keto health quest.
Free Keto Bread Recipe Book
20 delicious and easy to make keto bread recipes, for every palette.
click the button above to open the pdf in a new window, or right click the button and “save as” to your device
Getting Ready for the
Keto Diet
If you’ve decided it’s time to improve your health and body shape, congratulations! There are many great benefits to using the ketogenic diet and it will bring about many positive changes, both mental and physical. Let’s get this journey going!
Clearing Your Pantry
Although you may have lots of willpower, it does not make sense to be confronted with a kitchen full of tempting carbohydrates and sugars all the time.
Remove all these temptations by packing them in a box and donating it to a soup kitchen, a needy neighbor or a worthy cause. They will appreciate the gesture and it will give you a running start to your new keto lifestyle. If you have family sharing your space, get them involved if possible. If they don’t want to stop eating all those sugars and carbs, at least ask them to do so away from home. It’s not an unreasonable request.
Determine your Starting Weight
While you’re on the keto diet, you don’t need to live by watching the scale like a hawk. As you build up more muscles, you may in fact notice a slight initial gain in weight. That’s a good thing, so don’t worry about it.
It is however a good idea to know where you started. If your main purpose for starting the keto diet is to lose weight, you need to be able to keep track of your progress. Don’t however become the scale’s slave. It is enough to weigh-in occasionally, maybe once a week.
Doing Without Your Favorite Meals
You may have resisted starting on the keto way of life because you think that you will have to give up your favorite foods. The truth is however that for every dish you feel you can’t live without and love, including things like mashed potatoes and cheesecake, you’ll be able to find a low-carb alternative that’s just as tasty.
Let’s take a look at products at the store that claim to be “low carbohydrate.” Labels can be very deceiving, and only nutritional experts can really understand them. Unfortunately, it often happens that low carb products available off-the-shelf simply substitute sugar for carbs, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking they’re better for your health. Although you will need to learn to read labels with a diligence you’ve never used before, your best option is to steer clear from these products and focus on finding healthier substitutes. The same applies to anything labeled “low fat,” as these normally have added sugars.
Healthier substitutes are easy to find if you know how:
- If you absolutely crave a taco, simply use a lettuce wrap rather than a taco shell.
- Mashed potatoes and rice can be substituted easily by grating or ricing cauliflower. I’ll bet you won’t be able to tell the difference.
- Your favorite pasta dishes can easily be recreated by turning a zucchini into “zoodles” by using a spiral cutter or slicing it.
- You can even have your favorite dessert while on the keto diet simply by baking with almond flour and using avocado and/or unsweetened applesauce to create some sweet smoothness.
Learn all you can about coconut oil. It has incredible health benefits, especially for Type-2 diabetics, and can be used as a butter substitute in baking, frying, and sautéing. You’ll be able to enjoy all your favorite meals while on the keto diet, only better.
Staying Hydrated is Crucial to Success on the Keto Diet
As the keto diet has a tendency to decrease your insulin level, your kidneys will probably excrete more liquid than normally. Make sure you drink lots of water to compensate.
Condiments May Be Your Biggest Enemy
Assuming that condiments don’t count while on the keto diet would be a big mistake. Not all salad dressings are equal and ketchup for example contains lots of sugar. Read all the labels, and never go for “fat-free” versions as these merely substitute fat with sugar.
When eating out, ordering a salad is one of the better options, but be careful of the dressing that gets served with it. You could ask about the ingredients, but a better option may be to bring your own salad dressing. Don’t be embarrassed about doing that, even in a posh restaurant where the Maître d’ may have a fit when you pull salad dressing out of your bag. It is your body after all, and only you get to choose what you put in it.
Track Your Ketone Level
At the start of the keto diet, it’s especially important to always be aware of how your body responds to the diet. This can be done with a simple urine test, or by using a blood ketone meter. It is best to perform the test early in the morning.
Bear With Your Family and Friends
People close to you may not always understand what you’re trying to achieve. When eating in a group setting, they may subtly pressurize you by asking you to try a bite, or saying things like surely one slice of cake won’t make a difference. The worse one has to be, but I made it especially for you!
It will take determination to stay with your diet. Before you sit down to eat, it may help to fill up on snacks that are keto-friendly. You will be less tempted if you’ve enjoyed a leg of chicken, an avocado, or some nuts just before you eat.
You Can Celebrate
Festive occasions, especially with you being the guest of honor, can be a huge obstacle. When your fellow employees or your parents go to the trouble of getting you a cake for your birthday, it’s difficult to refuse. You can however be a bit sneaky and will probably get away with it.
You’re expected to gush over the offering, so do it. You can even help cut slices and hand them to others. At some stage, fake an irresistible urge for coffee, and verbalize it loudly and clearly. Extradite yourself from the center of attention to fetch coffee for yourself and anyone else. This will hopefully prevent anyone from noticing that you haven’t eaten anything.
Remove all these temptations by packing them in a box and donating it to a soup kitchen, a needy neighbor or a worthy cause. They will appreciate the gesture and it will give you a running start to your new keto lifestyle. If you have family sharing your space, get them involved if possible. If they don’t want to stop eating all those sugars and carbs, at least ask them to do so away from home. It’s not an unreasonable request.
Traveling While on the
Keto Diet
This can be a major challenge, but it can easily be overcome by some advanced preparation. Pack some tuna or anchovies for protein. Take your personal blender with some bananas and avocados for a few healthful, quick smoothies.
It may not be as difficult as you think to eat out. These days, most places, even fast-food outlets, have salads. When going to a restaurant, stick to vegetables and meat and skip the noodles and potatoes.
You’ll even be able to navigate the tricky maze typically found in a Chinese restaurant. Although rice should be avoided, there is still lots you can enjoy, including Mu Shu without the wrappers, stir-fried dishes, egg foo young, steamed fish with vegetables and clear soups. Ask the waiter to have your meal prepared without cornstarch which is often used as a thickener.
Even if you go to a fast food place that does not serve salads, simply get rid of the burger buns and only eat the meat. You can also do this at a BBQ, or at a friend’s house.
Exercising
The keto diet will give you added energy and help you build muscle mass if you incorporate some exercise into your daily routine. It doesn’t have to be strenuous, but simply walking more or taking the stairs will go a long way.
How Long Should You Use the Ketogenic Diet?
How long you stay on the diet varies and should be discussed with a doctor. Many people using the keto diet to lose weight stay on it for a number of weeks to achieve their specific goal. It is common to then switch to a maintenance plan maintenance plan like the paleo diet. You definitely don’t want to lose weight only to gain it all back when returning to your old eating habits.
Sign up to get notified when we produce new recipes, free recipe books or keto and healthy diet related content. No crappy emails or marketing fluff, Just the good stuff, promise!
Copyright 2018-2022 | © Keto Health Quest All Rights Reserved
This site is not a part of Facebook or Facebook website or YouTube website or YouTube Inc. Additionally, this site is NOT endorsed by YouTube or Facebook in any way.
YOUTUBE is a trademark of YOUTUBE, Inc. Facebook is a trademark of Facebook
Disclaimer: All information provided is for educational use only.
Proper due diligence is always recommended before investing into or beginning any diet or health related programs.