Have Yourself a Merry Little Keto Diet
Tabitha May explains how to keep to your keto diet during the holidays.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire and some homemade pumpkin pie - we all know how a turkey and some mistletoe will help to make the season bright. If there is one thing all your favourite holiday songs have in common, it is food. So, how do you stay healthy and in shape during the most savoury time of year?
The answer is with the keto diet.
The Benefits of Keto
The keto diet, more formally known as the ketogenic diet, is a firm favourite because it is easy to follow and effective. It encourages you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates.
The point of the keto diet is for your body to begin the process of ketosis. This starts when you consume less than 50 grams of carbs per day, and your body no longer has quick fuel to use. It then starts to break down proteins and fats instead, known as ketosis, which helps you lose weight.
Losing weight is not the only benefit of the keto diet. There are several reasons why people like you are dying to learn how to get in shape with it.
- The low-carb aspects of keto significantly reduce appetite, which is what everyone wants. When appetite is still high, this can cause individuals to give up on their diets.
- The low-carb aspects of keto also help you lose more weight. It can be encouraging for first-time dieters.
- The low-carb aspects also make you lose more weight in your abdominal cavity. Otherwise known as the problem area, this is where everyone wants and needs to lose weight.
- This diet helps increase good cholesterol levels, also known as HDL cholesterol.
- The keto diet reduces blood sugar and insulin levels, making it ideal for individuals with diabetes.
- The keto diet can often lower blood pressure, decreasing the risk of heart failure, kidney disease, and even strokes overall.
How to Stay Keto During the Holidays
Proper dieting does not lend itself to the holiday season, but the truth is, it can be done.
While you may be surrounded by the most festive-looking sweet treats and carbs that practically beg you to eat them, you can refrain.
Because it is the holidays, it does not mean it is the wrong time to start a new diet, specifically the keto diet. With simple tips and tricks, you can learn how to get in and stay in shape with the Keto diet, even during the most appetizing time of year.
Bring something to the table
Fortunately for you, this is not an uncommon practice during the holidays. Bringing a dish to your host or hostess's table is always nice. Since you are on the keto diet, make it a dish that works well for you. Some of the most recommended plates are green veggies with less starch, such as broccoli broth-based soups or mashed cauliflower, which is always a hit.
Eat before you go
Do not risk being hungry, and reaching for those empty carbs; crackers, chips, and cookies will not do your diet any good. You will not be as hungry if you eat a keto-friendly meal before the party or potluck. You can only eat small portions of keto-friendly foods on the table.
Avoid naysayers
Undoubtedly, your Great Aunt Janice will have something to say about you ‘not eating’. Naysayers alike will find the time to comment on your appearance or tell you to indulge because it is the holidays. Have some polite yet robust responses already prepared. Explain that you are doing your best to better yourself and your health: healthiness never takes a holiday.
Play it safe
Nothing is scarier than hidden carbs, which will likely be in your meatballs, dressings, and sauces. If you are unsure what is on the table, play it safe. The deli and veggie trays are always safe choices.
Spend your carbs wisely
The best thing about the keto diet is that you get some carbs, so choose them wisely. All it takes is a little measuring to ensure you have portion control, then go ahead and dig into that pie or those potatoes. Remember that alcohol is also considered a carb/sugar. It would help if you avoided beer and sugary mixers.
Tip: Do not forget that your alcohol tolerance will also likely be lower on the keto diet. If you are drinking, drink water just as frequently, otherwise, you will be surprised how quickly it hits you.
Gather, do not guzzle
Just because there is a lot of food during the holidays, you are not required to eat it all. Truthfully, the holidays are more about gathering than eating. If you can focus on non-eating activities, staying on your diet will be easier.
Have an eating buddy
It is true regarding your diet during the holidays; there is safety in numbers. If there is someone who is also on the keto diet, or on any diet for that matter, find them, talk to them, and help each other avoid cheating on your diet.
Stay hydrated
If you continually hold a glass of water in your hand, you will stay distracted and full. This is one of the best ways to avoid overeating or eating the wrong foods.
Exercise and Keto
Of course, even after you have followed all these tips and tricks, nothing is better than exercising after the holidays.
Exercise and the keto diet are exciting combinations. Since the keto diet can completely transform the way your body works and even your brain, it is wise to learn how to get in shape with it from experts.
Remember that your brain primarily runs off glucose, which comes from carbs. On the keto diet, ketones will be produced as your body breaks down fats in your liver. These ketones will then fuel your brain.
So first things first, once you begin the keto diet, take it easy. You might feel like you, or more specifically, your brain is in a fog, which is not recommended for fast-thinking exercises such as intensive rock climbing.
These are the other rules to follow when eating keto and exercisingAgain, take it easy
Although you might only feel foggy for the first few days, after that the keto-flu hits. It is a common phenomenon reported by most individuals who try the keto diet. During the first few weeks, your body will not feel right. Along with trying a new exercise or training too hard, it is not recommended.
Never under-eat
Once you are fully up and running, you can commit to a regular exercise routine, be sure of one thing: NEVER under-eat. Even if your body does not feel particularly hungry, before a workout, you should stock up on a few extra snacks and proteins. The fact is that the keto diet can have an appetite-suppressing effect, so you might not even know you are hungry. Your exercises will be cut short and not be as impactful if you do not eat enough.
Never under-eat your fats
There is nothing more important in the keto diet than fats. If you do not consume the right amount of fats, you will be following a completely different diet. Without fats, you risk being endlessly hungry, losing muscle mass, and not being able to keep up with your diet.
Reach your goals faster
Intensive studies on the keto diet indicate that it increases the body’s ability to burn fat, even while resting. With the right amount of exercise, even without overdoing it, reaching your body and weight loss goals is easier.
Always listen to your body
The keto diet is not for everyone. Feeling bad within the first few weeks is one thing, but if you continue to feel dizzy and exhausted, you might have to reconsider. You can try adding a few more carbs to your diet, but this might indicate that it is not your diet.
Regardless of the time of year, the keto diet can keep your body and your health in perfect harmony; all you have to do is listen to it.
Listen to the way it tells you to stay away from those brightly-coloured Santa cookies or the way it tells you that exercise is too much.
The keto diet is highly preferred for a reason. It delivers fast, healthy, and long-lasting results so that this holiday season, you do not have to risk comparing bellies with the big man in red himself.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- MAY, T. (2019) Have Yourself a Merry Little Keto Diet [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article514.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Tabitha May was a Sports Therapist at Long Island Physio & Rehabilitation in Westbury, New York, for more than 15 years. She believes Keto is the prime solution to healthy weight loss, and more so with proper research, medical acknowledgement, and application.