One of the less discussed aspects of taking up the keto diet is
how difficult the first three weeks can be. Everyone setting out on
their keto journey has to endure the transition from a ‘standard’
carbohydrate heavy eating regimen to one based on fats and leafy greens.
Gaining a state of ketosis can be tough for some people (and a breeze
for others!) and there’s simply no way of dodging the discomfort should
you be one of the unlucky ones. However, there are numerous tips that
can help to make the passage considerably smoother. Over this article,
we’ll discuss how to survive those essential and unavoidable first three
weeks.
Research & Plan Ahead
Most people who fall by the wayside during the early days are those who
just dive into their keto diet head first. For ketosis to work, you need
to understand not just the physiological changes that your body will
experience but also – crucially – what foods must be drastically
reduced. Fortunately, there are vast amounts of resources which can
guide you on this. Starchy carbohydrates are obvious (rice, potato,
pasta, quinoa, etc) but others such as beans, legumes, and all sugar
based products (including alcohol) less so for those new to keto.
People who succeed with this diet will not just understand what they
need to do in order to succeed but will also time it appropriately. Most
people will feel ‘Keto Flu’ two or three days in which will cause
either mild or pretty severe side effects depending on your body
chemistry and luck. Usually it only lasts a couple of days but of
course, it is a bad idea for this to coincide with urgent deadlines or
significant dates. A lazy weekend is the best possible combination,
which is why many people choose to start their keto midweek.
Use Online Recipes & Resources
It can come as quite a shock after the first few days how difficult it
can be to eat properly with next to no carbohydrates on the menu.
Fortunately and thanks to the growing popularity of keto (because done
properly it really does work) there are huge amounts of resources
available. Keto recipes can be easily found online and it may be helpful
to look at keto forums on the likes of Reddit for support and advice.
It is evident that there are great tips out there you can use to remain
on your keto diet. But you are not limited to researching every little
bit of information separately about this topic, which can be quite
time-consuming.
One shortcut that I’m always recommending is to check out some programs
to determine which one will fit you best and begin on this life-changing
mission. You’ll have all the vital information packed in one place. In
no time at all, you will notice outcomes that other diets didn’t give
you and you’re going to feel and look incredible!
A highly popular program that provides you with many different easy
daily recipes as well as uncomplicatedly written information about the
keto diet.
Stock Up On Keto Friendly Foods
Cravings for carbs and sugar are near inevitable during the first three
weeks. While it may be impractical to remove all such products from your
pantry – after all not many people stay on keto long term anyway –
simply boxing them up and placing in a loft, garage or so forth helps
keep them out of arms reach.
Stocking up on keto approved foods ought to be the next step. The diet
depends on replacing a high carbohydrate intake with a high – and
unlimited – fat intake. Many people mix up keto with the protein-based
Atkins diet. While most people will eat plenty of meat with keto, the
objective is to do so with fattier cuts instead of an endless procession
of grilled chicken breasts. Oils are also an important addition to the
shopping list with coconut highly recommended unless you suffer from a
pre-existing cardiovascular complaint.
Understanding The Figures
One of the great aspects of keto is that unlike many diets there are
pretty reliable guidelines that if followed carefully will almost
certainly result in fat burning ketosis. As mentioned above, fat is king
and at least 70% of your daily calorific intake needs to come from
these sources. While it may sound a lot after the first three weeks this
can be lowered a little, but it essential to follow at the beginning.
Oils, plenty of cheese, butter, fatty meats/fish, and plenty of eggs
(fried) are all recommended to achieve this. One good tip is natural
peanut butter with no added sugar as it contains not just masses of fat
and calories but also lots of fiber. Why is fiber important? Simply
because in the case of peanut butter the fiber can reduce the impact of
the carbohydrates from the peanuts.
During the first three weeks of keto, carbohydrates must be kept to no more than 25 net grams.
In order to follow this get used to precisely weighing food and
calculating from the nutritional information on packaging. All you need
to do is subtract the fiber content from the carbohydrate total. This
provides the net carb total – and while it may not be anywhere close to
what you normally eat, it does allow for a very slight increase on the
otherwise minuscule allowance.
As for protein, try to keep it no more than 25% although most people
tend to inevitably eat more than this to begin with due to the diet
being so restrictive. The reason why eating too much protein is
discouraged is that fat is a much richer energy source and too much
protein can make you feel slow and lacking energy. When the body feels
this way, the biological impulse is of course to crave carbs – and
nobody wants that!
Keep Your Electrolytes Up
One of the more problematic aspects of ketosis is that the kidneys will
naturally excrete considerably more water than usual. Needing to visit
the bathroom more frequently is a minor inconvenience, but the issue is
that the more water you pass the lower your electrolyte levels will
become. Salt and potassium deficiencies can lead to serious problems if
left unaddressed so be sure to drink lots of water, season food heavily
and eat plenty of potassium-rich green vegetables (avocados are also
good) that retain water. This solution is the most simple and natural,
but you may also wish to use sugar-free sports drinks reinforced with
additional electrolytes.
Cheating Is Disastrous
Three weeks may not sound like a long time but when entering ketosis
there are going to be times when you will crave sugar and carbohydrates.
All it takes is one can of soda to entirely withdraw your body from
ketosis. The problem, unfortunately, is that you cannot buy willpower in
tins, so if this is likely going to be an issue it may be advisable to
try different routes of support. Quite a good number of people who have
failed this way find eventual success by adopting mindfulness
techniques. Others tend to find it easier to attempt ketosis alongside
other people to share mutual support and encouragement. It really
depends on what is going to work for you.
Final Thoughts
Starting out on keto can be daunting at first but be assured that it
does get easier after the first three weeks. Once past that milestone,
many people look to adapt their eating to be a little more permissive
and few people choose to stay on it for long periods of time. In fact,
the more you practice going in ketosis the easier it will become to do
so successfully at appropriate times over the year. Whatever route you
choose to take long term, following the above pointers will go a long
way towards making keto work for you.
Good luck on your journey!
