What to Eat on a Keto Diet
William Read - Nutrition Consultant
William Read - Nutrition Consultant
William is from Canada, he is passionate nutrition & wellness writer. William understands that the topic of wellness is still not well understood, so his goal is to enlighten and teach people how to live healthier and happier in their bodies.
13.12.2022

How Much Weight Can You Lose on Keto?

Nutrition Weight loss

The Keto diet is the new buzzword in the wellness and weight loss community and many people are resorting to it to help them lose weight and treat diseases such as epilepsy, Alchemizer disease, and cancer. 

Getting the desired results on a keto diet may be frustrating and seem to be like a distant dream. That’s why people are asking questions about the results they could obtain by undertaking this diet so they can know if the keto diet is really for them. 

Therefore, this post will provide a detailed explanation of the expected weight you can lose within 1 week, one month, and 3 months of eating a ketogenic diet. 

Table Of Contents

What is Keto Diet?

A Keto diet is a type of diet where you take fewer carb foods to allow the body to use up the glycogen stored in muscles and other body parts as a source of energy. The Keto diet involves taking foods that are high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates. 

Keto works this way: you stop all carb intake for a specific time, and your body uses the glycogen already stored in muscle and liver. Your body will go into ketosis, a metabolic condition, once the glycogen has been used up.

How Much Weight Can You Lose on Keto?

What to Eat on a Keto Diet

When following a ketogenic diet, there are many foods you can eat. The usual norm is to ensure that less than 10% of the diet is composed of carbohydrates. On a ketogenic diet, you can eat things like: 

1. Berries

Although fruits are important for the overall health of the body, sometimes they can contain high carbs which may not be good for those on a keto diet. However, berries are an exception when it comes to this. Berries are high-fiber and low-carb fruits that can be eaten during keto. Also, berries are important because they help prevent inflammation in the body and serve as an antioxidant. 

2. Avocado

Avocados are healthy for the body because they contain the rare monounsaturated fat and potassium that are lacking by many people. 

3. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is another meal to consider on a keto. Although greek yogurts have some amounts of carbs, they are a good meal option if taken in moderation during keto. The reason why drinking greek yogurt is important is that it gives you a feeling of satiety and fullness when taken, so you don’t have to worry about being hungry. The key is to take it in moderation. 

4. Cheese

Do you know that there are more than 50 different types of cheese? Yes! Cheese contains helpful fats and is low in carbs. So they are good meal options to be eaten during a keto diet. Although some believe cheese may contribute to heart disease because of its fat content, studies have shown that it does the opposite. Examples of healthy cheese you can consume include: 

  • Camembert
  • Cheddar
  • Parmesan
  • Pepper jack
  • Provolone
  • Romano
  • Chevre
  • Colby jack
  • Blue cheese
  • Brie etc. 

5. Nuts

Nuts are low-carb plant foods that may be consumed without risk when on a ketogenic diet. Studies have also shown that nuts are helpful when it comes to treating various ailments such as cancer, and diabetes. Nuts are a beneficial ally of keto dieting because they help promote a feeling of fullness, so you can stay for long hours without feeling hungry. Examples include: sesame, brazil nuts, walnuts, chia seeds, macadamia nuts, pecans, cashew, etc

6. Low-carb vegetables

Most vegetables contain more carbs than fiber. Therefore if you want to eat vegetables during a keto diet, you should consider low-carb veggies such as broccoli, spinach, and green beans. 

7. Meat

Meats are a very important part of the ketogenic diet and a wonderful protein source. Generally, meats contain an insignificant amount of protein so it will be considered safe to eat as much as possible during a fast. 

8. Eggs

Eggs are another important source of protein during intermittent fasting and keto dieting. Aside from that, eggs contain several nutrients that help the brain and the body function well. Additionally, it includes collagen, which is crucial for healthy skin. 

Foods to Avoid on Keto

Listed below are some of the foods you must avoid when you are on a keto diet. Some of the foods are: 

  • Whole Grains

Whole grains are to be avoided at all costs during a keto diet because they contain carbs in a high proportion. 

  • Soda

Soft and energy drinks contain high amounts of calories (more than 90%); therefore they are bad for the body during keto dieting. If you take them, it will be difficult if not impossible for you to enter into ketosis. 

  • Sweetened milk

Sweetened milk is another diet that must be avoided during keto because the variation between carbs and other nutrients in it is disproportionate. In contrast, unsweetened and plain milk/yogurt is considered safe during a keto diet. 

What to Eat on a Keto Diet

How Fast Can You Lose Weight on Keto?

There is no hard rule to this. While keto dieting has worked for some people in a short while, the results may not be the same for everyone. The amount of weight you will lose during this period depends largely on how fast you can enter into the state of ketosis. 

On a general note, you can lose weight when you enter into the state of ketosis within a few days or weeks. 

Keto Weight Loss Timeline

When it comes to a keto diet there is no definite timeline to follow. However, the consensus is that one should try and be consistent. Aside from consistency, the right kinds of foods must also be taken. If everything is done correctly, results should start showing within the first 5 – 10 days for most people. 

Keto Weight Loss First Week

How much weight you lose in a week on keto depends on several factors. As we have stated above, most people start experiencing results of the keto diet within the first week and we have seen several testimonies of these on platforms such as Reddit and Quora. 

However, most times, it is not really because the glycogen stores in the muscles and liver are depleted, that’s why people experience this weight loss. The primary reason that leads to weight loss at that particular time is water loss in the body. The body contains high amounts of fat including fats, so when you don’t eat carbs sometimes the water is first burnt or lost before the glycogen storage will be depleted. 

So the bottom line is that the first-week weight loss results for most people on a keto diet are related to water loss and not actual depletion of glycogen. 

However, this is the first step in losing weight, and for most people, this shows a significant difference in their weight-especially for people with big bodies and large water storage in the body. 

Studies have also shown that for most people, at least 0.3 – 6kg is lost every week during a ketogenic diet if all the rules adhere to the latter. 

How Much Weight Do You Lose on Keto in 3 Weeks?

In three weeks, you should expect a significant improvement in weight loss if you are following all the rules of the keto diet properly. Most people reported losing about 3 kg in three weeks. Although this may vary for some people and some persons even reported losing higher. 

How Much Weight Can You Lose in a Month on Keto? 

If you follow all the specific rules strictly, your body should show significant progress during the first month. If for example, you lose 2 kg of weight per week, at the end of the month, you should lose nothing less than 8kg of weight. However, this strictly depends on your body type as well as your consistency in following a strict keto diet. 

Conclusion

The Keto diet is an effective means to lose weight and look more fit physically and live a healthy life. However, there are some pros and cons to it that this post has identified. Also, the result varies for individuals. However, for most people, there should be significant weight loss results within the first two weeks. 

References

  1. Napoleão A, Fernandes L, Miranda C, Marum AP. Effects of Calorie Restriction on Health Span and Insulin Resistance: Classic Calorie Restriction Diet vs. Ketosis-Inducing Diet. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 15;13(4):1302. doi: 10.3390/nu13041302. PMID: 33920973; PMCID: PMC8071299.
  2. Iacovides S, Meiring RM. The effect of a ketogenic diet versus a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on sleep, cognition, thyroid function, and cardiovascular health independent of weight loss: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2018 Jan 23;19(1):62. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2462-5. PMID: 29361967; PMCID: PMC5782363.
  3. Bueno NB, de Melo IS, de Oliveira SL, da Rocha Ataide T. Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2013 Oct;110(7):1178-87. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114513000548. Epub 2013 May 7. PMID: 23651522.
William Read - Nutrition Consultant

William is from Canada, he is passionate nutrition & wellness writer. William understands that the topic of wellness is still not well understood, so his goal is to enlighten and teach people how to live healthier and happier in their bodies.