The Keto diet is one of the leading types of weight loss options (Photo: Courtesy)

 Among the popular weight loss diets that people have embraced, the Keto diet takes the lead. If you just look around social media, you will come across so many Keto hashtags and interesting Keto recipes that people are trying right now.

Keto dieting essentially involves low carb, high fat and high protein nutrition. It’s meant to promote weight loss by encouraging your body to burn fat and protein as a source of fuel and for some, this has actually worked.

The results are real and you might even be considering trying this diet out as a solution for your weight struggles.

You can decide to start anytime you want but before you do, think about these things first:

Start with research

There are so many diets out there including vegan diets, juice cleanses trends and other strange diets that encourage you to drink weird concoctions. But just like the rest, you need to do your research properly if you choose to settle on the Keto diet.

Within the Keto diet are other subcategories like the cyclical, targeted and standard Ketogenic diets that you should know about. You need to understand what they’re all about so you can find what works for you best.

Dieting is a big deal and you need to be sure before making any move. Once you understand the details, you can be more confident about switching.

 You first need to confirm with your doctor if you can start the Keto diet (Photo: iStock)
Confirm with your doctor

Diets like Keto might sound cool and trendy but it’s not recommended for everyone. There are real concerns to be worried about that you might not know of and for that reason you should confirm with your doctor.

Even if someone else has had a successful experience, you have to be careful with your particular situation. And the only way to truly be sure is to consult.

Think about the long-term perspective

Any kind of weight loss diet is about the lifestyle as a whole. Of course, your diet is very important but so are exercising and other aspects of healthy living.

As you consider it, you need to be ready to change your entire life. You should also know that currently, there isn’t any evidence that shows Keto dieting works long-term.

Assess whether it will be all worth it to you and whether you will be able to keep up with it for the results to come.

 Losing weight takes time so make the transition gradual (Photo: Courtesy)
Plan your meals

If you have already made up your mind to start this diet, it would help to plan your meals. As a beginner, you might need some time to master how everything works and you will have an easier time transitioning if you do your shopping early and think about your meals and snacks for the week.

Remember that your focus should be on healthy fats, high-quality protein and plenty of vegetables so, you should give yourself enough time to plan and budget for all this.

Transition gradually

Quickly switching to a low or zero-carb diet isn’t always the best idea. This might lead to unpleasant side effects like nausea and fatigue.

What you can do is gradually reduce your carb intake as your system realigns itself. Once you start going into Ketosis, the side effects might be milder.