How to Start the Keto Diet

To start the Keto Diet off right and avoid the mistakes others make, and so you can enjoy the benefits of the Ketosis faster and with better results, there are steps you can take to ensure success.

So how do you start the Keto Diet?

Restrict Carbohydrates. This part is the most important! You will want to restrict net carbs to less than 50 grams or less per day. The lower the better.
Limit Protein. High protein does not a Keto Diet make. Excess protein converts to glucose. The enemy of ketosis.
Drink Water. Aim for 128 oz or 16 cups a day. Glycogen molecules are stored in the liver where they are bound to water molecules. Following the Keto Diet depletes glycogen, which means you burn fat, but it also means you have less water in the body.
Support Your Electrolytes. Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium are the major electrolytes in our bodies. As a result of the Keto Diet and the reduced amount of water your body is storing, the body can flush the electrolytes out, and make you feel sick, called “Keto Flu”.
Wait till you are Hungry to Eat. Change your eating habits. Get into an eating window, where you are eating in a 6-8 hour window. Eating fewer carbs will make this much easier, as it naturally suppresses your appetite.
Eat Whole Foods. Avoid eating processed foods. Read ingredient lists. Avoid lean cuts of meat. Eat lots of Vegetables.
Become Familiar with the Glycemic Load. The glycaemic load (GL) is an extension of the Glycemic Index (GI). The GL takes into account the quantity of carbohydrates as well. The GL provides us with a more accurate picture of the overall effect that the food product has on blood sugar levels. You want to avoid spiking Insulin, as this triggers fat storage.
Start Exercising. Although not required for the Keto Diet, but recommended. You will improve your health and lose weight faster.

You have the opportunity to turn your body into a fat burning machine with the Keto Diet. Burning up the fat reserves you have stored. With these eight quick start steps discussed in more detail below, keep reading…

Restrict Carbohydrates-

Ideally you will eat less than 20 grams of net carbs per day. At the start of the Keto Diet, coming from a heavy carb diet this can be pretty hard. There are some great snacks in the keto world to help. Fat bombs and cheese are great low carb snacks to help get you through this phase of the diet.

The easiest way I found is to take a plate and have half of it with salad and vegetables. The other half is divided in half to quarters. In one quarter is protein, 3 to 6 ounces per meal. The last quarter is for fat. Often the fat and the protein portion is mixed.

With the carbs limited, you are most of the way there!

Limit Protein Intake-

The Keto Diet is not a high protein diet. All you need is 3 to 6 ounces of protein per meal. You need to be careful with excess protein, as it can stress the kidneys. Too much protein is also converted into glucose, which will kick you out of ketosis, stopping the fat burning for energy your body was doing.

Protein does help to maintain muscle mass, prevent injury and promotes longevity. It is a necessary component to any diet.

Drink Water-

Most of us don’t get enough water throughout the day. But water is crucial on a Keto Diet. When you are eating carbohydrates, you store extra glycogen in the liver. This glycogen store has water bound to it. Not eating carbs, your body uses the glycogen as energy, removing the water stored with it. So now it is a little easier to get dehydrated.

Also with all the fat stores the body will be using for fuel, there will be toxins stored in the fat that are released into the body that water will help flush out.

Aim for 128 ounces or 16 cups a day. This can be hard when starting out. I use a gallon milk jug which is 128 ounces for my daily measuring.

Support Your Electrolytes-

Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium are the major electrolytes in our bodies, and we can not get enough of those on the Keto Diet. The reduced amount of water your body is storing, the body can flush the electrolytes out, and make you feel sick, called “Keto Flu”.

You can get Potassium and Magnesium from the vegetables you eat. That is why I recommend eating 7 to 10 cups of vegetables a day. Vegetables have a lot of Potassium and Magnesium. You can also salt your food for the Sodium. Drinking Bone Broth, and eating pickled vegetables are also good sources of these electrolytes.

Wait till you are Hungry to Eat-

Most people will have to change their eating habits. Get into an eating window, where you are eating in a 6-8 hour window. This is called Intermittent Fasting. Eating fewer carbs will make this much easier, as it naturally suppresses your appetite.

You do not need to eat 4 to 6 meals a day or be constantly snacking. Every time you eat there is going to be an Insulin response in the body, and that will drive those cravings. We want to minimize these with low carbs. Besides allowing glucose to get into the cell, Insulin signals fat cells to store fat. Eating once or twice a day severely limits this. Work towards it.

Eat Whole Foods-

We all know that unprocessed whole foods are healthier for us. We avoid eating preservatives, fillers, and words that cannot be pronounced. Start looking at ingredient lists on the foods you eat.

Also avoid lean cuts of meat. They have a greater Glycemic Load than the higher fat content cuts. Eat lots of Vegetables. They help with all sorts of nutrients.

Become Familiar with the Glycemic Load-

Foods with a low Glycemic Load (GL) means that they cause a steadier and lower rise in blood sugar levels. These foods include many vegetables and fruits. Foods with a high GL means that they cause a faster and higher rise in blood sugar levels.

The glycaemic load (GL) is an extension of the Glycemic Index (GI). The GL takes into account the quantity of carbohydrates as well. The GL provides us with a more accurate picture of the overall effect that the food product has on blood sugar levels. You want to avoid spiking Insulin, as this triggers fat storage.

The following ranges are usually applied to determine the GL of a particular food:

Low GL – 10 or less

Medium GL – 11 to 19

High GL – 20 or more

The following values are applied to define the GL per day:

Low GL – less than 80

High GL – more than 120

Here are some great low GL foods: Broccoli, Lettuce, Spinach, Peppers, Mushrooms, Onions, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Avocado, Kale, Cucumber, Eggs, Salmon, Heavy Whipping Cream, Berries.

Start Exercising-

If you have not worked out in a while start with walking. Add some incline if you are on a treadmill, or seek out a hill if you are outside. This is a great way to feel better and improve your health. If your target is to lose weight it will happen faster!

I started out walking on the treadmill and slowly added running for a minute, then resting a minute. Repeating that several times. And have had great success with this. I usually do this 3 or 4 times a week.

What is the Keto Flu-

The cause of Keto Flu is the switch in your diet from high carbohydrates to very little carbohydrates, your body starts adapting. This switch lowers Insulin levels. With the lower Insulin levels, your liver begins converting fat to ketones and your in a state of ketosis.

It can take time for your brain and other organs to adapt to this new fuel.

With the lower Insulin levels, your body responds by excreting more sodium in the urnin, along with water. You might find yourself urinating more often in the first week of a Keto Diet.

This loss of water and sodium is responsible for many of the symptoms of Keto Flu.

However, people are not the same and some people feel fine and others are hit heavy.

What is the Keto Rash-

After starting a Keto Diet, you may brake out in a rash. Don’t panic. You are experiencing the “Keto Rash”. It is a normal side effect of Keto and is non contagious. The cause of the rash is not understood and research is being done.

The rash is itchy, with raised skin lesions that are red, brown, or light pink in color depending on it’s progression. The rash is not life-threatening or dangerous.

Looking similar to dermatitis and eczema, it manifests on your neck, back, chest, torso, armpit areas, shoulders, and not quite so often on the face and extremities.

The Keto Rash usually goes away on its own after a few weeks. You may have to be patient as your body adjusts to the Keto Diet. Research has found patients who receive not treatment, had their lesions clear within a few weeks.

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How To Start The Keto Diet