Keto, or the ketogenic diet is a diet that is very low on carbs, but high in fat. The diet focuses on speedy weight loss. It is great for people who want to drop some weight quickly, or those who generally want to lose weight. But how? During keto people eat between a set number of macros, which aids the body in entering a state known as “ketosis”. Ketosis is a metabolic state where the liver produces ketones from fat as an alternative fuel source for the body. Thus, the body begins to use fat as a fuel source constantly. That is why being in ketosis helps people lose weight and burn fat rapidly. So, how can one enter a state of ketosis? To be in ketosis one must consume 20G of net carbs or less, between 70-100G of fat and protein, and no sugar (Spritzler). The most important thing to track is carbohydrates, as the daily carb intake determines whether one will remain in ketosis. Carbohydrates can be found in a lot of different places; even vegetables can have plenty of carbs! Which is why planning is so important. Create the diet ahead of time and ensure the keto diet follows the guidelines needed as it will determine success or failure. Planning meals ahead of time can also discourage dining out. This is beneficial when entering or maintaining ketosis as oftentimes restaurants add ingredients that aren’t keto friendly. Cooking and preparing food is the safest bet, however it is possible to have keto options while dining out, if cautious. Furthermore, while transitioning to keto, hunger levels will increase. The reason being of course, that the daily diet intake is different. And the reason for feeling hungry falls on the responsibility of two hormones – ghrelin and leptin. Interestingly, it is possible to control these hormones through intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is a constriction on eating times, where people most commonly would fast for 16 hours and eat for the remaining 8 within the day (Gastroenterol). It is shown that by fasting it is possible for ghrelin levels to adapt to the hours which you choose to eat at. However, water can be consumed while fasting. In fact, it is encouraged as drinking enough water can increase metabolism up to 30% (Berkheiser).