When we eat carbs, our body breaks them down to glucose and then converts them to glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrates, explains Yawitz. For every gram of glycogen, our bodies store 3 to 4 grams of water, she says.
When you’re eating out and following the keto diet, processed meats, such as pepperoni and sausages, as well as cheeses tend to be readily available options. But eating too much of these isn’t healthy.
Beans and whole grains aren’t part of the keto diet, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough fiber from non-starchy vegetables like spinach, says registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick.
Varner says he lost 50 pounds by following the keto diet. A healthy keto diet, he says, should consist of a lot more veggies than meat by volume — especially phytonutrient-rich, leafy green vegetables.
Certain animal proteins, like red meats and processed meats, can also increase your risk for gout and kidney stones because they increase the production of certain acids in the blood and in the urine.