1. Familiarize yourself with the Keto diet. Read my FAQs, or one or all of the books mentioned at the bottom of the FAQ page.
  2. Understand what foods are Keto-friendly and what foods to avoid. No sugar, grains, starchy vegetables, fruit (except a few berries), or manufactured omega-6 heavy oils (soybean, canola/rapeseed, corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, peanut [This chart is nice] and definitely nothing that is “partially hydrogenated” – That is trans fat which is actually just poison to the body).
  3. Commit. Know your reasons for going Keto. Plan to stick with it. Prepare yourself for the Keto-flu or adaptation phase. You may become lethargic during some or all of this period, but if you get past it and become fat-adapted, you will experience a constant flow of energy and sense of well-being. You will think better, feel better, look better, sleep better, etc. But be patient. You may experience the opposite for a few weeks while your body adapts (see my tip below on how to avoid most symptoms by simply supplementing with salt and electrolytes!). The grass really is greener on the other side but it takes patience to get there.
  4. Empty out your cupboards. Get rid of anything non-keto to help avoid temptations.
  5. Stock your kitchen with essential tools.
  6. Read my article on how to become fat-adapted and transition into keto including the best recipes for when just starting out, and a “meal-plan”.
  7. Make a list and go grocery shopping. Read my Keto Grocery list here.

TIPS –

  • For the first couple of weeks, don’t worry about calories. Eat when you are hungry. It’s better to initially overeat on keto food than it is to cave in and go for that snicker’s bar, so just don’t worry about calories yet. They will naturally decrease into the correct amounts for your body as you become adapted.
  • Try to keep keto simple for a few weeks. Leave the experiments and ketofied comfort foods for after fat adaptation. Just eat meat, veggies, eggs and plenty of fats. Eat to satiety.
  • Don’t force yourself to eat. Ever. If you aren’t hungry, don’t eat. Keto allows you to access your fat stores. Even if you only have a small body fat percentage, you still have thousands of calories stored up that are expendable. You shouldn’t have to worry about blood sugar crashes because you’re never elevating blood sugar on this lifestyle.
  • Stop eating when you are full. Don’t stuff yourself.
  • Try to avoid keto junk food or ketofied comfort foods, at least until you are fat-adapted. If you are sugar addicted, it’s best not to have any sweets, even if they are keto-friendly ones. If you are craving sweets, try to kill it with something really salty such as a pickle, or something really fatty. I will melt a TBSP of almond butter with 1 TBSP of grassfed butter, stir it up, and eat it with a spoon. It’s so good and it kills sugar cravings.
  • The scale is a piece of garbage and belongs in a dumpster. Track and measure other items, such as how you feel, how your clothes fit, waist inches or centimeters, etc. Track various non-scale victories.
  • Don’t be afraid of sodium. Your kidneys release a LOT of sodium on this diet, which means you will need to replace more electrolytes. This means salt everything. Put Pink Salt on everything. No bland food on Keto! Supplement with Magnesium and Potassium. If you limit sodium, or don’t supplement, you’ll find yourself getting headaches or feeling light-headed, especially during the “Keto-flu” stage during your first few weeks on keto.

 

Before starting any new diet and exercise program please check with your doctor and clear any exercise and/or diet changes with them before beginning. I am not a doctor or registered dietitian. I do not claim to cure any cause, condition or disease. I do not provide medical aid or nutrition for the purpose of health or disease and claim to be a doctor or dietitian. This is merely an opinion blog.