Last week, I had the chance to attend an Insulin IQ seminar. Ben Bickman spoke - He’s fabulous to listen to. Everything he said clicked and made sense. I was so excited! I’ve been trying to do Keto. I’ve been listening to the 2 Keto Dudes. I love how I feel when I’m eating this way. Finally, someone in my area! I signed up for an initial appointment for me and my husband.
I guess I was expecting something totally different. I was a little disappointed when I walked out after spending over $200 on a meal replacement powder and a plan to eat one real meal a day. To their benefit, I did get weighed, my body fat tested, my skeletal muscle mass measured and a couple other items.
Please know that I need to read my material a little more and I’ll have more information. I really just wanted to be instructed a little on the keto way of eating. I’m going to follow this program for a month and see what happens.
I don’t to bash anyone here. I think these guys are onto something here. I was just disappointed to be using a shake. I guess my real question here is can’t I do this on my own without spending so much money each month? Are you all doing this on your own? Are you tracking? I am excited for the support and the weekly commitment. I just am looking for something that will last the rest of my life.
Insulin IQ -
I’m doing this on my own, not paying anyone for meals or a plan. Google Dr Westman’s program at Duke University for free food plans and FAQs. There are many other good sites, too, so you can stop paying that one. And read up here–plenty of folks will chime in!
@Molly_Lynn_Andrew Did you see Ben Bikman or someone associated with him at a clinic in Utah? Just curious.
Welcome! You’ll get plenty of support and excellent free information here. We’re on this keto jouney together! 
Welcome! There are many keto meal plans available on-line to help you get rolling without pre-made items. In my opinion it’s the tastier way to go. You will likely need to patch them together if you don’t want to pay for full access on some sites. These are only a few of the sites…
- https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/diet-plan (this is a paid site for full content access)
- http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/menu-plans-new
- http://www.ruled.me/30-day-ketogenic-diet-plan/
The keto on a budget topic has links to meal planning / shopping for a full week with cooking videos on YouTube
This forum topic has a large number of resources linked
I’ve been enjoying the recipes in this 30-day keto cleanse book, she includes keto basics and the recipes may be used as a 30-day meal plan
You can absolutely do Keto without paying someone and using meal replacement shakes. That being said, my introduction to Keto was through a weight loss clinic and while I no longer follow their approach (it was too low fat for me and included 2x meal replacement shakes), I did for a couple of months and benefited greatly from the accountability and support I got there. That got me through while I learned all I could about this WOE from books and the web and was ready to do it on my own. Again it wasn’t necessary but that was my experience.
The only place I am “paying” for keto is the diet doctor site…but, not because I need or want the membership perks…I just do it to support Dr Eenfeldt and the LCHF cause…I hardly visit the members only parts of the website…I’m just doing a small part in donating a bit of money.
Ben Bickman wasn’t at the clinic today. He did speak at an Insulin IQ seminar I attended last week.
Keto means not being bound to any pay to play program! Only a community of folks wanting to be healthy and free from the dogma that’s led us down a path that made us fat, sick, sore, on the brink…
I pay for nothing except the whole foods I eat. Personally, I don’t tolerate shakes well and find them not
satisfying at all (my body seems to regard liquids as ‘not food’). A ketogenic diet is simply lowering carbs to <20g a day and adding fat as needed. Keep your protein minimums at least.
I’ve been eating this way for over a decade, and I’ve never spent for anything other than the food itself.
I have been keto for 7.5 yrs. and have needed no ‘special’ help. I have found fantastic support and information on line. This area of keto has exploded. If you require support this is the place to park yourself.
I see no reason to buy expensive shakes when you can simple eat real food. Shakes tend to be insulinogenic - particularly if there is protein and/or dairy in them. That is counterproductive to keto.
This makes me so sad 
… YES! You can do this on your own. Like others have posted, there are many many sites to get support and learn from. You asked about tracking. I do track using My Fitness Pal. That’s free too! And I saw a thread around here about other trackers that folks like. MFP also has a low carb group you can join with tons of really knowledgeable folks in it. Add that group to this forum and you will have information coming out of your ears. ALL FREE!
I am thankful you got more than shakes out of this. At least you got some information on your body with the readings/measuring they did. That stuff is nice to have and I wish I had it when I first started. It would have been nice to see the differences between then and now.
Don’t be afraid. If you need help folks will help and give advice. It can be scary going against the grain. But if you don’t want to do another month, don’t! Use the time now to get educated as best as you can. Get all your questions answered, then keto on!