The keto diet is something that you have surely heard of. The goal of this diet is to help you reach a metabolic state in which your body will burn fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. If you haven’t tried this before, the keto diet for beginners is a great way to start!
Following this diet, you are required to eat food high in fat, some types of the keto diet can be restrictive and some need to be done with consultation with a dietitian. However, you can start with the less restrictive type of keto diet for beginners and you will be able to choose more different foods and have a great balance of macronutrients.
From the keto diet plan, you will get adequate amounts of fiber from vegetables, around forty grams of carbs or less per day, and moderate protein. Additionally, sixty-five percent of your daily calories will come from healthy fats.
If you are someone who wants to try it out, we are here to give you some tips for beginners. Therefore, you will see how easy this can be.
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Keto diet plan for beginners – what to do?
Before you decide to follow any diet you have to make some choices and decisions about changing your routine or at least, some parts of it. You need to figure out the best way to include your new diet in your everyday life. Here are some things that you need to pay attention to before you start a Keto diet for beginners:
1. Decrease stress as much as possible.
This is something that is easy to say, but, probably not easily done. When our levels of stress are high, the hormone cortisol will elevate our blood sugar levels. That can get in the way of achieving ketosis.
If you have a lot of stressful situations in your job or personal life, it may be difficult for you and the results may not be visible following this diet. However, you might try to reduce stress by exercising regularly, trying yoga or meditation, and getting more sleep. It would be great if you could have seven to nine hours of sleep.
2. Increase your training.
Increasing your activity level is important for any diet and it can help you reach your weight loss goals. Exercising regularly while you follow a keto diet can help you achieve ketosis faster. The keto diet and exercise go together very well.
Therefore, the transition into a high-fat, low-carb lifestyle will happen faster. This is because, in ketosis, your body will get rid of glucose, and the more often your train, the faster will your body use glycogen stores before it turns to fat for energy.
To clarify, make sure that your training goes well with your everyday activities, too. It can happen that you feel a little bit unenergetic when you start this diet, so just ease into a new workout routine and adapt to the intensity.
3. Eat more vegetables and decrease carbs.
As previously mentioned, to reach ketosis you need to eat a low-carb diet. However, low carb means no carbs at all. Limiting your carbs to 20-40 grams per day and eating a lot of vegetables will make sure that you are getting all the necessary fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
Make sure that you are eating nonstarchy, nutrient-dense vegetables like broccoli, spinach, kale, mushrooms, peppers, and asparagus. You can also use low-carb ingredients to make your favorite meals. For instance, in your favorite pasta dish, use zucchini noodles instead of regular ones.
4. Increase intake of healthy fats
The Keto diet will reduce carbs but increase your intake of healthy fat, which should be around sixty percent of your daily calories. Unlike other diets where you are advised to avoid fat, the keto diet requires you to choose healthy fats from quality animal and plant sources.
In this diet is important not to undereat fat and you should eat food like coconut, avocado, olive oil, eggs, nuts, cheese, and fish. If you notice that you are hungry between your meals, make sure that you are consuming enough healthy fats.
5. Keep your protein intake steady
To supply the liver with amino acids and make new glucose for organs and cells, the keto diet requires you to eat enough protein. When you don`t consume enough protein you can cause a loss of muscle mass. However, if you consume more than needed you can prevent ketosis.
Make sure that twenty to thirty percent of your diet is made up of protein. This way you will make sure that your muscle mass will not decrease and that your ketosis will be achieved and maintained.
6. Increase your hydration
The crucial thing that supports our metabolism and regular body functions is water. Low carb diet like keto can have a diuretic effect on the body and not consuming enough water can cause constipation.
Additionally, not drinking enough can cause dizziness and cravings. However, another thing that is crucial, along with the water, is getting electrolytes. You can do that by adding some broth or little extra salt to your food. Stay well hydrated especially when it is a hot day or you upped your exercise.
7. Keep your social life alive
When you start this diet, that doesn`t mean that all your meals have to be at home. You can still go out and socialize, just make smart choices by checking the menu ahead or asking for nutritional information at the restaurant.
Similarly, you can always stick to veggies and meat, or ask for a side salad instead of a starchy side like fries. Also, you can replace sugary condiments like ketchup or bbq sauce with mustard, hot sauce, ranch dressing, or butter.
Last but not least, meet your friends at keto-friendly restaurants and you will have a lot of variety of dishes to choose from. This way you will be less stressed about your diet. Even though you are changing some parts of your routine, you don`t have to change all of it.
Meal ideas and shopping list to help a beginner start a keto diet
Here are some simple and easy ideas that you can try. Remember to start small, there is no need to get stressed about it. Use these ideas to help you start, and fast you will figure out what works for you.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Breakfast can be pretty basic, something like bacon, eggs, and guacamole can be an easy and great start to your day. Instead of avocado, you can use broccoli or spinach that you can fry in bacon fat. Another idea is that you can boil eggs or fry them in butter. Pork bacon can be switched with turkey bacon or chicken sausages, for example.
Lunch can start with ground beef with zucchini and broccoli. Then, you can substitute beef with any other ground meat. For side vegetables, you can use asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and any other keto veggies. If you want you can add cheese to your salad or if you want dairy free lunch, you can use coconut cream instead.
Dinner can include a chicken salad. That is pretty simple and you can change it and switch it as you wish. You can use beef steak instead or chicken or any seafood, too. Use any sugar-free seasoning, but, curry powder will go great with that. However, you can use cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric, paprika, or oregano.
Snacks are important, especially at the beginning while you are still figuring out what your body needs. They can help you feel full and stay on track. They just need to be keto-friendly like nuts, cheese, ham, boiled eggs, kale chips, peanut butter, olives, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, and other.
Salt your food with pink, low sodium, or sea salt, because you need sodium, potassium, and magnesium (electrolytes that we might be missing).
Shopping list for beginners (and others)
Before you take a trip to the supermarket, check your pantry, freezer, and refrigerator. See if there is any leftover food that you can eat in the next few days, or that you can freeze and eat next week, or so. Here is a list of food that you can get that is keto-friendly. You decide about quantities depending on your appetite and portions.
Foods to buy:
- Avocados
- Tomato
- Cilantro
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Red onion
- Low sodium and pink salt
- Lemons and limes
- Olive, avocado, coconut oil
- Paprika
- Garlic
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Soya sauce
- Chili flakes
- Ground beef
- Cream cheese
- Thyme
- Cheddar cheese, gouda, or any hard cheese
- Ham
- Lettuce
- Mustard
- Curry powder
- White and black sesame seeds
- Peanut butter
- Chicken
- Salad mixes with vegetables like lettuce and baby spinach
- Erythritol or stevia
The final word
Our final advice to you is to start slowly, make a plan, and consult with a nutritionist or personal trainer, and you will make results in no time. We are here for all your concerns, of course.
Even though starting a new diet can be overwhelming at first, just remember that every beginning is challenging and that it doesn`t last forever. Fast you will get a hold of it and everything will get easier. Good luck with the Keto diet for beginners, and remember, you can do it!
