Keto 101: What Is Ketosis?

The goal of the keto diet is to get your body into ketosis – but what exactly is ketosis, and why is it so important for fat burning? Let’s find out…

Your body loves redundancy. In fact, that’s one of the major reasons why there are so many different ways to burn fat. But, one of the most popular diets today relies on a particular method of fat burning. This diet is the ketogenic diet, which promotes fat loss through minimal carb intake and increased fat and protein consumption. As a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, the aim of the ketogenic diet is to get the body into a constant (or near-constant) state of “ketosis”.

Ketosis can be seen as the body’s backup method of producing energy. For most people, the body prefers to get energy from the carbs that they consume each day. That’s because carbs are quick and easy for the body to convert into glucose (sugar) which then allows the body to send energy to your muscles as quickly as possible, with as little delay as possible. This is why many athletes emphasize the importance of loading up on carbs, especially before a demanding performance.

Ketosis, however, is another way for the body to get energy when it needs it. When your body has no carbs to process, it jumps to its backup source of energy: the fat that is stored throughout your body. Ketosis is the process through which your body transports fatty acids to the liver where they are processed and turned into energy. In simpler turns, it’s how your body burns the fat that you likely have hanging around on your arms, stomach, and legs.

Although it might not be your body’s fastest method of producing energy, in fact, this is a completely natural state of being and, by limiting your carb intake, you can maximize how many hours of the day your body spends in ketosis. The more hours your body spends in the state of ketosis, the more fat your body will be able to burn. This is why many people promote low-carb diets as the epitome of weight-loss diets. After all, when you’re burning fat around the clock, you are most likely going to see quicker and more steady results.

Some of the reasons people love the ketogenic diet include sustained fat loss and a lack of plateaus. In fact, if you are “stalled” in your weight loss journey–meaning you haven’t seen the scale budge for a while–many types of diets promote a “fat fast” where you cut the carbs for 1-7 days and up your fat and protein intake (sort of like a short ketogenic diet) in order to get your body into fat-burning mode and move past your plateau.

While the ketogenic diet might not be right for everyone, and it may not necessarily be healthy to stay on forever, it can be a great way to shed some pounds quickly.

To learn more about getting started with a ketogenic diet, be sure to download our free Keto 101 Guide here!