Upping Fat or Cutting Carbs for Ketosis?

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding the keto diet, but one of the biggest questions people have is whether you can get into ketosis by just eating fat. Registered dietician, Franziska Spritzler1 says, “Achieving a state of ketosis can take some work and planning. It’s not just as simple as cutting carbs.” Likewise, one can’t just add more fat to their diet and call it keto. Ketosis is a natural metabolic process and requires both cutting carbs and increasing healthy fat consumption.

Before You Think About Fat, Start Cutting Carbs

Decreasing carbohydrate intake is, without a doubt, the most critical factor in an individual achieving a state of ketosis. A typical Western diet conditions our bodies to use glucose as their primary source of fuel, but they can be retrained to use alternative fuel sources like ketones, which stem from fatty acids. While the level of carbohydrate restriction needed to achieve ketosis is individualized, many dieticians attest that 25 or fewer grams of net carbs per day will help you reach ketosis.

Eating Fat is Essential to Nutritional Ketosis

The space left in your diet by the loss of carbs should be filled with fat. Though some people worry about the overconsumption of fats in the ketogenic diet, Spritzler attests that fats play into a keto diet in many different ways. First and foremost, for a body to switch its primary fuel from carbohydrates to a fat-burning state, consuming additional fats is necessary. A classic ketogenic diet for weight loss, metabolic health, and performance call for 60-70 percent of calories from fat. There is a difference between healthy fats and good fats though, so don’t fall into the “dirty keto” trap in which you rely solely on burgers and bacon.

“Good fats” include all fats that aren’t bad for you, e.g., monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, while “healthy fats” include those fats that deliver essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to your body. Make sure you’re getting enough of the latter: you need micronutrients from leafy green vegetables and other living micronutrients.

Spritzler says, “Because fat takes up such a large percentage of a ketogenic diet, it’s important to choose high-quality sources.” She says one should include olive oil, avocados, cheese, whole eggs, and more, but high-fat should not lead to an overconsumption of calories. In this respect, a high-fat diet can be confusing and, at times, a misnomer. Instead of thinking of keto solely as high-fat, low-carb, Spritzler encourages individuals to think of it as a healthy-fat, low-carb lifestyle.

Embrace Those Healthy Fats

To be a “fat-burning machine,” you must limit your carbs and consume enough healthy fats for the body to transition into a state of ketosis. Your body requires fats for fuel, which will break down into ketones for its primary energy source. So, instead of fearing fats, embrace them, and add the good ones for a cleaner, leaner lifestyle with a multitude of health benefits.