What You Need to Know Before Starting Keto

Much like going vegan or vegetarian, deciding to improve your health with keto will take determination and some willpower. Can you do it? Of course, you can. Will it be challenging? YOU BET!

Before you get started, there are a few things you should know before diving headfirst into the keto pool.

#1. People will stare, make comments, and most will not accommodate your new lifestyle.

Most people will hear you’re doing keto and think, “Oh, that’s strange”. Don’t sweat it. Most people tend to look down on things they don’t understand, and keto is something that many people (even some people who are on it) don’t understand.

Most restaurants don’t list keto-friendly options as they do for vegetarian or gluten-free items. You will often find yourself in conversation with the server trying to figure what goes into each dish. 

#2. You will still need to count calories, do the math, and know what foods are good to go.

Just because you’re adhering to foods allowed in a Keto diet doesn’t mean you can go all out. Counting calories is still important in losing weight. Also, you will need to take plenty of time to educate yourself about which foods are low-carb and what is actually keto-friendly.

Keto isn’t the most casual diet, it takes plenty of awareness and effort. But if you put good in, you will certainly get good out.

#3. You can’t miss a day and you need to stay on top of it.

Keto works wonders, but it isn’t casual. Keto is a daily commitment. 

Keto works because by dropping carbs your body decides it needs to go into ketosis (fat-burning mode). This is when the body begins to sustain itself on fat reserves. This is a massive change for the body and it comes with a few side effects. 

If you skip a day or cheat your diet, your body will revert to normal. You will then have to start all over from the beginning, riding your body of excess carbs and sugars before your body will return to a state of ketosis. This means you’ll experience those cruddy “keto flu” symptoms again. 

#4. You will lose a lot of weight at first, and then weight loss will slow down – stick with it!

The weight will fall off in your first couple weeks of keto. While this is awesome, many people find that weight loss slows down after a while. This can lead to a severe lack of motivation or to people thinking the diet is no longer working. Stay on the course, and know that this is completely normal.

At first, you were losing mostly water weight. Later on, your body is beginning to burn those stubborn reserves of fat and that takes much more time.

#5. You will experience some side effects, commonly called the “keto flu”.

When your body transitions into ketosis you may experience some uncomfortable side effects. Typically, you can expect some headaches, nausea, irritability, diarrhea, sleeplessness, among other not-so-fun symptoms. This is to be expected when your body is going through a drastic change.

You can mitigate the effects of the “keto flu” by taking supplements (to make up for the lack of vitamins you’re missing in your new diet) and upping your electrolyte intake. Also, staying hydrated, exercising, and making sure you get enough sleep can also reduce the intensity of the symptoms. 

#6. Meal planning and cooking will become part of your lifestyle.

This is by no means a bad thing. Cooking is an essential life skill everyone should spend time cultivating. However, it’s important to know that you will need to make sure you schedule enough time to go to the grocery store and prep your own meals. 

Cooking quality, delicious meals isn’t easy at first. But with a little practice and a really good diet plan, you’ll begin to appreciate your own meals more than anything you can find at a store or restaurant. Plus, it just feels good to say “I made this”.

Conclusion: Keto isn’t easy, but it will be WORTH IT

You will lose weight on keto. It’s not easy, it will be difficult at times, but if you follow through with the process you will see some weight loss. Not only that, but you will also feel more energized, have more mental clarity, and become a much healthier individual.