food selection on keto
INFO
Ignoring food selection is a common mistake among keto dieters. Many believe they will achieve optimal results as long as they manage their carb intake. But that is not true! To get the most out of the keto diet, you must eat the right foods.
On a keto or low carb diet, you should eat when you are hungry until you are full. This does not mean stuff your face, just eat until you feel satisfied.
Eating the right foods is crucial for success on a keto for various reasons. One is that food selection influences macro intake and thus ketosis. Another is that each food has a different effect on your health. These factors aside, there are other reasons food selection is crucial: it impacts weight loss results. Why so?
One reason is that certain foods are more filling than others. So, if you mostly eat satiating foods, you will have fewer hunger pangs and find it easier to control your total food intake. Foods high in protein, fats, and fibre are generally the most satiating.
Another reason selection is essential is that your micronutrient content varies across foods you eat. In other words, certain foods have more vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and other beneficial compounds.
These nutrients are essential for losing weight because they influence factors such as fat burning, hormone production, athletic performance, energy production, and metabolic rate. Zinc is an example of such a nutrient. Not getting enough of it can impair fat loss by down-regulating metabolism.[1] This means that you will burn fewer calories each day.
Other micronutrients that impact body weight are calcium (supports metabolism and fat burning), potassium (reduces water retention, which makes you look slimmer), and iron (benefits workout performance and energy production).
So, if you focus on eating nutrient-dense foods, you will find it easier to achieve and maintain your ideal body weight. Here is an example: eating grass-fed beef cooked in coconut oil is superior for losing fat to KFC grilled chicken.
You do not have to subscribe to the three meals a day mindset. If you feel hungry eat, if you do not, then do not eat. There are many days when I only ate twice a day, that may be breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. I have never felt bored with the range of foods I can eat or the meals I can prepare. Eating keto keeps you fuller for longer, so listen to your body and let your body tell you when it is time to eat, not the clock.