Maybe you’ve been following a ketogenic diet and limiting your carbs. One of the most important parts of a ketogenic diet is reaching the state of ketosis.
In ketosis, your body produces ketones. These ketones are then utilized as an energy source. This works by your body beginning to burn fat instead of sugars. Keep in mind that in a ketogenic diet you are reducing your carbs and sugars. This is how your body begins burning more fat. There simply aren’t enough carbs and sugars to use for energy.
There are a handful of main signs to look for when you’re waiting to reach ketosis. Note that you will likely not experience every single one of these indicators. You might show some of them and not others. This is totally normal, and it depends on your body.
These changes may not be instant, but they will be noticeable after some time. Give your body a chance to adapt to the changes you’re making. Try not to worry if you don’t see any changes overnight. It’s a process and will take a little bit of time!
Increased focus
When you achieve ketosis, your body is working on producing more ketones to use as energy. This energy level is greater than the one you might have had with carbs. Because of this, your brain will function more clearly. This can result in increased productivity. Increased focus can also lead to you feeling more alert and more awake.
Increased energy
When you’re in ketosis, you will have more energy. As mentioned, you will feel more well-rested and be able to make it through the day more easily. If you frequently take naps, ketosis may reduce those naps. You should feel alert and active during the day if you are in ketosis.
Bad breath
Sometimes people will experience a change in their breath, even if they are brushing and flossing as usual. This is because, when you’re following a ketogenic diet, your body is producing more acetone. This can cause your breath to smell a little worse than what you’re used to. This is temporary and will get better once your body adjusts to the changes in your diet.
Restlessness
This may not sound like a convincing reason to begin following a ketogenic diet. Luckily, it lasts a very short amount of time. It’s caused by your body’s adaptation to your higher energy levels. If you notice yourself waking up throughout the night or having trouble falling asleep, your body could be in ketosis.
Weight loss
One of the biggest reasons that people start using the ketogenic diet is so that they can lose weight. When ketosis kicks in, your body will release the water weight that was previously contained by fat cells. This will lead to rapid weight loss during the beginning of the ketogenic diet. Note that this will decline as your body gets used to the diet.
Decreased hunger
With the ketogenic diet, you will be eating more protein and vegetables. This combination leads to the body feeling more full and requiring less food. If you feel like you don’t need to eat as much as you used to, it could be a result of ketosis. There is some speculation that ketones can trigger a signal in the brain to decrease your appetite.
In addition to these signs, you can test your blood, urine, or breath for ketones. There are kits available at your local pharmacy that can be used for these purposes. Here are your options:
- Blood testing: Use a glucose meter to test your blood for ketones.
- Urine testing: Use a urine strip, which will change color based on whether ketones are found.
- Breath testing: Use a Ketonix breath meter, which will pick up whether there are ketones in your breath.
The most accurate and reliable method is blood testing, but this can be pricey. Just use what you can in addition to keeping track of the symptoms listed above.
If you are struggling to figure out whether or not you’re in ketosis, keep track of how you’re feeling throughout the day. It can be helpful to keep a log of your mood, energy, weight and more. You can then compare these statistics from day to day or week to week. From there, you might be able to see more obvious changes.
Sometimes, a ketogenic diet is not strict enough. You might have to make some additional modifications to the diet if you are not noticing any signs of ketosis after a couple of weeks. A more gradual shift into a ketogenic diet can be helpful.