Tips for Starting Keto
Start Slow
For many people who consume a lot of carbohydrates, restricting them to 20 per day might be difficult. Many folks gave up during the first month because the transition was too difficult. So, gradually eliminate carbs from the diet over the course of a week or two, replacing them with low-carb veggies and boosting healthy fats. As a result, the transfer will be challenging! Keto is a life-changing diet, and if you stay with it, you will want to eat Keto for the rest of your life. Starting off right is critical, and if it requires a gentle shift over 1-2 weeks, trust me, you'll be pleased you did!
Avoid Cheating, Especially in the First Month
Eating too many carbohydrates can knock you out of ketosis, and it may take a few days to a week for some to return. It's a dangerous habit to form at a young age, and people who cheat usually suffer the consequences, both physically and mentally. If you make a mistake, don't be too harsh on yourself; instead, pull yourself up and make sure you turn up your fat till you're back in!
Take Your Measurements Before Starting Keto
You will lose a significant quantity of water weight at first, but this will eventually slow down. There will be moments when you are not losing and you do not want to become disheartened. Check your measurements; you should be decreasing inches!
Do Some Research on the Keto Diet
Make a list of foods to consume and items to avoid. Learn how Ketosis works, as well as how to enter and maintain Ketosis. Take use of the numerous excellent resources accessible online. Diet Doctor, Ruled.Me, and Keto Diet App are three of the favorite and most reliable websites.
Increase Your Sodium Intake to Avoid “Keto Flu”
We lose electrolytes, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, as we lose water weight. Increase the salt in your diet and keep some chicken broth on hand for when you're feeling sluggish. Pickle juice or trace minerals might be quite effective!
Calculate Your Macros and Log your Meals
It's critical to ensure that your portions are correct. If you consume too much protein and not enough fat, you may be unable to enter ketosis. It's also wonderful for accountability, and it's the most effective approach to ensure that you're eating the appropriate amount and not going over. Because your macros will fluctuate gradually over time, reevaluate your macros every 10-20 pounds lost.
Set Realistic Goals for Weight Loss
Most of us are attempting to erase years of harm caused by bad eating habits. A Ketogenic diet cures you from the inside out, so even if your weight loss has paused, your body is still transforming on the inside. This is not a rapid, overnight transformation, so be patient and remember that as long as you follow to the plan, you will ultimately get where you want to be!
Add Enough Fat to Your Meals
In addition to removing sugar, processed foods, and carbohydrates, a crucial component of what makes Keto so effective is our diet's high (healthy) fat intake. Healthy fats help you feel full between meals. Add a fat bomb to the end of your meal if you're having difficulties obtaining enough fat.
Avoid Snacking
Every time we eat, our insulin levels rise. When we stop eating, our bodies begin to burn fat. If you're extremely hungry and need something, go for a fat bomb or a high-fat alternative like 1/2 an avocado instead of a protein. Protein raises insulin levels more than fat. So, after you've grown fat acclimated or feel sufficiently full, avoid the snacks whenever possible.
Try to Buy Organic Foods
Uncured foods (no nitrates/with nitrates), foods with no preservatives or hazardous additives, free-range, grass-fed, and non-GMO foods are preferred wherever feasible. Remember that you are consuming everything the animal was fed or given, and hormones, steroids, and antibiotics may all be harmful to our bodies.
Eat Foods Rich in Potassium
Losing water weight as a result of lowered
insulin, also causes you to lose minerals and
electrolytes, which we need! Increasing
your sodium intake and foods that are rich in
potassium including Avocado, mushrooms,
spinach, artichokes, zucchini, broccoli and
salmon are important. Try to incorporate
them into your meals whenever you can.
Take a Good Multivitamin and Consider a Magnesium Supplement
The Keto diet has a diuretic effect on the body and promotes ion excretion, which leads us to lose magnesium. Taking a high-quality magnesium supplement replenishes this deficit and alleviates symptoms such as constipation, sleeplessness, exhaustion, and muscular cramps. You may also incorporate magnesium-rich foods such as seeds, nuts, dark leafy green vegetables, and avocado.
Add Fresh Lemon to your Water
Lemons are high in Vitamin C and can help protect your kidneys from stone formation. Eating a lot of oxalates-rich foods like spinach, broccoli, kale, berries, nuts, and seeds might make our kidneys more prone to stones, especially when mixed with high calcium meals. Calcium-rich Keto foods include broccoli, cheese, kale, sardines, yogurt, okra, and almonds.
Avoid the Keto Baked Goods
The natural response to such a big shift in our diet is to look for substitutes for items we're used to consuming. This was true with bread, pancakes, and bagels. These and other almond flour-based treats are OK, but they might cause weight reduction to halt for some people when they first begin Keto. While almonds are Keto-friendly, they are also high in calories, so I recommend eating them sparingly until you reach your weight reduction target.
Remove All Temptations Whenever Possible
Foods heavy in carbohydrates, sugar, and even alcohol should be avoided.
Avoid eating at establishments that do not provide Keto-friendly choices. Look for restaurants that have grilled chicken, beef, or fish, hamburgers, steamed broccoli, spinach, or asparagus, and salads with low carb blue cheese, ranch, or Caesar dressing. When you're hungry, the last thing you want is to be surrounded by bad foods in your pantry or at a restaurant!