out we will feel a lot less tired and this can mean we wake up in the night or need less sleep. Insomnia normally goes away after a couple weeks and many people find they overall need less sleep than before!
9 – More Energy and Focus
Once you’ve entered ketosis and got over the slightly less fun symptoms above you will likely start to experience way less brain fog and find focusing so much easier. This is because your blood sugar levels will have normalized and will stay nice and steady, meaning your brain can work better.
The bad news is this can take about a month to kick in, but it’s so worth it once it does!!!
Hopefully, you should now be able to tell whether you’ve transitioned into ketosis or not! I know of those signs and symptoms aren’t super fun, but remember it’s only like that for the first few days. Blink and you’ll miss them!
If you have any questions around ketosis please reply to this email and I will do my best to answer them, or join my Facebook group and ask me in there!
Ready to Start Keto?
Hey! Thinking about trying the Keto diet? I’d love to help! I’ve lost over 65 pounds doing Keto and have kept it off! Take a look at my Ultimate Keto Diet Beginner’s Guide & Food List, take a spin through my Pinterest page or check out my 28-Day Keto Slimdown! The Keto Slimdown is 28 days of meal plans, recipes, advice, and a private Facebook group!
