I did use protein shakes for convenience when I started. I like Isopure Zero Carb. I also don’t seem to have much trouble using stevia, erythritol, allulose or monk fruit/erythritol liquid drops as sweeteners (none of these are artificial and all are very low glycemic).
If you are interested in some good keto resources with easy recipes and tips that will help make keto easier, check out this thread: Recommended YouTube keto cooking channels.
My impression from these forums is that there isn’t a single artificial sweetener that doesn’t cause someone’s insulin to spike (insulin, mind you, not glucose; it’s insulin we really care about). The good news, however, is that most people, as far as I can tell, don’t react the same way to all artificial sweeteners. It seems to be completely individual, and you won’t know if stevia, say, is safe for you until you try it.
As @juice says, “natural” is a very iffy word. Yes, stevia is a plant extract, but then again, so is aspartame (discovered in asparagus, but found in many other plants, as well). And monosodium glutamate is found naturally in tomatoes and other plants in the nightshade family, but a lot of people don’t like how they react to it when it’s added to food. Gluten and lactose are other perfectly natural substances that people have problems with; not to mention the fact that apple seeds, peach pits, and potato eyes contain Prussic acid (also known as hydrogen cyanide). So being “natural” is no guarantee of anything.
I have tried Isopure in the past. Seems like the taste is not good but it has been a while. At this point I will probably take it. THanks for the sweetner tips. I will check them out.
Fair enough. My fear is being to restrictive will be a recipe for failure. Trying to find suitable replacement while still playing by the rules.
So I told my family I want to start Keto and much to my surprise my family wants to do it too. Especially my daughters-ages 13 and 16. I am surprised, proud and absolutely terrified. It is one thing for me to suffer throught the perils and struggles of trying to change my eating but to put my family through it is another. I am afraid to steer them wrong. I can tell my wife is concerned as well. I know she is worried about it being safe for them.
I am concerned for my oldest daughter. She is a swimmer and about to start her high school swim season. Normally they are loading them up with carbs. Not sure how this is going to work. I know others have been on Keto and still do marathons and triathlon’s. So I know it can be done.
I need breakfast suggestions. Eggs and bacon everyday is going to be tough for everyone. My daughters practices start at 5:30am. Quick and easy will be necessary. Any suggestions that kids will like?
It can, but it’s not instant - just the eating/energy burning adaptation take a while, training adaption takes longer, so yeah, that could be very hard for her, so that’s something to be aware of.
Eggs can be done a variety of ways, so that helps, but there’s also leftovers from the previous day, and so on. Plenty of ideas in this link and in the recipes sub-forum.
Also, steak. It’s often the answer to everything, even moreso if it’s been in the sous vide.
One thing to bear in mind is that for growing kids, the protein requirement is very different from the moderate protein we recommend here for adults. Give the girls plenty, and let them listen to their bodies about how much to eat.
P.S.–And plenty of fat for brain development, as well as energy.
Thanks Gents. I will be monitoring very closely.
Day 1 is underway. Some hunger but not too bad yet. I am going to keep activity lighter for a couple days while my body adjusts. Hoping to start some exercise by the end of the week.
Amen!! I just tried this today. I used equal (trying to use up what I have). The HWC is pretty good though.
Day 2-Mixed feedback from day one. I was not too hungry yesterday. Couple hunger pangs but nothing to drastic. My kids had mixed results. The swimmer was pretty good. No complaints. My youngest said it was a struggle. She was starving most of the day. I need to beef up options for both kids. Cheese and meat only get so far.
Day 2-Yikes! Woke up to a grumbling stomach. Made shakes this morning from a recipe I found online. Quite good. An hour later…grumbling. Going to be a rough one.
HELP
I have been doing keto for 2 weeks, my weight dropped by 10 kg. From 135 to 125.
The problem is today I defecate and get liquid blood out. Has anyone ever experienced the same thing? Is this ambeyen? What medicine should I take?
Thankyou
Honestly the flu for me was a headache and just feeling tired. I didn’t feel sick or anything , I know the word flu sounds very scary but it honestly wasn’t like that for me. At first when I started Keto I did track, I bought a monitor-this is all personal preference however. You do not need to track just make sure you eat less than 20 g carbs. Also don’t worry about calories. I think In the beginning we are so overwhelmed trying to make sure we are doing it “right” or making it work that we just end up stressed and frustrated. To start just make sure you are low carb, that’s all. No need to buy anything fancy to track it or count calories. Keep it simple. Once you start feeling comfortable and want to tweak things and play around you can change things up but for now we wanna get you in Ketosis!!! For me Keto has been great . I have lost 40 pounds since April with no execersise. To me it’s easy , easiest diet I’ve done .
Thank you for this. It gets scary sometimes with so much info to process. I like keeping it simple.
Anyone have any suggestions on entering food in tracker when you eat out? Like today I went to Burger King and had a cheeseburger with no bun. Everything in the tracker seems to have the bun. I want to make sure I am tracking my macros for the first week or two while I dial in my diet.
Call a doctor! This could be any number of things, some of which are quite serious. Let the professionals diagnose you on this.
I never tracked mine. I tried but got frustrated because I could never hit the fat macro so I stopped trying. I never reach my macros and never have. I just make sure I’m eating fatty food and low carb. Easiest practice 
on the weekends I go to Carl’s Jr. (not sure where you are located but it’s like a McDonald’s) and I get a hamburger with two patties and cheese without any sauce and lettuce wrapped.
Yikes! please see someone about this!! I doubt this has anything to do with keto, but you need to see a doctor.
I wish more places offered lettuce wraps. I know some chains do but the normal ones around me like Burger King, McDonald’s, etc. do not.
I’m lucky in the sense that I live in California so lots of places make accommodations because lots of people out here have dietary restrictions.
Yes. Well, there’s a GOOD REASON for that…
Good, because it’s not a target to aim at, so you were perfectly correct. In general I think we crap on WAY too much about fat eating.
My basic rules to start: