One of the most popular diets right now is probably the keto diet. While it has definitely grown in popularity the past few years, the keto diet has been around for a long time. It is similar to the Atkin’s diet. When you are getting started with keto, you are basically committing to cutting carbs out of your diet to lose weight. It is a low-carb, high protein and high fat diet.
The point of doing the keto diet is for your body to go into ketosis. This is when your body does not have enough carbs, it starts burning fat for energy. This leads to weight loss.
This diet is a commitment and a lifestyle change. If you do not follow the keto diet the way it’s meant to be followed, you will not lose weight and may actually end up gaining weight.
Don’t let this scare you away though! It is a great diet that has worked for many people. It just takes some patience and commitment.
Here are some tips for getting started with keto:
- Get rid of non-keto food at home. Otherwise it will be too tempting when you are first getting started with keto. You don’t have to throw it away. Give it to friends or neighbors or donate whatever food you can to a shelter.
- Track on your phone or in a notebook. There are apps you can download, or you can use a good old pen and paper to track your intake. This is great to see the progress you’ve made and to keep track of what foods you like/didn’t like.
- Start simple. Start with simple, basic, recipes. If you go straight for the complex, fancy meals right away, you will most likely get discouraged. Start with simple keto recipes and go from there.
- Plan your meals. This might be the most important part of being successful with your keto diet. Plan your meals and grocery lists ahead of time. You are way more likely to stick to the diet if you have pre-made meals ready to go when you get home from work.
- Bring meals/snacks with you. If planning meals is the most important part, bringing snacks/meals along with you might be the second most important. Always have keto approved snacks and/or meals with you. You never know if the place you are going will have foods you can eat. As you get further into the diet, it will be easier to make choices while out, but especially at the beginning I suggest always having some snacks in your bag.
- Drink a lot of water. You will need to drink more water than you probably currently are drinking. This will help flush all the toxins out and keep you hydrated.
- Watch out for the keto flu. Because you will be dramatically reducing your salt, magnesium and potassium intake, you might experience something known as the keto flu. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but some people have symptoms of headaches, stomachaches, fatigue and other issues. You need to make sure you are replacing these nutrients. Some people choose to take supplements, or you can find keto friendly foods that contain these nutrients.
- Be patient! Good habits take time to develop. If you accidentally slip up, you can always jump right back into your diet.
Do you follow a keto diet? What did you struggle with when you first started? Has the diet worked for you? Comment below and let me know!
