Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Please consult your doctor before beginning any new diet regiment.
Hello! I assume you are reading this because you have just started your keto diet or you’re about to dive in! Wherever you fit into that scenario, I want to share some tips with you as you get started.
I receive tons of emails and messages from keto newbies (that’s the official title, btw) asking me to help them and most people seem to have the same issues and questions. I thought it would be the most beneficial for y’all if I just typed up a post for everyone to refer to!
Be sure to check out the following posts as well (I have much more than food recipes on this website!):
No. 1- 7 Common Questions About the Keto Diet
No. 2- KETO-101
No. 3- KETO-102
No. 4- 7 Things I Learned in 60 Days on Keto
Question No. 1: I just started keto 2-3 weeks ago and I’m not loosing weight! What am I doing wrong?
Whoah, Nelly! Hold your horses! In order to start losing weight on keto, several things must happen first! Your body has to switch from a glucose burning state (normal) to a fat burning state (fat-adapated). This process happens slowly over a few weeks time, typically, but it can be different for every individual.
Your body must go through carbohydrate withdrawal first. It has to use up all of the extra glucose in your body and then realize it isn’t going to get glucose anymore before it will cooperate and burn fat (which is when weight loss kicks in).
If you have internal issues, or your body needs to heal something in ANY way, you might take longer to become fat adapted. The human body is a marvelous machine and there are always things going on behind the scenes that we can’t see or feel.
So, sit back, keep doing what you know you’re supposed to, and TRUST THE PROCESS!!!
Question No. 2: I lost 5 lbs my first week but now I’m up 1lb! What am I doing wrong?
Again, let’s step back a minute! Let’s think about what’s going on in your body…
Your body is in shock right now! You’ve (probably) been feeding it bread, pastas, sugar, sodas, and all other kinds of “normal” food and now you’ve quit cold turkey. You are going to experience some weightloss right off the bat, but sorry to burst your bubble, it’s not fat. It’s water and inflammation. You’re ridding your body of all the junk that it has stored up.
You didn’t put weight on over night so you can’t expect to lose it over night either…at least not until you’re fat adapted!
Also, you’re weighing yourself too much! Commit to stepping on the scale once a week and no more! Yes, I know this is challenging, especially if you’re Type A like me. But trust me when I say you do not want to fixate on the scale. It will frustrate you and distract you from the bigger goal…getting HEALTHY! If you stick to your macros, don’t sneak sugary and carby foods in, you WILL see weightloss by the end of the month. You just have to be patient!
Question No. 3: How do I calculate my macros? Am I eating enough? Help!!!
Okay, so this one is kind of convoluted. Learning to eat a ketogenic diet with the goal of getting into and staying in ketosis is…different…to say the least. You essentially have to undo everything you’ve ever learned about “healthy eating”.
I recommend everyone (especially women) get a copy of the book The Keto Diet by Leanne Vogel. (I’ve linked it to Amazon so you can order it right now! Seriously! You need this book) It is SO helpful and will really help you understand why and how your body works on keto. It also contains this nifty and easy to read chart that will help you determine your macros. There are calculators out there in the interwebs but they are not as easy to use.
Once you know your specific macros, download a fitness app and start tracking everything you put into your mouth. I’d even go as far to say plan your meals ahead of time!
At the end of the day, your keto journey is just that, YOUR KETO JOURNEY! Try not to fall into the comparison game trap. Just because your friend or someone on Instagram loses 10lbs their first 3 weeks doesn’t mean you will/should. Your keto might look completely different from your neighbor’s and that’s totally fine!
The best thing you can do is educate yourself on this way of eating and stick to the guidelines. Arm youself with the knoweldge and tools to succeed and I promise you will!
Congratulations on your choice to get healthy! Don’t forget to share this on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram! You can find me @keto_in_pearls across social media!
