Keto Tips

✯ Arm yourself with knowledge. Research. Research. Research. Understand the keto way of eating. Learn about keto ingredients and what kind of foods you should eat and in what ratios. Don’t rely on others to tell you what you need to know. Take the initiative and do a little digging. YOU are in charge. Not me or a random stranger you come across on a keto group via FaceBook. Lack of research is a huge reason many fail and think the keto WOE is too hard to keep up.

✯ Understand that keto will take a little prep work. It can be a bit complex at first, and there is a learning curve. You can’t just start a job without learning the specifics first. And this will be like a job until you get it down. Once you do, it gets much easier and becomes a lifestyle. Give it time.

✯ Get in the right frame of mind. Make the change because you’re worth it. It’s very important to have a clear goal in mind. What is the purpose of this change in eating? What’s your why?

✯ Think of keto as a lifestyle, not a temporary “diet.” A diet has an ending point, then you go back to eating the way that got you fat to begin with all to repeat the cycle time and time again. Keto is a lifestyle that’s meant to be a long-term change. Think of quality of life for the long run, not just losing a few pounds. What’s more important? Looking skinny for a few months or being healthy and easily maintaining your weight for a lifetime?

✯ Start small and make one change at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to change everything at once. Small changes add up. Focus on progress, not perfection.

✯ Rid your kitchen of non-keto friendly items and restock kitchen with good quality foods and ingredients. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. It helps force you to stick to your plan.

✯ Always check labels even if you can’t imagine something containing grains, sugar, soy, or bad oils. You will be shocked. Never assume it’s okay. Even some spices will contain sugar.

✯ Skip right over products labeled low/no fat. Matter of fact, skip over any and all processed foods. Stick more to the perimeter of the store where whole foods tend to be stocked.

✯ Don’t trust products labeled low carb or keto. Always check ingredients and look at nutrition labels.

✯ At first, don’t try to find substitutes for complex things like bread & desserts. Keep it simple. Also, avoid most fruits. This will help lessen the cravings and desire for sweets.

✯ Pay more attention to the quality of the food you eat instead of quantity and calories.

✯ Figure out your macros (protein, fat, carbs) to get an idea of about what your body needs. It’s a good starting point. You will probably have to tweak these amounts as you go along, especially with any significant weight loss. Here’s a good macro calculator I like to use.

✯ Generally speaking, keto isn’t about calorie counting, but they still do play a part. Why it’s not harped on is due to the higher fat ratio associated with a ketogenic lifestyle. The fat tends to satiate more, so you naturally reduce calories.

✯ Mix meals up to make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients, and so you don’t get sick of certain keto friendly foods. You do not have to eat only butter, bacon, and eggs. There are plenty of different foods that are on plan that are also simple to make. Pinterest is full of ideas and recipes!

✯ Focus on carbs at first. Don’t worry so much about the perfect macro ratio of fats and proteins. Once you get the hang of carbs, then start tweaking the other two macros.

✯ Remember that losing a significant amount of weight will take time, dedication, and consistency. And CONSISTENCY is the key!

✯ No one is perfect. Accept that mistakes will happen and are part of the journey. Take responsibility when they happen, learn from them and move on. Make better choices next time.

✯ Don’t fear fat, but remember that not all fat is created equal. The key is HEALTHY fat which includes things like olive oil, ghee, butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, avocados, low carb nuts to name a few. Avoid the bad like soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, margarine, etc.

✯ Keep track of carbs in spices and seasonings. They can really add up and make a difference. Also, be sure to check ingredients for added sugar.

✯ A food scale is a great tool to have in the kitchen, especially when you’re first learning portions and macros. Plus, it makes a big difference to have correct weights for recipes.

✯ Plan ahead and meal prep for the week. Having something on hand and ready to go greatly reduces the risk of eating off plan. Let’s face it. We’re all busy and grabbing something quick is often a necessity, but most convenience foods are not on plan. Make it easy on yourself and avoid the guilt and setbacks a bad choice during a time crunch will cause. It’s just not worth it. It will take some getting used to but in the long run, you won’t regret it.

✯ Drink plenty of water and make sure you’re getting enough electrolytes, especially in the beginning when you tend to lose a lot of water weight and along with that, electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Low electrolytes are at the root of the dreaded keto flu. A little added pink sea salt works great to replenish sodium which is probably the most important one to increase. Nu salt is good for adding potassium. Magnesium tends to be low in most people, so it might be worth checking into getting a good supplement. **NOTE: BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ADDING POTASSIUM IF YOU ARE TAKING A POTASSIUM SPARING BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION. I found out the hard way**

✯ Try to cut out or greatly reduce diet sodas with artificial sweeteners. 

✯ Consider exogenous ketone supplementation in the first month or so, but be sure to choose a quality product. They are not created equal. Ketone supplements help to signal the body to start using ketones for energy instead of sugar (carbs). The exogenous ketones will also give you the benefits of producing your own ketones like more energy, lowered cravings, lowered appetite, better sleep, & better moods. They also contain electrolytes. I never experienced the keto flu or any of the less than desirable effects of starting keto like so many I’ve read about. I transitioned into keto super easy due to the exogenous ketones. Once you start producing your own ketones, they aren’t necessary any longer to get the same effects. I still use them because I love the way they make me feel. And okay, they’re yummy. I make a fat shake out of them like some do with coffee. I have one of those and one medium sized meal a day.

✯ Add apple cider vinegar (ACV) to your diet. ACV has many benefits including relieving gas, bloating and indigestion, kills harmful bacteria, helps lower blood sugar, helps lower cholesterol and improves heart health, aids in reducing belly fat, and helps with weight loss. Start with 1 tsp in a bottle of water before meals. Try to increase to 1-2 Tbsps. You can even add it to foods to give some tang. Be sure to get the kind with the “mother” in it. 

✯ Nurture your gut biome! A healthy gut flora will help with hormones, metabolic flexibility, and insulin sensitivety. All which make a huge difference in the body’s ability to transition from sugar (carbs) to fats for fuel. ACV and sauerkraut (no sugar added) aid in gut health. Also, consider a good probiotic. Make sure the bacteria is live and look for colony forming units (CFUs) in the billions.

✯ Eating tons of protein is not part of the keto lifestyle. It’s moderate protein. It’s very easy to overeat it, yet still not get in enough fat. Find fattier cuts of meat and don’t go crazy on cheese. NOTE: Those that exercise intensely, especially in the weight lifting area, will need more protein.

✯ A majority of daily calories should come from HEALTHY fats, but that doesn’t mean you need to eat sticks of butter and drink multiple fat coffees (coffee with butter, coconut oil, MCT oil). You will need to have more fat in the beginning to help satiate and aid in the body learning to use fat for fuel instead of sugar (carbs). After you become fat adapted, fat will probably need to be reduced to be used more as a lever, not a goal. In other words, add in what you need to keep hunger at bay until the next eating time. Experiment and see what’s better for your body. Some do better with more fat, some with less. It also depends on your goal. 

✯ Most of the 20 net grams of carbs should come from leafy lower carb (above ground) veggies like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower.

✯ Limit snacking when you can. If you are used to eating all day long, it will take a bit of a weaning time and that’s okay. Do what you need to do in order to be able to stick with the new way of eating until your body learns to rely on fat instead of sugar for fuel. Focus on changing the foods you eat more than quantity and frequency. You may even gain a little at first if you’re one that needs more snacks and quantity of food. It’s just a small investment for a lifetime of benefits of switching to the new lifestyle.

✯ Restaurants can be a challenge, especially at first. There are so so so many hidden sugars, bad oils, and grains in foods you wouldn’t think would have it. Do a little research before going to a restaurant if you can. It’s amazing the information that’s out there. Did you know that Texas Roadhouse puts sugar in their green beans??? Gasp!!! And Longhorn Steakhouse puts panko in their Parmesan crust?? PF Chang’s has a gluten free menu, but then all their sauces have SUGAR. Ugh! Don’t be afraid to ask what’s in a dish or see if you can get it without an ingredient or make substitutions. When I go to my favorite TexMex restaurant, CHUY’S, I usually get pork nachos without the chips and beans and ask for an extra side of sour cream to go along with the guacamole. Yep, no problem. Many food places are happy to accommodate. And if they aren’t, move on to one that will.

✯ Even keto approved alcohol will stop fat loss. The body makes burning alcohol a priority. It’s better to avoid or majorly limit alcohol, especially when first starting.

✯ Get enough sleep! Very important. Lack of sleep causes hormones to go wonky, stressing out the body which makes it hard for it to focus on losing fat.

✯ Decrease stress the best you can! Avoid stressful situations. Find a quiet place and relax. Get away from “real” life for a while. Do something you enjoy. Use exercise to relieve stress, not comfort foods. NOTE: If you are going through a period of severe stress, you may want to postpone starting a ketongenic lifestyle. Any diet change will cause stress on the body which would compound the current stress. That’s a formula for failure and frustration.

✯ A blood glucose/ketone meter is nice to have. Not only will it show if you’re in ketosis or not, it can also monitor blood glucose, so you can figure out if a certain food/ingredient is spiking your glucose which in turn would spike insulin. In order to get into ketosis, which is the point of a ketogenic way of eating, insulin has to be low enough or fat cannot be accessed. As long as glucose is high, insulin will be high, and no fat burning will occur. Don’t even bother with the pee strips, though. They are pretty much worthless, especially after the first week. I highly recommend Keto Mojo. Their test strips are comparatively more affordable than most, and I’ve had no issues using the product.

✯ Keto approved sweeteners can cause an insulin response in some people. That’s why a blood ketone/glucose meter is a good tool. If you find you are not losing or are stalling while ingesting sweeteners, this could be a cause.

FYI: It is not considered a stall if you are doing everything “right” and don’t lose something via the scale every day. It’s not a stall if you don’t lose every week. Matter of fact, it’s not a stall if it’s been a month without any weight loss. It’s not a stall if you haven’t lost on the scale for longer than 6-8 weeks if you are losing inches and your clothes are looser. To reiterate, a stall is at least 6 weeks without ANY progress on the scale or in clothes or in inches. TRUST THE PROCESS. The weight didn’t come on in a week, and it’s not going to come off in a week. Well, unless you go on a cruise, then yeah, it can come on in a week. Not speaking from experience or anything. 😛

✯ Once fat adapted, consider intermittent fasting. Lots of resources out there. It sure made a difference for me. And because I only eat 1 meal a day now, I don’t have to worry about counting my macros or calories. I just try to make sure I don’t go crazy on carbs. Macadamia nuts are my obsession these days! Granted, they are low in carbs compared to most nuts, but it can add up. Not to mention they are super high in fat and calories which can make a difference if you eat a ton. 😛

NOTE: The body does not care what it looks like. Its function is to keep you alive. If it has to deal with other issues like lack of sleep, stress, insulin resistance, poor eating, etc., it’s not going to worry about liberating the fat from its storage. It has it’s own agenda which does not include the roll around your belly, back fat, or the pooch on your thighs. And just because you can’t see it or it doesn’t show on the scale, doesn’t mean something isn’t happening.

✯ If starting out at a high weight, consider losing a little weight first before jumping straight into a strenuous and stressful exercise routine. Too much or too strenuous exercise can stress out metabolism, especially when restricting calories at the same time. Stick to walking, squats, push-ups, lunges, etc.

✯ Take measurements and weight for a starting point as well as taking a photo from the front and side. I regret that I didn’t take photos or measurements. I know it’s awful, but you’ll be grateful later. No one has to see or know. Also, find a piece of clothing that is tight and use that as a comparison tool. Many times on keto, you will not notice a lot of weight loss on the scale after the initial water loss, but will see quite a difference in measurements, clothing, and in photos. Wrap a piece of string around your waist and cut it. Do this periodically to have a visual to compare inches lost.

✯ DO NOT ALLOW THE SCALE TO DICTATE YOUR MOODS OR YOUR SUCCESS. Yeah, I’m guilty of this too, but remember, it is just ONE tool and doesn’t always tell the true story. Measure more than weigh!

✯ DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. We all have our own journey, health issues, past diet experiences, starting weight, emotional and mental health, and bodies that will affect how we lose. No two people are identical or will respond the same way.

✯ Keto isn’t a one size fits all diet. You will need to individualize it to fit your circumstance, needs, and goals. Factors such as age, medical history, starting weight, genetics (ugh!), and food sensitivities will have an effect. It’s your keto journey! Don’t be afraid to venture out and experiment to figure out what is best for your body and your goals. If something doesn’t work for you, tweak it and try again. Just be sure to give the new change time. Switching things around weekly may not be beneficial. Give each change around 3 weeks. Yeah, I know. Patience!

✯ Pinterest is a great resource! You can find all kinds of information on the ketogenic diet, keto recipes, meal plans, etc. Be sure to check out my Pinterest boards here.

✯ Stop the negative self-talk! It can sabotage us more than almost any other factor. Your mind can be your worst enemy or your strongest ally. All the physical accomplishments and health improvements won’t counter the negativity and discouragement you feel by the way you talk to yourself. Instead of feeling like a failure, be proud of the little successes you make. Have patience and treat yourself kindly. Would you treat another person the way you treat yourself? Probably not. I’m horribly guilty of this, and it’s still a work in progress but I’m tons better.

✯ Keto is not a QUICK fix. Many mistake it as a diet to lose weight. Nope. It is a metabolic changing way of eating where your body is healed from the inside out, eliminating toxins and inflammation. The more issues you have to fix, the longer it may take. If you are doing what you need to do, then your body will be in the healing process. Focus on health. Weight loss is just ONE benefit of keto. Remember, it’s get healthy to lose weight, not lose weight to get healthy. Give it time. Be patient. TRUST THE PROCESS.

✯ Don’t obsess over what you can’t have, focus on what you now CHOOSE to have. Yummy wholesome FOOD. When you eliminate sugar and grains and reintroduce healthy fats, you’ll discover just how tasty food can be. I was low/no fat for so long, I had no clue. Boy are my taste buds happy little campers now. Fat sure makes food better! Yeehaw!

✯ Resist buying shredded cheese. Most pre-shredded cheese that comes in those convenient packages contain potato starch or cellulose to keep it from sticking together. Eeek! It doesn’t take much time to shred your own cheese. Make that part of your meal prep each week! Plus it will save you money

✯ Stay far away from processed foods. Those little boogers are scientifically designed to make you crave more and more of it. They light up the pleasure center of your brain like a drug in food form. The more you eat, the more you crave. You know, the whole can’t-eat-just-one-get-in-my-belly effect. And if you have been eating a ton of processed foods, it may be a bit U-G-L-Y as you go through carb withdrawal. But trust me, it will be worth it in the long run. It’s just a short bumpy patch versus the rest of your life being free of food addiction, which is AWESOME!

✯ Some people will not support your lifestyle change, including those in the medical profession. Did you know many dietitians receive training from the Coca Cola company? Conflict of interest much? You may even get serious attitude from friends and family. The best way to deal is to arm yourself with knowledge. Do your own research, so you are confident in your decision and feel like you are doing the right thing for YOU. You don’t need to defend your choice. Ask yourself how has the typical SAD (Standard American Diet) of low fat/high carb worked out? Hmmm…let’s see…increased diabetes, heart disease, obesity, inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, and ADHD to name a few. But keep doing the same thing and maybe eventually things will reverse. *Rolls eyes* Most naysayers have NOT done their own research and are regurgitating what they’ve been force fed for years by the gov, big pharma, medical professionals, and the food industry. All I can say is follow the money.

✯ Keto is NOT a deprivation “diet.” If you are feeling deprived, I’d have to guess something isn’t right. Yes, the first two weeks can be rough because you’re going through carb withdrawal. Dang near everything we have been eating has added sugars. The struggle is real. Just chill and get through the first two weeks. You really really have to give it a good try. If you have a little something here and there that has some sugar or high carbs, you’re not doing yourself justice. I promise it will get better if you hardcore stick to it for 2-4 weeks.