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Ketogenic diets, also known as keto diets, are a type of diet that relies on encouraging your body to start burning high amounts of fat.
This burning state, known as ketosis, may set you up to be able to lose more weight, get fit faster, and overall have a healthier lifestyle.
The problem for many is figuring out how long does it take to get to ketosis and how they can recognize if their body has made it to this weight-loss stage yet.
One of the fastest ways to get your body into ketosis is the 28-Day Keto Challenge by Keto Resource, through which you can get your body into this state in as little as three days.
However, the amount of time it takes will depend on your previous diet, body type, metabolism, and more.
Table of Contents
What Is Ketosis?
Before you can think about reaching ketosis, you first need to understand what ketosis is.
Ketosis is the name of a metabolic process during which your body will start to rely on stored fats rather than carbohydrates to fuel its actions and movements.
As this happens, it often causes the body to lose weight because stored fat is used for fuel, so the amount of fat begins to decrease.
What Happens During Ketosis?
As mentioned, ketosis is a metabolic process that affects how your body processes food and uses energy sources.
During ketosis, the liver will begin to produce what are known as ketone bodies by breaking down stored fat. They are then burned to give the body the energy that it needs.
Keep in mind that the liver will not start to produce these ketones until there is a shortage of carbohydrates in the body.
Fewer carbohydrates in the body will signal the liver that the body wants and needs to use fats as its next fuel source, and the ketones will be produced.
Ketosis is a process that happens naturally all the time, but an actual state of fat-burning ketosis is not reached until ketones are being produced in excess of what is typically needed.
Once this happens, ketosis will be on-going and begin to cut away the stored fat in the body as the ketones move through the bloodstream.
Why Is Ketosis Important?
Without ketosis, the keto diet would not be an effective weight loss plan for most people, nor would it constitute a healthy lifestyle.
The keto diet revolves around eating a low amount of carbohydrates and a high amount of other macros in order to burn more fat. This cannot be done if ketosis does not happen properly.
When sticking to a ketogenic meal plan, you are intentionally feeding your body fewer carbohydrates. This causes your metabolism to enter the ketosis state.
Ketosis allows the body to continue to function properly even when there aren’t enough carbohydrates to burn.
Typically, your body would burn carbohydrates into glucose for energy. When ketosis is in effect, the body creates fatty acids known as ketones which bind with fat molecules to create energy.
What Are the Positive Effects of Ketosis?
There are many ways that a diet centered on ketosis effects can affect the body, including:
- Weight loss
- Lower fatty acids
- Lower triglycerides
- Lower bad cholesterol levels
- Better healthy cholesterol ratings
Of course, the exact effects that ketosis will have on the body will depend on your body, how you manage your overall health, and many other factors.
The only way to see what the effects will be on your body is to try to reach ketosis for your self and then pay close attention to how your body reacts.
Still, there is evidence that ketosis can have many positive effects on the body and particularly on helping the body to lose weight.
What Are the Potential Side Effects of Ketosis?
When the body is not used to a ketogenic diet or the ketogenic diet is not being managed correctly, some negative side effects may occur.
Often called the keto flu, these symptoms usually happen whenever the body is transitioning from its normal metabolic structure into a ketosis-centered structure.
These symptoms may include:
- Upset stomach
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Headaches
In addition to staying extra hydrated, these symptoms can typically be managed in just a few days by simply pushing through them.
If they become overbearing, you can try to slow down your transition into the keto diet.
However, that means your body will not be in ketosis until you fully transition.
How Long Does It Take to Get to Ketosis?
Generally speaking, it will take between one and ten days to get your body to enter a ketogenic metabolic state if you are following a keto diet.
That said, there are many factors which affect how quickly your body can enter a ketosis state, such as:
- Prior nutrition or food intake
- Current diet plan
- Body’s metabolism
- Supplements
- Fasting
- Water intake
Depending on the specific combination of these factors in your body, it could take as little as one day to enter ketosis, or it could take more than a week.
How to Enter Ketosis Quickly
There are a number of things that you can do to ensure that your body enters the ketosis state as quickly as possible while still being safe about your eating and nutrition.
Step #1: Check Your Net Carbs
You need to be sure that you know the net amount of carbs that you are eating. Without knowing this, you might be unknowingly preventing yourself from entering ketosis in a reasonable amount of time.
Net carbs is equal to the number of consumed carbohydrates minus the total amount of consumed fiber.
If you want to enter ketosis in less than three days, set your net carbohydrate goal at less than 20 net carbs.
Eating fewer carbs during this stage will help your body enter ketosis more quickly, leading to faster results.
Step #2: Moderate Exercise
Since you will still eat a small number of carbohydrates and have some in your system when you start the diet plan, you will want to make sure that you are doing a moderate amount of physical activity.
Doing this will kickstart your metabolism, which will ultimately lead to your body burning more fuel. Eventually, ketosis will need to happen.
Step #3: Don’t Count Calories
Counting calories while starting keto is not as important as one might think, especially since this is not the main focus of the diet plan.
It’s more important to pay attention to your overall macros than trying to limit the number of calories you consume.
Once your body enters ketosis, you can cut back on the number of overall carbohydrates to kickstart your weight loss process.
Step #4: Eat More Fat
Eat as much fat as you need to in order to feel full. Carbohydrates are usually an easier choice to get that full feeling, but you can get the same feeling from eating enough good fat.
Step #5: Consume Your Protein in Moderation
Eating protein is necessary to keep your muscles and overall body in good health, but you don’t want to eat as much protein as you are eating fat.
Make sure to balance your macros and eat a moderate amount of protein, a low amount of carbohydrates, and a high amount of fat.
Step #6: Drink More Water
Drinking more water will speed up your overall metabolism.
Also, as mentioned, it will help ensure that you can fight off the side effects of ketosis with better success.
Step #7: Don’t Give in to Your Cravings
The most important thing that you need to remember when trying to enter ketosis is that you cannot slip up and eat too many carbohydrates.
If you do, your body will need to burn off those carbohydrates completely before entering ketosis.
Push through the temptation to eat carbohydrates, and take magnesium supplements to help balance out those cravings.
Why Is It Difficult to Maintain Ketosis?
While the transition from standard carb-focused metabolic functions to fat-focused ketosis is challenging, it is also difficult to maintain ketosis once you reach it.
Your body was not made to stay in ketosis forever, so there will always be some challenges to keeping the process going as you continue your diet.
The same keto flu symptoms can arise at any time while in a state of ketosis. Some of them include:
- Leg cramps
- Constipation
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Upset stomach
- Flu-like symptoms
These symptoms can come and go at any time, but the stress of the symptoms can be too much for some people.
It is possible, though, to fight off the urge to break ketosis by ensuring that you are properly supplementing your body to push through ketosis side effects.
Some of the best things you could are:
- Taking vitamins and minerals
- Drinking more water
- Making sure there’s enough salt in your diet
While this might seem like three very simple changes, they can make a big difference in maintaining ketosis.
Program Recommendation: 28-Day Keto Challenge
For those who want to enter ketosis quickly but aren’t sure how to make that happen, the best thing that you can do is to follow a qualified and reliable plan like the 28-Day Keto Challenge by Keto Resource.
This plan sets you up to be able to enter ketosis in as little as three days when you follow their meal plans, and that is not all that the program offers.
In addition to recipes and shopping lists, the program gives a ton of informational guides that you can use to supplement your keto journey.
These guides give you information about ketosis, keto flu, desserts, social eating, and so much more that might come up while following a ketogenic diet.
Having all of that extra information will make it easier to achieve and maintain ketosis until you reach your goals, and that can make a huge difference.
Successfully Reaching Ketosis
How long does it take to get to ketosis depends on a wide range of factors.
However, most people can expect to reach ketosis in between one and ten days as long as they are following the right steps.
To ensure that you are on the right path, considering using a high-quality program like the 28-Day Keto Challenge by Keto Resource to get your new lifestyle on track would be helpful.
This program helps people achieve ketosis in as little as three days, so you will be burning fat and losing weight in no time!
It is also always best and safe to consult your physician before starting a new diet plan. That is most especially true if you have or unsure if you have any underlying conditions.
If you want to learn more about the 28-Day Keto Challenge by Keto Resource, check out our full review here.
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