10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Going Keto

newbies
beginning

(Shirley M) #12

Thank you! :blush: That was very informative :+1:t3:


(Brendan Cole Sweeney) #13

I did, it was easy.


#14

One thing I wish I would have paid attention to…electrolytes! I knew that I should be adding electrolytes but I thought adding sea salt to food was enough. I guess I wasn’t getting enough potassium and magnesium. When I started working out more often, by the third workout of the week, I later felt like gravity’s pull had quadrupled. I tried making and drinking keto-aide and felt rejuvenated afterward. I also realized I may have even had this issue before going keto but never liked drinking gatorade for all the sugar or diet gatorade because I couldn’t tolerate the sweetener.


(Shantanu) #15

This is really important and thank you @KetoKate for bringing it up. My wonderful wife thankfully is in real good health but still very much an advocate of “I cannot live without my carbs”. She actually can, but I have learnt to not argue that with her.

To put it another way from what @KetoKate said, don’t be a keto evangelist. Its ultimately your pursuit and if someone can accompany you on it, it has to be because it is their own pursuit not yours. Cheers!


(Jeanie) #16

Hi! What is keto-aide?


#17

I don’t know if the above link will work but I found the recipe on this forum. There are other recipes too, but basically involve water, potassium, salt, and magnesium. Flavors can be added as well.


(Paul) #18

As far as lesson #1, another thing to consider is emphasizing grass-fed and organic meats. Red meat is said to be bad for health but some studies indicate this effect disappears when grass-fed (and uncured) red meats are consumed. The latest issue of “Cooking Light” magazine has a chart comparing various micronutrients among types of meat. Grass-fed meat is vastly different from grain-fed, and compares closest to salmon in healthy quality (compared with grain-fed meat, chicken thighs, chicken breast, pork.)

The downside, though, is grass-fed and organic versions are always considerably more expensive.


(Stephanie Tebbs) #19

I love the taste of grass-fed and organic versions of meat but it does get pretty pricey so we don’t splurge often but I would love to do it more. Guess I can use the “it’s healthier” excuse when apologizing to my bank account. They have subscription based services that deliver that type of meat to your house but I was shocked at the sticker price.


(Jen) #20

I’m not a fan of grassfed beef. Have tried it several times. Not sure why my palate tells me it tastes like barnyard.


(ZeeZee) #21

What a brilliantly post! Thank you :sunflower:


(VLC.MD) #22

It tastes different ?
I’m not sure what my beef is.
I want to try grassfed beef but I dont think my grocery stores are “fancy enough” to carry such delicacies.


(Jen) #23

To me- tastes like barnyard. It’s hard to describe but gamey.


#24

I signed up for butcher box and paid $149 including tax and shipping for a substantial amount of grassfed beef. Enough beef to last two of us about 2 months. We make lots of sides and veggies so we usually share a steak. I’m very pleased with my purchase and can’t wait for my next shipment (which I pushed off for a month because I still have quite a bit left in my freezer). They also have some of the best bacon I’ve ever tasted available as an add-on although it is currently backordered they said.


(Stephanie Tebbs) #25

I actually signed up for Butcher Box as well after this post. We go through a lot more beef that you do so we will need the monthly box but the quality is really good. It’s still expensive in my eyes but we spend less money overall on groceries since we aren’t buying carbage that it doesn’t hit the bank too hard.


(Doodler for @KetoKailey) #26

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this! I am new here, but have been lurking and reading up!


#27

A tip I’d add is to make concentrated salt water and add a teaspoon to your morning mug of water - and take extra salt water if feeling “off” during your adaptations. I make himalayan salt water (called “Sole” in French) by putting the large chunk crystals of the salt into a water jar, and water absorbs salt to a total of 26% then it’s done. Just a little of this concentrated salt water added to your morning water mug and to your mobile water bottle helps the body deeply hydrate on a cellular level.

NOTE: Good to take it incrementally when beginning, and ideal to start it before you go keto as it helps the body detox. To avoid detox headaches, start with a half teaspoon of the concentrate added to your morning water mug, and then slowly build up to a full teaspoon in the morning and slowly increase any additional intake. (I buy my himalayan salt stones on Amazon where I get free shipping).

You can also add a bit of lemon juice if you like, which makes it even more electrolytic!

Tip for ensuring you drink enough water: keep a water glass or water bottle at your work area or carry it with you in your bag, and require yourself to drink from it frequently - and refill it appropriately. If you get hyper-focused and go without water for a couple of hours - or if you exercise without extra hydration strategies - it can bring you down pretty quick and make you terribly weak.

What I did for covering my potassium was to eat one half of a banana most days the first couple weeks - though it made me have to watch my carbs more severely, it was reassuring to know that it was part of helping me prevent the terrible dehydration and flu-like symptoms that some get.

Last but not least, and very important in addition to the hydration focus: take the 70%+ fat macro very seriously - it’s a huge change and sometimes folks overestimate the fat they’re eating just because any additional fat seems like a lot.

If, at the end of the day, you review and realize you’ve not heaped enough fat on your food - go ahead and take a good spoonful of delicious virgin coconut oil, or butter, or ghee before bed. It will help you sleep better - and it will also assist if you’ve suffered any dehydration that has slowed down your bowels at all. Pay attention and catch it early - you’ll then avoid having to take gut wrenching laxatives.

Most of all, enjoy the elemental transformations you’ve begun and the body recomposition journey you’ve embarked on. And if you ever need inspiration or courage there’s this forum and other online stories from various people who’ve published their 60 day keto challenge experiences!!!

P.S. Ignore scale, but make sure you have initial weight and measurements written down. Then wait at least 60 days (I waited over 4 months) to feel how your feel before re-measuring. It’s really fun to notice the inches that have disappeared, transformed into FUEL. Also, keep in mind - esp if female - that the body composition changes happen over time and that there’s a lot going on that we don’t see: the visceral/organ fat changing, the fat in muscle tissue being burned, the insulin sensitivity increasing, the precancerous/cancerous situations being turned around… a lot of metabolic healing.


(Jeannie Oliver) #28

I am new to this forum, but this is the second time I have seen these percentages suggested. My problem is that when I entered these into the MyFitnessPal app to try to set up my goals, I got a little notice that made me feel as though I am suffering from Grain Brain–specifically, they don’t add up to 100!


#29

Lol- grain brain!!


(Dan Dan) #30

Should be 70%Fat LoL but you new that :wink:


(Don) #31

This is probably one of the best threads I have read so far. Thanks!