Keto For Beginners: A Guide To Getting Started And Staying Committed

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has gained popularity as a weight loss method. It first surfaced in the 1920s as a way to help with conditions like epilepsy and diabetes. The goal of the keto diet is to reach a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat (instead of carbohydrates) and sugar for fuel.

To start a keto diet, it is important to understand what foods you can and cannot eat. Carbohydrates should be limited to 20-50 grams per day, which means cutting out bread, pasta, chips, cookies, candy, and starchy vegetables like potatoes. Instead, focus on eating fatty foods like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cheese, eggs, nuts, fish, and meat. It is also important to eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables like kale, broccoli, spinach, and peppers to ensure you're getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

In addition to changing your diet, increasing your physical activity can help you get into and stay in ketosis. It is also beneficial to track your ketone levels to ensure you are achieving your goals.

Before starting a keto diet, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional, especially if you have other dietary restrictions or health conditions. The keto diet may not be suitable for everyone, and it is important to be aware of the potential risks and side effects, such as keto flu, which can include symptoms like stomach aches, diarrhea, and trouble sleeping.

Severely limit carbs, but don't cut them out completely

Severely limiting your carb intake is a crucial aspect of the keto diet, but it's important to note that this doesn't mean completely eliminating carbs. Here are some detailed tips to help you understand and implement this aspect of the keto diet effectively:

Know Your Carb Limits

Start by limiting your daily carb intake to between 20 and 30 grams. This initial restriction is important to help your body transition into ketosis, the metabolic state where your body burns fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. However, after this induction phase, you can gradually add small amounts of net carbs back into your diet while still maintaining ketosis. This gradual reintroduction is an important distinction between the keto diet and other low-carb diets.

Understand Carb Sources

It's important to recognize that carbs are present not only in bread, pasta, chips, cookies, candy, and ice cream but also in beans, fruits, and vegetables. Meat and pure fats like butter and olive oil are the only foods that don't contain carbs. Therefore, when planning your meals, be mindful of the carb content in various food groups.

Focus on Veggies

While limiting carbs, prioritize eating plenty of non-starchy, nutrient-dense vegetables like kale, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and peppers. This will ensure you're getting sufficient vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Additionally, gradually adding net carbs from these sources can help prevent setbacks, hunger pangs, and cravings for processed foods.

Manage Stress

High levels of the stress hormone cortisol can elevate your blood sugar levels and hinder your body's ability to achieve ketosis. Therefore, if you're currently experiencing high levels of stress, you may want to consider postponing the start of your keto diet or incorporating stress-reducing techniques like meditation or yoga.

Prioritize Sleep

Aim for a consistent 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Adequate sleep will not only help manage stress levels but also support your overall health and well-being during the transition to the keto diet.

Monitor Your Protein Intake

While it's important to limit carbs, be cautious not to over-consume protein. Excess protein can be converted into glucose, potentially taking your body out of ketosis. Therefore, aim for a moderate protein intake, focusing on a small portion of meat topped with a generous amount of fat.

Choose Healthy Fats

When increasing your fat intake, prioritize healthy fats from high-quality plant and animal sources. Opt for foods like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cheese, eggs, nuts, and fish. Additionally, if you find yourself feeling hungry between meals, it may be a sign that you need to increase your healthy fat consumption.

Stay Hydrated

The keto diet has a diuretic effect, so it's crucial to drink enough water to support your metabolism and regular body functions. Aim for a minimum of 6-8 glasses of water daily, and increase your intake during hot days or when you're physically active.

Exercise with Caution

Exercising regularly can help you achieve ketosis faster, but it's important to start slowly and opt for low-intensity exercises as your body adjusts to the new diet.

Plan Your Meals

Familiarize yourself with keto-friendly recipes and meal plans to ensure you're prepared and less likely to turn to carbs or processed foods when hungry.

Be Mindful of Side Effects

The keto diet may cause side effects like lethargy, mental fog, constipation, or diarrhea, commonly known as the "keto flu." These symptoms usually occur during the first week or so as your body adjusts to burning fat for energy. Staying hydrated, increasing your electrolyte intake, and getting adequate rest can help mitigate these side effects.

Remember, the keto diet is a significant shift in your dietary habits, so it's important to be well-informed, patient, and mindful of your body's needs throughout the process.

Eat more fat

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, and moderate-protein diet. The diet works by achieving a metabolic state called ketosis, where your body burns fat (instead of carbohydrates) and sugar for fuel.

Fat will be your primary calorie source on the keto diet, so it is essential to eat enough to get the results you want. Eating fat helps you feel full and satisfied, which can help you eat less overall.

On the keto diet, about 60% to 75% of your calories should come from fat. However, extremely high-fat intake doesn't necessarily translate to higher ketone levels.

Choose healthy fats from high-quality plant and animal sources. Some examples include olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cheese, eggs, nuts, and fish.

Common Misconceptions About Eating Fat on Keto

One common misconception is that you can eat as much fat as you like on keto. However, eating too much fat can prevent your body from using its stored fat for energy.

Another misconception is that you should be afraid of fat because it will kill you. While some studies suggest that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat is important for heart health, other studies suggest that total fat and fat types are not associated with cardiovascular problems.

Tips for Increasing Fat Intake on Keto

• Make small adjustments to your daily meals, such as ordering a burger on lettuce leaves instead of a bun or choosing green veggies instead of fries.
• Opt for non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and eggplant.
• Cook with more oil, such as olive or avocado oil.
• Realise that old dieting habits, like eating plain skinless grilled chicken breast, don't make sense on keto because you won't get enough fat.
• If you feel hungry between meals, you may not be consuming enough healthy fats.

Don't overeat protein

Protein is a building block of life and a necessary component of any diet. It is crucial for healthy brain function, skin, bone and muscle health, building muscle mass and recovering after workouts. However, many ketogenic dieters worry that overeating protein might kick them out of ketosis. This is a myth.

Gluconeogenesis

There is a widely circulated claim that excess protein is detrimental to ketosis because it causes gluconeogenesis (GNG). GNG is a metabolic pathway that allows your liver and kidneys to make glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. However, GNG is a necessary process that is already happening in your body and makes ketosis possible in the first place.

GNG is Necessary for Survival

Your body takes compounds like lactate, amino acids (protein) and glycerol to manufacture glucose when there are no carbs around. GNG is vital for preventing hypoglycemia, fuelling tissues that can't use ketones, and resupplying glycogen stores.

GNG Doesn't Increase with Extra Protein

GNG is an extremely stable process. It doesn't work at the same rate as carbohydrate metabolism. When you eat extra protein, your blood glucose doesn't spike in the same way. Studies have shown that GNG production doesn't increase even with extra amino acids.

If you're sedentary, consume 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass at a minimum. If you're an athlete or looking to build muscle, consume 1-1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

Benefits of Eating More Protein

• Protein is more satiating than fat.
• Protein is very nutrient-dense.
• People tend to overeat when protein is low.
• Your body needs to use more energy (calories) to burn protein than to burn fat.
• Not eating enough protein can lead to worsened workout performance, neuron atrophy, a weaker immune system and an increased risk of diseases.

Cook from scratch, using keto-friendly recipes

Cook from scratch using keto-friendly recipes

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can be challenging to adapt to, especially when eating out or buying pre-made meals. Cooking from scratch using keto-friendly recipes is a great way to ensure you are staying within the diet's guidelines and can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are some tips and tricks for cooking keto-friendly meals:

Stock up on keto-friendly ingredients

When cooking from scratch, it is important to have a well-stocked kitchen with keto-friendly ingredients. Some of the essential keto-friendly foods include:

• Meats such as fish, beef, lamb, and poultry
• Low-carb vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant
• High-fat dairy products like hard cheeses, high-fat cream, and butter
• Nuts and seeds such as macadamias, walnuts, and sunflower seeds
• Healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, and avocado oil
• Keto-friendly sweeteners such as stevia, erythritol, and monk fruit

Find keto-friendly recipes

There are plenty of keto-friendly recipes available online and in cookbooks. A simple Google search will yield numerous results for keto recipes, and there are also many keto-specific cookbooks available. Some examples of keto-friendly meals include:

• Keto Fathead pizza
• Keto fried chicken with broccoli
• Keto bacon cheeseburger wraps
• Keto chicken skillet with mushrooms and parmesan
• Keto lamb sliders with feta cheese dressing
• Keto cabbage noodle beef stroganoff

Modify your favourite recipes

If you have a favourite recipe that is not keto-friendly, you can try modifying it to make it keto-compliant. This may involve substituting high-carb ingredients for low-carb alternatives. For example, you could use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice, or zucchini noodles instead of pasta. You can also use keto-friendly sweeteners instead of sugar in baked goods.

Be mindful of portion sizes

While the keto diet emphasizes eating more healthy fats and fewer carbs, it is still important to be mindful of portion sizes. Eating too much, even of keto-friendly foods, can hinder your weight loss and health goals. Use a calorie tracking app or keto calculator to determine the appropriate portion sizes for your goals and needs.

Be prepared for the keto flu

When starting the keto diet, you may experience the "keto flu," which is a term used to describe the flu-like symptoms that can occur as your body adapts to a significant decrease in carb consumption. Symptoms of the keto flu include fatigue, mental fogginess, and decreased energy levels. To remedy these symptoms, increase your intake of fluids, salt, and healthy fats, especially MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides).

Prepare for the keto flu

The keto flu is a collection of symptoms experienced by some people when they first start the keto diet. These symptoms, which can feel similar to the flu, are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very few carbohydrates.

• Increase your electrolytes intake: In ketosis, your kidneys excrete more water and electrolytes. Make sure you're getting the sodium and potassium your body needs to function well. Salt your foods, drink salted bone broth, and eat non-starchy vegetables such as asparagus, kale, bell peppers, and arugula.
• Stay hydrated: A keto diet can cause you to rapidly shed water stores, increasing the risk of dehydration. Staying hydrated can help with symptoms like fatigue and muscle cramping.
• Gradually reduce your carb intake: Start slowly by reducing the amount of sugar and carbs until you hit your desired number. Get your body used to lower carbs before you restrict them to the extent that you do during the keto diet.
• Eat enough food and calories: When you are not eating enough food, you might not be getting enough calories to fuel your body, which can lead to keto flu symptoms. Be sure you aren't reducing your calorie intake too much. Try not to go extremely low-carb and low-fat.
• Get enough sleep: Fatigue and irritability are common complaints of people who are adapting to a ketogenic diet. Lack of sleep causes levels of the stress hormone cortisol to rise in the body, which can negatively impact mood and make keto-flu symptoms worse.

Frequently asked questions