Newbie to keto help

(Paul Carter) #1

Hi all total newbie here looking for some help.
I have about three stone to lose and really struggling, so decided to give the keto a try.
But where do you start, are there pre-made shopping lists and recipes to start.
Another problem i have is my appetite, i have a very big appetite that’s hard to satisfy so hoping for help there.
Any help would be welcome.
Appreciated.

#2

I’ve see lists before but it’s so very individual! I don’t know what you likes to eat, what satiates you well and so on, my own list changed drastically on keto…

Huge appetite, I can relate. Both my appetite and hunger is seriously affected by my carb intake. But fat adaptation was the big change. So I would be hopeful in your stead, keto helped many people with big appetite and hunger and bad control… Maybe things will get solved without much effort. But some people need to get rid of certain items, sweeteners, vegetables, fruits, nuts…

The simple, plain plan is meat with veggies. I never did that, I had eggs and now I have no veggies, hopefully you feel what you can change and what is impossible (at least for now).
There are no fixed tips for everyone except some very basic ones. Obviously eat little carbs, enough protein (adequate to high sounds great to me), some people prefer more, others less fat… To me, protein is most important in satiation but many people says it’s fat for them.

If you can, keep it simple. Eat your fatty protein and whatever little else you need.

(Susan) #3

Welcome to the forum, Paul.

I would start out with 3 meals a day; where you eat enough, so you can avoid snacking between them, but eat plenty at the 3.

This is an idea of what the three could be to give you a rough idea:

Fatty coffee (coffee with 2 tablespoons of Heavy Whipping Cream, no sugar and if you can handle it, no sugar substitutes).
4 pieces of bacon, 4 eggs (cooked in butter, scrambled or fried) --add some grated cheese on top if you like too

Lunch: 1 cup of romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons of Chosen Foods Keto Mayo (I buy mine at Costco or the Primal one --one with no seed or vegetable oils)
1 can tuna in water (drained) or 1 can salmon in water or chicken, ham (as long as there are no oils in the fish/meat)
Another fatty coffee or tea if you want

Dinner: 1 rib eye steak, or a salmon steak, or some chicken, ham, pork, --MEAT of your choice, cooked in butter or EVOO
1 cup of low fat vegetable of your choice, cooked in butter --Bok choy, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, asparagus (by example)
You can make some FAT Bombs for desert after dinner if you like as well to help you get over the sugar cravings when you are new to Keto --you will probably find in time that you can eliminate these.

There are a lot of recipes in our recipe section on the forum for ideas of making Keto pizza, lasagna, main meals and deserts too --there are so many options on Keto.

Make sure you eat enough --there is no need to feel hungry on Keto -and remember we are all here to help, if you have any questions, just make a thread asking and you will get a lot of friendly, helpful ideas =).

The key is to keep your carbs at 20 grams or less – don’t worry if you are eating too much proteins or healthy fats at the beginning – just keep your carbs low and drink lots of water, and Electrolytes so you don’t get leg cramps and feeling really yucky. It helps your body cope with the carb/sugar withdrawal and is important =).

(Anna Rogers) #4

Thanks for asking this question Paul. I am a newbie too and was too self conscious to ask myself, and thanks Momof5 for such a helpful answer. Will head to the recipe section.

(Troy Mitchell) #5

Welcome. I don’t think there is much I could add. I just really focused on the low carb favorites I liked. I would make adjustments as needed if I was deficient in fiber. I eat a fair amount of veggies that are high fiber. You would be surprised how much vegetables you can eat.

I added a heavy duty potassium supplement that really worked to keep the keto flu at bay. I added some others to help manage blood sugar or aid in getting into ketosis.

My wife got an air fryer for Christmas. That thing helps immensely. You can cook anything in it and fairly quickly too. Burgers, steaks, chops, etc come out great. It is convenient because my family still eats normal food.

Overall make this your keto way.

(Jessica) #6

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

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 - while adhering to 20g/carbs/day. Don’t worry too much about macros and calories EXCEPT carbs. Keep them below 20g/day. (Prioritise the animal protein (i.e. not protein powder) - always start with protein in every meal, but don’t panic about it.) Your job is to get fat-adapted, so give your body the fuel you want it to use. Also, your appetite will vary - it’ll disappear, then it’ll come roaring back. Happens to most people, don’t sweat it.

ELECTROLYTES/SALT - KEEP THEM UP

Keto is not a quick-fix fad diet, it is a long-term repair job on your body. This means that for many, it is not an immediate and sustained weight-loss diet. But these repairs can take months. This is because your body is healing, and it prioritises that requirement over your weigh-loss desires because it’s smart. GIVE IT TIME WHILE YOU RECOVER FROM DECADES OF CARB-CAUSED ABUSE.

Buy the meat you can afford - don’t stress about grass-fed, organic (con), etc… The worst meat is better than the best bread.

Fasting is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. Works for lots, not for others. Don’t let tools tell you to use it before you’re fat-adapted and it makes sense.

This site has a search function (magnifying glass at the top of the page) and a newbies section - use them both, you’ll get a better variety of answers to your questions far more quickly that way. SERIOUSLY, THIS IS VERY USEFUL.[1]

That’s as difficult as it needs to be for a couple of months.

My good friend Terence (being friends with a Kiwi feels kinda dirty, but there you have it, keto makes for strange bedfellows) tells me this thing I have described above is called “dirty keto.” So yeah, do dirty keto, kids! 

(Polly) #7

Welcome Paul @plugyuk. There is some great advice above. Get stuck in and eat well. Eventually, without massive amounts of carbs, you will find your appetite gets smaller.

(Scott) #8

Keto is this easy. Last night I had a steak with a few asparagus spears. I was trying to decide on whether to finish my steak or not and looked at my wifes plate and saw a large amount of fat she trimmed off her steak. I opted to consume all of her excess fat so I could eat steak again for lunch today. Breakfast today was two eggs with heavy whipping cream added. Cook one strip of bacon and a sausage patty, leave grease in pan and add a tbl of butter. Pour in eggs and mix. That is probably two or three carbs even though all show 0g or 1g. So when you look back I am rally not having many carbs until I have wine and a few nuts. I have got to stop eating nuts if I want to lose my ten pounds I am holding on to.

(Paul Carter) #9

Thanks for all the help really appreciate it.
My biggest issue is where to start, im not a very organised person and get frustrated easily, hence for asking if there are any “ready made diet, meal plans” i will literally eat anything.
Another issue I have and find it difficult to break are my eating habits and time of eating. My general day consists of, get up and changed for work, occasionally will have breakfast and a drink however more often go out without anything. I drive to work about 2 hours then sat down in an office for 2 hours. Back in the car to a different office and again sat down for 2 hours, then drive back home. Mostly between drives get lunch from a garage like a sandwich and protein bar. Once home probably fast food chips or something. Again sat down literally no exercise lucky to do 200 steps. Problem being as well due the stressful job i feel mentally drained and dont want to exercise. Any help/diet plans etc would be gratefully appreciated.

#10

Hi Plugyuk and welcome
I have been on keto for 8 weeks now and lost 4 kilos. I eat a lot so I can enjoy life, so I take it slow. I go to “cronometer.com” to check everything I eat for content. I try to keep carbs below 20g ( which is about 11% of my macros). Macros are protein, fats and carbs. So I look into cronometer what my eggs or bacon is worth, and end up trying to keep my fats around 60%, proteins 30% and carbs around 10%. I cook a lot now because I eat more “pure” foods. Read the labels on anything you buy in the grocery store. Sugars are hidden in most things on the shelf in order to conserve them. Ketchup is a real killer as well as many premade dressings. I avoid them altogether. And check out youtube for keto recipes. I make an excellent “mac and cheese” with cauliflower instead of macaroni! If I feel like chocolate I use sugar free cocoa, almond milk, vanilla extract and sweetener. I like that on ice. And one of the hardest things to wrap our heads around is that what we were told was healthy foods is now UNHEALTHY foods. Stay away from fruits (except maybe some berries because they are low carb) and dont touch bread potatoes or pasta. You can get creative and use the many keto substitutes which contain little to no carbs. Good luck on this journey. If you do it right you will probably notice a difference within 2-3 days. I healed from a grain allergy I didn’t even know I had within 72 hours. No more bread for me! No thx!( I now make myself chaffles- check them out.) I would also suggest buying new groceries to keep stocked with low carb foods. I have lots of avocados and eggs and erythrit around the kitchen now.