How Many Carbs Can You Have on a Keto Diet?

How Many Carbs Can You Have on a Keto Diet?

Whenever you start a keto diet, your goal will be to lower your carb intake to the point where your body goes into ketosis, which means your body is burning fat for fuel instead of carbs.

The exact point at which you’ll get into ketosis will be different from everyone. Some people might achieve it by consuming no more than 30 carbs per day, while others have to go all the way down to 20 carbs to get into ketosis.

It usually takes about 2-3 days for ketosis to happen. Then, you’ll experience some symptoms associated with this condition. Some people get keto flu, which means they need to remedy the symptoms by consuming electrolytes like those found in chicken broth.

Others will experience fantastic side effects right out of the gate – like increased energy, a clearing of brain fog and absence of cravings that they had once battled before. It would be nice if everyone experienced this initially, but some people do go through a lethargic feeling instead.

You want to calculate your macros so that you’re getting approximately 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs. In a 1,200 calorie diet, that would be about 15 net carbs, 93 grams of fat and 75 grams of protein.

Many people who do ketogenic dieting don’t bother to track calories, except with how it impacts their macros. You could enjoy a 2,500 calorie day of meals and keep your ketosis levels in check just by managing your macros.

Some people worry if they mess up and get knocked out of ketosis. This happens, and it’s often a result of hidden carbs. Carbs can be snuck in on simple seasonings – things you don’t expect to be loaded with carbs.

If you get knocked out of ketosis, you should be able to get back in within 2-3 days after the slipup. The weight should continue coming off, but it will increase more when your keto kicks in.

Try to make sure, when you’re choosing carbs, that you choose healthy ones. Eating something like spinach or a strawberry is better for you than a handful of fake sweets that could take a toll on your digestive track.

Plus, your body still needs plenty of nutrients, so choosing your carbs carefully will help you get the vitamins and minerals that you need throughout the week. Don’t rely on supplements to do the job for – it’s better to use real foods for this purpose.