How to get into ketosis starts with limiting your carbohydrates to around 20-30 grams, at least through the initial period. This is the first step to switch your energy source from carbs to fat.
Second, you have to get all of your available glucose and glucose stores (in the form of glycogen) out of your system. You have 1,500-2,000 calories or 350-500 grams of glycogen in your muscles available for energy.
Additionally, you have 400 calories or 100 grams in your liver. In total, you have up to 2,500 calories that you need to consume. Only when the body’s preferred energy source is missing will it switch itself to keto. Everyone is unique, but on average this takes between 2 to 7 days.
The most aggressive technique is to fast with nothing but water for 2-3 days and take long walks. Do not over exert yourself beyond walking. In this case, you are consuming those stored glycogen calories very quickly. Be forewarned that this approach is not for everyone nor is it required, it will be a tough few days.
The easier approach is to limit carbs and eat your keto pre-scheduled meals. A great aid, if you can, is to go on long walks to help burn more of your stored glycogen switching you over a bit faster. Within 3-7 days you will easily be in keto.
Be aware that you may feel lethargic and a bit ill over the days your body is making the transition. This is normal. Stay well hydrated and keep you eye on the goal.
How To Get Into Ketosis – The Two Main Ways
There are two ways to do this – the aggressive way, which is faster, and the easy way, which is slower.
The most aggressive way to get into keto very quickly is to fast (consume nothing but water) for 2-3 days, and take a long walk the first day. The long walk will help drain your glycogen stores.
For science I won’t get into, as I don’t even fully understand it, running or other exercise will not help here – just long walks. So don’t over exert yourself beyond walking.
This will get you into keto the fastest (you’ll be in keto in around 3-5 days, depending how many carbs you usually eat), but will be tougher.
The easier way is to just start eating keto, with no fasting involved. It’s important to keep carbs as low as possible the first week or so if you go this route.
The long walks will still help drain your glycogen stores.
This way will take longer – usually about 5-10 days. Again, this depends on how many carbs you usually eat and your body.
Be aware that you may feel lethargic and a bit ill over the days your body is making the transition. This is normal, and called the “keto flu”. Stay well hydrated and keep your eye on the goal. In a few days, you’ll be in, and feeling great.
While you still need to eat keto and stick to your macros, there’s a supplement you can take called BHB (beta hydroxybutyrate), which is basically a powdered form of the ketones your body makes.
Especially when combined with MCT oil (medium-chain triglycerides, an easily used form of fat), this can make getting into ketosis faster and easier.
It’s not necessary, per say, but we’d recommend it.
While the ketosis diet overall is quite easy to follow, the transition of switching from carbohydrates for energy to fat for energy can cause some people to feel a bit under the weather. This is referred to as the keto flu.
There is a gray zone when the body wants to still be energized by carbs, called glycolysis but but has effectively bottomed out glycogen stores, or carb based energy. During this transition the body still thinks that it will be feed carbs soon, because it always has been.
The keto flu can feel just like the onset of a bad cold or flu; achy, tired, irritable. Headaches are not uncommon but water and aspirin can help. Some people can get the shakes and even nausea as their bodies are craving for carbohydrates.
The transition from glycolysis to ketosis takes a few days. For a lucky few they never get the keto flu. The easiest way through any feeling of malaise is to stay true to the diet plan, drink plenty of water and do not carb cheat. Exercise or long walks are great ways to burn off remaining glycogen stores.
Once glycogen, or carb stores are empty and the body is in the middle or gray zone it can be given help by consuming exogenous ketones in the form of BHB powder as a dietary supplement.
Measuring your ketone level is best done with the blood ketone meter we recommended in the last email. When we test we get millimolar per Liter (mmol/L).
Your optimal ketone level will be different from your family and friends who are doing keto with you. You are unique. Once you get into ketosis, strive to focus on the diet and macro plan more than being overly concerned with your ketone level.
Most science points to the following scale:
Caution: higher ketone levels do not necessarily mean that you are losing fat faster or that you somehow are healthier or more mentally acute. Just stay in the optimal zone. Many biological and physiological factors are in play and differ between individuals.
Problems and mistakes do arise, possibly dropping you below 0.5 mmol/L and out of ketosis. If you are following our recommended diet, your body will return to ketosis quickly as it doesn’t have much glycogen stored.
If this happens, for instance, if you cheat, you can get your ketone level up quickly by taking BHB, the supplement we mentioned above.
