3 Tips for Getting Started with Keto
In January 2020 I made the decision to take control of my health and I jumped onto the Keto bandwagon.
I was inspired by my Mom, who worked hard, found creative alternatives, and lost a significant amount of weight the summer before- amidst the temptations of summer and lake treats. She spent a great deal of time talking with me, and sharing what she had learned.
I found a website that helped calculate your macros, downloaded an app to help me track (I chose the free version of MyFitness Pal and continue to use the free version to this day). I loaded my goals for my calorie, fat, protein, and carb intake into my profile and started to track daily.
I had significant successes between January 2020 and March of 2020, and then I hit a bit of a stall.
In April 2020 I joined a Keto Club for additional learning and support through an incredible coach Kalli Youngstrom. with KY Wellness My time with Kalli was absolutely invaluable. She helped me modify my macros and provided a significant amount of guidance and learning to help support my keto journey, always with the aim of ensuring I had all the tools I would need at the end of our time to continue living a ketogenic lifestyle – with or without her immediate guidance. Kalli takes a small group of clients every two months and provides fantastic viritual group coaching. If you are looking at starting a ketogenic lifestyle and want some additional structure and support I HIGHLY recommend reaching out to Kalli! If a coach, or other external supports aren’t available to you, here are my top three (3) to help you get started on the right foot.
PLAN and PREP
One of the most useful tips I can possibly provide is to plan for success. The first week, even the first few weeks, can be a bit tricky as you are trying to navigate a new way of preparing, cooking, and eating your meals. Having keto friendly recipes ready to cook, with the keto friendly groceries and snacks purchased makes a significant difference.
And this doesn’t NEED to be complicated. If you look around your kitchen and pantry you probably already have quite a few of the staples you’ll need to start making keto friendly meals.
2. DITCH THE JUNK
This one was hard in our household. I have a husband and kids who are NOT eating keto. And I wasn’t going to take away the things they enjoy because my willpower has a tendency to be lackluster on the best of days. Our compromise was that all of the sugary “treats” got put into a box with a lid, and put on top of our fridge. Visually it helped me because I couldn’t see any of the tempting things. Removing all of the temptations from our cupboard made it easier to resist mindless snacking.
3. HYDRATE TO HECK
Drink water. Drink lots and lots of water. A trick I learned through coaching was to drink an electrolyte supplement. Gatorade or PowerAde without sugar can help. When I fell off the wagon and had to get back on again I chose to use a BCAA supplement with Exogenous Ketones to help my body re-adjust to a different way of eating – both of those things definitely are NOT a necessity, but they were a nice to have. This tip should help you avoid, or at least minimize, the dreaded “keto flu”.
For me, I chose to make keto part of my lifestyle. Over the last year and a bit I have found some amazing swaps and recipes that have made keto a sustainable (and delicious) long term option. I even wow’ed my husband on Valentines Day with a homemade keto cheesecake that he praised as better than restaurant quality! That’s not to say that I haven’t had some slip-ups, or faced some challenges, but overall I’ve fallen in love with how my body feels when on keto, and plan to keep on keto on for the foreseeable future!