First Newbie Question

[BUNZAPOPPIN]

For sure I will read the start up suggestions, etc. And maybe I have answered my own question. Every single link I have tied to KETO, sooner or later is selling something. I’d like to start a tailored regimen for my wife and me. I’d like to know what and where to grocery shop. I’d like to tie this into exercise. And I would especially like it to be simple (is that possible?) and pragmatic as possible.

[HelenM]

Welcome Tom.

Yes, simple is possible.
Keto is very simple, if you let it.

Mainly watch your carb levels. To start with track everything you eat - ignore the calories completely but watch the carbs. Ideally aim for no more than 20g a day. That’s the level that will get the majority of people into ketosis. Have a moderate amount of protein and then fill up on good fats (butter, lard, ghee, coconut oil etc.).
The aim is to reduce insulin levels so one or 2 meals a day is good, but to start with eat when you’re hungry.
Keep it simple: meat, fish, some fruit and veg that are low carb. Cheese, cream and eggs are also good.
My favourite keto meal - cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon, low carb sausage and mushrooms fried in butter! Can’t get much simpler than that

[Luckymisslucy]

You can shop anywhere. You don’t need any “special” food to do keto. Some recommend to wait to add in an exercise regimen until youre fat adapted because you’ll get more energy to sustain activity. Start simple with what Helen recommended and keep exercise simple with taking walks. Don’t over think it. Just keep things basic until you have a good grasp on things because you’ll just overwhelm yourself otherwise.

[PetaMarie]

Welcome. Have you read this yet? It’s a good place to start:

Keto Is This Easy

Keto is this easy (aka Keto for beginners) Quick Version This is for Phase One—the starter phase. It’s still not complicated later, but this is the really easy-to-explain version which will help you no end. Eat under 20g of carbs a day (usually 20g net when starting, but for some people 20g total carbs works better). Don’t worry about the scale. All it tells you is weight, it tells you nothing about body composition, even the “smart” scales. Eat plenty of good food—fat and protein—whil…

[Susan_Kwasney]

Awsome! We’ve done keto now for almost 2 months and it really isn’t hard. I don’t count macros at all!!! We find it just easier to not eat any root vegetables or anything with carbohydrates or sugar except for green vegetables.
I cream our vegetables very often to make up for the fat. Even our picky daughter is into creamed spinach now:)
Keto is not hard. You just have to read labels very carefully but once you’ve nailed down most of the things you like it’s a breeze. I skip everything in the store except the veggie isle, meat and dairy, so shopping is now also a little faster:)

Now I said we don’t count macros but we did keep track on the ketones in our urine. Ketone strips are pretty good in the beginning!
I’ve bought a couple of really great keto cook books by Maria Emmerich. It helps to plan out the week in regards to shopping. The recipes are also extremely delicious! We like to snack on cheese, pork rinds and macadamia nuts. We also try to add an avocado a day to our meals. If I don’t feel like avocado I make avocado dressing (full fat sour cream/mascarpone, avocado, garlic, s&pepper and blend). We eat that with veggies and meat.

[PaulL]

I’d like to know what and where to grocery shop. I’d like to tie this into exercise. And I would especially like it to be simple (is that possible?) and pragmatic as possible.

The pragmatic part is to keep your carbohydrate intake as low as possible. We recommend under 20 g/day, for various reasons. This will keep your insulin level nice and low, and is over 90% of the ketogenic diet.

The other part is to give your body adequate calories, because if it doesn’t get enough, the body slows down the metabolism, hair growth, etc., and puts reproduction on hold till the famine is over. Given enough energy, the body speeds up the metabolism and lets go of any excess stored fat. The simple way to be sure you are eating enough is to eat when hungry, stop eating when no longer hungry, and not eat again until hungry again. This assures the body of an abundant energy supply.

You can buy ketogenic food at any supermarket. Stay away from the middle aisles, and stick to the meat, dairy, and produce sections (get only leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower—that sort of stuff). Keto food is real food. Stay away (in general) from anything you could describe as a “product,” even if it advertises itself as “low-carb,” “keto,” or “keto-friendly.” Unless I am shopping for other people in the house, the only things I buy from the middle aisles are unsweetened chocolate, ground coffee, and pork rinds.

You might want to stay away from the vegetable oils, btw. (One sign is that they are found in the middle aisles, lol!) Cook with the traditional fats: butter, lard, tallow, bacon grease. For salad dressings and making mayonnaise, stick with the fruit oils: avocado, coconut, or olive.

Exercise is not going to help you lose weight, but it can be fun (at least there are quite a few folks who appear to think so), so if you enjoy it, go for it. Take it easy in the early stages of keto, and don’t ramp up the stress until you are fully fat-adapted. Then have at it!

[Karim_Wassef]

Eat green leafy veggies, non-seed oils (extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil) and animal based foods (eggs, meats)… done.

[Taka]

If you want it boringly simple, just have neck chops (pork) with cauliflower, broccoli and a tomato, fried/cooked in frying pan. As much bacon as you fancy. Spinach once in a while. Ribeye if you have enough money. (Neck chops are the cheapest fatty meat in Norway).

I have two brothers who have lived that way. One actually had just tuna in oil and broccoli when he was all out of money. The oil isn’t too healthy, but cheap seed oil is still better than grains when you can’t afford olive oil or butter.