The number one question we are asked about our weight loss and our commitment to the keto lifestyle is, “How do start keto?” This is a five part series that answers that question.
Part 1 is about finding your motivation. For Bill and I, the motivation was his health. He was told that he needed to do keto or face the rest of his life (shortened life) with medical issues. Part 2 talks about the research we did to discover how we wanted to get started on keto. Part 3 is all about preparing for the switch to the keto way of life. All that’s left is to just do it!
When you are set to start keto, you need to decide if you are going to quit the high-carb life cold turkey, or if you’re going to ease yourself into it. Many experts say you should do it over a 3-4 week process to let your body adjust and ensure it doesn’t panic and start fighting back. They suggest that the keto flu is an indication that you are going to fast for your body. Their advice is to cut back on carbs and gradually add fat until you are at the ideal macros. That is certainly one way of doing it.
Is the Best Way to Start Keto Cold Turkey?
Bill and I went cold turkey. One day we ate bread, the next day we ate avocados. Did it upset our bodies? Yes. Did we experience the keto flu? Yes. Was it the best decision for us? I think it was. We are the kind of people who love food. We were addicted to sugar, and we turned to food for comfort. By going slowly, I think it would have prolonged our cravings and made it harder for us to stick to the new way of eating. We are also “get it done” kind of people, so if we were going to do it, we wanted to do it. It was the right choice for us. That doesn’t mean it is the right choice for everyone.
As you begin keto, there are a few things you should do. One is to do your measurements. You will notice I do not say weigh yourself. Weight is a very subjective thing and your body is fickle. You will lose water weight at first, and you’ll be excited that things are happening. Then, your body has to start burning fat, and it takes a bit longer. If you are a woman, and you are doing this with a male support person, you will likely lose weight slower than he will. And depending on your age and hormones, your weight will fluctuate. Measurements don’t lie. The scale can be detrimental to your success.
Checking Ketones and Tracking Macros
You should check your ketone levels regularly. We checked them once a week when we started out. We used urine strips. Now, many experts say that they don’t work, and they certainly don’t give accurate levels. We were never worried about the levels of ketones we were producing. We just wanted to know if we were producing them or not.
The idea of pricking my finger every Saturday morning to check my levels just was not appealing to me. The blood tests are also more expensive. The breath testers are pretty accurate, but again, they are more expensive. So, we bought a few urine strips. After we were consistently in ketosis for about 4 months, we stopped using them. We bought one bottle and didn’t use all the strips.
Finally, you need to be tracking what you eat. Yes, it’s a pain, but it’s necessary at first. You at least need to track your carbs, so you don’t go over. We had a limit of 20 grams of carbs, and we usually had a few grams left at the end of the day, so we knew we were doing well. You should also track your fat intake.
You Have to Start Keto To Benefit from Keto
Many of us grew up eating low-fat foods and being afraid to take in too much fat. It’s amazing how your brain keeps that information and you think you are taking in more than you actually are. If you want to be in ketosis, you need to feed your body fat. So make sure the macros are where they should be.
Then, just get through the first few weeks. You may feel tired or have brain fog, feel dizzy, or feel nauseous. That’s what they call the “keto flu” and it does go away. It’s just your body withdrawing from the carbs and sugar. Once your body flips into burning fat, you are on your way to all the benefits! And that’s our final topic in this series. Stay tuned for Part 5 – enjoying the benefits!
Wendy
