HOW TO START A KETO DIET

The ketogenic diet has certainly been a huge trend the last few years and for good reason - it is simple to follow, includes foods that are satisfying and feel indulgent, and can get some serious results!

Before you begin a keto diet it’s important to understand what it is, why it works, and how to get started properly to get all of the incredible benefits. Of course, like learning any new skill, you may experience a few mistakes or setbacks along the way. You are learning a new way of eating and it can be pretty intimidating. But the best thing to do is jump right in and START. Then learn and adjust along your way to develop a keto lifestyle that truly works best for you!

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Here are some important info + steps to get you started:

WHAT IS KETOSIS?

Ketosis is a metabolic state where the body burns fat or ketones for fuel instead of carbohydrates (glycogen). The purpose of a ketogenic diet is to allow your body to enter a state of ketosis which is accomplished by restricting the amount of carbohydrates you consume on a daily basis. 

The general rule of thumb is to stay under 20g net carbs per day, for an extended period of time to get into ketosis. The amount of net carbs per day may vary from 25g-30g, but most people use 20g net carbs or under as a guideline starting out. The macronutrient breakdown of a typical day of eating on a ketogenic diet is 70% Fat, 25% Protein, 5% Carbohydrates.

WHAT ARE NET CARBS?

Net carbs = Total Carbs - Fiber - Sugar Alcohols

Net carbs refer to the amount of carbohydrates left after the body has digested our food. Since the body can’t break down or absorb things like fiber or certain sugar alcohols they are not counted towards your daily carb intake.

Once carbs are limited for about 3-5 days your body will burn through any stored glycogen (carbs) and start using fat for fuel and enter a state of ketosis. After a few weeks your body will be “fat adapted” where your body will start burning fat more efficiently, and you will be on your way to reaping all the incredible benefits of keto!

BENEFITS OF A KETOGENIC DIET

• Weight loss

• Blood sugar control

• Improved mood

• Increased energy levels

• Lowered blood pressure

• Higher HDL (good) cholesterol

• Improved skin conditions

• Improved digestive system

WHY KETO WORKS

While the rules for following a keto diet are simple (stay under 20g net carbs per day for an extended period of time), it may be challenging to adapt to this new way of eating if you’re used to eating all the high carb or sugary foods and drinks. Whether or not the keto diet is right for you is only something you can answer for yourself after you’ve given it a proper chance!

There are 2 primary reasons the ketogenic diet works:

1. It reduces the amount of calories consumed - due to the high fat and highly satiating nature of foods regularly eaten on a ketogenic diet you may feel full longer on less food. If you feel more full throughout the day you will naturally decrease the amount of calories you consume.

2. It increases the production of ketones - which is one of the most efficient fuel sources for our body to burn but are not produced unless there is an absence of carbs and sugar in the body. This is what leads to increased energy levels and a reduction in appetite.

This unique combination of natural calorie reduction and increased ketone production is what makes a ketogenic diet a powerful way of eating that can lead to some serious weight loss results. 

3 STEPS TO STARTING A KETOGENIC DIET

While there are many different approaches to a keto diet, there are 3 main steps that will help you begin and are the most important for your success.

1. Know what foods to eat and what foods to avoid

2. Eat the appropriate amount of those foods

3. Increase your water intake & electrolytes

STEP 1 - Know what foods to eat and what foods to avoid

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When you start a ketogenic diet this step alone can get you some pretty remarkable results! Lowering your carbohydrate and sugar intake, while increasing more whole food sources of fat and protein are crucial for starting and sustaining your keto weight loss journey.

Here is a general list of foods to eat and avoid on keto:

Keto Foods To Eat

• Meats - beef, lamb, fish, poultry, eggs, etc.

• Low Carb Vegetables - typically anything grown above ground

• High Fat Dairy - cream, butter, cheese, etc.

• Nuts & Seeds - macadamia, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc.

• Avocados & Berries - lower glycemic index fruits

• Sweeteners - stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, etc.

• Other Fats - coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, etc.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• Grains - wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.

• Sugar - white processed, honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.

• Fruit - bananas, apples, oranges, etc.

• Root Vegetables - potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, etc.

• Beans & Legumes - black, kidney, lentils, etc.

When you’re just starting a ketogenic diet it is absolutely crucial that you get comfortable with reading nutrition labels. Many products are filled with hidden carbs or sugars so it is important to be diligent about reading labels on anything that is not a whole food.

Avoid overwhelm and focus on this step when you’re just starting out to start transitioning to a keto diet. Just simply eat keto friendly foods, and avoid high carb food and drinks and you will be well on your way to entering ketosis and achieving your weight loss goals.

STEP 2 - Eat the appropriate amount of keto foods

While you can get results sticking with step 1, eventually you may need to be a little more diligent in your approach to increase the likelihood of getting the weight loss results you want. While restricting the amount of carbs you consume daily will get you into ketosis, eating the right amount of calories per day will increase your ability to lose weight.

YES, calories still count - even on keto. Check out this blog to learn more about calories on a keto diet!

When we eat fewer calories in a day than our body burns we’re in a caloric deficit which = weight loss. 

When we eat more calories in a day than our body burns we’re in a caloric surplus which = weight gain.

The most accurate way to ensure you’re eating the right amount of food for your body’s requirements and to lose weight is to track your macros (fat, protein, carbs). There are numerous macro calculators on the internet (just ask your ol’ pal Google) to help you find the right proportions for your body and activity levels. There are various macro tracking apps such as MyFitnessPal, CarbManager and Cronometer. 

Be sure to set your calorie deficit at an absolute maximum of 35%. When we drastically decrease calories too much we may lose weight quickly but it will have a negative effect on our hormones and weight re-gain in the future. To lose weight in the most sustainable and healthiest way possible - slow & steady wins the race! Aim for a loss of 1-2lbs per week, and re-adjust your macros after every 10lbs lost to ensure you keep moving towards your weight loss goals.

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STEP 3 - Increase your water & electrolytes

The biggest side effect of starting a ketogenic diet is dehydration and loss of vital electrolytes. This is often referred to as “keto flu” since some people may experience headache, fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps or aches, and other flu-like symptoms. This may be most prominent at the start as your body burns through its glycogen stores, but can occur any time you are following a keto diet.

Carbohydrates are stored and bonded to water molecules in our body. When we reduce our carb intake, we also deplete the amount of water in the body which can lead to dehydration. This makes increasing your water intake on keto absolutely essential to feeling your best. Aim for 1 gallon or 3-4 liters of water daily.

The most important electrolytes in the body are sodium, potassium and magnesium. As we excrete more water on a ketogenic diet, these essential electrolytes also get flushed out in the process. The GOOD NEWS is that keto flu can be completely avoided if you stay hydrated and ensure your electrolytes stay in balance. You can simply add more salt to your foods, drink bone broth, or sip on pickle juice to restore your sodium electrolytes. For more info on where to find electrolytes in your keto foods - check out this blog! There are also many pre-made electrolyte blends available.

It can feel a bit intimidating and overwhelming to change the way we’ve been eating and start a keto diet. I tooootally get it. Before I started keto over 3 years ago, I spent 6 MONTHS doing research and debating it! By following these simple steps you’ll be off to a great start, and you can continue to grow and learn from there. Just start! I promise you won’t regret it!

Be sure to join my FREE Facebook community - Keto Weight Loss For Women to get more keto info, tips & tricks + motivation & support from other women worldwide on their own keto weight loss journeys!

KETO WEIGHT LOSS & BODY IMAGE

So you’ve started a ketogenic diet, and are seeing better results than you ever have before. You’re finally losing weight while eating foods you enjoy, and it feels like something you can actually stick to this time. The weight comes off pretty quickly too, which helps keep you motivated to keep going!

Pretty soon you can barely recognize the person in the mirror. You’ve achieved results beyond what you even thought was possible, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by all your family and friends. They’re praising you with compliments for your new smaller frame, and want to know the secret to how you’ve achieved such dramatic results. They assume you MUST be so much happier and healthier since losing the weight.

But there’s a catch. You don’t always see what they see when you look in the mirror. Logically you know that you’ve lost weight, but you still see your former, larger body in the reflection. You’ve put in all the work to lose the weight with keto, but your brain hasn’t quite caught up.

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Our body image refers to how we perceive ourselves and our bodies visually. It includes how we talk and think to ourselves (and to others) about our bodies, how we think others view our bodies, and our level of connectedness to our bodies.

No matter what the scale says, adjusting to a new body size can do a number on our self esteem. For some people, body image can become a big preoccupation especially if you view yourself as being outside the “norm” in terms of your body type, weight, or have newly developed stretch marks or loose skin from your weight loss.

There are many factors that can influence your body image including:

• Comments about your appearance (good or bad)

• How often you compare yourself to others

• Exposure to the media (photoshopped or idealized images vs “normal” bodies)

• Experiencing discrimination based on your appearance

• Ideals you develop about your appearance from a young age

Any of these factors or more can have an effect on how you view your body before, during, and after keto weight loss. 

Developing and fostering a negative body image can affect your mental and physical health and may increase the chances of:

• Developing anxiety or depression

• Having trouble concentrating

• Avoiding social situations

• Avoiding physical activities

• Suffering from eating or exercise disorders

• Making reckless health choices

• Feeling uncomfortable in your skin
  
  

While you may not suffer from any of these specifically, having a poor body image after weight loss can directly influence your mood, confidence and self esteem. Some days it can feel like you’ve put in all this work to feel happier and healthier, but it STILL doesn't work causing you to feel frustrated and defeated.

YOUR REASONS FOR LOSING WEIGHT WILL IMPACT HOW YOU FEEL AFTER

Body image after weight loss can be really challenging. Some people consciously or subconsciously have used their excess body weight as a shield. Maybe it’s kept you from applying for that big job, or speaking up in your relationships, or stopped you from getting back into dating after a bad breakup. Maybe your extra body weight has helped you stay safe, and kept you from putting yourself out there in fear or criticism or rejection. If everything about being overweight was so bad, we wouldn’t stay there as long as we do. It is important to identify, acknowledge, and develop a new thought process for not holding yourself back in your life.

If you set out on your keto weight loss journey with the goal of creating a true lifestyle change - creating healthy habits, improving energy, increasing mobility, being more active, and being healthier you are more likely to achieve body acceptance after your keto weight loss.

However, if you are motivated to lose weight based on external pressures, idealized societal norms, or engrained ideas of beauty from a young age, self image even after weight loss tends to be more negative. 

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WEIGHT LOSS CAN LEAD TO IMPROVED BODY IMAGE

First of all, you can ABSOLUTELY have a positive body image no matter what your size, and appreciate your curves and everything that your body does for you regardless of your weight. But it’s also totally possible that your body image will improve after you’ve lost weight.

You may gain more confidence in your new size, and be able to appreciate the hard work and your dedication to achieving your goals. Weight loss can encourage you to continue to take care of your body and your overall health, and create a true keto lifestyle change. When you look in the mirror you will be able to feel better about yourself, and identify parts of your body that you do like more regularly. It can reinforce the healthy changes to your lifestyle, and validate feelings of accomplishment towards your weight loss goals.

EVEN IF YOU FEEL BETTER PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY YOU MAY STILL STRUGGLE

Body image is perceptual, not physical. So even when you have lost weight, how you perceive yourself may not have changed - especially if the weight loss was rapid. Despite the pounds and inches lost, you still may view yourself as “heavier, stockier, shorter, larger” than you really are.

Many people who have lost weight know the struggle of looking good on the outside, but still suffering on the inside emotionally. It’s so common after a lifetime of our inner critic telling us negative stories for it to damage how we perceive ourselves, even if we’ve lost weight. Then hearing praise and compliments from loved ones about our incredible keto weight loss may not actually help as it reinforces that we were a) overweight before, and b) emphasizes our physical body versus who we are inside.

It’s important to realize and acknowledge that weight loss doesn’t automatically equal a positive body image. It can create loose skin, stretch marks, muscle loss and a reduction in your curves. It can also create fear around eating food like carbs, overeating or binge eating tendencies, and anxiety around gaining weight again. 

It takes time to heal your relationship with food, with your body, and with yourself. Weight loss isn’t a guaranteed path to body acceptance. It doesn’t automatically mean you can try on any piece of clothing and feel great. It takes more than just weight loss to change our negative perceptions of ourselves.

You have to believe that you deserve to be happy and content no matter what your size or how your body looks. That’s how you can start to see the value in just being who you are. It takes a shift to a more positive mindset and transitioning away from the negative self-talk. It’s truly an individual process, but it’s best to surround yourself with positive empowering people. A keto health coach can hold that space for you without judgment as you figure it out, and fully support you through this journey.

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TIPS FOR BODY ACCEPTANCE AFTER KETO WEIGHT LOSS:

• Write out affirmations that resonate with you and say them daily.

• Appreciate your body and everything it does for you.

• Believe that you have the right to be proud of what you’ve accomplished.

• Practice meditation to feel more in tune with yourself and grounded.

• Shut down the negative inner voice immediately and ask “Is that REALLY true?”

• Take photos of yourself to see your progress.

• Surround yourself with positive people who accept you as you are.

• View yourself as a whole person, not just a person who lost weight.

• Keep a gratitude journal to focus on all the positives in your life.

• Don’t compare yourself to others, everyone is on their own unique journey.

• Dress your new body in clothes that fit well and are comfortable. 

• Share your journey with others.

• Give yourself grace and time to adjust to the physical, emotional, and psychological changes that come with weight loss.

• Don’t avoid the mirror, face your reflection head on and say your positive affirmations to rewire your negative self-talk.

• Hire a coach to help support you to achieve true body acceptance.
  

When it comes to your weight loss journey, you want to be sure that you are happy and healthy throughout the entire process. One step to achieving that is being able to accept your body at any size to truly learn to love the person you are, and appreciate the person you are becoming.

Sometimes when we’ve physically lost weight on keto quickly, our perceptions and emotions haven’t had a chance to process everything. For example, if you’ve spent your entire life being “the bigger girl” in your friend group, and suddenly you’re not - you may feel like you’ve lost part of your identity. It’s also possible to develop a fear around eating and gaining the weight back, especially after receiving so much praise from those around you for losing it. 

This may be a sign that it’s time to put your trust in someone who can help you to truly heal your relationship with food, and your body. It takes strength to recognize we don’t know everything, and might benefit from another person’s perspective and expertise. You can learn more about how Keto Success Coaching will help you work towards your weight loss, positive mindset, and body acceptance goals to truly live your best life!

KETO vs LOW CARB

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

WHICH ONE’S RIGHT FOR YOU?

Both a ketogenic diet and a low carb diet involve limiting the amount of carbohydrates you intake on a daily basis. Both diets have become extremely popular over the last few years as countless people have found great success with losing weight, while improving their overall health. There is conflicting information on which diet is “the best” so it’s important to follow a plan that feels best for you. Let’s look at the differences between the two diets, and assess some pro’s and con’s, to help you figure which diet may best suit your health and weight loss goals.

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WHAT’S A LOW CARB DIET?

There are many different forms, but typically a low carb diet restricts carbohydrates from bread, rice, grains, pastas, and processed foods, and sugary food or drinks. Despite having no specific set limitations, as a general rule carbohydrates on a low carb diet are limited to 50-150g net carbs per day. (Net carbs = Total Carbs - Fiber)

A typical low carb diet tends to be lower in carbs, and higher in protein than the Standard American Diet. By restricting carbs, you may also eliminate calories that come from highly processed foods, and these things working together may promote weight loss.

Examples of popular low carb diets include Atkins, Paleo, and a Mediterranean diet. Low carb diets have been linked to many health benefits such as weight loss, managing diabetes, improved blood sugar regulation, and decreasing cardiovascular risks. 

LOW CARB DIET PRO’S & CON’S

Pros

• may promote weight loss

• eliminates many processed carbohydrate and sugary foods & drinks

• good for more explosive exercise like sprinting or weight lifting

• can be sustained long term

• less restrictive than keto
  
  
  

Cons

• limits food options

• may cause you to feel weak

• may experience constipation

• may experience slower weight loss results

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WHAT’S A KETO DIET? 

The ketogenic diet is designed to keep carbs so low that you enter a state known as ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when the carb intake is very low, insulin levels drop, fatty acids are released and transferred to the liver, where they become ketones. In a Standard American Diet, our body mostly runs on glycogen from eating carbs. When we lower our carb intake over a period of time to a level of ketosis, our body runs on ketones for fuel instead.

A keto diet focuses on high fat, moderate or high protein, and very limited carbohydrates. The typical range of daily intake for carbs for keto is below 20-50g net carbs. While a keto diet allows for a high fat intake, it is important to know that calories still count. You are simply using fats instead of carbs to help you feel full and satisfied.

Ketogenic diets have been linked to many incredible benefits such as treating epilepsy, controlling insulin levels, managing diabetes, and even impairing growth of certain types of cancer. It has also helped many people with mental clarity, increased energy, and decreasing inflammation in the body.

KETO PRO’S & CON’S

Pro’s

• may promote weight loss

• has therapeutic benefits

• may reduce appetite

• stable energy and blood sugars

• good for more endurance type exercise such as jogging
  
  

Con’s

• limits food options

• may experience constipation

• long term data is limited

• may be too restrictive to maintain long term
  
  

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WHICH DIET IS BEST FOR YOU?

The “best diet” is entirely a personal thing. It depends on your biology, lifestyle, pre-existing medical issues, your goals, and a variety of other factors. Some people feel their best on a keto diet, other people feel their best doing low carb. The most important thing is to find a way of eating that makes you feel your best, that you can do long term. It is important to consider what you feel is more manageable, that you can make into a true lifestyle change - not just a “quick fix diet”. 

There may be some trial and error until you decide which lifestyle is right for you. If you want to start a keto diet - it is HIGHLY recommended to transition to a low carb diet for a week or two first. This will allow your body to adjust more easily, and will make it easier to decrease your carb intake further to get into ketosis. It will also allow you to get accustomed to eating more whole foods, and eliminating high-carb and high-sugar processed foods from your kitchen.

The bottom line is that both diets restrict carbohydrates, and can help you lose weight. There is no right or wrong answer. Keto has additional therapeutic benefits, but is a bit more restrictive with your carb intake. Low carb allows for a bit more carbs, but may not burn body fat as quickly. The key is deciding which is more sustainable for you, and allows you to eat foods you’ll enjoy long term. If you want any help starting a keto diet, or you feel like keto is too restrictive for you and you’re interested in adding carbs back into your diet without ruining your weight loss progress, click here to learn more about how I can help! You can also join the free Keto Weight Loss For Women Facebook community full of supportive keto women on their own keto journeys!