Are you looking for help on starting the Ketogenic Diet? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s get started

Ketogenic Diet for Beginners

Here is a great list I’ve compiled to get you started on the Ketogenic Diet & Lifestyle.

1. Calculate Your Macros

   1. What Are Macros?

      Macronutrients are molecules that our bodies use to create energy for themselves – primarily fat, protein and carbs. They are found in all foods in varying amounts, measured in grams (g) on the nutrition labels.

      • Fat provides 9 calories per gram
      • Protein provides 4 calories per gram
      • Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram

   2. How Do I Calculate My Macros?

      Use a site such as Ruled.Me and enter all of your information and it will give you a guideline for where to target your daily goals. The advice I have for this is to stay under your carb limit, stick close to your protein limit, and use the fat intake as a lever only to satiate your hunger and cravings. Find the calculator here

2. Study the Yes & No List

   

3. Make a Shopping List

   1. Read this complete list of what to buy & what to avoid on your ketogenic shopping list. Then start by making at least a rough outline of your meal plan, and the ingredients you’ll need to get started. A few staples I would recommend are: bacon, eggs, mustard, cheese, spinach, broccoli, meats, chicken or beef broth, coconut oil, butter, almond flour, and maybe one add-on ingredient such as sour cream, cream cheese, goat cheese, or some other specialty cheese. The add-on ingredient would be something you could put on top of a salad, a bowl of homemade soup, or to add flavor to a sauce or on top of your meat.
   2. You must read labels for everything, at least until you find a solid mix of foods to use in your rotation of meals. There are so many sneaky carbs and added sugars they add to food you wouldn’t realize it until you read the label.

4. Download a Carb Tracker or Keto App

   1. I have tried a few and personally prefer Carb Manager because of its ease of use and overall visual design, but other popular options are My Fitness Pal and Senza. Their macro calculators will be different than what Ruled.Me calculated for you, so please be careful here. Most often the apps will calculate your macros for higher than what the ketogenic diet recommends, and following the app may slow or stall your weight loss.
   2. Log everything you are consuming. That includes everything you add to your coffee or tea, mints, tums, cold & cough medicine, gum, all of your snacks and meals, etc. This is going to give you a true snapshot of your day and how well you’re sticking within your limits, and allow you to make adjustments if there are days you’re going over you will know how to correct it.

5. How to Curb the Keto Flu

   The Keto Flu is caused by a deficiency so it can easily be corrected by consuming the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly.

   

6. Get Support for Starting & Maintaining Your New Lifestyle

   1. Join our Facebook group Ketogenic Diet for Beginners, find a friend or family member that is supportive of your lifestyle change or is also on this WOE, and continue to read all the time. The more you feel connected to this lifestyle and the more knowledge you’re consuming about it, the more successful you will be in the long-run. This is not intended to be a temporary diet but instead as a long-term lifestyle change that has many health benefits if you are consuming the diet properly.

7. Be Forgiving

   1. You may not have the “perfect” high fat and low carb macros the first couple of days you start. Be forgiving to yourself. This is a process that will take time to adjust and perfect. If you’ve been eating carbs and sugar your entire life, please do not expect to get your numbers correct from day one. Work to improve your numbers each day until you’re within your limits.
   2. Read this post that was made on Reddit which helped me not to be discouraged when the numbers on my scale aren’t moving: Why Scales Can Lie
   3. Don’t get discouraged if your weight loss isn’t as drastic as someone else’s
   4. Remember to enjoy all of your non-scale victories as well!

Now that you’re starting the ketogenic diet, you’ll want to check out our Ketogenic Shopping List: What to Buy and What to Avoid to get ready to start your new lifestyle!

We hope you enjoyed this list and found it helpful for getting started on the Ketogenic diet. If you have any questions or comments please share them below.

Thanks,

@SimpleYummyKeto

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