Reap the rewards of a high-fat, low-carb lifestyle with the ketogenic diet. Many individuals post their daily ketogenic meals on social media, mainly to lose weight and stay fit. Starting and sticking to this diet can prove difficult, especially when the recipes are far removed from our current eating habits.
We understand that it’s hard to part with yummy pasta, pizza, or burgers which contain a wealth of carbohydrates—nutrients you should not consume in excess on a keto diet. If you have been consuming carbohydrates for a considerable period, transitioning to the ketogenic diet can bring about undesirable symptoms like mood swings, lethargy, fatigue, headaches, constipation, and difficulty focusing. This state is known as the keto flu.
Without carbohydrates, the body cannot access fat as an energy source. Without carbs, your system will excrete high volumes of water and electrolytes such as magnesium and potassium. Loss of electrolytes can lead to a condition known as keto flu, which is also responsible for feelings of emotional instability caused by abstaining from beloved foods like pizza that produce dopamine—making you happier!
Are you looking to use the keto diet to reach a state of ketosis and potentially lose weight or even treat diabetes? If so, you must start on the right foot. To ensure this happens, here are some steps that will help guide your journey and ensure that no adverse symptoms arise. With these tips in hand, get ready to ignite your transformation!
1. Clarify Your Goal: Lose Weight or Keep Ketosis?
Keto can help you control your appetite, treat insulin resistance, and achieve weight loss and health. It is essential to stay focused on your purpose—what are you striving for when it comes to weight loss or wellness?
If you’re looking to shed pounds rapidly for an upcoming wedding, a low-carb diet is essential. To maintain ketosis and lose fat in moderation, consider initiating a high-fat diet before slowly decreasing your carb consumption; for example, eat carbs at noon during the first week.
Taking this step will provide noticeable results and have you feeling confident on your big day!
2. Know What Foods You Can’t Eat & What You Can Eat
To abide by the Ketogenic diet, it is essential to avoid all carbohydrates. This means preceding tasty treats such as pizza, burgers, and chicken nuggets with flour! Instead of consuming cola, milk tea, or lattes with added sugar, switch to fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for a healthier option.
When selecting vegetables, beware of high-carbohydrate options such as potatoes, taro, eggplant, etc. Avocados are cold-friendly and should be stocked up on—enjoy more greens instead!
3. Intake of Adequate Electrolytes & Fiber
Feast on low-carb, fiber-packed veggies like spinach, cabbage, and cauliflower to replenish your body’s electrolytes. Incorporating Himalayan salt and organ meats into your diet will further balance out necessary vitamins lost during adaptation. This process can relieve keto flu symptoms as you progress through the adjustment period.
4. Clean Out Your Carbohydrate Inventory
To successfully avoid carbs, clean your pantry and kitchen of carby snacks or treats. Get rid of the potato chips, sugary chocolate bars, and jams—you know they’re too hard to resist when it comes down to it!
Without them in sight or reach, you won’t be tempted by carb-heavy foods that could potentially jeopardize ketosis. Stock up on some delicious low-carb items, so you always have a healthy snack option around!
5. Avoid Sugary Sauces & Dressing
Beware of the sugar lurking in your dressing, peanut butter & jam, and BBQ/Korean sauces! To ensure you stay on track with ketosis, look at the product ingredient list and nutrition facts.
If there is any sugar in the top 5 ingredients, it’s best to avoid it. Now would be a great time to check all seasonings used around your house—if they aren’t keto-friendly, they should go out immediately!
6. Hone Your Cooking Skills & Stay Away from Traditional Restaurants
Check out recipes and cooking tips from various keto websites to find one you like. It is best to select five recipes that must contain your favorite ingredients, easy to get and handle. Using spices to add flavor, you can get food’s essential aroma and nutrition.
Stick to cooking your meals and purchasing unprocessed foods. Traditional restaurants are full of carb-heavy meals. You need to open the menu to know that they will inevitably break the ketogenic state. You can choose steak as well as fried eggs and sausage.
7. Shop for Must-haves & Keep Them Within Reach
If you’re reducing your carb intake, don’t forget to stock up your fridge with healthy fats! Here are some excellent choices that can help fill the energy gap left by carbs:
- Bacon (Unsweetened)
- Fatty Sausage
- Any Cut Of Beef and Lamb
- Poultry Thighs/ Breasts/ Wings (with skin)
- Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Butter (please don’t buy vegetable butter)
- Cream, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Mascarpone
- Cauliflower, Spinach, Kale, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms
- Coconut Flour, Almond Flour, Psyllium Husk Powder (can be used to substitute flour for keto baking)
To make your meal even more delicious and lift everyone’s spirits, don’t forget to grab some condiments and snacks:
- Parsley, Thyme, Garlic, Black Pepper, Himalayan Salt, Paprika, Stevia or Erythritol
- Mayonnaise (usually vegetable oil and egg yolk)
- Pickles, Original Tomato Paste, Mustard Sauce
- Almonds, Pecans, Macadamia Nuts, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds (higher carbohydrates: Pistachios, Cashews, Pine Nuts)
- 100% Chocolate or Chocolate Powder (can make hot cocoa)
8. Try Keto Products & Ready-to-Eat Meals
Are you trying to find a speedy and effortless way to devour healthy fats while staying away from carbohydrates? Look no further! By utilizing keto-oriented packaged meals, snacks, and meal delivery services—all of your dietary needs can be met.
Not only have many processed food companies provided keto-friendly options such as cookies, protein bars, and more, but they are also delicious! Take a look at the following brands for their scrumptious selections:
- SuperFat: Chocolate Chip; Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip; Pancake Mix; MCT Oil
- DangFood: Toasted Coconut Chips; Keto Bars in a variety of flavors
- iHerb: Wide variety of snacks for different diets, including keto.
In addition, many meal delivery services specialize in providing keto-friendly foods and recipes. Various companies offer various options to suit your needs—whether you want to cook your meals or deliver them to your door.
For example, Factor 75 can provide keto meal delivery, which only needs to be heated in a microwave or oven to eat. When ordering food online, check historical price changes and search for coupon codes.
Don’t forget to search for coupon codes when ordering ketogenic foods online. For example, if you type “SuperFat” into the search bar and click to explore, you’ll get lots of up-to-date coupon codes. All the brands mentioned above can be found on CouponBirds and are always effective.
9. Tell Your Family About Your Plan & Pay Attention to How You Feel
As the Keto diet is not as popularized yet, it can be difficult for individuals to understand your dietary choices. To make social interactions and family meals easier, inform those around you about your lifestyle plan so that they may consider removing any carbohydrates from their cooking or ordering process. With this support system in place, sticking with a keto lifestyle will be made much more straightforward!
Take your time as you reduce carb intake and increase fat; haste leads to unsatisfactory results. Don’t forget that a ketogenic diet is about food and a complete lifestyle change. This eating style requests that you avoid pre-packaged items and instead consume more whole foods.
If your body cannot tolerate such large amounts of dietary fats, it will be tough to maintain this approach over a long period. Using keto test strips is paramount to accurately monitoring the level of ketones in your body. If values exceed a predetermined threshold, it’s imperative to reach out to a healthcare professional promptly.
The keto diet is an excellent choice for those looking to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle. By following the tips here, you can take full advantage of this highly effective dietary approach and experience all its health benefits. Good luck!
