Tips For The Keto Newbie
Keto Tips For Beginners
Let’s face it. The word diet sucks. The idea of dieting sucks, nobody has time for that. If you’re a Keto newbie then you probably need to know just about every trick in the book to stick to the diet. The good news is that the Keto Diet isn’t a tough one to do. And we’ll show you some Keto Supplements that will help make the diet more interesting. So sit back and read below as we throw down a few tips for you, the Keto newbie.
The Ketogenic diet (or keto diet) has become one of the hottest diets out there due to all the new research showing how beneficial a low carb diet can be to your health. It requires you to cut out a large portion of carbohydrates in your diet and replace it with healthy fats.
Stay away from my carbs you say? I know, I know, cutting carbs is tough, they are so good, and a major part of everyone’s diet. Luckily, there are several tricks you can implement immediately to help you start the low carb, high fat diet with minimal effort. So, without further ado, onto the tips that’ll help you feel great and lose some pounds! As a quick disclaimer you might want to check with your doctor before starting any type of diet, especially if you have any health conditions.
Before you get started:
#1 Your Gonna Need to Track it!
To truly get the most out of the Keto diet, you need to track your carbs the first few weeks every day. Grab a notebook and track everything you eat, including carb amounts, your beginning weight for the day and any exercise you did. This will be helpful if you aren’t staying in Ketosis or need to adjust something later on.
If you aren’t sure how many carbs a food has, look it up online or download the MyFitnessPal app. If the food has a bar code, you can easily scan it on MyFitnessPal and it will pop up the nutritional info immediately. The general rule of thumb is to consume 20 to 30 net carbs daily. Net carbs are; Total carbs – Fiber = Net Carbs.
Tip #2-Meal Plan Search
Most people find that having a meal plan guide them the first few weeks to be beneficial. There are TONS of free 7 and 14 day meal plans online that you can download. Finding the best meal plan and resources to help you become a fat burning machine and be successful on your Keto diet is paramount.
#3: Clear Out Your Kitchen
Now that you have grabbed your notebook and found your meal plan, set some time aside to clear out your kitchen. It’s definitely easier to stick to a keto diet if you only have access to healthy keto foods. Not all of us have unwavering resolve of steel, if there is a carbo laden snack in the cupboard, most of us will go after it. Don’t fall prey to carbo loaded foods simply because you have failed to remove them from your home.
Cleaning out your kitchen and pantry of all carbs including bread, pasta, sodas, candy and rice will pretty much force you to stick to your keto diet. It may sound drastic, but replacing all of the bad carbs, with keto-friendly foods will help you stay on track. So when those carb cravings come a rockin, you wont bother knockin.
Now that we got that out of the way:
4#: Meal Prep For Your Week Ahead.
This is where your meal plan guide from tip two comes into play. Pick one day out of the week to sit down and plan out all your meals for the week, be realistic about the time you have to make your meals, though. You know your schedule. If you are crazy busy throughout the week, go with something easy and leave the ambitious or complicated recipes for the weekends.
You can also try batch cooking. Batch cooking sets you up for a week of meals so you don’t have the temptation to slip up and grab something not on diet when lunch or dinner time comes around.
If you run out of ideas for meals. Do a quick search or check Pinterest. There are thousands of delicious meals for you to try.
#5 Power Breakfast. Man, Mom Was Right!
Your Mom or Dad probably said it a million times; “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. Well, they were not wrong. Starting your day off with a big breakfast is going give your weight loss a boost. If you eat a hearty (but healthy) breakfast, you will be less likely to overeat or binge on bad food because you will feel fuller throughout the day. If you want to mix up the breakfast routine, try a green smoothie with a majority of veggies and add some lower carb fruits to the mix for a tasty morning breakfast treat.
Tip #6: Eat Your Greens to Get the Right Carbs; It’s Not Just all About the Bacon.
Many people think that the keto diet is just people eating awesome, high fat meats like bacon, burgers, steaks, etc. While the Keto diet does call for these foods and it is easy to load up on these, you will be forgetting about a major source of vital nutrients your body needs; Veggies. If you are doing this, you are going about the keto lifestyle all wrong.
It’s vital to integrate vegetables in your diet to ensure you’re consuming all necessary nutrients, including fiber, which is crucial for maintaining a healthy gut.
You should aim for nutrient-dense, non-starchy vegetables like:
• Kale
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Brussel sprouts
If you are the type that likes to have that feeling of being full after a meal, it’s important to include plenty of these vegetables in your diet.
#6: MCT OIL-GET IT.
Including MCT (medium chain triglyceride) oil in your diet will help you get into Ketosis faster. MCT’s are immediately processed into Ketone bodies and used for energy instead of having to go through your stomach for digestion. While many people think coconut oil is the same as MCT, they are different on the molecular level. Coconut oil has to go through your body’s digestive tract to turn coconut oil into energy, while MCT oil is transformed directly into energy. MCT oil such as Body First MCT Oil – 100% Pure can be added to your morning coffee or in your food.
#7: Shots, Shots, Shots, Shots… Of Water.
You must pay extra attention to staying hydrated when starting out on the Ketogenic diet. Because Keto is a low carb diet, your body will expel more water than what you are used to when carbohydrates aren’t present.
Aim to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water at the minimum. Drink water upon waking up and before going to bed and lots in between. This is very important.
You will also need electrolytes like potassium & magnesium. You can actually just take specific vitamins like Trace Minerals Research Electrolyte Stamina each day to make sure you are getting them. You can also purchase things like Now Chicken Bone Broth Powder and add a lot of salt to your diet.
#8: De-Stress.
Stress is a no, no. Stress raises your sugar levels and prevents your body from burning fats for energy. Chronic stress will severely hinder your body’s ability to even enter Ketosis.
Starting the Ketogenic diet may not be the best idea if you are going through a high stress period in your life. It’s best to begin this nutrition plan when you can devote a large portion of your waking hours towards staying in Ketosis and keeping your stress to a minimum.
If you want to throw caution to the wind and start the Keto diet now, it’s still doable. First you need chill out; relieve your stress by listening to your favorite podcast, reading a book or adopting relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation or yoga. You can also reduce the stress in your life by exercising regularly, taking up a hobby and getting enough sleep.
#9: Speaking of Sleep. Make it a Priority.
One of the ways that will prevent you from getting into fat-burning mode is poor sleep, which increases your stress hormone levels. Sticking to a proper sleep schedule on the Keto diet will improve your quality of sleep. It’s important to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Going to bed at the same time every day will help keep you on a good sleep schedule.
Numerous studies have found that not getting enough sleep can greatly hurt your ability to lose weight. Sleeping in a chilly room (around 65 degrees or so) along with having the room dark will help you get into a deep, restorative sleep more regularly. If you have trouble sleeping, supplementing with a natural sleep aid like Natural Factors Sleep Relax Formula and BodyStrong Melatonin (3mg) can also work wonders.
#10: Move It, Move It. Move your Butt.
This might be a no-brainer since we all know that getting regular exercise is generally good for you. But, maintaining a regular exercise schedule while on the keto diet can boost your Ketone levels and help you transition into a low carb, high fat lifestyle much quicker than without exercise. Being active is a big help to reach Ketosis as it increases the production of Ketones in the liver. The more you exercise, the quicker your body exhausts its glycogen stores. Once the glycogen is gone, your body will look for other forms of fuel and will turn to fat for energy through Ketosis.
Try to work out before you eat. Studies have shown that working out or engaging in other forms of physical activity while in fasting can raise blood Ketone levels. Also, make sure to include a workout routine that includes both high intensity and low intensity exercises. This will help you balance your blood sugar and aids your body in entering Ketosis.
#11: Snack Time, Now What?
Many people get bummed and lost hope due to the amount of homemade meals you have to make while on the Keto diet. Time is a huge factor in most people’s lives, hence the reason there are so many carb heavy snacks out there. A great way to combat this is to this is put together as many keto-friendly snacks as you can. This keeps you from going after those carbo loaded snacks when you are short on time.
Here are some examples of keto snacks you can take on the go:
• Purus Labs Ketofeed
• Beef jerky
• Quest Nutrition Quest Natural Protein Bar
• Keto MCT Fat Bombs
• Pre-cooked bacon
#12: Don’t Worry, You Can Still Eat Out
When you first start the keto diet, it can be tough to figure out what’s keto-friendly and what’s not. Over time though, it gets easier. Most restaurants you go to will have a meal that’s keto friendly, and with a little resourcefulness, you won’t have to eat a carb heavy meal that will make you feel like the Goodyear blimp.
Below are some ideas on what to eat when eating out.
• Breakfast —instead of going for pancakes or toast, opt for eggs and bacon.
• Lunch —every restaurant has salad. So, buck up and get one.
• Dinner — most restaurants will have a meat heavy meal. If you are out for dinner, get the fattiest cut of steak (like rib eye) and get rid of the starchy potatoes by getting an extra serving of vegetables.
#13: Measure Your Ketones (no ruler required)
Keto sticks or a glucose meter can give you the feedback you need on whether or not you’re following the diet and if you’re actually in Ketosis. For beginners, Keto sticks are most likely the best compared to blood glucose meters. Keto sticks like Finaflex Ketone Strips are good because they are cheap and you can measure a couple times a day without breaking the bank. Glucose meters can be used to measure a few times a day, but can get expensive.
Hopefully these thirteen tips will help you get on your way to becoming a happier and healthier you. While it might feel like there are a lot of things you can’t have on the keto diet, fret not. You can still have a drink at Starbucks’s (just make it keto friendly), you can still go out to eat, and you can still have delicious snacks. If you look online you will find thousands of snacks and treats that you can make to satisfy your cravings. For every treat or snack out there, there is most likely a Keto alternative that is calling your name. As always, All Star Health has hundreds of Keto friendly snacks and supplements to help you live the Keto life.