Keto - I start tomorrow - here's my checklist (anything missing?)

(Bansaw) #1

I am starting Keto tomorrow and getting mentally prepared.
Here’s my checklist,… I am wondering if there’s anything I am missing.

a) I have Keto urine check strips (when can I expect a change in strip color?)
I tested myself yesterday. No ketones obviously.

b) I have MCT oil. Perhaps when my strips start to change color, I’ll start on 2 tablespoons per day (1 at am, 1 in pm)

c) I have Magnesium citrate and Postasium citrate capsules. I am taking 2 per day
Trying to avoid Keto flu if possible.

d) I have some stock cubes from which to make a broth drink.

e) I have some salt-water (soul water) and keeping hydrated with this

I am thinking about Keto Mate blood checker, but not at that stage yet I think.
How do I know I am “fat adapted”?

(Mother of Puppies ) #2

Have you taken magnesium before? I only do half a pill per day

(Joe) #3

Yeh. Don’t over complicate it. Its intimidating enough as it is. I get it completely though cuz I was the same when I started . Best adage I’ve found is to keep it simple. Eat high fat low carb. If you are not sure if you know how, track for a few weeks and see how the macros pan out. Don’t have knee jerk reactions to weight fluctuations and stick to the plan.

Most of all have fun and be loose. You are doing great just by recognizing the benefits of making changes…nothing happens over night.

This community is totally supportive and searching the forum can answer most of the questions you may have.

Welcome to health!

(Chris W) #4

In response to your letters.

A. You can use them, they are not a accurate way to gauge a level of ketosis or even if you are in ketosis, they can indicate to certain extent the amount your body is making and will tell you accurately how many your body is expelling as excess. When they start to change color that is a good thing, so its more of a yes or no kind of thing.
B. MCT oil can be potent, I was using 1 teaspoon a day at first and it cleaned me out, so go easy on that stuff. A better suggestion would be coconut oil, which how MCT oil is made. I have pretty much taken at least one tablespoon a day since my first week.
C. Do not supplement, until you know you need them. Potassium in particular can be dangerous if you over supplement I had this problem and it was scary. Salt will help keep a lot of issues with those in check, monitor your intake of food to make sure are getting enough of both. Both are stored in fat so you have some already unlike salt which is only in the blood.
D. excellent I used those a lot the first month but do be careful many have maltodextrine in them which is something like 3 times as bad as sugar.
E. excellent, I use pink salt it can be had cheaply.

Fat adaption takes a while, sort through induction and keto adaption first those are the biggest changes you will undertake. Your primary goal is to keep your carbs as low as possible, which will keep your ketones high. Those you want as high as possible for as long a possible to help kick up the fat burning machinery in your cells to induce fat adaption. Don’t force things, they will happen, don’t cut below your maintain macros esp fat.

#5

Exactly what Chris said. If you’re going to take MCT oil and magnesium, stay close to the bathroom!!! Your body needs to adapt to the sudden influx of high fat and the first thing that happens to me is a lot of (urgent) trips to the bathroom. I still have to be very careful with magnesium and don’t even supplement anymore unless a blood test or symptoms tells me I’m low. And as Chris said, too much potassium can be dangerous.

Maybe skip the MCT oil and supplments for a while and just focus on eating healthy fats and only getting your carbs from non-starchy vegetables. Your body is going to go through a lot of changes in the next few weeks/months so don’t throw too many new things at it at once.

Good luck, and keep reading!
Sue

#6

Oh, one more thing: take your measurements! You may reach a point where you feel as if you’re not losing any weight (according to the scale) but by checking your measurements you will see that the scale lies. Best way to track progress is the tape measure.
Sue

(Karl) #7

These are not at all required. I gotta ask though, where did you read that they were even a good idea for someone starting out? (I’m genuinely curious). I mean, I guess the test strips are fine for validating that you’re “in” ketosis (which isn’t the point of all this, btw - fat adaptation is the goal, and those strips won’t tell you anything useful to that end).

Seriously, once you get a positive reading (anything over “nothing”), you’ve already reached their usefulness. A higher reading doesn’t mean a better result - in fact, all it means is that your kidneys are tossing out lots of ketones because your body isn’t using them efficiently yet.

But MCT oil? I’m not sure what your goal is with that stuff either… Drinking it might give you a nice little energy boost, and it’s certainly a good fat - but it’s expensive for what it is, and it’s not really “required” for any of this.

C & D, I guess are fine - i mean, all you probably need is salt. My favorite is Losalt which you can get in any supermarket (at least all the ones I frequent). It’s 66% potassium chloride, which gives you some extra salt AND potassium for probably way less than people spend on capsules. Stock cubes are great for salt too. All I did to make my “keto-aide” is pour some lo-salt into a 1 liter 59 cent “Clear American” sparkling water from walmart. I never got the keto flu.

I have no idea what soul water is, so I can’t comment on that or how well it will work.

(Bansaw) #8

Thanks everyone - some good input there.
I am using test strips to give me encouragement that my body is actually producing ketones and the process is starting.

I don’t know at this stage how I can confirm I am in “fat adaptation”.

I’ll be careful with the potassium & magnesium and only look at taking them if I feel some bad ketoflu coming on.

My goal is not primarily weight loss (although I could do with losing 20lbs - I am 6ft, 218lbs) but its energy switching. I’ve been fighting Lyme and my gut bacteria is unbalanced.
My doctor actually told me to go onto Keto to deprive the Lyme of input and to improve my mental energy because Lyme has provoked chronic fatigue. Those are my primary goals: Lyme fighting and energy improvements.

My blood glucose is quite high. I am thinking of buying a blood/keto monitor like Keto Mojo.

(Retta Stephenson) #9

This discussion might help you:

(Chris W) #10

The initial first few weeks will be more prolific than fat adaption, I would not worry about it. Fat adaption opens up new frontiers after discovering a whole new world, so in the end the actual feeling or realization is minimal the ability it provides however is almost priceless. But its not a light switch it develops with time, if you have high blood glucose and are not IR than it may be a good idea to monitor your BG. That is probablly more useful feeback than an actual ketone monitor.
Because of what you are trying to do, you would be one of the few people I would advise to start the WOE off by fasting. How long well that is matter of personal preference but if you have high BG I would suspect that low BG will be at least unpleasant for you. Having sugar DT’s sucks, and I think that is often what people describe as keto flu inaccurately. once the ketones start to roll out then you can add some MCT in moderation. When you near keto adaption then you can start really increase that, and then you will notice the difference in how you feel and your energy levels hopefully.
But certainly minimal carbs, I would either fast or do full macros no cutting. There are other alternatives to boosting keytones but there is not point in starting off the WOE with them, you need to get to the point were you liver will start making them. So you need to go through all your current glucose/glycogen first. If your introduce that much fat esp MCT oil you will be running for the bathroom.
There is a lot of useful info on gut balancing here, its out my realm of knowledge but there are many here who can help.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #11

You’re going to need to clear out room in your fridge for all the bacon and eggs you will be needing.

(Bansaw) #12

thanks @in2steam… what does WOE and IR mean?

Is there an indicator that you are in fat adaptation?
Do you just go by feeling or is there a test?

(Chris W) #13

Sorry
IR insulin resistance,
BG blood glucose
WOE way of eating

There are few signs but I would say there is no feeling per say not like being in ketosis at first for me. The biggest two things for me was my appetite changed and I could exercise longer at higher levels with no constraints on energy. I also after I realized it started to desire fats much more. By that point in time I was no longer counting my fat macro I had a really good handle on what I was in taking, it went up around 15% with in a few weeks.

(MW) #14

Congrats on starting keto tomorrow!!

I agree with Chris regarding appetite changes. For the first 6 weeks or so, I craved cheese constantly. Previously hated lemon in my water, now I’m addicted. Pink Himalayan salt is added to just about everything except my “milk” (heavy whipping cream + water). Spinach and asparagus are my go-to greens.

I use an app called CarbMaster. This has helped me track my macros and keep myself accountable. Now that I feel like I’m getting a handle on this keto thing, I find that I use it less frequently though.

My only keto flu symptoms were fatigue in the first month and the occasional headache or migraine if I’m low on electrolytes. I carry the pink salt with me everywhere, just in case.

A) I never used the keto urine strips, but I did track my blood glucose every other day. I weigh myself every morning out of curiosity, especially if I’ve eaten something new or bad (sugary). I’ve noticed the sugary stuff makes my weight jump up 2 lbs (inflammation? water weight?). No need to obsess over the scale though. A weekly or biweekly check is sufficient. I agree with Sue777. Check your measurements and trust those results rather than the scale.

B) Never used MCT oil myself, but coconut oil is a staple in my kitchen. Even found coconut oil cooking spray at the Dollar Tree a few weeks ago!

C) I take one 250 mg magnesium supplement before bed. I find it prevents leg cramps and helps me sleep. This helped me with the fatigue early on.

D) Haven’t done the broth drink yet, but did use the cubes to make an egg-flower soup with shredded chicken.

E) Soul water? My regular drink is ice water with lemon and pink salt. Drinking this throughout the day keeps me hydrated and keeps my electrolytes up. Sometimes I’ll add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of Stevia making a tangy lemonade that’s great with meals.