I want do Keto but I don't know where to start

#1

Hi, I’ve been trying to get into keto for almost five years but I’ve never been able to really start. Is there any advice for a consistent failure like me? I have recently made some progress by cutting out alcohol and soda pop, but I’m somewhat scared of losing carbs altogether, mostly because I have so many carbs in the pantry and it has been difficult for me not to eat out. Does anyone have any tips for starting?

(Jason ) #2

There is a whole section here (click here) on the forums for people just starting out. Everyone’s journey is different, and there are no hard and fast rules. If you listen to the 2KetoDudes podcast (great resource for inspiration and support), they have some simple rules to live by:

  1. 20 g of carb per day max, 1-1.5g of protein per kg of lean muscle mass, and eat fat macros after that until you are no longer hungry.

Put a different way, but getting similar results:

  1. Eat similarly to what you have done before, except whenever you would have eaten carbs, substitute fat in.

There is a whole wealth of knowledge here on the forums, and people here to support you. Ultimately you will have to get over the fear of losing carbs, although it is not an all-or-nothing thing. You have to reduce them to the point where your body opens up the fat reserves for fuel, which is generally accepted to be below 20 g per day. Everyone is a little bit different, so experiment, read up, and give it a whirl!

(Jeremy Storie) #3

Bacon and eggs. Best keto meal ever! :grin: it’s quick and I never get tiered of it.

(Jane) #4
(Jane) #5

Do you live alone? How much are you trying to lose?

If alone, then go donate your carb food to a local food bank. Not wasted and goes to a good cause.

If you eat out, order burgers w/o buns, no fries, sub or add a salad. Taco salads. Other meat salads. Regular restaurant - meat and non-carby veggies.

Keep snacks on hand in the beginning (lose the snacks once your hunger dies down). Pepperoni, cheese, egg salad, pimento cheese. Grill some burgers and keep some in the firdge to reheat in the mocrowave. Make an egg casserole in the evenings and nuke a piece of it in the mornings for breakfast.

No need to fear no carbs - you will be fine w/o them once you get past the withdrawal.

Good luck!

(Jane) #6

With keto you have to be “all in” or you are wasting your time. Commit to 90 days and don’t cheat and tell yourself you can go back to your carbs if you really can’t hack keto but stick to it for 3 months. That should be enough to see enough benefits from keto to decide what your long term goals are.

(Marianne) #7

Haven’t read the entire thread, so I’m sure there are folks here who’ve already said this, but you are not a failure! Food/carb addiction is real and horrible if you suffer from it. To the contrary, you are looking for a solution that you can sustain.

After a lifetime of deprivation dieting and exercise with no long term success, I was terrified to start and at a total loss. With 80 lbs to lose, I honestly had no hope of being able to lose even 10-15, or keep it off. I didn’t think I would ever be thin again.

I lurked on this forum for several weeks before starting. I finally posted and asked the same questions you are three days before I started, then just jumped in the pool - and ate. I didn’t experience any keto flu and for me, my carb and cravings for sweets were completely removed. I felt like a million bucks right from day one.

Keto is for real; it’s not hype. Good luck and keep us posted.

(Marianne) #8

And 74/26 bacon cheeseburgers with a dollup of blue cheese!

(Paula Knopf) #9

Search Dr. Westman page 4. I researched so much I was confused on how to start. This made it so so easy. Don’t make it complicated.

(Jeremy Storie) #10

If at all possible clean the carbage out of your pantry so that it’s no there to tempt you.

(Scott) #11

When I first started I was like “Let me get this straight. I can eat all the eggs, bacon, butter, cheese and meat I want and lose weight. Sign me up”
To the OP just do research to refine your diet choices but the bottom line is to limit carbs to 20g and don’t fear fat. Watch out for sneaky carbs that add up like veggie (good) carbs. They will add up so you need to be mindful of quantity. A good example was my chewing of sugar free gum. It kept me from getting dry mouth while running and I would chew it all day. After I took a look at it I was getting a good 15 carbs a day from sugarfree gum alone so I stopped and my weight loss resumed.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

Welcome to the forums! My introduction to a ketogenic diet was more gradual than some other people’s. I was always concerned by the amount of diabetes in my family, but I was unwilling to deal with my sugar addiction until I watched the video of a lecture by Dr. Robert Lustig, “Sugar: The Bitter Truth.” That scared me enough to cut out sugar immediately. I threw out my jams, jellies, and loose sugar, and donated all the unopened packages of sweets to the nearest food pantry.

I made a conscious decision at that point not to worry about the grains and starches I was eating, but I felt so good without sugar, that after only a few weeks I went full-bore ketogenic and cut out bread, oatmeal, pasta, and so forth, eating only leafy greens and vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. It was far easier than I had anticipated, and I haven’t looked back.

The point of a ketogenic diet is to eat in such a way as to eliminate the deleterious effects of chronically elevated insulin on the body. This means eating a low-carbohydrate diet, simply because of the extreme effect carbohydrate intake has on insulin secretion. While a certain minimum of insulin is required for health and even life, too much insulin can cause systemic inflammation, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and even certain cancers. So for that reason alone, a low-carbohydrate diet makes a lot of sense. Since I like my fingers and toes a lot (I’m very attached to them, lol!), I am willing to eat however it takes to keep them, even if that means giving up glazed doughnuts! Of course, there are compensations, bacon being a very pleasurable one . . .

(Susan) #13

Welcome to the forum Trikucian.

All of the above advice is great and Keto is very simple and the idea that @Janie gave you of trying it for 90 days (full on and see how you go) is excellent. We are all here to give you helpful advice and cheer you on.

The most important thing is to keep carbs 20 grams or less, No Sugar, eat enough proteins and healthy fats so you are not hungry, and drink enough water and Electrolytes. Donating your carb food to a food bank is a terrific idea. That will make you good helping others, and will help keep your temptations at bay.

I would suggest downloading Cronometer.com it is free and if you set it to Keto and your age/weight/gender it will help you figure out where you should be. Set the carbs to 20 grams and it helps keep track what is what. It makes it all a bit easier is all =).

#14

I live with my fiance and he does most of the cooking. We’ve compromised that he’ll still cook like normal but I’ll provide the carb replacement for myself. I need to lose 80 lbs.

#15

My best piece of advice would be to gather resources.

Maybe a keto cookbook, or forums like this. That way, you have some pillars to lean on while you begin your journey.

Also, start very slow. Maybe make one or two small changes to your daily eating. For example, try maybe only eating keto for breakfast, and then back to your normal eating for the rest of the day.

Once you feel comfortable with that, maybe try doing a keto breakfast and keto lunch.

Build confidence and comfort with these small, slow steps, and eventually, you will have adopted the entire diet.

I hope this helps, I know you can do it!

(Jane) #16

Ah ok. Well, as long as he is supportive that can work. By that I mean he not try to sabotage you by fixing the yummiest carbs ever and piling them on his plate a mile high. Lots of substitutes, but many require cooking. You can buy frozen riced cauliflower and zucchini noodles as subs that you can fix yourself in the microwave or he can fix for you.

(Dirty Lazy Keto'er, Sucralose freak ;)) #17

Well I don’t know if not being able to start something, could be called a failure. If so, I’ve certainly been a failure at all kinds of things, for most of my life.

But once you start Keto, it will probably be a little rough in the first week. For me it was only days 3 and 4 that I felt like crap (the Keto flue) but because I had already heard about this, I was somewhat ready for it, and just pushed on through. Since then, Keto has been the “easiest” way of eating I’ve ever tried :slight_smile:

And just so you know, you can get really crazy with counting macros, cutting out all artificial sweeteners, not making any kind of bread replacements, etc, etc, etc, and if that works for you, then by all means.
OR, you can do completely lazy Keto (not counting anything) and dirty Keto (including some artificial sweeteners, low carb bread replacements, processed meats like sausages, pepperoni, and some other artificially created franken-foods) like I do, and STILL do great ! :slight_smile: I’ve lost the 40 lbs I wanted to in 12 weeks, but no plans to ever stop eating Keto, as I know Id be a fat pig again in no time, plus, I’m REALLY enjoying all the Keto food I’m eating :slight_smile: Zero reason to change anything.

IMPO, keeping your carbs below 20gms a day is 90% of the whole deal. Everything else, all added together, makes up the other 10%. Just beware that carbs are really sneaky ! Sometimes things that you would not even suspect, contain a surprising amount of carbs ! So if your not completely sure, do a quick search on “XXXX nutritional values”… and also, pay close attention to the serving size, relative to carbs. I’ve seen things that were only 1 or 2 carbs (sugar free breath mints are a good example) but the serving size was only 1 mint ! What the heck ? I could easily eat 20 in a full day of driving, and there goes my 20gm daily limit of carbs, and I haven’t even eaten anything yet !

Best wishes :slight_smile:

(Abdullah Mansoor) #18

Here are useful tips to help you on your journey. They might sound obvious but if you keep consistent, they will work. It takes dedication and hard work. I used to be lazy but changed my ways. It also helps if you eat food specifically for the keto diet.

  1. Minimize Your Carb Consumption.
  2. Include Coconut Oil in Your Diet.
  3. Ramp up Your Physical Activity.
  4. Increase Your Healthy Fat Intake.
  5. Try a Short Fast or a Fat Fast.
  6. Maintain Adequate Protein Intake.
  7. Test Ketone Levels and Adjust Your Diet as Needed.
#19

It’s even simpler than that, especially when just getting started. My advice is to keep it simple:

1. Keep daily carbs under 20g total
2. Make sure to eat protein
3. Eat enough fat to feel full and satisfied

(PSackmann) #20

This is very doable. I’m the only one in my household on Keto, I cook protein and veggies for most meals, my family can opt to add carbs in the form of rice, pasta, or potatoes if they like. I occasionally substitute with zucchini noodles, otherwise I keep it very simple.