How to start a keto diet - action plan and useful tips

So, your first week on Keto.

Well, if you are determined to switch to a ketogenic diet, then now there is only one step left to take: move from words to action.

Super combo: fasting plus keto diet

There are 2 ways to achieve a state of ketosis:

1. Starvation.
2. Eat in a way that maintains a state of ketosis (low carbs).

Many people who have tried this combination will tell you:

keto diet + intermittent fasting = great combination for weight loss.

How Intermittent Fasting Works:

1. Eat food only at certain times of the day.The most popular scheme is to skip breakfast and eat only during the “window” from 12:00 to 20:00.
2. From time to time, do a 24-hour fast: eat a full dinner, and then not eat a single calorie until the next dinner.Some people do this virtually every day.They call itMFDD (one meal a day - “warrior diet”).
3. Intermittent fasting affects men and women differently.And different people have different results.

When the body enters a state of starvation and there are no available sources of glucose for energy production, the liver begins to break down fat into ketones.Thus, fasting can induce ketosis.Fasting for some time before starting Keto can speed up the transition to the metabolic state of ketosis.Intermittent fasting during ketosis helps maintain this state.In simple terms, this combination looks like this: skip breakfast, do a fat-burning workout in a fasted state, and from 12:00 to 20:00 stick to the ketogenic menu.

Why is the combination of intermittent fasting and the keto diet effective?

Because sticking to a ketogenic diet, especially in the beginning, is quite difficult.Every time you consume food, there is a possibility of doing something wrong, accidentally eating the wrong foods, which will knock you out of ketosis.Plus, we all tend to overeat.So by eliminating one meal, you eliminate another chance to screw up.Why do you end up losing weight:

1. You skip one of your meals.
2. You almost completely eliminate one of the macronutrients - carbohydrates.
3. Plus there are additional effects that also play a positive role.

But everything is individual.Therefore, you need to decide what is best for you.If you can’t fast for a long time before starting a keto diet, then don’t worry - you can start Keto without first fasting.Some achieve results with one large meal a day, others follow the 16/8 intermittent fasting plan, and there are others who eat several times during the day.It all comes down to the total amount of calories and carbohydrates you consume and how difficult it is for you to regulate them.

The keto diet should work for you, not the other way around!

How to Avoid Keto Flu and Other Negative Effects

Now, here's the bad news: While being in ketosis is beneficial for the body in many ways, you may feel pretty lousy at first.May appear: lethargy, absent-mindedness, irritability, weakness.The period when the body enters ketosis is quite a big shock to the entire system, especially if you previously consumed a lot of carbohydrates.It may be accompanied by flu-like side effects:

• muscle pain;
• fatigue;
• headaches;
• indigestion;
• insomnia and others.

But ketosis is not what causes this condition.Keto flu actually comes from cutting out carbohydrates.The body may become overly dependent on them and find it difficult to cope with their contraction.It takes time for the body to become “keto-adapted.”

Look at it this way: our body is a spoiled baby that has been safely fed candy and soda for the past few years.And suddenly they tell him: “There will be no more candy or soda.You'll eat broccoli and chicken like a big boy."What will be the reaction?

Extremely negative: attacks of anger, mood swings, crying and indignation from lack of sugar.

In the long run, this child will end up much better off with these changes, but it will take some time.This carbohydrate “withdrawal” can be so dramatic in some people that it knocks them out for days and they eventually give up and give up, ending their love affair with the ketogenic diet prematurely.The person returns to tasty high-carbohydrate foods.It’s not for nothing that Keto tops the ranking of the most difficult diets.The main reason is this: people give it up quickly because they find it difficult to stick to the ketogenic diet long term.

How to deal with the keto flu?

Flu-like symptoms and headaches initially appear due to dehydration, fat adaptation and electrolyte imbalance.When you eliminate carbohydrates from your diet, you also reduce your intake of certain minerals:

• Sodium.
• Magnesium.
• Potassium.

Therefore, you need to specifically add them to your diet.

How to do this?

As for sodium, you can simply add table salt to your food, but for potassium and magnesium you need to eat more kale and other vegetables, avocados and nuts.In any case, vitamin and mineral complexes can come to the rescue.Many people have noted that adding plenty of fluids and minerals in the first weeks makes the adjustment process much more tolerable.

Starting a keto diet

Now we will discuss the step-by-step action plan:

1. Take a photo, weigh yourself and measure your waist circumference.
   These will be your baseline indicators.The so-called “BEFORE” state.
   Take front and profile photos.You don't need to look at them often or share them with anyone, but soon these photos will interest you.One hundred percent guarantee.
   You can also write down your weight and any measurements you want (waist, hip, neck).
   Write this information down and keep it secret.
2. Calculate the calories and BJU you need (proteins, fats and carbohydrates).Although there is no need to count carbohydrates - by definition, they should be less than 50 grams per day.You can do all other calculations yourself using a calculator.
   Record your results:calories, carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
3. Go shopping for keto foods.Look at their list and choose those that you like and which will be less hassle.Keep keto snacks and desserts on hand at all times for those “I’ve had enough, burn it all to hell” situations.
4. Think about the fact that in the first days and weeks you will lack sodium, potassium and calcium.Supplementing with these minerals helps a lot at the very beginning of Keto when you are going through the keto flu stage.You can also ask your pharmacy for test strips to determine ketones in urine.This way, you can ensure that you are truly in a state of ketosis.This also helps keep you motivated.
5. Do you often eat out and love fast food?Most restaurants and food establishments publish information about their dishes online.Check everything: dishes, seasonings, and sauces.If you're not sure, don't eat.One more nuance.Many people find it difficult to tolerate the absence of bread in their diet - it contains too many carbohydrates.This problem can be solved: at home you can prepare keto bread based on almond and coconut flour.
6. Tell someone.The biggest challenge with the keto diet is simply sticking to it consistently.You can talk to a loved one or friend and invite them to your support team.Or send them this article and encourage them to try Keto with you.This way they won't let you shirk, you'll have someone to report to!
7. Try starting the week with a short fast.This will be a psychological and physiological test.Consider skipping breakfast tomorrow - you'll have one less meal to prepare, plus you'll be less likely to eat carbs, plus you'll reach a state of ketosis quickly!
8. Throughout the week, focus on big wins.Allow yourself to mope a little -Keto flu really existsgiving up carbohydrates is difficult, and your body will hate you at first:
   Drink plenty of water and take electrolytes—potassium, calcium, and sodium—if you get headaches.Add more salt to your meals and focus on eating more leafy greens (kale, broccoli, spinach) to restore electrolyte balance.
   Rely on your support group.Talk to those who have already been in this situation, ask questions, share your feelings!
   Eat keto salads and snacks when the going gets tough.It's better to eat a few snacks and overindulge on calories than to make yourself miserable and give up completely.
   Keep track of every meal, every dish - this is very important in the first week, as you will have to absorb quite a lot of information about different foods.
   Do what you can - you may miss one meal or realize you accidentally ate carbs.
   It's not the end of the world!
   Forgive yourself, learn your lesson, and get back to Keto with your next meal.
9. Continue or adjust.Depending on your body, your environment, how you used to eat before and your physiology, this first week will be either“by the way, it’s not that bad!”or“What a disgusting thing this ketogenic diet is!”
   Either way, you will learn something.Most Desired Outcome: Stick through the full 30 days and see how your body reacts as it comes out of the keto flu stage.
10. At the end of the month, take another photo, measure your waist circumference, weigh yourself and compare them with your original “BEFORE” measurements.

Feeling better?

Looking better?

Did you enjoy the process?

If the answer is: “Yes, everything is fine.”— Continue the ketogenic diet.

Well, what if the answer is: “No, it’s disgusting.”- Well then!You have found a method that does not suit you.A negative result is also a result.

Is it possible to exercise on a keto diet?

What to do if you not only want to lose weight, but also look good at the same time.Let's look at what happens to our body during cardio or strength training.It's possible that you won't be able to do much for the first few weeks.As experts say:

Physical performance is significantly reduced after one week on a ketogenic diet.However, performance levels are restored in approximately 6 weeks, but sometimes it may take longer.

There is no final verdict on this matter yet.Depending on your activity level, reducing your carbohydrate intake can have a big impact on your performance.But there are many completely opposite results.

Strength training

If you do not consume carbohydrates, then muscle glycogen reserves will dry up very quickly during strength training.

Will the training itself suffer from this?

Good question.Quite possible.

Does the body's reliance on glycogen stores change during strength training when eating on a keto protocol?Do you need less glycogen, or are its reserves replenished in some other way?

Very possible.No one knows 100%; this issue is still being studied.Many studies have found that the keto diet not only does not reduce performance, but also has a positive effect on strength training.

Now, one more thing - this is not an ironclad rule, and your results may vary.There have been a number of studies that show that you can do weight training or CrossFit while on a keto diet and not lose muscle mass.Other studies show the opposite.What does it mean...

Everything is individual - no two snowflakes are alike.Make sure your trial period is long enough that you are past the keto flu phase and the decline phase.Then you will get an exact answer as to what effect Keto has on you.

Also: unless you're a professional athlete, this probably isn't that big of a deal!When someone reaches a low enough body fat percentage, it will negatively impact athletic performance.But it doesn’t stop people who strive to achieve the ideal contours of their stomach and waist!

Endurance training

Is Keto good for runners and cyclists?They traditionally consume large amounts of carbohydrates.

Perhaps not.

Our body can store no more than 1600-2000 calories of glucose (glycogen), but the body can store 40,000+ calories of fat.So, instead of constantly consuming gels and snacks to keep your glucose levels high, what happens if you switch to a keto-adapted regimen and start eating fat?

What does science say about this?:

Previous experiments suggested that a moderate-carbohydrate diet improves endurance by increasing muscle glycogen concentrations, but newer research seems to lean more toward Keto.

The ketogenic diet has been tested on ultramarathoners and triathletes, and in all cases, ketosis resulted in improved body composition and some of the highest fat burning rates ever recorded!

A 2016 study looked at 20 ultramarathoners andtriathletes,half of whom were on a fat-adapted diet for 6 months, and the remaining 10 were on a traditional carbohydrate-focused diet.

Results:

• The level of load in both groups was the same - running for 3 hours.
• In the keto group, the rate of fat oxidation was 2.3 times higher than in the carbohydrate group, with an average of 1.5 grams per minute.
• There were no significant differences in glycogen concentrations before or after the study.

Just like with strength training, this may work for you.Or maybe you will be in a better position on a carbohydrate diet.After a few months on a ketogenic diet, you will be able to understand and decide what suits you best.

Unless you're an elite professional athlete, this shouldn't be a concern - eat a diet that helps you look and feel great, then base your training on the previous day's results!

What if you just want to look better?

For weight loss, 80% of success depends on dietary changes.And physical exercise will help improve your health and build a body that you can look at in the mirror with pride.

So watch your training, watch your nutrition and work on getting a little better - run one second faster, do one more rep, lift another 1-2 kilos, etc. Compare yourself to your past self.

Researchers often focus on short-term ketosis (a few days or weeks).It may lead to adverse results in athletes who are not yet fully adapted to the ketogenic diet.The benefits of Keto may vary depending on your physiology.

So who cares if you lift 2-3 kilos less!If Keto works for you and you look and feel much better, then just continue, don’t change anything.

To try the keto diet in combination with strength training, follow these guidelines:

1. Give your body 2-4 weeks to adapt to ketosis.
2. Make sure your body gets enough minerals and water.
3. Eat enough protein to help your muscles recover quickly.
4. See how your body reacts - change the load as needed.

And the ketogenic diet will start working for you!Although, it is possible that not!

Well, and most importantly:

Stay healthy