Best Keto Advice for a Newbie


(Simon Steggles) #1

Hi there,

I am not a veg fan, but I do love meat. Obviously, carbs are my favourite, but I am doing my best to stop eating them.

I dont eat fruit - so thats not something I will miss out on.

I drink black coffee with a sweetener, (have changed this to a Stevia one), love diet drinks, (diet Coke is a fave), and really love Beer - I have just accepted I cant have any.

Is there any advice you can give? I am 51 and way too heavy, (hence trying this diet).

Thanks in advance,

S


(Scott) #2

I eat a limited amount of veggies mostly at dinner. Lots of starters guides on here but I try to keep it simple.
<20g carbs (I do about 50g but that is me)
Adequate protein but not high protein
Fat to satiety.

You want to eliminate all sweeteners if you can as well as snacking. Both are hard at first but will get easier. Lots of people go right into fasting but I donā€™t think thatā€™s a good idea to do during carb withdrawal. It is really easy when you make low carb a habit.


(Davy) #3

Simon, just start out breakfast, after youā€™ve had your coffee, eating 5 pieces of bacon and 2 or 3 eggs cooked in Kerrygold butter and the bacon grease. Maybe include 1 oz of hard cheese, like Pepperjack or Colby or Cheddar.
Yep, no beer, not even the low carb stuff. For now, limit the diet Coke as a treat every 5 days or so.
Buy some 80/20 chuck beef for lunch (can eat 8 - 10 oz) , along perhaps with a small slice of tomato, dill pickle, topped with 1 tbsp. of virgin olive oil.
Buy and use liberally some Real Salt, some ā€˜No Saltā€™ and use some Calm Magnesium just before bed. This will almost eliminate or stop the Keto flu, plus ward off cramps.
Have salmon, fresh is best for dinner. Walnuts and almonds for a handful.


(Simon Steggles) #4

Thanks for getting back to me Scott. I am a bit confused about sweeteners - some say I can have them, some say I cant? Is a definite no-no, or is it just preferred that you dont have them?

I am not remotely ready to fast - as I am to big and hungry to consider that.

Its day 2 and I am already craving something sweet, (which I dont normally?!)

S


#5

Not much, maybe just that you should find your own way? Donā€™t worry if you canā€™t do what others do until you do keto right (though some people think only their style is right) and you feel fine.
Little enough carbs, thatā€™s inevitable. Adequate to high protein, whatever works for you. Donā€™t be afraid of some protein over your needs as long as itā€™s better for you that way. I personally avoid eating very high protein but itā€™s not a concern anyway as I donā€™t need zillion calories or something.

Try to avoid snacks and sweeteners if you can but if itā€™s your only way for a little while, well, we do what we can. Keto sweets over sugary, starchy sweets!
Itā€™s best to eat proper food, not fancy, special ā€œketoā€ things, sweets, snacks and replacements. I have not much against those if one knows what they are doing (or have no other options during some desperate times) but some people use them galore just because they can and see such recipes everywhere and it may be a very bad idea.

I donā€™t think carbs are obviously oneā€™s favs, I always adored my protein and fat too. I loved almost everything, in big amounts. But one can change and we donā€™t need to eat everything we find tasty, after all.
Coffee is drinkable without anything after a while for most of us. Black coffee took ages in my case but I skipped sweetener way earlier, gradually lowering the amount. You will see. Some stevia in your coffee is probably harmless but itā€™s individual so if you face problems, even this can be the culprit as Iā€™ve heard from other people. Sweeteners never caused problems for me (as long as they didnā€™t tempt me into consuming too much sweets. Many of us like to eat sweets after sweet things, possibly even on keto especially if we arenā€™t satiated yet. So whatever is the case, get satiated with normal, fatty, protein rich food first if possible. Unless you are different and know what you are doing).


(Simon Steggles) #6

Goodness me, Keto Flu?! Thanks for the response Davy :0)


(Simon Steggles) #7

Thank you.


(Marianne) #8

Hello and welcome.

Iā€™m sure youā€™ve gotten lots of responses, which I havenā€™t read yet but will. Hereā€™s what I tell newbies.

Eat three meals a day, even if you never have. This will alleviate any gnawing hunger, ā€œdietingā€ anxiety, and cravings for carbs. I eat clean food in its natural state (eggs, bacon, mayo, chicken, meat, pork [donā€™t like fish except occasional tuna in the can], butter, bacon grease [yes, you can put that on your veggies - delicious!!!], pepperoni, cheese, heavy cream, etc. Eat good sized portions [yes, you will lose weight, even though eating well and rich foods], and donā€™t count calories. Donā€™t snack - your meals should take you easily until your next meal. I never fussed on keto (11 mo.), and never made elaborate meals, but every single one was a treat that I looked forward to. Breakfast was usually bacon and eggs in butter, or sausage, with maybe a piece of cheese thrown on top. In a nonstick pan, couldnā€™t be easier or more delicious. Lunch was anything I could put together out of the fridge - plate your meals, donā€™t eat as you pull things out of the fridge. Chicken salad, tuna, egg salad, heavy salad with lots of toppings (bacon, egg, ham, turkey, olives, couple cherry tom., etc.), and full fat dressing (one of the few things I make, but very easy. I know what goes in it.), leftover meat, sausage, pepperoni chunk, etc. Dinner was and is only a good sized piece of meat which I pan sear (pork is our favorite), a steamed veggie in bacon grease with salt, heavy salad, or cole slaw - all delicious but very easy.

After about 4-6 weeks, we morphed to two meals a day, only because we didnā€™t naturally want to eat as much - but our bodies told us that. It wasnā€™t something we forced on ourselves. Now we eat mainly one meal a day with a supplement of hard boiled egg, cheese, or pepperoni mid-afternoon, if I am particularly hungry or wanting something. I do a 48 hour fast once a week, but this came later in my journey when I was ready. I donā€™t particularly care for fasting and prefer instead to just eat my OMAD and carry on. I donā€™t weigh myself except when I go to the doctors.

Donā€™t think of this as a sprint, although being a younger man and if you follow this, you may lose quickly. Keep the carbs as low under 20 as you can. Like you, Iā€™m not crazy about veggies except a very few things, so itā€™s not hard to keep my carbs very low. You havenā€™t lived, however, until you eat steamed brussel sprouts in salt and bacon grease!!! That makes even brussel sprouts a treat! I make a soup with heavy cream and cheese (sometimes throw in sausage), that is so delicious but would put ten pounds on a non-keto eater. The food we can eat is delicious!

Lastly, concerning the alcohol - I do imbibe at least once a week and enjoy it. Was doing more but had to knock it off. I love brut champagne, but you can also have vodka or whiskey with seltzer (not tonic) or water. If you donā€™t know the carb values in liquor, google it and you will see.

I bet you will do really great. Keep us posted.


(Davy) #9

Keto flu - it was not a joke. If you donā€™t take extra pot., mag., good quality salt, youā€™ll soon find out. lol Most of us found this out the hard way.
Brandy will work as well as the whiskey and vodka that GingersMom mentioned. Better to do a little Dirty Keto, than to fall off the wagon completely. (dirty keto is a once a week alcohol, or diet Coke, or bacon and cheap hamburger rather than filet mignon or grass fed beef, or in an emergency eating at Burger King and having a Big Whopper, but throwing away the bun, etc)


(Simon Steggles) #10

Thanks Gingers Mommy,

Some comforting advice, but your comment on sprouts might be a bit too far!

:0)


(Marianne) #11

Oh ye of little faith - to try them is to love them!


#12

I would try to get off the cola for the most part. I still drink some during my eating window (I OMAD some days), but steer clear outside that time . The sweetener in cola can trigger hunger and will cause an insulin spike, so itā€™s somewhat like eating a snack when you drink one.

To enable you to go cold turkey off the soda, I would go buy some generic No Doz caffeine pills as a substitute to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches. They are 200 mg, but I cut them into 1/4 (50 mg) and take every four or so waking hours. Just expand the frequency daily until you ween your body off the addiction. The last thing I would want to do during the (keto flu) window is to be dealing with caffeine withdrawal when I could safely taper myself down from that addiction.


(Windmill Tilter) #13

There are lots of ways to do keto. Here is what works for me:

  1. Carbs under 20g/day
  2. Donā€™t buy food with more than 1 ingredient
  3. Donā€™t buy food that can sift through your colander
  4. Eat to satiety
  5. Exercise briefly and infrequently or not at all

#14

This is so true! When I first started a year ago there was no way I could have fasted for 18, 24, 36 hours. Now I find I am able to whenever I want. Iā€™d say donā€™t worry about fasting. It will come to you when your body is ready.


#15

I was a diet coke addict too. I now drink mineral water with a few drops of apple vinegar on the rocks. It has that same touch of sour that coke has and tickles the sides of the mouth. Try it. Not too much and not too little apple vinegar - you have to get it juuuuust right.
But btw- some people react with insulin secretion on sweeteners and others do not. Thats individual. Get into ketosis first - get fat adapted after that. Then you can still try and see how your body reacts to diet coke. (There are people who fast with diet coke, but one has to see if one belongs in that category or not.)
And also- if I get a chocolate craving, I make myself an almond milk milk shake with sweetener, vanilla extract and sugar free cocoa. You can adapt cream cheese in a lot of ways too. Just as well- cauliflower can replace potatoes or starches in your favourite meals.


(Scott) #16

Sweeteners will spike insulin and that is bad. Artificial sweeteners may or may not depending on the person. My thoughts were ā€œwhy am I dumping this zero nutritional crap in my bodyā€ and went cold turkey. I keep a Hyrdo-Flask with me at all times and add a bit of magnesium citrate & vitamin D3. I do coffee black with a tablespoon of MCT oil,and water the rest of the day. When the day is done it is some scotch & water and wine with the meal.


#17

@Rclause
You can drink alcohol?! I am planning a trip to Spain later in the year and thought I would have to forego any good Rioja? Seldom, but I still like a full bodied red wine occasionally?


(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #18

My ā€œbest advice for a newbieā€ is learn to read nutrition labels and know what youā€™re eating. Welcome.


(Scott) #19

Although alcohol slows things down scotch is actually carb free. Red wine usually checks in at about 4 or 5g per glass. My limiting of carbs and exercise gives me some room for the extra carbs. I shoot for 50g carbs a day


(J.P. Wells) #20

Hey Simon,

I completely feel where youā€™re coming from. Iā€™m not the biggest fan of veggies either. However after some time practicing, my wife and I found to tricks to help with things. For Example:

One of my FAVORITE ways to eat Avocado is guacamoleā€¦ but who wants to eat guac without chips right? So one day my wife (the all knowing sorceress that she is when it comes to this) decided to cook up some chicken breast with Mexican seasoning, and cut it into strips, and we used that to dip in the guacamole while we watched T.V. or movies with our kids. Was SO SIMPLE but a total game changer in our every day life!

Another one of my favorite ways to get veggies in eating a steamed cauliflower and broccoli with a bunch of cheese and fried up bacon crumbles.

Also you can go for the ol tried and true steak and roasted asparagus. Hard to beat that one in my humble opinion :wink:

Got lots of tips and tricks if you ever need help.

J.P. Wells