Here are 36 things I wish I had know before starting the Keto Diet. Such as “Will you feel hungry on the Keto Diet?” or “Check the Carbs on Everything”.
Here are some tips and answers to the biggest questions you have about the Keto Diet.
1- Ketosis Defined:
Cutting off the body’s supply of carbohydrates, you need another source of energy. The body will us fat for that energy, in the form of ketone bodies. This process is called Ketosis. Once you reach Ketosis most cells in the body will use ketone bodies for energy until you start to consume carbs again. To get into ketosis usually takes 2 to 4 days eating fewer the 50 grams of carbs a day. Now everyone is not the same, so you may enter ketosis with more carbs, or you may have to eat fewer carbs than 50 grams.
2- Is the Keto Diet Safe?
Before starting any diet program, it is a good idea to check with your health care professional to make sure it will work for you. Generally the Keto Diet is a great way for most people to lose weight. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or a diabetic please consult with your doctor.
3- Eat your Vegetables
If you eat 7 to 10 cups of Vegetables a day. Most leafy vegetables like Spinach, Lettuce, Asparagus and Avocados are fine on the keto diet. They are low in carbs and have nutrients your body needs. Vegetables are also a great way to get your fat on the keto diet. You can add oil to your salad or a dip for the broccoli and cauliflower. Check out my article on the best vegetables for the Keto Diet.
4- What’s the Difference between Net Carbs and Total Carbs?
You can look at Net Carbs as digestible carbs. These carbs will be broken down with enzymes and absorbed by the body into the bloodstream. Total Carbs will include fiber and sugar alcohols that cannot be broken down and absorbed by the body. Because they cannot be broken down and used for energy, most fiber and sugar alcohols can be subtracted from total carbs when calculating net carbs.
5- What are Your Nutrient Goals and how will you track them?
On the Keto Diet you will be eating a lot less carbohydrates than an average person, or even someone on a low carb diet. Your age, gender, and activity level, as well as your goals will affect how many carbs you will want to consume. The Keto Diet generally limits carbs from 20 to 50 grams a day. Fats generally make up 70 to 80 percent of daily calories, and protein about 15 to 20 percent, with carbs making just around 5 percent of daily carbs.
I recommend you keep track of these macros on your smart phone with some apps. I like MyFitnessPal. There is also MyPlate.
6- How Much Weight Will you Lose on the Keto Diet?
It is hard to say how much you will lose. The first few pounds will be water weight. The body holds onto water when it is using carbs for energy. After you shed that water weight your weight lose will slow. But don’t be discouraged, this is normal. Stick with it. Also those sugar cravings will diminish.
7- Will You Feel Hungry on the Keto Diet?
Being on the Keto Diet with the high fat consumption, your hunger will be satisfied. Fat is very satiating. You may even have days where you are not hungry at all. This is perfectly normal.
In fact I recommend that after a few months, you move into intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is where you have an eating window of 4 to 10 hours. Then you are fasting for the rest of the day. Start slow and work up to longer and longer fasts. Listen to your body. I found that pushing back breakfast an hour every week or two worked well for me.
8- Will You Get the Keto Flu?
Not every person gets the Keto Flu. But if you do it generally lasts 3 to 5 days. The symptoms are brain fog, fatigue, irritability, and nausea. You could do the following to help with the symptoms: Try intermittent fasting, take a mineral supplement, stay hydrated, eat more fat, increase your fiber intake, adjust your carbohydrate intake, get plenty of rest, and keep moving.
9- What other benefits does the Keto Diet Have Besides Weight Loss?
Besides the weight loss, the Keto Diet provides some pretty nice benefits. Improved blood sugar, insulin sensitivity is improved, and cholesterol numbers also improve.
This maybe all a result of the weight loss or a combination of weight loss and keto. More study needs to be done.
10- Do you need supplements for the Keto Diet?
Not really! If you have looked into the Keto Diet there are all sorts of products out there to buy. Some do help and move things along faster. For the most part if you limit your carbs to under 50 grams a day, you will do just fine.
11- Is the Keto Diet just Atkins?
While the Atkins Diet is a low carb diet and been around for a while, it is not as low carb as the Keto Diet. I have an article that goes into more detail here. The Atkins Diet has many of the same rules as the Keto Diet.
With the Keto Diet 75 to 90 percent of your calories come from fat and less than 5 percent comes from carbs. With the Atkins Diet 55 to 70 percent of calories come from fat and 5 to 15 percent come from high fiber carbohydrates.
A main difference is with starchy vegetables such as corn or potatoes. These are against the rules on Keto and fine for Atkins.
12- Will I be eating a lot of fat?
Most people will be concerned that they are eating too much fat. If you are feeling hungry or starving, then you need to eat more fat.
The focus is on eating healthy fats. Avoid all hydrogenated oils, like Crisco or margarine. They are not good for your cardiovascular health. Fat will make you fill full and satisfied.
So focus on oils found in avocado’s, coconut oil, olive oil, fatty fish and nuts.
13- Will I experience side effects such as cramps and constipation?
You are changing the food your body is used to, there may be some repercussions, and flatulence may be one of those. If you are eating 7 to 10 cups of vegetables a day you will have all the fiber you need to keep things moving along.
Also be sure to drink plenty of water. Your body will not store as much as when you are eating carbohydrates. So you may run the risk of dehydration.
14- Do I need a meal plan?
Having a meal plan is an important step on the Keto Diet for success. Taking an hour to come up with the Meal Plan is a great way to stop you from falling back to old habbits and taking the easy way out.
Be sure to have a variety in your plan so you don’t get bored with the same foods over and over. It is easier than ever to find great ideas for meals, snacks, and drinks.
Some of the must have Keto ingredients are: Broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, asparagus, cucumber, and avocado. Meats include red meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and eggs. Other things to have on hand are coconut oil, bacon, butter and cheese.
Avoid most processed foods and most packaged foods. They are usually loaded with carbs.
15- Is the Keto Diet hard to maintain?
You may lose weight quickly with the Keto Diet, but with the shrinking waistline, can come other issues. You may have the Keto Flu, stomach issues, mood swings, and fatigue. Don’t let these get you off of Keto. Stick with it! They last for a short time. Your body will adjust to the new diet, and you will be shedding those pounds.
Set yourself up to succeed. Have a meal plan. Have keto snacks around for when you need something to help you get through. Think through situations that may occur in the course of your day, and have a plan for how to deal with it.
16- How do I transition off the keto diet?
Now that you have reached your goal weight how do you leave Keto? Well I would recommend you don’t. If you start eating carbs and are still eating a high fat diet you are going to put the weight right back on again. You could gradually add some sources fo whole-food sources of carbs. This would include sweet potatoes, fruits, and whole grains. You may see a few pounds on the scale as your body adds water weight from the carbs. Your body is rebuilding its glycogen stores and needs the extra water.
There is nothing wrong with maintaining the Keto Diet with just a higher carb intake. Don’t go crazy eating carbs.
17- Keto is a diet or lifestyle?
The Keto Diet is often described as a lifestyle or way of eating. You don’t want to start and stop the Keto Diet the way you might with other diets. You can really mess up your metabolism and cause confusion for your body and gaining more weight in the process. If you are consistent and make Keto a permanent lifestyle change in your life, then you will be enhancing your health, losing weight, and improving your mental focus and steadying your energy levels.
18- Keto requires time
Be patient with your weight loss. If you have a lot of weight to lose, then it may seem that weight is just melting off almost immediately, but the less you have to lose then slower it will come off.
You’ll hear about keto success stories where weight starts to melt off almost immediately. Those cases are typically associated with people who have lots of weight to lose. In general, the more weight you have to lose, the faster it’ll come off at the beginning. Another thing to keep in mind is that slow and steady weight loss is healthier, more sustainable, and more likely to stay off. So be patient with yourself. Don’t give up on the keto diet because you don’t immediately see drastic weight loss.
19- Keto can be customized
You need to find what works for you. The Keto Diet is generally around 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs per day. The daily amount of carbs can be 20 grams to 50 grams. Your body will be different from somebody else’s. That’s why it is important to track your macros and weight. You will be able to tell if 50 grams of carbs is helping you lose weight or do you need to drop the carbs and try 40 grams a day. There is not a secret sauce to get into ketosis. You need to do what works for you.
20- Ketosis varies by person
No two bodies are the same, everyone varies to some extent. So getting into ketosis is different for everyone. It may happen quickly for some, or more slowly for others. Some might find supplements helpful, others only being on the diet. Some supplements that may help are exogenous ketones, coconut oil and others.
21- The Keto Flu
When starting the Keto Diet you may feel flu-like symptoms. This is happening for two main reasons: 1- You are switching to burning fat from carbs. This can affect your brain leading to headaches, nausea, and grogginess. 2- Your body needs and holds onto more water when consuming a high carb diet. When you switch to the Keto Diet your body releases the water, leading to more frequent urination, and this can affect your electrolytes and being dehydrated.
If you notice the symptoms of the Keto flu, know you are going in the right direction. To minimize the symptoms drink more water, and take supplements to balance your electrolytes. Look for supplements that have a mixture of sodium, potassium, and magnesium. This will help provide hydration, give you an energy boost, and help balance your electrolytes.
22- Keto Breath
One of the first things you may notice while being on the Keto Diet is Keto Breath. As your body transitions from carb fuel to fat fuel you will enter into ketosis, your body starts producing ketones, some of which are released in the breath. The good news is this is typically more noticeable when starting the Keto Diet.
Another cause of the Keto Breath could be too much protein in your diet. When your body breaks down high amounts of protein, it produces ammonia, which is released in your breath. Try adjusting the amount of protein you are eating. You only need around 3 ounces of protein per meal.
To help reduce your Keto Breath try drinking more water, brush your teeth at least twice daily, use mouthwash, mask the odor with mints, gum, or peppermint essential oil. You can also chew gum like Pur.
23- Keto can affect your endurance and workouts
You may notice that you have lost some endurance and strength after starting the Keto Diet. This is a result of your body being used to burning carbs for fuel, and now it has changed to fat for fuel. As it adjusts to the new fuel source, your endurance and strength will return to normal. It may even be better than before you started keto.
24- Eating Keto doesn’t have to be more expensive
Carbs are plentiful and easy to get. Our food system has been built on them. When you look at keto-friendly foods like cheese, meat and fresh veggies, you think your grocery bill will raise drastically. But the high fat of the Keto Diet is very satisfying. You won’t need all that much food to feel full, so plan your meals to minimize your grocery bill.
25- Say Goodbye to Carbs and Sugar
You will need to be strong when starting the Keto Diet and forego carbs and sugar, even natural ones like maple and agave, grains are out, most fruit (except avocado and berries), starchy vegetables, and legumes.
26- What you can eat
Okay, so you can’t have the Carbs or Sugar, but you can have some delicious fats and proteins. Foods you can eat are: avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, eggs, fish, leafy greens, meat, nuts, stevia, and veggies.
27- Measure your Ketones
You can measure your ketones and make sure you are in ketosis (burning fat). An easy way to do this is with urine strips. Testing the blood for ketones is the most accurate way to measure them. These measure the BHB ketone, the most predominant in the body. These meters also measure glucose in the blood.
28- The pounds my fly off at first
When first starting the Keto Diet, you will lose a lot of weight fast. This is water weight. The body holds onto the water to help with the carbs that you have been eating. Just know that that initial burst of weight loss will not continue.
29- The Cravings will leave / It Gets Easier
When you cut the carbs out of your diet, you are going to be hit by a period of craving them more than ever. The cravings will lessen over the days as you stick with the Keto Diet. Just be prepared and know that the smell of baking bread, or cookies is going to trigger some strong cravings, and have a game plan on how you are going to deal with it. Have some snacks on standby, or gum in your pocket, or go for a run. Have a game plan for those cravings. They will come.
30- Stay Hydrated
You will want to drink more water than you are used too, especially at first. You lost all that stored water. Find a good electrolyte powder. You are changing what your body is using for fuel.
31- Don’t forget to exercise
Exercise is great on the Keto Diet. You may want to give yourself a week or two to adjust to the new diet, and their maybe an initial drop in energy, but then get started exercising. If you have not exercised for a while or ever start slow! Talk with a medical professional. The benefits of exercise and Keto are fantastic!
32- Get Cooking
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of ready made meals out there for the Keto Diet. It is getting better. But you will have to cook some meals and prepare food for the Keto Diet. I recommend these cookbooks to help you get started. As a bonus you will save some money, know what’s in your food and improve your skills.
33- Plan Your Meals
One stumbling block for me on the Keto Diet was coming home from work and having all these not Keto foods available. A big help is to plan your meals and snacks. Find a time that you can do some meal prepping, for those busy times during the week. You will have a meal that just needs heating and is ready to go. And you will have a game plan, which will help you overcome the easy carb-rich alternative.
34- Take Some Photos and Track Weight Loss and Measurements
Have you ever not seen someone for a while, and when you do, they have lost a lot of weight? Weight loss can be a funny thing. If you are exercising while on the Keto Diet you may be losing inches from your body while maintaining your same weight. So take a few pictures before you start Keto and then a weekly picture to measure your progress. If you have already started, go ahead and take some pictures.
Also it is a good idea to get a fabric tape measure to take some measurements. As you look back a few weeks you will be amazed at your progress, and have great inspiration to keep going!
35- Keto can be hard at first
Giving up carbs can be hard! As the old motto says: “If you are prepared, you shall not fear”. Your body is going to crave the sweets you are used too. You need to have options ready to go. Have some healthy Keto snacks ready, especially in the first few weeks.
As your body adjusts, the cravings will subside, and you will know that you can push through those.
36- Check Carbs on Everything
It’s good practice to look at the labels on food you are eating. You will get an eye for figuring the net carbs (Total carbs minus the fiber) of the food you are eating. You may be surprised to learn that what you thought was a healthy snack was in fact higher in carbs than what you thought. Some other things to look at include shredded cheese. Shredded cheese most times contains potato starch. Soups and stews often contain flour. Salad dressings may contain sugar. Hotels or restaurants may add potato starch to the scrambled eggs. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Bonus: How Did Keto Start?
Being over 90 years old the keto Diet is not new. It was first developed to help with epilepsy. By cutting the sugar and raising fat consumption Doctors were able to help their patients control their seizures.