6 Things You Need To Know About Exercising On The Keto Diet

FitnessMindset

Mar. 25

One of the most popular diets, The Keto Diet has everyone buzzing about how incredible they feel and all of the amazing results they are achieving. If you are reading this article, you have probably heard of the Keto diet before, maybe you are like me and have even tried it out for yourself. Either way, I want to make sure you are aware of the 6 things you need to know about exercising on the Keto diet. This way, you can make the best decisions for you and your health.

Before we dive into the tips, let’s get something cleared up. The popular misconception regarding the Keto diet is that it reduces weight. But the primary goal for the Keto diet is to bring the body in the state of ketosis where the energy is derived from Keto molecules instead of sugar molecules. Therefore, depending on the complementary exercises and calorie intake, it can be used to either gain or lose weight.

It is only recently that Keto has popularity in the fitness world. Many high performing athletes prefer it because it helps to keep them alert. Whatever your motive is behind starting Keto be, you need to tread this path carefully (speaking from personal experience).

Here is a list of dos and don’ts that you should follow while you are on the Keto Diet, especially if this is your first time:

1. DON’T QUIT BECAUSE IT FEELS HARD IN THE START

While on keto, your body switches its source of energy from carbs to fat. In order to get the energy your body needs to perform regularly, the body has to break down fats as opposed to pulling from carbs, and that takes more time. I recommend that you scale down the intensity and frequency of your workouts especially in the first week until the time passes where you have adjusted and your body is used to pulling energy a completely different way than it is used to.

Additionally, the go-to food for your brain (carbs) has now been disrupted. So, when you cut down on carbs, your mind is bound to feel confused and lost. This induces a feeling often referred to as "brain fog” which is pretty reasonable. Some people also feel feverish during this period. So adding a workout and weakening your immune system by doing so is not the BEST idea especially when getting started on the Keto diet. When your body has adjusted to this new routine, you will feel better. Just hold yourself through this period.

2. DON’T UNDER EAT

When you start the keto diet, you lower your carbs and significantly increase your fat intake. You will also be eating more protein (usually) and protein-rich food will reduce your appetite. You may not feel hungry. But, understand the body can burn fat quickly. Now that you are on a fat based diet, your energy requirements need to be met by eating frequently. So, keep eating even if you don't feel hungry. When you consume food items rich in fat, they can make you feel fuller than you are. Your body needs the energy, so please make sure you are consuming sufficient quantities of protein-rich and fat-rich foods.

3. DON’T IGNORE WHAT YOUR BODY IS TRYING TO TELL YOU

The amount of strength you have is different than another person. So, of course, it makes sense that such a drastic change in the diet will affect you differently than someone else you may be comparing yourself to. What you need to do is to listen to the signs that your body is giving you. Just observe how your body responds to the Keto diet. If your body doesn't feel right and the brain fog continues for a much more extended period, you might want to reconsider following this diet. While it works for some, it does not work for everyone. Your body is smart, so listen to the warning signs it is trying to send you.

4. DON’T TRY NEW WORKOUTS IN THE BEGINNING

I cannot stress this enough. Your body will take time to adjust to this new diet plan. The primary source of energy for the body has been changed. You need to be patient with your body. One easy way that you can do this is by not trying brand new workouts in the beginning. I see so many people start Keto and start a completely new exercise routine and unfortunately, their bodies do not respond well. Too much of anything is not a good thing and this is true when it comes to following the Keto diet and starting a new workout at the start. Be patient, observe the effects and changes happening to your body and take it one day at a time.

5. EAT LOTS OF FAT

Keto is a low carb high-fat diet. Now that you have switched the body’s primary fuel from carbs to fats, a body will burn fats faster to produce energy. This is the reason that Keto yields some incredible weight loss results. It can speed up the burning of fat by the body. The thing you need to carefully watch for is eating too little fat will make you feel tired and drowsy all day while too much fat will lead to weight gain. Try my delicious keto fat bombs as a great snack to help control your healthy fats consumption.

6. RETHINK HIIT WORKOUTS

So you have started this new Keto diet and things are going well right? HIIT workouts became popular around the same time as Keto and many people combined these two techniques to burn fat fast. I don’t recommend turning to HIIT workouts especially at the beginning of your Keto journey. With proper precautions, you can certainly do HIIT style workouts. What I most commonly see is people damaging their muscle fibres and feeling weak and exhausted. Instead, consider steady-state endurance style workouts.