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8 Tips BEFORE Trying Keto

August 13, 2018

Just because the keto diet is trending doesn’t mean it’s right for you. High-waisted jeans are trending, too, but not everyone can pull them off. #amiright

Here are my eight tips to consider before going keto… 

  1. It’s not for everyone. Just because it’s popular right now doesn’t mean you should do it. Be your own person, do what’s right for your body, don’t be a cow just following the cow in front of you. 
  2. “Keto” is different for everyone. Cutting carbs down to 20 per day is not appropriate for everyone. My body starts burning fat at around 50-75 carbs/day. I know this after years of tinkering, tweaking, testing and experimenting. I’ve learned what works for my body and you should do the same. Track your food and mood/energy level at the same time. Eventually you’ll find your sweet spot. 
  3. It’s not something you need to — or should do — long term. Of course there are always exceptions for certain medical conditions, but in general, use it as a tool and then move on. Get your diet back on track and then start tinkering to see what foods (and amounts of those foods) work for you. 
  4. It’s not something you can half-ass. The weight comes off fast, but comes back even faster if you’re not careful. This is not a diet you can do during the week and then binge on donuts all weekend and continue to make progress. 
  5. You don’t have to cut out all veggies. Vegetables are not what’s making you fat. It’s really hard to OD on veggies. Don’t worry about them.
  6. Counting carbs isn’t really necessary. If you’re eating approved” foods, they’re naturally going to be low carb so why bother counting? A few exceptions: 1) you want to count, 2) you have diabetes and need to keep track for your glucose log, or 3) you’re having trouble finding your carb sweet spot so this time you’re documenting the process to see where you need to make changes. If this is your first time trying keto, don’t stress so much. There’s plenty of time for counting and measuring and tweaking once you get into the swing of things.
  7. You’re going to need more salt. Why does no one talk about this?! When you cut carbs you lose water weight and with it comes sodium. Being bitchy is just part of the keto flu (if you get it- not everyone does), but if you’re feeling weak or shaky you probably need a cup of broth (full sodium, of course) and a sprinkle of salt on your veggies with dinner tonight.
  8. Don’t even think about working out for a while. This is for two reasons: 1) When’s the last time you took on too many things at once and failed at all of them? Exactly. 2) Your body is going through a major metabolic change, give it a break. Let it figure out WTF is going on with food before you start pushing it to run a marathon, OK? Just worry about your diet right now; exercise can wait. 

If you decide to go for it, I’d love to hear about your experience; leave a comment below or tag me on social.

If you’re kinda interested/kinda scared and think you might like something a little less rigid, try my FREE Cleanse! It’s a combination of Paleo, Whole30, keto and intermittent fasting that requires zero calorie/carb counting and eases you into ketosis more gently than a strict keto plan will.

Resources:

  1. Low Carb Genesis– my friend Emily is a master at low carb/keto and her blog has a ton of great tips
  2. Mark’s Daily Apple– type “keto” in the search box and spend the next 17 days reading all of Mark’s super informative posts
  3. The Keto Reset Plan– I love this book because of its focus on quality vs. just low carb foods
  4. Keto Diet App– track your foods and learn while you’re at it! And fun fact: Emily (above) writes super-detailed, research-based articles for them.
  5. The Fat Burning Man Podcast– I’ve studied nutrition for 15yrs and I still learn stuff from every single one of his episodes… amazing stuff!
  6. My Cleanse (duh)! Get day-by-day recs and access to our chat support group.
  7. Here’s a list of reasons to skip sugar
  8. The Ultimate Keto Food List

What questions do you want to ask an RD?? Email me! Xo

FD: I’m an affiliate for products I use, love and recommend as a professional and a mom. If you click and buy, I’ll get a few cents. Thx!

Jenny Champion MS RD CPT

Dietitian. Mom. Boss. Read More

Xo Jenny

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