KETO SUPPLEMENTS

How To Improve Sleep On Keto [Keto Insomnia Remedies]

When starting a ketogenic diet, it's not uncommon to be suffering from a bit of “keto insomnia.” I've been there, and it wasn't fun at all.

After doing a bit of research, this is what I've been able to gather.

What causes insomnia on keto? A ketogenic diet mimics the metabolic effects of fasting. During fasting, the brain is tricked into thpinking that food has suddenly become scarce and ramps your body into overdrive to allow you to hunt and find food.

In this article, I will explain the mechanisms behind why keto might be keeping you up at night, a.k.a giving you keto insomnia. Not only will you learn why you may be having sleep troubles on keto, but how long it may last, what you can do in the meantime, and strategies to get back to sleeping like a baby.

Does Keto Affect Sleep?

A ketogenic diet affects people's sleep differently. One person may have improved sleep while another may have the complete opposite effect.

It's not a black or white answer, but the fact you're here means you may be part of the latter.

Without going too far off the deep end, fasting (complete abstinence of food) and ketogenic diets are metabolically very similar. The only difference between the two is that during a ketogenic diet, you get to eat food, and during fasting… well, you don't eat.

You can look at the two as ‘starvation ketosis' vs. ‘dietary ketosis.' A ketogenic diet mimics the metabolic effects of fasting, except while consuming food.

During starvation, your brain is tricked into thinking that food has suddenly become scarce. When food is low, your body ramps into overdrive to practically give you the energy to go out and hunt for food so you won't starve… it's a survival mechanism.

It's no wonder why some individuals have trouble sleeping while fasting or during the early stages of a ketogenic diet.

When fasting or starting a ketogenic diet, your body essentially activates its sympathetic nervous system, which is what is commonly referred to as the “fight or flight” part of your nervous system.

4 Additional Reasons You May Suffer From Keto Insomnia

While the keto-adaptation period may be an overarching factor to poor sleep when starting a ketogenic diet, there may also be other culprits.

Keto Flu

The keto flu is precisely as it sounds. Without “actually” having the flu, you may experience the same signs or symptoms you would typically have with the common influenza flu.

Nausea
Dizziness Headache
Lethargy
Runny nose

Many of the keto flu symptoms result from an electrolyte imbalance, most notably a lack of sodium and potassium in the diet.

To help combat the keto flu, you may want to increase your intake of potassium-rich vegetables such as leafy greens and make sure to add salt to your foods liberally.

Alternatively, you can supplement electrolytes with one of my below recommendations:

Or if you prefer a pill

Perfect Keto Electrolytes (Use code: AOK15 for 15% off your entire order)

Eating too little

One thing is sure: you need to be eating less than your body is burning to lose weight. However, many people who switch to a ketogenic diet feel so satiated, not hungry on keto, that they cut calories drastically.

While feeling full and satiated when attempting to lose weight is a great thing, it may result in you eating TOO LITTLE calories.

There is often a sweet spot in how fast you should lose weight when it comes to weight loss. It is usually recommended that individuals lose between 0.5% – 1.0% of total bodyweight per week.

Very overweight individuals may choose to lose between 1.0% – 2.0% of body weight per week, but the leaner you are, the more you should aim towards the lower end.

This means that an individual who weighs 200 pounds should aim for a weight loss of one to two pounds of weight loss per week. By losing weight in this manner, you put yourself in a better position to maintain muscle/lean mass and have a sustainable caloric deficit.

Eating too little can often lead to an increase in stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol during less than ideal times, such as during the nighttime.

If you find yourself waking abruptly in the middle of the night or a lot earlier than you would like to, your stress hormones may be a likely culprit.

Increase in stress

There are a lot of variables in life that can influence your body's stress response. While a certain amount of stress is good and causes our bodies to adapt, repeated stress can wreak havoc on your sleep.

The thing is, your body can't tell if you're running away from a lion or staying up late trying to file your taxes before the deadline. Your body perceives stress very much the same way no matter what it is that's causing it.

Besides eating too little, as mentioned above, people tend to gravitate towards different “hacks” to lose weight as fast as possible. In particular, individuals like to make complete lifestyle changes when it comes to losing weight.

It's not unheard of for someone to go from sedentary and eating your (SAD) Standard American Diet to following a ketogenic diet, beginning a new exercise routine, and then throwing in something like intermittent fasting on top of it.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, try to slowly introduce one new variable and get your body used to it before introducing another.

Waking up to pee

A common reason for interrupted sleep, especially within the first week of starting a ketogenic diet, is waking up frequently to urinate.

On average, the human adult stores ~500 grams of carbohydrates in their muscle and liver. For every gram of carbohydrate your body stores, an additional ~3 grams of water is stored with it.

When you begin to restrict carbohydrates, as with the case on a ketogenic diet, your body will start to use up their carbohydrate (glycogen) stores and begin to expel the tag-a-long water as a result.

This is why you may find yourself peeing more when starting a ketogenic diet and also notice a significant drop on the scale.

While there is only so much you can do to correct this, it's during this period that many electrolytes are flushed from your body. I would highly suggest supplementing with an electrolyte drink during the first week or two of starting a ketogenic diet.

Or if you prefer a pill

Perfect Keto Electrolytes (Use code: AOK for 15% off your entire order)

Is Insomnia A Sign of Ketosis?

I wouldn't quite put insomnia as a sign that you're in ketosis, but it might be. Besides, I wouldn't wear insomnia as a badge of honor of being in ketosis; there are many downsides to a lack of sleep.

One notable downside of not getting enough sleep is that it could derail your weight loss efforts through various mechanisms.

First, you're awake longer, which means more time to eat. Additionally, here are just a few other negatives when it comes to sleep and weight loss:

Digestion is effected
Poorer blood glucose control
Cravings for junk food increase
A larger proportion of weight loss from lean mass/muscle instead of fat.

How To Know You're In Ketosis Without Testing

While the only real way to know if you're in ketosis is via a blood ketone meter, there are other less costly methods such as urine test strips or tell-tale signs.

Purchase a blood ketone meter here Purchase keto urine test strips here

Let's forget insomnia as a sign if you're in ketosis or not. And, assuming you don't want to do a blood or urine test, here are a few other signs and symptoms you may be in ketosis.

Appetite suppression Keto flu
Keto breath
Increased focus

Can Lack Of Sleep Kick You Out Of Ketosis?

Lack of sleep is bad news, and at the very worst, not sleeping at the extreme end can lead to death.

Yes, death.

Fatal familial insomnia, while EXTREMELY rare, can be fatal.

But I digress.

Lack of sleep shouldn't impede your ability to get into ketosis, that is unless it causes you to eat carbohydrates.

Ketosis is a metabolic state that is achieved through extreme carbohydrate restriction. This also means that you DON'T need to eat tons of fat to get into or maintain a state of ketosis.

But I digress once again.

While lack of sleep shouldn't kick you out of ketosis, and I'd be surprised if it did, stranger things have happened.

How Long Does Keto Insomnia Last?

Let me first say that once you've become keto-adapted or ‘fat-adapted,' chances are that your sleep will naturally improve. However, this adaptation period can take anywhere from 3 weeks to a couple of months.

So, in the meantime, we need to find ways to help cure that keto insomnia of yours.

How To Improve Sleep On Keto

Now that we have all of those pesky questions out of the way, how can we get your sleep to improve?

Here are a few tips to help improve your sleep until you become keto-adapted.

How to sleep better on keto:

Nighttime carbs and/or foods rich in L-Tryptophan

By saving your carbohydrates for your last meal of the day, you may naturally increase serotonin. If you'd instead not do that, you can also increase foods that are rich in L-tryptophan, such as:

chicken
eggs
cheese
fish
turkey

L-tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, meaning it eventually becomes serotonin, as shown in the image below.

L-tryptophan -> 5-HTP -> Serotonin

Alternatively, it may be worth experimenting with a few more carbohydrates in your diet to see if it helps with sleep.

The few extra carbohydrates for a good night's rest will have a much bigger return on your weight loss effort.

Maintain a conducive sleep environment

What exactly is an environment that is conducive to sleep?

Avoid bright and blue light… or all light for that matter.

First, you can make sure that your room is dark (I'd suggest blackout curtains if that's an option). The hormone melatonin is released during the evening, but exposure to light during sleep AND even before sleep can suppress this hormone that helps us get to bed.

Another helpful accessory is blue-blocking glasses, which filter out blue light typically radiated from LED lights and electronic devices (cell phones, computers, televisions). I like to dawn mine at least 1-2 hours before I plan to snooze.

There are also apps for your computer, such as f.lux, or Apple's nightshift on your phone that will automatically decrease the blue light that your device emits.

Blue Blocking Glasses
Need something to fit over your glasses? I got you.
Fitover Blue Blocking Glasses

Cool down

Second, studies show that a room temperature of around 65°F (18.3°C) is optimal. While this may seem shocking at first, your body temperature naturally drops to prepare for sleep. If your body is too warm, you may have trouble falling and staying asleep.

Another helpful piece of advice is to take a warm/hot shower before bed.

Wait, you just said to cool down.

By taking a warm or hot shower, you're pulling the heat to the surface of your skin and away from your core, thus cooling it down.

Be quiet

The last puzzle piece for a conducive sleep environment is noise.

You don't want heavy metal blasting or people screaming while you're trying to sleep, or maybe you do? Earplugs can be a lifesaver if your environment is generally noisy around your bedtime.

On the other hand, some people may need noise, whether the television or ambient noise, so your mileage may vary (YMMV).

I love these ear plugs that mold to your ear

Purchase Ear Plugs Here.

Maintain a regular sleep schedule

Our bodies work on what's called your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm regulates your sleep-wake cycles and repeats every ~24 hours, and rests primarily by exposure to light.

Going to bed the same hour and waking up at the same time +/- 1-hour will help get your body into a rhythm and allow it to expect to get to bed at a specific time.

If you've given these ideas a fair shot, then we can move to some more shotgun approaches, a.k.a. supplementation.

Exercise earlier

While not always possible, it may be best to get your workout in at least two to three hours before attempting to hit the pillow.

As mentioned earlier, you want to try and cool down before getting ready for bed. Working out will temporarily increase your body temperature and may affect sleep if close to bedtime.

Limit caffeine intake in the afternoon

Caffeine is a part of almost everyone's life all across the globe. However, that morning or early afternoon cup of goodness may still be affecting your sleep long after you've consumed it.

The half-life of caffeine is around 6-hours. This means, after around 6-hours, half of that caffeine is still in your system. After 12-hours, there is still 25% of the caffeine in STILL your system.

If you have a problem falling or staying asleep, it's best to avoid caffeine entirely, or at least reserve it for the early part of the morning.

Alternatively, there's an ingredient called rutaecarpine that comes from the plant evodia rutaecarpa, which has been shown to help eliminate caffeine from the body at a faster rate.

Purchase rutaecarpine here.

Give yourself enough time to sleep

You might be thinking, duh… but bear with me for a second. If you know that you need 8 hours of sleep to feel good the next day, you have to allow yourself MORE than 8 hours to get the required amount of sleep.

You have to consider how long it takes you to fall asleep, if you have frequent awakenings, etc.

While it seems like it doesn't need to be said, you may have to give yourself 9 hours in bed to get 8 hours of sleep.

Always remember, you want quality over quantity sleep, but if you can get both then even better,

Keto Sleep Supplements To Try

While nutritional and lifestyle changes should always be implemented first, supplements can be a great way to act as a buffer or go-between until those take hold.

Sleep is contingent upon being in a relaxed, parasympathetic dominant state. Therefore, we want to facilitate the production of inhibitory neurotransmitters like serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) while reducing excitatory neurotransmitters' activity.

Melatonin

While I wouldn't recommend supplementing with melatonin regularly, sometimes it can help during stressful periods or when traveling and switching to a new timezone.

However, melatonin can sometimes leave you groggy or cause you to wake up too early. Additionally, many melatonin products available over the counter are notoriously under or overdosed.

To learn more about melatonin, you can read about it in the article I wrote on melatonin and ketosis.

Also to note, melatonin supplements are notorious for being severely under OR overdosed, it's always best to go with a third-party tested supplement.

Melatonin supplement I recommend

Magnesium

A lack of magnesium has been shown to impair sleep. A lack of magnesium can result in the excitatory neurotransmitters' abnormal activity, which is the opposite of what we want.

Supplementing magnesium has been shown to improve sleep quality, especially in the elderly, who tend to have relatively low magnesium intakes compared to younger people. 23

For sleep, in particular, I would recommend the glycinate version of magnesium.

Purchase magnesium glycinate Here.

Lavender

The scent lavendar has been shown to promote relaxation, alleviate insomnia, and even improve sleep quality.4567

Purchase lavender here.

GABA

GABA helps regulate many of the sedative actions in your brain tissue and is crucial for relaxation. In other words, it is involved in a wide range of activities intimate with the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).

Purchase GABA Here.

L-Tryptophan or 5-HTP

L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP are precursors to serotonin, which can also convert to melatonin. Depending on who you ask, they would tell you to supplement with either L-Tryptophan or with 5-HTP.

My best suggestion is to try both (not at the same time) and see which one has a more pronounced effect. Both supplements are looking to accomplish the same goal, so using both simultaneously is unnecessary.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is considered a cofactor to both serotonin and GABA. You can think of B6 as a “helper” that must be present before other enzymes can work their magic.

In this case, enough B6 must be present for enough serotonin and GABA to be produced.

I highly recommend this version of Vitamin B6. (P5P)

Zinc

Zinc deficiency is quite common in developing countries, but as much as 12% of the population and 40% of the elderly are zinc deficient.8

Similar to Vitamin B6, Zinc is a cofactor in the production of GABA.

If you're familiar with ZMA supplements, they are a combination of zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6, which makes sense given the above recommendations.

However, many (most) ZMA supplements have less than ideal forms of the vitamins and minerals mentioned above.

Purchase Zinc Here.

How Keto Can Improve Sleep

We've gone on and on about how a ketogenic diet may cause insomnia and impair sleep.

BUT

A ketogenic diet may also improve your sleep over time, so instead of with the good comes the bad… with the bad comes the good.

Improved blood sugar control

If you've ever woken up in the middle of the night hungry, hence the term midnight snack, then you may have experienced what is known as hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.

Your blood sugar may have risen from a carbohydrate-based meal earlier on and plummeted during your sleeping hours, causing you to wake up looking for a bite to eat.

While following a ketogenic diet, you will have fewer highs and lows, meaning less of a chance you'll wake up due to a dip in blood sugar.

GABA and Glutamate

From the supplement section above, you now know how vital GABA production is and its role in relaxation and, thus, sleep.

A ketogenic diet has been shown to boost GABA levels in not only mice but humans as well.9

Weight loss

I'm assuming you're utilizing a ketogenic diet for weight loss, and that's great. Why? Because obese individuals tend to sleep less, wake up more, and feel less rested than non-obese individuals.10

People who lose weight typically see an improvement in sleep and sleep-related ailments such as sleep apnea.11

The Keto, Insomnia, and Sleep Takeaway

There are a variety of reasons that a ketogenic diet may cause you to have impaired sleep. A ketogenic diet and fasting (complete abstinence from food) are similar metabolically.

In times of fasting or limited food availability, the brain is tricked into thinking that food is scarce, and you sleep less due to different excitatory neurotransmitters and stress hormones being released.

Essentially, your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) part of your body is activated, thus leading to low quality and quantity of sleep.

There are also other reasons that a ketogenic diet may disrupt sleep, such as eating too little, an electrolyte imbalance, and frequent awakening due to increased urination.

While many of these symptoms and adaptations will alleviate themselves over time, you can expedite the process by making sure you're eating an adequate amount of food (and the right foods), practicing proper sleep hygiene, and possibly including some supplements.

The Best Keto Supplements According To Science For 2020

Often, vitamins and supplements are the first line of defense people look towards when trying to lose weight. What you should keep in mind is no amount of vitamins and supplements can make up for a poor diet.

It is also important to note that supplements are not required to lose weight or gain muscle.

By definition, they are supplemental, meaning something that completes or enhances something else when added to it, in this case, your diet.

Investing more time, energy, and money into improving your ketogenic nutrition and exercise habits will positively yield better fat loss and muscle gain than any supplement would provide. While this is a hard pill to swallow, no pun intended, it's the reality of the situation.

Believe me, I wish there were a pill that I could buy that would magically burn fat. As the saying goes, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing, or in this case, taking it.

Very few supplements, regardless of what they say, carry sufficient scientific backing to make it worth investing in and taking.

That said, I would be lying if I said I didn't spend countless amounts of money on worthless supplements in the attempts to make up for a poor diet and exercise routine In my earlier years. Therefore, you can learn from my mistakes and benefit from my years of research.

What Are The Best Supplements For Keto?

Not all supplements are created equal, even for the ones I'm about to list below. For this reason, I've chosen to break the supplements down into tiers versus rank them best to worst.

Supplements in the higher tier (Tier 1) are the ones you should first consider before looking at the lower levels.

The vitamins and supplements listed down below will be a mix geared towards a wide range of goals, meaning not only fat loss, but sports performance (muscle gain), and general well-being to supplement a healthy keto lifestyle.

In general, these supplements can be broken down into three key factors:

Safety – Is it safe? Any side effects?
Efficacy – Does it do what it claims to?
Cost – Is it worth the price?

If you're listed on learning a bit more about nutrition, more specifically about keto, I've given my recommendations on best keto books to further your knowledge.

Best Keto Supplements – Tier 1

There is a great amount of research to support the supplements in this tier, in addition to being relatively inexpensive.

If I were to hedge my bets on supplements that will benefit your ketogenic journey and help improve your performance and physique, these would be them.

Electrolytes or Mineral-Rich Foods

Adding in electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, is an excellent idea for anyone just starting a ketogenic diet. While you might not necessarily need a supplement for electrolytes, it's usually a good idea for many, especially during the transition phase.

The first couple of weeks can be a challenge as the body is adapting to a reduced number of carbohydrates and glycogen. This decrease in carbohydrates and glycogen results in a significant loss of body water.12

This would explain the significant weight loss that you may experience the first week.

As water leaves the body, levels of sodium, potassium, and magnesium may drop as well.2 A lot of the adverse side effects that people experience within the first few weeks of a ketogenic diet are usually a result of this electrolyte imbalance.

If you've experienced the keto flu, you may have experienced some or all of these symptoms:

By supplementing electrolytes, you can potentially prevent all of the adverse side effects that many tend to experience.

Of course, you may also get adequate amounts of sodium and potassium from your diet. You must make sure to salt foods liberally and to taste, while also increasing potassium-rich foods, such as dark leafy greens and avocados.

Electrolyte supplement I recommend:

Perfect Keto Electrolytes (Use code AOK to save 15% off your ENTIRE order)

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, functions like a hormone, cells throughout your entire body has a receptor for it.

It is referred to as the sunshine vitamin because your body makes it from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun. Additionally, vitamin D may be found in certain foods, but it is challenging to get from diet alone.

While vitamin D is not specifically deficient for those following ketogenic diet, according to a 2011 study, over 40% of adults in the US are deficient.3

Signs of vitamin D deficiency can include:

Depression
Fatigue
Muscle weakness
Pain

Since very few foods offer an adequate amount of vitamin D, many health professionals recommend vitamin D supplementation to ensure proper levels.

Supplementing with vitamin D has been associated benefits such as:

Increased cognition 4
Immune health 5
Bone health 6
Increased testosterone levels 7

Of course, the only real way to know if you are deficient is by getting a blood test.

Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it's best taken alongside a meal with fat, which should be hard on a ketogenic diet.

Here is the vitamin D supplement that I take.

Creatine

Creatine is the most studied supplement in the world and has been shown to significantly improve strength and power, enhance muscle hydration, and increase muscle size.8

The international Society of sports nutrition considers creatine to be the safest and most effective ergogenic aids.

Also, recent data suggests that creatine may even have neuroprotective properties.9

Anyone with muscle or strength-building goals, which I think should be everyone, should supplement 5 g of creatine monohydrate per day. With a year supply costing you less than $50, can you afford not to supplement creatine?

Here is the creatine that I personally take.

Protein powder

People place too much emphasis on fat intake while on a ketogenic diet, but a high-fat intake is only a byproduct of limiting carbohydrates.

Since fat and carbohydrates are primarily used as energy, when you eliminate one, the other must go up to compensate.

What many people also don't realize is that the more fat you eat in your diet, the less fat your body will need to burn from your body. While it's not as simple as that, in general, this is where many people get stuck in not losing weight or plateauing.

Protein, similar to that of carbohydrates, gets demonized by the ketogenic community. Similar to electrolytes, many individuals find themselves with a protein deficiency, likely due to the advice of some other information found on the Internet.

People following a ketogenic diet sometimes end up with skin, hair (loss), and nail problems. If these symptoms describe you, there may be a chance that you are deficient in protein.

When it comes to protein, too much is better than too little, especially when it comes to changing your body composition (gaining muscle and losing fat). 1011

The amount of protein you need on a ketogenic diet is often a controversial topic. However, when it comes to protein, we know that:

Most essential in repairing and building muscle
Helps spare lean tissue while dieting
Protein is the most thermogenic (burns the most calories during digestion)
The most a satiating (feeling of fullness)

When it comes to body recomposition i.e., losing fat and gaining muscle protein is King.

Protein is the best muscle building and fat burning macronutrient. Therefore, limiting protein intake is counterproductive if looking better is your primary goal.

What's even worse is when you limit your protein intake due to some arbitrary percentage, or someone fear mongering you in believing that protein will keep you out of ketosis. Ketosis is established by reducing carbohydrates, not eating high-fat, or reducing protein.

Daily protein intake should be calculated depending on body fat and lean mass. For a better idea of how to calculate your protein intake, check out my keto macro calculator.

While protein needs can be met through diet alone, some people find it easier to supplement with a little bit of protein powder.

Pick any protein powder that suits your preferences and budget.

Here is the protein powder that I currently consume.

And for the vegan / vegeterians.

Caffeine

Similar to creatine, caffeine has a large body of evidence supporting its use for maximizing acute fat oxidation, prolonged fatigue, increasing strength, improving cognitive function, and much more.

This is one of the main reasons that you will find caffeine in almost all of the fat-burning supplements and pre-workouts you see on the shelves today.

For those with the primary goal of fat loss, a low-dose of caffeine may be beneficial before doing cardio.

Additionally, caffeine impacts energy expenditure. Meaning, ingesting caffeine throughout the day burns calories almost in a linear and dose-dependent manner.

Other benefits of caffeine include:

Appetite suppression12
Improved exercise performance13
Better insulin sensitivity
Increased muscle glycogen synthesis

Of course, caffeine affects everyone differently. I can drink a few shots of espresso and go right to bed, and others may become wired after half a cup of coffee. Habitual intake and tolerance of caffeine are significant factors.

Additionally, if you want to learn more about fat burners and keto, check out my article.

And that concludes the Tier 1 vitamins and supplements to help optimize your ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic Supplements – Tier 2

Consider the supplements in this tier as an “insurance policy.” If you're consuming a variety of whole-nutrient-dense foods and eating a portion of fatty fish ~2x per week, you may be covered.

However, there is one supplement listed in particular that you may not be able to get from diet alone.

Fish Oil

Since a ketogenic diet is a relatively high-fat diet, chances are you may be getting enough essential fatty acids. Of course, this is assuming you are eating healthy sources of fats such as:

Pasture-raised egg yolks
Fatty Fish
Grass-fed meats
Walnuts

Just to name a few…

That being said, the typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Most people only consume 0.1 to 0.2 g per day when research indicates that you should at least consider 0.3 – 0.5 g. Furthermore, health markers are optimized been consuming between 4 to 6 g per day.

Deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids can lead to:

Fatigue
Poor memory
Depression
Risk of cardiovascular disease

In sum, these effects may negatively impact your fat loss goals.

Also, a study showed that people following a ketogenic diet who also supplemented with omega-3 experience a greater decrease in insulin and inflammatory markers, and decreased triglycerides compared to those who did not.14

As with any supplement, not all fish oil is created equal. Make sure to choose a reputable brand.

Here is the fish oil supplement that I personally use.

Multivitamin

It may not always be easy to get micronutrient requirements met from foods alone, especially for those who are very active or athletes.

Furthermore, since most people reading this will be dieting, meeting your daily requirements in a caloric deficit makes it that much harder.

For this reason, and the fact that they are relatively cheap and low risk, you may want to consider supplementing with a daily multivitamin.

You can think of a multivitamin as an insurance policy to make sure your intake is at least meeting the minimum requirements.

When choosing a multivitamin, it is crucial to realize that there is a vast discrepancy in quality from one brand to another.

Many of the popular brands of multivitamins are filled with cheap ingredients. This usually means that some of the vitamins are significantly less bioavailable versions of the vitamin, not readily absorbed.

Here are two multivitamins brands I recommend:

Magnesium

Research suggests that due to mineral depletion in our soil and magnesium depleting medications, a significant portion of the population has or is at risk of developing a magnesium deficiency.15

Supplementing with magnesium has been shown to help reduce muscle cramps, promote restful sleep, and help regulate blood sugar levels.16

For these reasons, 200 to 400 mg of magnesium per day may be beneficial.

Keto-friendly foods rich in magnesium include:

Spinach
Mackerel
Avocado
Pumpkin seeds

When supplementing with magnesium, I prefer to stick to the forms glycinate, gluconate, or citrate.

Here is the magnesium supplement I use.

And that concludes the supplements in Tier 2.

Best Keto Supplements – Tier 3

In Tier 3, these supplements have the potential to be beneficial, but the effects are relatively small, and the scientific results are mixed or few. For any supplements listed in Tier 3 or Tier 4, you should consider the financial cost to benefit and if it is worth it to you.

Digestive enzymes

A major complaint of those new to the ketogenic diet is the processing and digestion of relatively high amounts of fat. If you're experiencing digestive issues like diarrhea, nausea, and bloating, a digestive enzyme may help with that digestion, more specifically lipase.

Check the prices of lipase here.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is considered a natural herbal adaptogen, meaning it has been utilized to help reduce stress and anxiety.

Many people don't realize that dieting itself, i.e., trying to lose weight, is a stress on the body.

Additional research suggests that ashwagandha may improve strength, glucose uptake, and even testosterone levels.17 1819

Other benefits include:

Enhanced memory 20
Increase anaerobic running capacity 21
Help thyroid output 22

While I personally noticed a benefit, I know others who do not experience the same effects. As of now, ashwagandha supplementation seems to be safe, but it needs more long-term research for its efficacy.

Most research suggests 300 to 500 mg of the root extract per day is a good dose to take, more specifically, the KSM66 version.

This is the ashwagandha supplement I personally use.

MCT Oil

With the rise of bulletproof, aka keto coffee, coconut oil and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT Oil) has been garnering a lot of attention.

MCT oil is primarily found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and dairy fat, and may have a benefit in regards to fat loss among other benefits such as:

Improved insulin sensitivity 23
Decrease in cholesterol 24

For some, MCT oil in their morning coffee or even as a pre-workout may be an effective strategy for decreasing hunger and improving energy. Just be cautious since some people react to MCT oil differently from others, meaning it does cause gastric upset in some individuals.

Start with a low dose of about one teaspoon and gradually work your way up to 1 to 2 tablespoons if you decide to supplement with MCT oil.

Anecdotally, MCT oil has also been shown to help people adapt much quicker to a ketogenic diet since MCT oil increases levels of ketone bodies in the bloodstream. 25

While coconut oil is a good source of MCT's, the reality is you can't get enough of the useful MCT's (C8 and C10) from coconut oil alone. MCT is primarily made from four different types of fatty acids:

Caproic acid (C6)
Caprylic acid (C8)
Capric acid (C10)
Lauric acid (C12)

An MCT supplement, or even better, a further extracted supplement of just C8 would be best. Caprylic acid (C8) is what seems to be the acid that has been shown to increase energy, increased ketone production, and even help with weight loss.

Of course, in addition to a sound weight loss diet.

Here are the MCT products I recommend:

MCT Powder (Use code AOK to save 15% off your ENTIRE order)
C8 Oil
If you prefer a powdered version

And for the last tier…

Best Keto Supplements To Take – Tier 4

Since this is a ketogenic diet, people have questions related to keto-specific supplements, and for this reason, I included this tier.

First, to address some questions.

Is it the same if I eat carbs but take exogenous ketones?

While you may artificially be in the state of ketosis for a short period while supplementing exogenous ketones, I would say no, as it's not the same.

Will exogenous ketones burn fat?

Exogenous ketones will not directly burn fat but may help with weight loss indirectly. Meaning, if exogenous ketones help suppress hunger, increase energy, or do a combination of both, then yes, it will help with weight loss.

To read more about exogenous ketones, I wrote an article about whether they were worth the cost or worthless.

Exogenous Ketones and Ketone Salt Supplements For Keto

With limited research on exogenous ketones, I would list these along with the salts as luxury supplements to experiment with.

The efficacy of which I've found these supplements beneficial is during the transition process, possibly after a “cheat day,” and as a pre-workout supplement.

The difference between ketone esters vs. ketone salts is ketone esters are bioidentical versions of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and ketone salts are not.

Bioidentical simply means the hormones in the product are chemically identical to the ones your body would have produced in a ketogenic state. This isn't to say that ketone salts are useless, but they may not be as effective.

Ketone esters will raise blood ketones far higher than ketone salts. 26 The drawback of ketone esters is that they are significantly more expensive and taste horrendous relative to ketone salts.

That said, if you would like to give either one a try, here are a few versions of each I would recommend.

Ketone Salts and Ester Recommendation

Perfect Keto BHB (Use code AOK to save 15% off your ENTIRE order)
HVMN Ketone Ester

The Bottom Line

Taking supplements is a great way to optimize your nutrition and training program, but not make up for them.

While we all wish there were a magic pill that would help us shed the pounds without trying too hard, the truth is that is still takes a consistent effort with your nutrition to make a meaningful difference.

It's this consistent effort that will allow you to shed the weight but, most importantly, developed great habits and keep the weight off.

At the end of the day, supplements are just there to help you with your journey, not carry you through them.

Can Vitamins Kick You Out Of Ketosis? [Why Some Can]

One thing I wondered when I first started a keto diet was whether or not almost anything would kick me out of ketosis. So I don't blame you if you're wondering whether or not some of the vitamins you are taking would kick you out of ketosis.

It's completely safe to take vitamins while following a keto diet without being kicked out of ketosis. Vitamins alone will not disrupt ketosis unless they contain many added sugars, such as those found in vitamin gummies or flavored vitamin drink supplements.

In this article, I will go more in-depth about whether or not vitamins will kick you out of ketosis, which vitamins may kick you out of ketosis, and what to look out for.

Can Vitamins Kick You Out Of Ketosis?

For the most part, most vitamins that you would purchase in pill form should be relatively safe.

That's not to say that there aren't an occasional few that might kick you out, but still not very likely.

While specific vitamins, especially capsules, may have undesirable fillers, it wouldn't be enough to kick you out of ketosis.

That being said, many of the vitamins available at your local retailer tend to use fillers that may contain trace amounts of carbohydrates. Some of the most widely used and notorious fillers are maltodextrin and dextrose, which are basically simple sugars.

But as I stated, the amounts are so minute usually that it isn't worth worrying about.

Of course, if you are taking your vitamins in the form of a drink or possibly even a gummy, then you should consult the nutrition label to see if there are any added sugars. From there, you would decide if taking the vitamins in that form, assuming the carbohydrates fit in your total, is worth it to you.

How You Get In And Stay In Ketosis

Often, some people believe that ketosis is a list of foods, but keto is actually a metabolic state. This metabolic state is achieved by limiting your carbohydrate consumption under a certain amount.

That means, as long as you eat under that amount of carbohydrates, you shouldn't have any trouble getting in or maintaining ketosis. Also, that means you can also get into ketosis without having to eat high-fat or restricting your protein.

The same way you get into ketosis is going to be the same way that you maintain a state of ketosis, which is through carbohydrate restriction. Therefore, as long as you stay with your carbohydrate limits should be generally okay.

I would also like to mention that just because you are in ketosis, it doesn't give you a free ride to eat as much food as you want, assuming weight loss is your goal. While you don't have to count calories, you still know that they do matter as far as weight loss is concerned.

For some more information about ketosis and common questions that people ask about what may kick them out, feel free to give my article about being kicked out of ketosis a read.

Best Vitamins And Supplements For Ketosis

Now that you know what ultimately determines how we get in and staying in ketosis, what are the best vitamins and supplements to add to your ketogenic diet.

First, let me say that vitamins and supplements should be in an add on and support a well-rounded diet. Vitamins and supplements should be added to make up for a poor diet, but rather, help optimize a proper diet.

What you should also know is that the same vitamins and supplements that would be beneficial for any other diet are the same ones that I believe would be beneficial on a ketogenic diet. That said, there are only a few vitamins and supplements I would recommend that would be beneficial according to the current scientific literature.

Those vitamins and supplements in no particular order are:

Vitamin D

What most people don't realize is that vitamin D is a steroid hormone produced from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to the sun.

This is why vitamin D referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.”

Another interesting fact about vitamin D is that over 41% of the US population is deficient in vitamin D.27 Unless you live in an area with plenty of sunshine year-round, chances are you may not be getting enough vitamin D.

Also, if you're only exposing your face and hands, inside most of the day, or always covered in sunscreen, being in a sunny area may not be enough.

For this reason, I believe vitamin D supplementation can be beneficial for a lot of people.

When supplementing vitamin D, vitamin D3 supplements seem to be more effective in raising vitamin D levels than other vitamin D supplements.

Plus, vitamin D supplements are relatively cheap. Below is a link to the one I personally take.

Check the prices of vitamin D supplements.

Fish oil

While not technically a vitamin, the typical North American diet is deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. More specifically, people are deficient in EPA and DHA, which are two fatty acids found in foods such as fish, seaweed, chia seeds, and flaxseeds.

A deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids may lead to fatigue, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and even poor memory, among many other negative symptoms.

According to research, you should consume about 0.3 to 0.5 g of combined EPA plus DHA per day, and multiple health markers are optimized and consuming anywhere from 4 to 6 g per day.23

Check the prices of fish oil supplements.

Multivitamin

It may not always be easy to get all of your micronutrient requirements from food alone. In this case, a multivitamin can act as an excellent insurance policy against deficiencies.

While multivitamins are relatively cheap, many of the popular brands are filled with inferior ingredients not readily absorbed. Choosing a high-quality multivitamin may be a step toward enhancing your health, improving your energy levels, which will ultimately help you lose weight in the long term.

Since this article is about vitamins, I won't go into too much detail about different supplements. If you would like to learn more about various supplements, including fat burners on keto, glucosamine, and even bodybuilding supplements, then check out those articles.

I go over various supplements that can enhance your diet, such as caffeine, creatine, green tea extract, and more.

Just remember that the best vitamins and supplements don't compare to a great diet, adequate sleep, and sufficient exercise.

After all, they are called supplements for a reason.

While there are many more such supplements and vitamins that may marginally make a difference, these are what I would consider as vitamins that are safe, effective, and worth the small price.

The Take Away

Vitamins in and of itself will not keep your ketosis. However, if your vitamins are filled with added sugars, such as those found in gummy form, or even in a flavored drink mix, they do carry the potential to kick you out of ketosis.

Therefore, it's always wise to take a vitamin in pill or capsule form, or at the very least, make sure there are no added sugars on the nutritional label.

What vitamins are you currently taking on your ketogenic diet?

How Glucosamine Affects The Ketogenic Diet Or Does It?

I used to take glucosamine at one point in time. During my previous days as an endurance athlete, I would use glucosamine as a little insurance policy for my joints, especially my knees. However, I can't say without a doubt whether I found it useful or not.

Can I take glucosamine on keto? Glucosamine may be taken on a ketogenic diet without kicking you out of ketosis.

In the article I’ll go over whether glucosamine affects ketosis and weight gain, if it’s even worth using, and possibly a better alternative.

Does Glucosamine Affect Ketosis?

Understandably, you're wondering whether or not glucosamine affects ketosis. After all, glucosamine is technically an amino sugar, hence the word ‘glucos' in the name, which is another word for sugar.

Early research even suggested that glucosamine could cause insulin resistance. Rest assured, follow up studies cleared glucosamine supplementation and any effect on blood glucose levels, glucose metabolism, or insulin sensitivity.4

As long as you're not consuming glucosamine in a form that contains additional added sugars, such as gummy form or in a ready to drink (RTD) mix, you should generally be ok.

However, glucosamine does contain calories, and they do come from carbohydrates. On average, a serving of glucosamine sulfate from most brands lists each serving as having ten calories and 2g of carbs, which isn't enough to knock you out of ketosis.

While there doesn't appear to be any adverse reaction between glucosamine and insulin, you should consult a medical doctor if you're pre-diabetic or diabetic before supplementing with glucosamine.

Also, since glucosamine is derived from shellfish, those with shellfish allergies should take caution if supplementing with glucosamine.

Things That Knock You Out Of Ketosis

While a single serving of glucosamine isn't enough to knock you out of ketosis, the 2 grams of carbohydrates should be added to your daily carb total if you want to play it safe.

The determining factor whether or not you'll achieve or maintain a state of ketosis is the TOTAL amount of carbohydrates you consume over the day. Ketosis is a metabolic state established by eliminating or restricting carbohydrates under a certain amount.

i.e., If you can eat 50 grams of net carbs per day and maintain a level of ketosis, by which you've tested by measured ketone levels, even eating a small bowl of oatmeal wouldn't necessarily knock you out of ketosis.

How many carbohydrates you can consume in a given period without being knocked out of ketosis is individual, but 20 – 50 grams of net carbs seems to be safe for most people generally.2

Factors that influence how many carbohydrates you can “get away with” include:

Overall body size
Muscle mass
Activity levels (the most prominent factor)

In essence, the more active you are, the more carbohydrates you can consume and maintain a state of ketosis. Athletes and highly active individuals may be able to get away with upwards of ~100 to 200 grams of carbohydrates and still achieve and maintain a state of ketosis.

If you have more questions about what will or won't kick you out of ketosis, I've compiled some of the most common questions people have and wrote the truth about what really kicks you out of ketosis.

Benefits of Glucosamine

Most people supplement with glucosamine for joint health. Studies show that supplementing glucosamine sulfate reduces the rate of collagen degradation and symptoms of osteoarthritis.34

Studies on athletes suggest doses as high as 3,000mg of glucosamine sulfate may be able to slow joint degradation. If you're an athlete participating in high impact sports, glucosamine may be worth considering.5

Also, glucosamine has even been used to treat conditions due to inflammation. One study found a 28 percent and 24 percent reduction in two markers of inflammation, CRP and PGE.6

While these numbers aren't statistically significant, it does show there is potentially something happening, but further research must happen before any reliable conclusions.

Typical glucosamine dosage is about 1,500 mg per day, with studies going as high as 2,000 – 3,000mg per day. To supplement glucosamine, 300 – 500mg, three times per day with food seems best.

Glucosamine sulfate salts followed by glucosamine sulfate are the best way to supplement glucosamine, as shown by the research.

Glucosamine side effects and weight gain

For the most part, glucosamine seems to be safe for most people. Aside from the shellfish allergy, some experience taking glucosamine, possible adverse reaction include7:

Heartburn
Headaches
Drowsiness
Abdominal pain
Nausea

Also, a study in 2013 found glucosamine may increase the risk of glaucoma, a condition that damages your eye's optic nerve.8 Again though, there's nothing definitive about the adverse side effects.

Then, there's the issue of weight gain. Glucosamine will NOT cause you to gain weight. No supplement will inherently cause you to gain weight unless the supplement causes you to overeat.

The only way to gain weight is by eating more calories than you burn. Likewise, the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn.

Therefore, the only way glucosamine would be able to cause weight gain would be if it stimulated your appetite, causing you to overeat.

Best supplements for a keto diet

If you're looking for effective supplements to optimize your ketogenic diet or contemplating taking fat burners on keto, there are very few that are shown to be effective. For joint health, collagen may be a better option than glucosamine and chondroitin combined according to one study.9https://www.medsci.org/v06p0312.htm

Compared to the glucosamine and chondroitin group, collagen supplementation was found to reduce pain during exercise by 20 percent versus 6 percent.

Another study in persons with knee osteoarthritis either took 1,500mg of glucosamine sulfate or 10g of hydrolyzed collagen per day over 90 days.10 Those that took hydrolyzed collagen had significant improvement in pain scores and quality of life over the glucosamine group.

In a study of subjects with NO history of arthritis reported that supplementation helped improved knee range of motion almost 8 degrees. Subjects taking collagen also experienced a longer time for joint pain to occur during exercise and faster recovery.11

Hydrolyzed collagen protein can be bought in supplement form or obtained in collagen-rich foods like bone broth. A dose of 10 grams per day for skin health and minor joint benefits seems to be the dose most studied.

The Takeaway

Glucosamine naturally occurs within your body, and supplementing with it shouldn't kick you out of ketosis. While it appears to be safe for most people, some individuals may experience an adverse reaction, especially those allergic to shellfish.

Another possible supplement that may be worth considering is hydrolyzed collagen protein, which has shown some benefits to joints, contains no carbohydrates, and is rich in glycine.12

[The Top 3] Fat Burners On Keto

We all want to lose weight as fast as possible. It's no wonder why there are hundreds, if not thousands, of fat burners on the market. Naturally, you're wondering if you can combine fat burners with keto to help speed up weight loss, but should you?

Can I take fat burners on keto? Fat burners may be taken on a ketogenic diet without knocking you out of ketosis. Most fat burners offer very little in terms of effectiveness, but fat burners like caffeine are thoroughly studied.

In this article, I'll go over what fat burners will help increase your weight loss, which ones to stay away from, and other helpful tips to speed weight loss while in ketosis.

Can i take fat burners on keto pinterest

Do Keto Fat Burners Work?

Fat burners won't help you magically lose weight, at least not legal ones. No amount of supplements in the world will help you lose weight if you're overeating.

First and foremost, you must burn more calories than you consume to lose weight.

Think of fat burners as icing on the cake after you've nailed down your diet and exercise. If you're not exercising, you can probably increase your weight loss on keto more with a short 15-minute walk than with any supplement.

That aside, fat burners shouldn't knock you out of ketosis if that's what you're worried about. Of course, if the fat burner is a sugar-filled drink, you may get knocked out of ketosis in addition to negating the effects with the extra calories.

What about carb blockers on keto?

First, if you're on a ketogenic diet, then you shouldn't need carb blockers as you are already restricting them through your diet. Second, there isn't a great deal of scientific evidence that carb blockers do much, if at all.

In theory, carb blockers work by inhibiting the production of enzymes responsible for digesting carbohydrates. If you can't digest the carbohydrate, you don't get any calories from them, and they should pass out the other end.

Not a strategy I would probably rely on.

What Fat Burners Work?

So you have your diet and training in order, what fat burners work? Most fat burners on the market are a mash-up of different ingredients that don't offer much benefit mixed with caffeine.

Keto fat burners or fat burning supplements, in general, are commonly referred to as thermogenics. The majority of weight loss supplements are referred to as thermogenics since the primary mechanism as to how they work is through increased thermogenesis, how your body produces heat.

By increasing your metabolism through fat burners, you burn more calories, at least that's the goal.

Here are supplements that may be worth considering.

The Top 3 Keto Fat Burners Back By Science

Not all supplements are created equal, and most supplements do nothing at all. For this reason, I've listed the top supplements that may help speed up your weight loss on keto based on three key factors:

Safety
Effectiveness
Cost

Caffeine Pills On Keto

Most' fat burners' on the market contain a bunch of ingredients, but the main ingredient is usually caffeine. That's because caffeine is one of the only supplements that has a large body of evidence supporting its use.

Aside from caffeine's use for cognitive function and increasing strength, caffeine has been shown to maximize acute fat oxidation, increases metabolic rate, and Dietary Induced Thermogenesis (DIT) 132

In essence, DIT if the caloric cost of processing food, in this case, caffeine. DIT is another term used to describe the thermic effect of food (TEF). TEF is the calories we expend digesting and processing the foods we eat and drink.

One cup of coffee or caffeine pill every other hour throughout the day has the potential to burn 150 extra calories. Of course, caffeine's effectiveness and tolerance vary from person to person.

Excessive caffeine supplementation has been shown to decrease sleep quality, which potentially has a more significant effect on fat loss and muscle gain compared to what a supplement can offer. If you're sensitive to caffeine, you may want to skip on the coffee or cut it off early in the day, so it doesn't interfere with your sleep.

Green Tea Extract (EGCG)

Green tea extract, most notably EpiGalloCatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG), is the most abundant and active catechin polyphenol in green tea. Aside from the health benefits of ECGC, there is some evidence supporting its use for fat loss.

One study examining the effects of green tea supplementation used three groups, green tea, and caffeine combined, caffeine by itself, and a placebo with neither caffeine or green tea extract. Researchers found that the group consuming EGCG showed a four percent increase in energy expenditure at rest compared to caffeine supplementation alone.3

Another study over 12 weeks compared caffeine and EGCG to caffeine alone. While results were not statistically significant, the group stacking the green tea extract with caffeine lost more abdominal fat (~7.7 percent vs. ~0.3 percent).4

Yohimbine HCL

Yohimbine is a supplement derived from Yohimbine Tree Bark shown to enhance fat loss and decrease appetite.5 Yohimbine will help mostly to mobilize and breakdown stubborn fat.

Insulin inhibits yohimbine's effectiveness, which makes it a great supplement on a ketogenic diet where insulin is kept low. Still, it's probably best either on an empty stomach or at least 2 to 3 hours after a meal stacked with caffeine before doing cardio.

Another thing to note, there's no need to worry about “stubborn fat” until you've gotten to relatively low body fat levels where the majority of the fat remaining are those stubborn fatty areas. Additionally, it may also lead to increased anxiety and increased heart rate in some individuals.

Will exogenous ketones speed up fat loss?

Exogenous ketones may help you lose weight by decreasing your appetite, causing you to eat less. One study had subjects take a ketone ester drink after an overnight fast compared to a sugar-filled drink.6

The group who ingested the ketone ester experienced 50% less hunger, which was attributed to lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

Aside from reducing appetite, it wouldn't seem that exogenous ketones offer much when it comes to actual fat burning or increasing the metabolic rate. However, exogenous ketones and ketone esters are still be studied.

Fasted cardio on keto

While not a “supplement,” fasted cardio doesn't seem to have any benefits in terms of overall fat loss. However, fasted cardio, in addition to the supplements listed above, may aid in mobilizing and burning stubborn fat when you get to those last few pounds.

Supplements: Putting it all together

When it comes down to it, very few supplements have the scientific backing to show any efficacy. If I had to put my money on one supplement in terms of effectiveness, it would be caffeine followed by green tea extract, then yohimbine for the very last few pounds.

Caffeine – 1-2mg/kg every 2 – 4 hours ~3x daily
Green Tea EGCG 125 – 250mg taken with caffeine doses
Yohimbine 0.2 mg/kg (ideally on an empty stomach before cardio for stubborn fat loss)

How To Speed Weight Loss In Ketosis

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

The most significant impact on how fast you lose weight ultimately comes down to diet, followed by non-exercise-activity-thermogenesis (NEAT), the thermic effect of feeding (TEF), and then physical exercise (PA).

NEAT or non-exercise activity thermogenesis is all the activity you perform throughout the day that isn't formal exercise (lifting weights, cardio, etc.). NEAT is everything you do that expends calories, such as tapping your feet, walking the dog, doing the dishes, walking to your car, etc.

Most of us wouldn't think of these activities as ways to burn calories. Still, evidence shows that all of the little things we do every day add up and make a considerable amount of your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). NEAT can vary as much as 2,000 calories between people with similar heights and weight.7

All things equal, this may be why a friend of similar build may lose weight quickly, eating roughly the same amount of calories.

NEAT is also a significant reason why weight loss begins to slow down as you lose weight. Aside from expending fewer calories due to moving a smaller body, you subconsciously start to move less and less.

Losing weight isn't exactly something your body wants to do. As a result, one of the ways your body tries to outsmart you is by decreasing your energy, causing you to move less.

One effective method I've found to monitor your NEAT is by using a daily step count using your phone or another fitness tracker such as an Apple Watch or Fitbit.

For example, If you currently average 4,000 steps per day, try aiming for 6,000 steps per day. At the very least, maintain your step count to ensure it's not one of the reasons you're no longer losing weight on keto.

Parking a little further, walking to the grocery store across the street instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or even playing a little extra with your children and pets begin to add up.

NEAT is an easy way to expend calories that doesn't require any formal exercise, nor is taxing on the body.

Picking up a hobby you've been putting off or finally getting around to mowing the lawn and doing your spring cleaning are easy ways to expend calories.

Increase protein intake

Remember, dietary-induced thermogenesis (DIT) from our caffeine talk? It takes energy to digest food (TEF), and protein is the most costly macronutrient when it comes to digestion at 20 to 35 percent of its calories lost through digestion.

Compare protein to fat, which only has a DIT of 0 to 3 percent, and that's a significant difference. Protein contains nitrogen, which is removed before amino acids can be put to use for energy-demanding processes, which makes the DIT of protein so high.

Consider exchanging some of your fat grams for protein grams in a 1:1 exchange. You may even exchange 2 grams of protein for 1 gram of fat since fat has nine calories per gram, and protein contains four calories per gram.

Most people on ketogenic diets are under-consuming protein as it is. Head to the keto macro calculator to get a general ball-park of how much protein on keto you need and to calculate the rest of your macros.

Just remember, too much protein is better than too little.

Protein also produces the highest satiety of any macronutrient, so it's a win-win.

Altering your diet, most notably, your total calories will have the biggest impact with Increasing weight loss on keto.

Ketosis Fat Burning Rate

Sometimes we take fat burners in an attempt to speed up the process, but how fast should you be losing weight?

While you may see rapid weight loss during the first couple of weeks on a ketogenic diet due to glycogen and water loss, weight loss inevitably slows down. How fast you lose weight versus how quickly another person loses weight will vary based on a lot of different factors.

When it comes to fat burning, I often suggest a rate of 0.5 to 1 percent of body weight per week. For very overweight individuals, this number can be upwards of 1 to 2 percent of body weight per week.

For a 200 pound individual, you would be looking at losing between one to two pounds per week. By auto-regulating weight loss to a percentage of body weight per week, weight loss will scale down as you become smaller.

Losing at too fast of a rate is generally unsustainable and increases the risk of muscle loss. Muscle loss not only slows your metabolism but often leads to looking “skinny-fat,” which is opposite of what you're probably after.

There's a time and a place for faster weight loss, such as meeting a deadline or kickstarting a diet, but as a general rule, one percent per week is a good starting point.

The Takeaway

In reality, “fat burning supplements” pale in comparison to altering your diet and exercise. However, they do have their place and may make a small difference if your diet and training are in order.

The most notable fat burner to compliment your ketogenic diet is caffeine, followed by caffeine with green tea extract (ECGC) and saving yohimbine for stubborn fat at the tail end of a diet.

Have any questions about any other fat burning supplements? Leave them in the comments down below.