I’m about 2 weeks into my keto journey, and IDK if I’m doing this right. Do I count fiber or not? Is it working? I never had keto flu or any symptoms. I fell huge and like I’m gaining instead of losing. I purchased the urine strips and NOTHING no ketones! I’m so aggravated and frustrated. I purchased the myfitnesspal to keep hold of my macros and I stay in them ( I think ). UGH. So ready to give up but I really think this will work but I have no idea what I’m doing. 
Confused
ShellyG
(Shelly Garnes)
#1
siobhan
(Siobhan)
#2
Hi there - so sorry you are frustrated! You are learning a whole new way to eat so it is a lot to take in at once.
Here is some general recommendations I give to beginners to concentrate on at first:
<20g of net carbs (total minus fiber)
1-1.5g protein per kg of lean body mass (to estimate bodyfat percentage look up reference pictures and compare, then do the math to figure what you weigh without any fat and divise by 2.2 to get that in kg if originally in pounds)
fat to satiety. As in, add fat to your meals so you dont leave the table hungry.
Try not to snack between meals, or if you are hungry go for something salty and fat like keto coffee with salt.
Make sure you get LOTS of salt. like 4g of sodium a day. Yes. Really.
No counting calories. No restricting fat. Eat when youre hungry and dont when youre not.
It may take a few months (generally 2-3) to become fat adapted and start dropping weight after losing the water weight, this is completely normal so dont be surprised if it happens.
I would however consider tracking food for a month or two until you have common food in your head and can begin to eat more instinctively.
This helps with carb creep and getting used to eating this way.
Hope this helps a little!
Focus on keeping carbs below 20g NET, and moderate protein and give it some time!
Also: Not everyone gets keto flu. A lot of it is from low electrolytes so if you are on top of those it may not happen.
If you want you can link your food diary and we can see together if theres anything to note.
We are here for you!
ShellyG
(Shelly Garnes)
#4
thank you. yes this is so much to take in. I don’t know if I’m doing it right or not.
ShellyG
(Shelly Garnes)
#5
yeah I see stories of people losing 10-20 lbs within weeks and I’m more like well what am I doing wrong
siobhan
(Siobhan)
#6
Well if everything all at once is overwhelming try it one thing at a time.
Work on getting carbs as low as possible and increase fat where you can.
Later on try to limit snacking.
Etc
That way it isnt so everything changed all at once.
But, if you just want to be sure youre not messing up somewhere some examples of what you eat every day would help. That way if you really are fine and all you need is the missing element of time you would know you just need to Keep Calm and Keto On!
The beginning can be very confusing but trust me it gets easier!
siobhan
(Siobhan)
#7
Hearing others’ stories can tell you what to generally expect, but dont feel bad if you dont lose as fast as others!
Everyone is a special snowflake and every journey is going to be different. There are plenty here who lose slowly too or took a very long time to start losing at all.
For example I stalled for about a month after losing water weight, but dad stalled for 3. It wasnt because he was doing anything wrong though, its likely because his body prioritized healing the inflammation from his heart disease over losing weight at first.
There are other factors too like stress, and lack of sleep, etc.
PDX1
#8
Congrats for starting keto! It’s a healthy way of life that I think is worth the complications and complexities. 
My guess would be that if you haven’t had the “keto flu”, you might be eating a few too many carbs. So, for now, I would recommend counting carbs without subtracting fiber, to make sure you’re not accidentally getting too many.
When I started keto, I had to stay under 20 carbs, because I Think I’m one of those people who wrecked my metabolism with too many years of eating carbage. Now I can go higher with the carbs, but still have to be careful or the cravings for carbs start ramping up.
Also, every day - even though I’m 6 months into keto - I drink a glass of water that has the juice of one lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon Morton Lite Salt. If I’m having a hard time, I drink another glass later in the day. It just makes me feel better overall.
I encourage you to keep reading (lots!) about other people’s experiences and about the science. Diet Doctor is a great site, and there are others. When I first started keto I read keto success stories on the Internet every week… it really helped.
Keep up the great work, and come back to the forum for encouragement and information.
siobhan
(Siobhan)
#9
Well if everything all at once is overwhelming try it one thing at a time.
Work on getting carbs as low as possible and increase fat where you can.
Later on try to limit snacking.
Etc
That way it isnt so everything changed all at once.
But, if you just want to be sure youre not messing up somewhere some examples of what you eat every day would help. That way if you really are fine and all you need is the missing element of time you would know you just need to Keep Calm and Keto On!
The beginning can be very confusing but trust me it gets easier!
Donna
(Meeping up the Science!)
#10
If you are using all your ketones, they will not show up in urine. This is why blood tests, or breath analysis, are more accurate and reliable.
Also, not everyone gets keto flu, really. I would not even focus on that at all whatsoever. If you have sufficient electrolytes, you will be more likely to avoid it, actually.
Don’t worry about macros for some time - focus only on staying under 20g of carbs total, not net. If that does not work, then something else is amiss. If you are under 20g of carbs total, though, it’s highly unlikely you aren’t in ketosis.
I would argue that 20g total vs. net is more valuable at first. It’s far too easy to overeat carbohydrate for some time. Some people also do better with total vs. net carbs.
