Tips for starting a keto diet

By now I’m sure you’ve all heard about the “keto” diet. Let me tell you that staying on this diet can be hard especially with the keto flu and cravings. The first time I did keto I got sick and thought there was something seriously wrong, but actually it was the keto flu. A few months later a friend who had been doing it for over a year, and had lost a hundred pounds, gave me a few pointers and articles to help me. I was able to stick with it for 6 weeks with great results and I am now on the diet for the third time and I plan on doing it for three weeks this time.

I would suggest that you start by looking keto flu and researching what it is and how to combat it. Next would be to really investigate whether the keto diet is the one for you or not. If you decide to give it a try, I would recommend a site called Kiss My Keto (https://www.kissmyketo.com/). They are one of my favorite sites with advice and a ton of keto friendly products… especially snacks! You see, keto isn’t simply cutting out bread or carbs, it’s far more complex than that. If you want to be successful, you need to focus on the long-term goals. You will lose weight on keto, but you’ll also have crazy cravings afterwards which can make it hard to keep the weight off.

Next, set a small goal to start with, like a few weeks, a month or even six weeks. Make it something that you feel confident you can stick with so that you can have that sense of accomplishment at the end. Achieving small goals can really boost your confidence, especially if you are used to failing at changing your lifestyle in the past. Put the effort in to prepare yourself properly. Make sure that you have keto friendly condiments in your kitchen, like the ranch dressing and others from Primal Kitchen. You can get raw cacao powder, monk fruit sugar, stevia, almond flour, coconut flour – and if you are as adventurous as I am, even cricket flour!

Also invest in some snacks. Kiss My Keto has some great options, but you can also get Atkins bars to help curb your hunger. Other great options include nuts, cottage cheese or ricotta cheese. Breyers ice cream has some low carb ice cream which is great for keto. Avocados and brewer’s yeast are fantastic too, as are celery and almond butter.

Also invest in some amino acids from Trader Joe’s or health food stores and ensure that you have plenty of fluids rich in electrolytes to help rehydrate you during the “keto flu” stage.

Getting good supplies and snacks is the best foundation. Replacing electrolytes will help you to feel better quicker and then, on top of all that, ensure that you are walking for at least 30 minutes and day and getting a good night’s sleep every night.

Personally, I usually eat some eggs with a meat and some good veggies in the morning, but a good coffee with bone broth cacao and coconut oil, plus a little cinnamon and some heavy whipping cream acts as a great snack or pre-breakfast treat to tide me over until I can eat.

For me, keto is about displaying my body, training it to process fat and setting a goal that I can say I achieved. I like losing weight, but dieting isn’t only about looking good. To me it’s about health and feeling good first. Comfort foods only made me feel good for a short period of time and then added to my depression. When I eat healthy and change up my diet I find that I have so much more energy and my mood is significantly improved in my day, which in turn enables me to produce more amazing quality art or to help a friend or to work more. And sometimes, just to be able to truly relax at the spa and enjoy it.