Today we talk about the different types of Keto diet plans and which is best. I think that all the plans are useful for different stages of health recovery, so let’s look at why.
Whenever a person is thinking about choosing a diet plan, there are several questions that run through their minds.
They want to know:
- How fast the weight will come off
- Whether or not they can stick to it, and
- Will the plan impact their life in a positive way
We will use this criteria to decide how to use different Keto diet plans.
Hello and welcome to Fearlessly Holistic.
My name is Irma and I want to share my journey to improved health by eating whole foods, moving my body and eliminating stress as much as possible.
It is my hope to inspire you to make daily changes. Why? Because eating fresh, seasonal food, getting some sunshine, and purging unhelpful thinking is the best way to increase longevity. But you do not want just a long life.
You want a quality long life.
Ready to start keto? Grab my KETO FOOD GUIDE and start eating better today. Keto diet, and especially clean keto which I advocate for, it healthy and delicious and nourishes your body which encourages healing and weight loss.
My blog posts are my opinion and the results of things that I have tried that either worked for me or didn’t. My opinions are for informational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. Medical advice should always be obtained from a qualified medical professional for any health conditions or symptoms associated with them. As well, there may be affiliate links in this post. Read more here.
What is The Best Keto Diet Plan For You?
The best Keto diet plan is the one you stick with.
But it can be hard to know where to start, so check out some of the variations below and pick one to start. You can adjust it later!
There are two main Keto camps: clean Keto and dirty Keto.
With Keto, one size does not fit all. Here is a quick rundown on some of the ways you can adjust your Keto diet plan.
In the more-or-less clean Keto camp:
Clean Keto (my choice) is the freshest, cleanest food available. Meat, fresh & seasonal produce, limited dairy. Macros are 80% fat, 15% protein, and 5% carbs (macros = macronutrients: fat, protein, and carbohydrates)
High Protein Keto is for athletes and body builders. Adjust your macros to have less fat and more protein, based on current weight and height.
Targeted Keto is for people who eat standard Keto most of the time, but eat carbs before exercise or athletic events, like marathons.
Cyclical Keto is for those folks who are afraid of missing out on their favorite carby treats when first switching to Keto. Typical diets in this group are the 5:2 – 5 days Keto, 2 days of higher carbs (not recommended if you still have sugar or carb cravings)
Mediterranean Keto has an emphasis on eating more fatty fish and olive oil, and lots of salads.
Keto 2.0/Atkins phase 2, which is a bit more carbs and bit less fat (this should be something you try when you are close to goal weight)
In the Dirty Keto group:
Dirty Keto is when you eat whatever you want as long as it fits your Keto macros of 5 grams of carbs or under and whatever you have chosen as your macros for protein and fat grams.
Lazy Keto is when you only track your carbs and nothing else; no tracking calories, protein or fat.
The Top Five Reasons Why Keto Is an Excellent Diet Choice
Keto is an excellent choice for many people these days, and there are five big reasons why.
1. The food tastes great!
If you’ve ever been on a low calorie diet or low fat plan, you’ll understand how bland those foods can taste. And you have to snack all day to keep hunger away.
But Keto allows you to keep the fat and flavor in your diet.
You’re not banned from having cheese, flavorful, fatty meats or other delicious foods. High fat and high protein foods fill you up and stick with you longer so you don’t eat as often.
You can make a rich guacamole topping, put it on your burger patty and never feel like you are on a diet.
2. You are not hungry.
Hunger is one thing that can turn dieters away from a plan. That won’t be a problem on a Keto diet. Gone are the days of clock-watching, waiting for an opportunity to have a snack.
The fact that you can have fat in your diet means you’ll always be satisfied and never feel like you’re starving.
3. Quick weight loss.
Everyone wants the diet process to be over with as soon as possible.
When you’re following a Keto plan, the weight melts off quickly because your body is burning fat stores instead of carbs for fuel.
Bonus points if you eat mostly clean Keto, because your body is also getting a ton of nutrients.
4. Keto is easy to modify anywhere.
Being on a diet is hard enough. Having to follow a difficult plan when you’re eating out or traveling or visiting friends and family makes you want to quit.
But with Keto, you can easily order off any menu or pick and choose from any family meal and have a simple, low carb, ketogenic meal.
Most restaurants have salad + protein options.
You can order bun-less burgers, grilled fish or chicken, as your protein. Order the best salad or veggie option that will keep you satiated.
As well, if you are on the road you can eat:
- Pepperoni sticks (watch for added sugar and starches)
- Jerky (watch for added sugars and starches)
- Pork rinds (chicharrones). Stick with plain, as some brands of flavored pork rinds contain sugar or starches.
- Stringy cheese sticks (check the carbs)
- Nuts
…basically gas station snacks. Get coffee at Starbucks and they will add in heavy cream so you have a Keto coffee. Plenty of options.
5. It is easy to adjust your Keto Diet Plan
If you need some variety in your Keto diet, just switch over to a different version! You do not really get options like this on other diet plans.
Check out the versions above and see if any of them will work for your lifestyle.
You can start out with dirty Keto (because it is easy) and then switch over to a more clean version. Or choose
The most important part is to stick with Keto and work towards eating clean, because the longer you are on it, the more of your health is healed.
With Keto, you can simply modify and adjust your carb intake to allow you to maintain the weight you’re currently at.
Common Mistakes on All Keto Diet Plans
Any time you start a new diet, there is a learning curve where it takes some time getting used to it, and the Keto diet is no different.
To make any Keto diet work for you, check out these common mistakes before you make them:
Not Tracking Everything
The first thing you need to do when you are on the Ketogenic diet is track absolutely everything you consume.
A common mistake people make is assuming they know their carb amounts since they are eating a lot of low-carb foods. But carbs are sneaky and it is easy to go over 20 grams of carbs per day.
The only way to know for sure is to track your macros.
This also helps you keep an eye on other macros like your protein, fat, sugar, and fiber.
Don’t forget to also add in seasonings, oils, and flavorings as many of those contain carbs as well.
A great free food tracker app is Cronometer. Input some basic information like height and gender and get some macros to start with.
Failing to Add in Enough Veggies
While some people can do the Keto without any vegetables, aka carnivore diet, it is not technically a Keto diet.
Veggies provide vitamins and minerals. These nutrients help to heal your body and encourage easy weight loss, which you get when you eat whole foods.
Once again, I advocate for seasonal Keto, so get your leafy greens in spring, and enjoy berries and other fresh veggies all summer and into fall.
I personally do carnivore in winter, so the only veggies I have are carrots and onions.
Constantly Checking Your Ketones
When you are on the Keto diet, you are trying to get into Ketosis. This is what allows you to lose weight as your body begins burning fat for fuel.
Many people need to know they are in Ketosis so they will use strips and other monitoring devices to check their ketones.
There are many reasons your ketone levels might be off on certain days.
However you do not need test strips and a machine to know if you are fat burning or not.
Just decide if you are feeling better about your health or not. Feeling good is the best indicator that you are doing things right.
Otherwise, you can just stick to your 20 net carbs a day, focus on healthy eating with the right macros, and you should be just fine with staying in Ketosis.
Eating Too Much of Something
With any diet you are on, balance is key.
Even on the Ketogenic diet, you can have too much of a good thing.
Focus on portion sizes and balance out your meals and snacks so that you are not constantly eating just one type of food all the time.
There is a possibility you are eating too much of one type of fat, too much dairy, or too much cheese.
Try to mix up your meals and snacks, focusing on the overall nutrients as well as those net carbs.
And if you are stalled, check your diet for:
- Excess artificial sweeteners/sugar in your snack foods
- Over-eating dairy
- Too large of portions of protein
- Eating too much fat (if you eat too much fat your body will not burn your excess body fat).
Failing to Prep and Plan
Another common mistake people make is not planning ahead.
Keto is one of those diet plans where you really need to keep track of everything you eat. This makes it hard to just grab something without knowing how many net carbs it contains.
It is best that you plan all of your meals and snacks ahead of time.
Prep as much as you can so you aren’t grabbing for a high-carb convenience food just because you’re not sure what to eat.
You can buy large jars of salted nuts from places like Costco, and then measure a portion into a snack-size zipper bag. Just grab and go.
We also stock up on our favorite jerky when it goes on sale.
Conclusion
I love eating low-carb and being in Ketosis; it has healed so many areas of my health. I have made the Keto diet to fit my life and the concepts that I am aligned with, which are clean, seasonal eating.
And be sure to sign up for my free keto food list and quick start guide, to get you ready to go all-in on a healthy keto diet!
Holism targets overall wellness, and when we are well, we only get better with age.
Eat the best food that you can afford to give your body the building blocks it needs for optimal health, longevity, and looking good for as long as possible 😉
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Until next time, here’s to our health!
-Irma