You can stay on the keto diet indefinitely, do it as a weight-loss plan over a single short period, or cycle in and out. Fat-rich foods are key, protein is moderate and carbs are the bad guys. Vogel offers some tips for getting started on keto:
- Educating yourself about carbs and getting familiar with good fats is the first step.
- Before jumping in, experiment with low-carb veggies in the grocery store’s natural produce section, find sources of grass-fed meat, and learn about hidden sources of sugar, like the coleslaw at your local eatery.
- Don’t assume sugar cravings will disappear right away. Instead, stock up on keto-friendly desserts like dark chocolate with nut butter.
- During the first week of carb withdrawal, you might experience symptoms including muscle aches, headaches, fatigue, and mental fogginess – and yes, hunger. For early cravings, try nibbling on a high-fat snack such as a bacon strip or some cucumber with avocado mayo.
As the diet moves into the second and third weeks, you’ll begin to feel better. Soon, low-carb, high-fat eating will seem more natural as it becomes a habit. By week four, you can expect weight loss,
especially if you’ve been physically active while sticking closely to the plan.
Selecting the right food will be easier as you become accustomed to the keto approach. Instead of lean meats, you’ll focus on skin-on poultry, fattier parts like chicken thighs, rib-eye steaks, grass-fed ground beef, fattier fish like salmon, beef brisket or pork shoulder, and bacon. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale and lettuce, along with broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers, make healthy vegetable choices (but you’ll avoid starchy root foods like carrots, potatoes, turnips and parsnips). You can work in less-familiar veggies such as kohlrabi or daikon.
Oils like avocado, olive, canola, flaxseed and palm, as well as mayonnaise will flavor salads while fattening them up. Clarified butter, or ghee, is a fat you’ll use for cooking or as a spread.
Start your day with a nut butter-boosted latte, coffee or tea, or have bacon and eggs as a breakfast staple. Stick with whole-fat milk, cheese and other whole dairy products. Use stevia to replace sugar and artificial sweeteners.
In “Keto in 28,” author Michelle Hogan details her four-week plan. In the book’s menus, carbs are kept to low levels, ranging from 15 to 20 net carbs a day. Net carbs are the total amount of carbohydrates in a serving subtracted by the amount of fiber.
On the other hand, fat makes up a whopping 70 to 73% of the daily diet. Protein rounds out the meal plans, comprising a moderate one-fifth to one-quarter of breakfasts, lunches and dinners daily, along with one or two recommended snacks. (Carb/fat/protein proportions vary from diet to diet with each author.)
For maintenance over time, Vogel suggests taking a cyclical approach and going in and out of ketosis, especially for women.
Dieters use a number of signs to know they’re in ketosis, some more subjective than others. Simple DIY urine or blood test results, bad or fruity breath, reduced hunger, sharper mental focus, changes in exercise performance, and weight loss can all indicate ketosis.
How it works: With keto, your body enters a state of ketosis. It’s breaking down stored body fat and dietary fat into substances called ketones for energy – instead of using carbs for energy.