Deciding to adapt to a keto diet can mean making wholesome changes to your lifestyle. You need to cut down on your carbs intake and increase your fat intake. However, you may be wondering if it is possible to work out while on a keto diet since carbs are the primary source of fuel for your body.
While some people think that it is impossible to combine a keto diet with regular exercises, the truth is that you can still exercise while sticking to your keto diet as well.
The good thing is that there are some things that you can do to ensure that your keto diet doesn’t interfere with your exercise schedule. Knowing what to eat and when to eat it as outlined on Konscious Keto,, can go a long way in helping you. This guide highlights the top seven exercise tips when on a ketogenic diet.
7 Exercise Tips When on A Ketogenic Diet
1. Understand the Purpose of Exercising
Going to the gym isn’t a competition. You aren’t getting paid, and the whole point of working out is to help you get better results. According to Mark’s Daily Apple, the moment you appreciate this fact, you will start to think of how you can align your ketogenic diet with your exercising schedule to help you achieve better results.
You should readily accept the small results with an assurance that you are getting better every day. When you try out something new, you are no good, but don’t let that make you feel as if you are weaker. Don’t give up when you don’t see the results soon. Just work harder and stick to your plan.
With time, things will get better, and you will start to appreciate why you didn’t give up.
2. Avoid Working Out During the First Few Weeks
Shape Magazine reports that the first few weeks on a ketogenic diet isn’t a good time to work out. During this time, you might not feel so good since your body is still trying to adjust to the new changes.
You may experience frequent stomach upsets and what is commonly referred to as “keto flu.” Limit everything that you do during the first few weeks and spend a lot of time listening to your body and adhering to your keto diet as an outline on Konscious Keto. You need to keep in mind that if you change too many things at once, you might be able to know which one worked out for you.
3. Sprint Carefully.
If you are going to sprint while on keto, you will have to keep a few things in mind. First, you should only make short sprints that last between three and five seconds. You will also need plenty of rest between your races. Take as much rest as possible to prepare your body for the next sprint. This rest offers you a chance to replenish some of your phosphocreatine.
Don’t freak out if you can’t make fast sprints as you used to do since your body is relying on a new source of energy. You may also have to limit the number of races that you make to avoid problems. Just make sure that you don’t do any glucose-intensive exercises.
4. Always Listen to Your Body
If you are determined to get the best out of your keto diet while doing high-intensity workouts, you should learn to listen to your body carefully. Don’t force your body to go beyond the limits. It is also recommended that you switch to a targeted ketogenic diet if you wish to stick to high-intensity workouts.
According to Konscious Keto, a targeted ketogenic diet is specially designed to adjust your needed carbs intake to your exercise regime. Make sure that you eat between 15 and 30grams of fast-acting carbs at least 30 minutes before your workout session. You should also do the same 30 minutes after the exercise.
The targeted ketogenic diet allows your muscles to recover well from the training while ensuring that you stay in ketosis.
5. Be Careful Not to Overeat
Even though your body will be utilizing a lot of energy during your workouts, don’t use this as an excuse to overeat. Typically, individuals who are highly active tend to have faster metabolism compared to those who are dormant.
This means that if you exercise, you may be tempted to eat a lot more food since your body is burning its resources faster.
Sometimes, you may fail to realize the desired weight loss results since you are overeating. While it is important to refuel your body after every exercise session, make sure that you are only eating the right amount of food.
Konscious Keto observes that some people will put in a lot of work in the gym while on a keto diet. But, once they finish their workout sessions, they will want to overfeed since they don’t have anything else guiding them other than their hunger and stomachs. Keep in mind that while on a keto diet, you must count your carbs intake based on your activity level to help you stay on track.
6. Chase Results, Not Ketones
Some people tend to focus so much on the ketones such that they forget about their initial goals. If you spend a lot of your time stressing about your ketone levels, the resultant cortisol hormone that is secreted may inhibit your keto-adaptation hence introducing a flood of new glucose in your bloodstream.
Are you eating the right food as outlined on Konscious Keto? Are you thinking more clearly? Are you skipping high carb food and the afternoon nap? Then you are doing well, and that is what matters. Forget about all the other destructions and focus on your long-term results.
7. Carb Cycle the Right Way
Ketogenic Diet
Some people do the carb cycling the wrong way. They spend two or three days eating a lot of carbohydrates then start to wonder why they are gaining yet they are on a keto diet and exercise regularly.
Keep in mind that if your primary goal is to lose weight, you probably need fewer calories than you think, even if you are working out regularly. Therefore, make sure that you choose the right carbs and only consume the carbs for the right reasons. Don’t just carb since you are missing the French fries.
Conclusion
These exercise tips when on a ketogenic diet can go a long way in helping you strike a clear balance between your keto diet and exercise regime. Always remember the fact that exiting keto briefly isn’t the end of the world. If you feel like everything is too much to handle, retreat for a few days and come back with renewed strength and determination.
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