Can you lose weight on the keto diet without exercise?
If you're just starting your health journey, the mere thought of hitting the gym can evoke feelings of fear, dread, and dread. And that alone might convince you to throw in the towel before you even get started. The good news? You can drop pounds on a ketogenic diet without breaking a sweat because good health is based on what happens in the kitchen.
Read on to learn how you can lose weight without exercise while on the keto diet.
How do I start a ketogenic diet?
The key to the ketogenic diet is achieving the metabolic state of ketosis where your body burns stored fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. As a result, you lose body fat and, as an added bonus, your mood improves.
To reach ketosis, getting the right balance of macronutrients (a.k.a. macros)—carbohydrates, proteins, fats—is essential. Since this looks different for each person, a good place to kickstart going keto is to calculate the optimal breakdown specific to you. Roughly speaking, the ketogenic protocol calls for 5% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 75% fat.
The overarching idea is to cut back on carbs and replace them with protein and healthy fats.
Can you lose weight without exercise?
Burning fewer carbs translates to less sugar to fight (and sugar turns into fat) so that alone will help with weight loss without exercise while on keto.
What can I eat on keto?
Once you've established your macros, set yourself up for success with a keto-approved meal plan. Stock your kitchen with whole, unprocessed foods (think: avocados, grass-fed beef, seafood, berries and vegetables) while leaving bread, starchy vegetables, lemons and sugary drinks at the door.
Note what to make for dinner? Keep it simple with salmon served with asparagus and bell pepper cooked in ghee or whipped up grilled chicken fajita kabobs.
Dress up your dinner with a no-bake cheesecake you'd never guess was keto-friendly (yes, you can eat dessert on keto!).
When following a keto nutrition plan, you will consume significantly less sugar and carbohydrates than eating a typical American diet. Therefore, it is common to experience health benefits from weight loss and reduced inflammation to lower blood sugar levels and less cravings.
Keto and intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting — a way of eating that alternates between periods of fasting and eating — can improve your health even more when combined with keto. One of the most popular methods of intermittent fasting is the 16:8 method. It calls for an eight-hour "feeding window" followed by a 16-hour fasting period, usually overnight. For example, if you wake up at 6 a.m., delay your first meal until 10 a.m. (you can still have your morning pick-me-up!) and end your eating window by 6 p.m.
The lower caloric intake typically associated with intermittent fasting can not only lead to weight loss, but also improve metabolic health. Furthermore, according to a recent study, intermittent fasting has a positive effect on cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
However you choose to approach your entry into the keto diet, remember that this is your unique journey – do
what feels right for you. And you don't have to fear breaking a sweat at the gym to stop you from reaping the benefits of starting a keto lifestyle.
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