Starting a new diet is never easy. While making your health a priority is a worthy goal, it can get overwhelming at times especially on Keto where you might have to deal with the symptoms of the dreaded Keto flu. With these five Keto tips for beginners, you’ll be able to kickstart your health journey in the best way possible.
What is the Keto Diet?
Before diving into these easy Keto tips for beginners, we should discuss what exactly the Keto diet is. Without getting too technical, the Ketogenic or the “Keto” diet is a high-fat, high-protein, low-carb diet.
The reason it’s called the Ketogenic diet is because after eating like this, your body will enter a state called ketosis where your body will start making ketones to use in place of the missing carbs.
People on the Keto diet often notice significant weight loss, a curbed appetite, increased energy, and even lowered blood pressure! These five tips will make jump starting your keto diet a breeze.
1. Avoid Dirty Keto
There is a right way to do the Keto diet, and there is a wrong way. The wrong way is known as dirty Keto. What do we mean by that? Well, we’re talking lots of butter and cheese. Instead of using your daily carbs on nutrient dense veggies, you use it for a sugary treat. You pound diet sodas, and you often find yourself in the drive-thru ordering a cheeseburger with no bun.
This is not what your health journey is all about! Sure, you’re going to lose a few pounds. However, it’s unsustainable and you will inevitably feel unhealthy.
The best way to avoid this situation is by planning. Make a list of the healthy fats you should be eating every day (avocados, nuts, olive oil, chia seeds) and have them handy! Plan out your carbs, and expect them to come from low-sugar fruits and leafy greens.
2. Incorporate Exercise
The first few days of this diet can be tough, especially if you’re experiencing symptoms like nausea, dizziness, and weakness. Don’t opt for your normal soul cycle class or hit the weights at the gym. Instead try to incorporate a little light exercise into your daily routine like walking or some gentle yoga.
This exercise can contribute to a quicker transition by aiding your body in burning through your glycogen stores. Once you’re fully in ketosis, you can amp up your exercise again. You might notice that you actually have more energy during your workouts than you did before!
3. Prep Your Body
Switching from a high carbohydrate diet to a high fat diet can be a shock on your body. Jumping right into it can be a sure fire way to feel the full wrath of the Keto flu.
Prep your body by incorporating more fat up to seven days before the diet. Start eating avocado or including more olive oil in your daily meals. This will make the transition a lot easier, and it will successfully prepare your digestive system, liver, and gallbladder for the adjustment.
4. Get Some Sleep
Study after study has shown that the quantity and quality of your sleep affects how much weight you’ll lose!1,2,3 The best way to kickstart this diet is by simply getting some good shut eye.
By getting good sleep you’ll kick cravings, feel more satisfied after meals, and have enough energy to get out and exercise.
But sure, get enough sleep? That’s a lot easier said than done. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1/3 of Americans are sleep deprived. A healthy adult should be getting 7-9 hours, but who the heck has time for that?!
It’s up to you to make the time, and you will because it’s important. A few ways to get better sleep are by putting down all screens one hour before bed, making sure your room is completely dark and at a temperature of around 65°F, and by sticking to a schedule.
Pick a time to always go to bed and wake up. If this is something like 10pm to 6am, ALWAYS do it, even on the weekends.
5. Don’t Give Up!
Stick to this diet for a minimum of four weeks to see the real benefits. It can be hard when you have the Keto flu in the beginning, but know that it doesn’t last forever.
This diet in particular requires a certain amount of time because your body has to fully become Keto adapted. You might even find that you have to adjust the amount of carbs and fat you consume. You might need 5% of your calories from carbs… or you might actually need 10%! It’s important to listen to your body and make changes as needed.
Just hang tight, drink lots of water, and eat healthy fats! You’ll get there!
Have any other Keto tips for beginners? Drop them in the comments!
