Newbie to Keto please help

(Jeremiah James) #1

Hi Guys,

I’m new to keto diet (1 week) and im just wondering if the protein to fat ration is measured on every meal? or can it be measured at the end of the day, like overall fat and protein consumed?

coz when im at work, theres no really much option for fatty foods. usually the protein count is higher than the fat content of the food (i.e. fried pork chop or grilled) so what i do is take atleast 3 tbsp of coconut oil when i get home.

by the way i think im already on transition coz i can feel some of the symptoms of the flu, like muscle fatigue, headache and weakness.

Thanks in advance.

(Richard Hanson) #2

Good Morning Jeremiah,

Congratulations on feeling like crap! Seriously. Carbohydrate withdrawal symptoms are a cause for celebration. Welcome to keto … in a few short weeks you are going to be amazed!

If you account for your macros on a daily basis, I think that will work. The primary focus should be making sure your net carbs < 20 g/day. That said, I like to have mostly fats early in the day and save most of my 50 g/day of protein for when I am eating with my family in the early evening, but that is a personal choice and certainly not one that you need to follow.

When you choose to eat makes a difference, but that is a subject to inspect at some time in the future. For now, it sounds like you are doing great, you are thinking, your are asking questions, all very positive predictors of a beneficent outcome.

Keto for Life!

Best Regards,
Richard

(Jeremiah James) #3

so it wouldnt stop me from transitioning if i eat higher protein content than fat at the beginning of the day when im working then eating lots of fat at the end of the day when im at home? sorry, just wanna make sure im doing this right the first time. dont wanna stop my transition while in keto flu then go back again. by the way thanks for the answer man! appreciate it.

#4

Hiya

In my opinion, overall works just fine. We have to fit this way of eating around our lifestyle the best we can. Getting those carbs down is the main focus like @FatMan said. I would also add that, in the early days, just eat a good amount at meal times and make sure you are not getting hangry. You can tweak your protein levels down the road a little bit. Baby steps! Just get in the swing of things - this is likely a big change from the way you ate before so just make things as easy as you can for yourself.

Re. carb withdrawal (aka Keto flu) symptoms - stay well hydrated, take salt regularly (1-2 teaspoons a day) say a 1/2 teaspoon at a time at intervals during the day. Magnesium tablets benefit most people and then up your potassium with potassium-rich foods like avocado and leafy greens.

Good luck. Sounds like you have made a great start.

(Jeremiah James) #5

thank a lot for the advice. by the way, whats a good target for carb and protein for beginners? right now im just making sure that im not over 30g of carb per day and my fat intake should be higher than my protein intake. is 30g of carbs okay? or should i lower it down to 20g?

#6

Are you talking about net carbs or total? If you are talking net then it is better to get it down to 20g or less when you feel ready. There is no harm at all though in stepping it down as you feel comfortable doing so. Protein ideally is around 1-1.5g per kg of lean body mass. You can get an idea of LBM with an online calculator. This is just a general starting point because we all have to start somewhere right? You can then tweak things to where you feel the best a bit down the line.

(Jeremiah James) #7

oh sorry… im asking about the overall carb intake per day…

#8

Well if you are talking total not net then 30 is great :smiley:

(Jeremiah James) #9

oh nice! thats good to hear. im currently using an app to track down what i eat all through out the day to make sure i dont pass the 30g/day carb.

#10

It sounds like your doing great! Keep up the good work :slight_smile:

(Jeremiah James) #11

by the way… another thing i’ve noticed is that i have a bitter taste in my mouth… will this go away once im done with the transition? and is this a sign that im still transitioning?

#12

As far as I have understood (I’m new too), it’s better to eat your daily protein split over your meals. Excess protein in one sitting may slow down ketoadaptation.

You could bring your own fat at work in a socially acceptable manner: olive oil flask, home-made vinaigrette, home-made “yogurt”… usually people will ask and they’ll enjoy your healthy yogurt if they try it!

I work shifts at a remote location, so I fully understand your issues. Here is what I’m bringing:

  1. vinaigrette (olive oil 50% + French mustard 10% + wine vinegar 40%) to pour on salads (in a soup spoon: 6-7 g fat, <1 g protein + carb).
  2. yogurt (sour cream 30% + home made full-fat milk kefir 70%) as a dessert substitute (100 mL: 10 g fat, <3 g carb, <4g protein).
  3. a week worth of avocados to add to salads or as snacks (1 medium: 20 g fat, 3 g net carb, 3 g protein).
  4. some canned food (e.g. mackerel / hard cheese) for the days there is absolutely nothing edible in the protein department.
#13

By the way, you’ll save a shitload of money if you bring your own food to work. Just bring the leftovers of the dinner and/or some easy-to-make salad (lardons + lettuce; avocado + goat/blue cheese; for those fond of organs it’s also quite popular in salads, etc.)…

#14

Yes pretty quickly, or it’s because one gets used to it :wink: The same for bad breath and foul urine.