Starting the Keto Diet
There are tons of theories out there about what the best way is to start the keto diet. Some people do a fast, some people ease into it, some people go cold turkey. Ultimately, it’s important to do your research and be honest with yourself about how strong-willed you are or are not with food. With this diet you’re either in ketosis or you’re not. A lot of people say they’re doing keto, but they’re really just eating low carb. There’s a difference! You can read more about what ketosis is and the ketogenic lifestyle here.
I personally went cold turkey and jumped right into it when I started in mid-April. I used the keto diet app from the beginning to track my macros and haven’t looked back since I started. I think it’s possible that it was easier for me to start this than the average person because I was already gluten free so a lot of carbs were off limits to me anyways. I am a huge pasta lover but I haven’t really craved it luckily (yet). I am a huge cheese fan and I can eat ALL THE CHEESE on this diet (I hate calling it a diet because it makes it seem like a fad) so I’m a happy camper. The bacon and avocado I get to consume on the reg don’t hurt either!
I’ve only tried a couple other diets before and none of them were a good fit for my lifestyle. I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted and they were way too difficult to track in my opinion. The keto diet has been the easiest diet I’ve ever done. I’ve lost thirteen pounds since I started on April 15th and eight inches. I literally am shocked when I weigh myself, which I try to only do once a week. If you stick with this and don’t cheat it really works. The first 10 days were the hardest to get through. I felt super tired and weird. After I got past the first 10 days I felt more energized and balanced than I have in a long time. I feel much more in tune with my body and am now hyper-aware of how many carbs I was eating before which seem now like an insane amount. I am also so much better about portion control now which was something I was really bad at prior. So if you’re thinking about starting it, stick it out for at least a month! Remember this diet is not about starving or deprivation. Just because you can only have 20g of net carbs a day doesn’t mean you should be going hungry. My aim is to never get hangry! I get all my energy from fats and proteins during the day. I will detail what I eat below.
Edit: I was asked if I got the keto flu and I’m not sure actually! One day the first week I had a bad headache and for the first 10 days, I was just low energy. I’m not sure if any of those symptoms qualify. I did notice that I was very sensitive to nightshade vegetables on this diet in the beginning because they are so inflammatory. They made me feel like I had a really bad hangover the next day after making a keto chili which was basically all the nightshade vegetables combined. So I have tried to steer away from them for the most part.
I’ve also been asked about if I drink alcohol on this diet and I don’t, but that is personal preference. I am not a big drinker anyway so I don’t miss it. Some people do drink on keto though!
What I Wish I Knew From the Start
I had seen a lot of people discussing BPC or bulletproof coffee but never read into it much at first. Same goes for IF or intermittent fasting. I knew what IF was, but didn’t think I’d be able to give up breakfast! After about two and a half weeks my friend told me I had to try BPC and it changed my whole keto game! I wish I had started drinking it sooner. Basically what it entails is a regular coffee (sometimes espresso), unsweetened almond creamer (I use this one because it has 0 carbs), a dash of almond extract, 1 tbsp of salter butter, 1 tbsp of MCT Oil, and I sprinkle some cinnamon on top. I drink this is the morning and I don’t eat anything else for breakfast. It keeps me super full until lunch and I am now a butter & coffee lover for life. Of course, if I was hungry for more I’d eat a hard-boiled egg, but I just don’t get hungry until lunch when I have BPC in the morning.
I wish I had started drinking more electrolytes earlier on. I would feel really dizzy after working out because I was getting dehydrated so easily. These really help with avoiding that and dry mouth (more water and good sodium).
I wish I had started doing research earlier on about different recipes and theories. Some people are big advocates of eating a lot of heavy creams, deli meat, cheese, red meat, and cream cheese on this diet. While others are purists and think you should get your fats/proteins from things like olive oil, fish, cheese, nuts, etc. I find both sides interesting and in my opinion, like with anything, it’s all about balance. Just because something fits your macros and you can eat it you have to think about things like cholesterol, blow pressure, nutrients, etc. You still have to eat your greens yo but I am going to eat cheese!
Edit: In the beginning, I definitely went through a period where I had to adapt to the increase in oils. When I very first tried MCT/Coconut oil in my coffee I got wicked heartburn. I took a break for a couple days then reintroduced it and I haven’t had heartburn again. I cook with avocado oil or olive oil. I add MCT oil to my coffee. The point is that there is definitely an adaptation period, don’t give up just give your body time.
I start with BPC in the morning around 8:00am then around 12:30pm I eat lunch and dinner is usually some time between 6:30-8:00pm. I some times snack and if I do it’s a cheese stick, celery and nut butter, a hard boiled egg, or blackberries. I try to stick to just eating high-calorie lunches and dinners to keep me full and not graze all day. I got this idea from a youtube I love who has lots of great info on the ketogenic lifestyle!
For meals, I change it up between tuna salad, egg salad, a grilled meat with vegetables, taco bowls, fish and asparagus, a zoodle bake, prosciutto and mozzarella roll-ups, buffalo chicken, lettuce wraps, hamburgers (no bun), breakfast food, keto pancakes, omelets, and more. If I’m really craving bread I make 90-second keto mug bread in the microwave (3 tbsp almond flour, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 egg, mixed together in a mug and nuked for 90 seconds. Sometimes I add cheese and garlic powder after wards and drudge in olive oil like at an italian restaurant!). I still eat chipotle (lettuce bowl, steak, guac, sour cream, cheese, and hot sauce) and if I’m in a bind where I need to eat but there aren’t any options I get a quarter pounder from McD’s with a leafy lettuce wrap and no bun. You can find the nutrition facts for all of these things online by doing some googling and then it’s easy to add into your tracking app. Remember you NEED to eat vegetables and berries still to get all your vitamins.
My goal is to try to eat less processed fats and add in more micronutrient-rich foods!
What I Buy at the Grocery Store
- Prosuitto
- Pepper Cracked Salami
- Cream Cheese
- Cheese Sticks
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Green Beans
- Spinach
- Bib lettuce
- Blackberries
- Almond Extract
- Cinnamon
- Unsweetened Almond Creamer or Milk
- MCT Oil
- Salted Butter (Kerrigold I think is the brand we have)
- Chicken, White fish, Steaks, Hamburgers, Ground beef, Ground Turkey
- Raos Sensitive Marinara (lowest sugar count I could find)
- Almond Flour
- Baking Powder
- Ranch
- Buffalo Sauce
- Lemons
- Brazil and Macadamia nuts
- Pesto
- La Croix
- Bacon
- Eggs
- Zucchini
- Chicken Stock
- Jalapeños
- Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
- Sugar free BBQ Sauce
My Workout Routine
This past winter I was in a great routine of going to spin class about three times a week and I was loving it. But in January my office moved further north and it made it harder for me to get to class after work during rush hour traffic (I tried twice and missed the class both times because it took me an hour and a half to get there from my new office). So once I started keto in April I wanted to get back into a routine with working out (nothing like my wedding to motivate me). The first 10 days of keto I didn’t have the energy to workout, and definitely not a spin class! I was pretty drained of energy in the very beginning and tired (it wore off after 10 days). So I didn’t do anything because #lazy.
During the second week, I went back to spin and I’m going about two times a week. I also started BBG which I am stoked about! If you’re unfamiliar with the program it’s a 12-week program where you do three days of their circuit training and 3 days of cardio. I tried to use the paper format but ended up getting the app. I will end my first round right before the wedding and I’m excited to see the results. The workouts are 28 minutes and you can do them at home or at the gym. Super convenient!
After I workout I drink an electrolyte packet, I prefer this brand, to keep hydrated. I also drink tons of water all day! This is key to staying energized.
My Favorite Keto Recipes:
Zoodle and Sausage Bake (I tweaked this recipe)
I made a Pinterest board of a bunch of recipes I want to try. You can find it here. I swear that I eat healthy, these are just good recipes if you’re looking to replace a food you used to eat instead of cheating.
The Best Keto Resources I’ve Found:
Ruth May – She posts youtube videos about her keto journey, vegan keto meals, workouts, and more. This FAQ video she just made answers LOTS of questions about starting out. She is my go-to person when I need ideas.
Coach Ashley – She posts really creative keto recipes on her blog and answers lots of your burning questions about starting keto on her youtube channel.
Favorite Keto-Friendly Products:
If you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment down below and I will do my best to answer. I’m excited to share this journey on my blog!
Love,
Sara
