How Do I Start Keto Diet? [7 ways to dive in]

Are you wondering what the best way to start a keto diet is?

Have you been perusing content on the internet and wondering how you can start a keto diet? Maybe you’ve found this article on your search? If so, I am glad! In this post, I will answer your question, ” How Do I Start a Keto Diet?” Overall, it seems as if there are many questions out there on how to start a keto diet. I am here to tell you that it does not have to be complicated! The first thing I want you to do is to think about a keto diet as a lifestyle and not a diet per se. Overall, if you look at it like that, you will find that starting a keto diet is a lot easier!

How do you start a ketogenic diet for beginners?

Alright, so before I dive in and give you seven ways to start a keto diet, I will answer some common questions related to keto. Afterward, I will go through the seven ways that you can dive into a keto diet. These methods that I mention have helped me, so I look forward to imparting you with my knowledge.

How long does it take to start losing weight on keto?

This question seems to come up a lot, and the answer seems to vary from person to person. The first thing I will tell you about this answer is this; if you are doing a strict keto and limiting your total or net carbs to under 20 grams total per day, then you will see the weight come off a lot faster. In general, doctors who use low carb and ketogenic diets in their clinics say that a reasonable weight loss is about 1-2 lbs per week. However, this all depends on your starting weight and your starting body fat percentage. Or in other words, if you have more to lose then, then the higher amount that will come off¹.

What is the correct way to do keto?

Overall, there are several renditions of the keto diet. The amount of carbs you consume is all dependent on your body type. In other words, some people can get into ketosis easier than others. Let me give you an example. Let’s say that you’re eating around 30 net carbs per day, and you have a friend who decides to join you and eat 30 net carbs per day. You notice that after doing this amount of carbs, you go into ketosis within two days. However, your friend is not in ketosis yet, and wonders why since she is also eating 30 net carbs.

In this scenario, It is not that your friend is doing keto incorrectly (or sneaking in carbs behind your back). It just may be that she has a different metabolism. In other words, she needs to consume fewer carbs for her to get into ketosis. In fact, in this scenario, it would probably be best for both of you to aim to consume 20 net carbs per day or less. This way, you and your friend can go into ketosis together.

Once you and your friend have been doing 20 net carbs per day for a week or two, then you both may find that you can slowly increase your carbs to around 30 net carbs per day. If you both stay in ketosis and maintain good energy levels, then you can stay around 30 net carbs per day. However, if both of you (or one of you) find that you have more energy doing 20-25 net carbs per day, then you would decrease your carbs back to that range. The bottom line is this: you will know when you are in your sweet spot when you are maintaining therapeutic ketosis (0.5-1.5 mmol/L), losing weight, and keeping good energy levels.

Even if you are someone that can go up to 40-50 net carbs per day and maintain therapeutic ketosis( in the range mentioned above), then do that! As I said, everyone is different! However, keeping your carbs low around 20 net carbs(or total carbs if you like) is the best place to be sure that you, your friend, or even your mother get into ketosis.

Monitoring your keto diet

So how do I recommend you track your keto diet? I have two suitable devices for both. The best way to keep track of your net carb intake is via Cronometer. When it comes to measuring your ketones, then I would choose a Keto-Mojo meter. Both are excellent ways of monitoring your keto diet! I like Cronometer because it has different settings for your keto diet. I love the Keto-Mojo meter because it monitors your ketones via blood, which is the most accurate way to check ketosis.

Let’s go back to talking about Cronometer for a minute. If you want to be very aggressive with keto, you would choose the rigorous setting, putting you at 20 net carbs or less. However, if you wanted a more moderate approach on Cronometer, then you would choose to stay 40 net carbs or less. Remember, if you are starting on keto, it is probably best to start off on the rigorous keto setting. If you want to read more about tracking your keto diet, then please refer to my Keto Biometrics 1 and Keto Biometrics 2 posts for more information. I also have an article on ketosis here.

Seven ways to dive into a keto diet!

So now that I’ve answered a few questions let’s dive in on “how do I start a keto diet?” If you are a beginner and searching for the best time and way to start a keto diet, this should help out. I have found that these seven ways to be beneficial for me, so let me help YOU.

Way #1- Review a keto diet food list

When pondering, “how do I start a keto diet?” you should always look extensively over a keto diet food list. When you are reviewing this list, you need to figure out what you will need and what you will throw out. Some of you may not be able to part with an entire pantry sweep. In those situations, I always recommend slowly integrating keto to avoid it being too stressful for you.

Let me give you an example. Let’s say that you’ve reviewed the entire keto food list but aren’t ready to give up your rice yet. The good news is that you don’t have to throw out your rice. You can save this for when you start keto-carb cycling. The important thing when starting keto is to focus on making your produce and meats keto-friendly. Any dry goods can stay visible in your pantry. If you find that these dry goods are tempting you, then hide them.

Stick to 20 net/total carbs or less to be sure you go into ketosis

As I said above, if you want to ensure that you go into ketosis, then I would recommend that you keep your total or net carbs 20 or under per day ( as long as you stay in ketosis you could always slowly increase your carbs). So when you are reviewing your keto diet food list, make sure you pick the foods that will help you meet this goal. I have a Keto Pantry post that you can review if you are stumped about which foods to pick.

When you look at this list, I want you to focus on foods like vegetables, low-carb fruit(sparingly), and meats. On the keto pantry, I have also listed some keto treats. Even though the treats are on there, it would be best if you can try to avoid those initially for at least 30 days. However, if you find that you can still stay in ketosis and still include a treat here and there, then that is fine. Remember there is no one size fits all keto diet and everyone’s metabolisms are different!

Way #2- Learn to balance your emotions( tend to your Chakras)

Before starting keto, it is crucial to get your emotions in check. Here at HKG, we emphasize chakra balance to be compliant and start a keto diet. I know this is easier said than done, so that is why I have podcasts that are devoted to each one of your chakras. If you are unfamiliar with your chakras, then you can start with my very first podcast called keto diet and chakra balance for your health. In this podcast, I go about how the two tend to go hand in hand.

Chakra Overview

Let me give you a brief overview of the chakras. When you think of a chakra, I want you to picture seven spinning wheels of energy. In each one of these wheels, there are emotions and physical symptoms that control their functioning. Let me give you an example of one of them. Let’s start with the Root Chakra. The Root Chakra is all about feeling safe in your environment and trusting those around you. If this chakra is out of balance, you may lack trust in situations, live in fear, and feel insecure about life in general. If you harbor these feelings for a protracted period and don’t do anything about them, you can develop arthritis, rectal tumors, etc.

The Root Chakra is just one of the seven chakra centers. So as I said, each chakra center has specific characteristics that apply to each of them. Overall, it would be very difficult to start keto if your chakras are out of balance. So, it is in your best interest to learn as much about them before taking the keto plunge.

Way #3- Improve your sleep

Sleep equals diet success

Sleep is so crucial for starting or maintaining a keto diet. I have found that when I don’t sleep well, I am much hungrier. A lack of sleep has been found to trigger increased levels of ghrelin and decreased levels of leptin, leading to increased hunger and appetite².

If you don’t sleep, then you will want to eat any and everything! Anytime I have lost sleep, I have found that it is challenging for me to follow any dietary regimen. It seems that junk food is way more appealing! I remember trying to diet after the birth of my kids and thinking, ” I don’t feel like eating healthy.” For the first few months, I was so sleep-deprived after childbirth, the last thing I thought of was starting a diet. Fortunately, I eventually caught up on sleep and got on the bandwagon!

Chilipad is my lifesaver when it comes to a Keto Diet

Since we are on the topic of sleep, I will talk about what has helped me gain extra Z’s. Last year, upon recommendation of a friend, I purchased a Chilipad. Before having this Chilipad, I woke up hot in the middle of the night, and I found that my sleep continuity(my ability to stay asleep) was poor. After I got my Chilipad, I found that my sleep improved drastically. Not only that so did my electric bill. Hallelujah! It was a WIN for me!

Sleep hygiene

Lastly, when it comes to sleep, I want to mention sleep hygiene. If you’ve been having difficulty sleeping, then improving your sleep hygiene may help you a lot as well. When I talk about sleep health, I want to mention some crucial steps to help improve your night’s sleep. Here are some things that may help:

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Go to bed at the same time every night
Avoid electronic devices a few hours before bedtime
Take a warm bath prior to bedtime
Avoid any caffeine in the afternoon
Avoid any alcohol intake before bedtime [/callout]

Way #4- Take on a fast before starting

Alright, there is not a better way to start keto and get your metabolism into fat-burning mode than with a good fast. If you can do a fast and get clearance from a health care provider, I would recommend doing a 36- hour fast before starting keto. In this fast, you can get those ketones revved up. After you are done with the fast, you will be motivated to stick to ketosis because of all of the energy you have created.

Now, if you aren’t someone who can do a 36-hour fast, that is okay. You can start keto by taking on a 13 hour fast. Do whatever you can. Even if you can’t do any fasting, then that should not delay you from starting keto. Let’s face it, sometimes all we can do is all we can do.

Way #5-Do not start if you are having a stressful event

Nothing is worse than starting keto during a stressful event. If you have difficulty and a lot of stress in your life, choose to begin keto after the event has passed. Chances are your metabolism is already revved due to the life change, and you may be losing weight from the stress.

It is essential to give yourself time to allow this to pass and then implement keto into your life. Taking this critical advice will benefit you in a lot of ways.

Way #6- Start during an optimal time of your cycle

Alright, so if you are a menstruating woman and reading this, then take heed not to start a keto diet during your PMS time. By this, I mean it is not advantageous for you to start keto for about seven days before your period. Why is this?? Well, this is a time where you can blame unruly hormones for not being able to start a keto diet. It turns out there are actual physiological symptoms that are associated with an increased craving for carbs during our menstrual cycles.

So during your PMS time, you can blame three hormones; estrogen, serotonin, and cortisol. It just so happens that you will experience a fluctuation of these hormones prior to your menstrual period. What does this mean? It means that you will crave lots and lots of carbs! Now, I am not saying you should indulge in those bad carbs, but I am saying that you should not start a keto diet during this time.

So when do you start a keto diet? It is best to start it during your follicular phase or between days 2 or 3 of your cycle. Yes, that means starting it on the second or third day after you start bleeding. If you don’t want to start it while you are bleeding, you can wait until your bleeding stops and start keto.

Now, if you are perimenopausal or do not have periods at all, this can be different. What I will say is this. Find a time when you are feeling the best and then start keto. It is best to choose a time where you have the most energy and feel the best good.

Way #7- Take a break from exercise( if you have to) when starting keto

Alright, so last, I will mention exercise and keto. Can I recommend something? If you are on an intense exercise regimen, I recommend scaling back when you start keto. Why is this? Well, because you will find that cutting back on the carbs will make it hard at first to participate in those rigorous exercises. The good news is this is only at first until you are fat-adapted or for at least 30 days. After you have been on keto for the first 30 days, you can add those exercises back in again.

Until then, you can do light exercise if you want, such as restorative yoga or even walking. It is important not to overexert yourself, or else you won’t feel like doing keto. Trust me on this one!

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I am glad you are here learning about,” how do I start the keto diet?” I have found the keto diet to be very rejuvenating and wonderful for not only weight loss but chakra balance too. If this concept is new to you, then I am going to encourage you to review my podcast, Keto Diet and Chakra Balance for you.

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If you like this article and want to learn more about the keto diet and chakra balance for your health, then please sign up for my email list. I am excited to send you information on the keto diet and chakra balance. I would love to have you a part of my tribe!

Namaste!

[toggle title = “References”]
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Berger, A. (2020). The Stall Slayer,Gutsy Badger Publishing, Cheyenne, WY¹
Spiegel K, Tasali E, Penev P, Van Cauter E. Brief communication: Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite. Ann Intern Med. 2004 Dec 7;141(11):846-50. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-141-11-200412070-00008. PMID: 15583226²
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