How to start keto for beginners is one of the most common questions because it’s hard to know if you’re doing it “right” when everything is so new.
A number of family and friends have asked me how to start keto after seeing how effectively I’ve used the keto lifestyle to lose weight, boost my energy, and increase focus.
At first glance, it’s overwhelming to learn in detail how keto works, how to personalize your macros, balance electrolytes, and optimize your performance on keto. Many people give up before they ever get started.
Why? Because it was too complicated and overwhelming for someone who is just starting out on keto.
It took me a couple of years to learn how to simplify the process to help you get started on keto and avoid the critical mistakes that cause people to quiet in the first few weeks.
Here I’m going to show you how to start keto for beginners so you use the keto lifestyle to lose weight, boost your energy, and improve mental focus.
If you’re new to keto, you might be asking what the bacon is keto!?
The Ketogenic Diet (Keto for short) is revolutionizing our understanding of food and health. The basic concept of the keto lifestyle is simple; swap your carbs for healthy fats and your body will adapt to burn fat instead of carbs fuel.
I used the keto lifestyle to lose over 40lbs, beat a family history of Type 2 diabetes, and keep the weight off for over 4 years!
If you’re new to keto, you probably have lots of questions. Here we’re going to cover how to start keto for beginners.
There are a number of great reasons to go keto. Here are some of the top benefits you’ll enjoy with the keto lifestyle.
1. Lose weight: The number one reason people start keto is because they want to feel sexy again and fit back into their high school jeans. This is a great motivation, but the benefits of keto go far beyond feeling better about your body.
2. Avoid metabolic problems: This is what got me started. Watching my family members struggle with type 2 diabetes and the complications that come along with it was my motivation to start the keto lifestyle.
3. Increased energy: The Standard American Diet (SAD) provides a quick burst of energy from carbs and then a big crash. Keto keep your energy levels stable without the crash
4. Mental focus: Your brain prefers to use ketones over sugar for fuel so it’s no wonder you experience more mental focus on keto.
5. Sustainable: The keto lifestyle is different from fad diets because it’s a sustainable process that makes it easy to keep the weight off for years.
There are a number of myths and misconceptions about keto out there, but the truth is that the keto lifestyle is very safe for most people.
However, certain groups of people require special considerations. Here are some of the common categories.
I’m not a medical professional nor do I offer medical advice. If you answered yes to any of the questions about you should you should consult a doctor who has experience working with patients on keto before you try the keto lifestyle.
This is the most important and often skipped step for keto beginners is identifying the “Why.”
You can have more than one reason you want to start the keto lifestyle, but it’s important you identify these ahead of time because it will help you keep going long after your initial motivation is gone.
Your “why” might be to lose weight, avoid metabolic problems, increase energy, or something else entirely.
Bonus tip: Write down the 3 biggest reasons why you want to start keto on a piece of paper and keep it in your desk drawer for at least the first month. You’ll be surprised at how much this will help you down the road.
The keto flu is one of the biggest reasons people quit keto in the first few weeks.
Adapting your body to switch from sugar and carbs to burning fat is a big change is your physiology. Many people experience the “keto flu” because they aren’t prepared.
What is the keto flu? It’s a set of symptoms that some people experience the first few weeks of keto when your body is switching from burning carbs to burning fat for fuel.
These symptoms can feel similar to the flu as your body becomes fat adapted.
Symptoms of keto flu include:
The good news is that if you experience these symptoms it’s a sign you’re headed in the right direction and the keto flu is completely preventable.
To avoid the flu you need to replenish your electrolytes. Your body flushes out water along with electrolytes more efficiently when you significantly reduce your carbs and start burning fat for fuel.
Normally you can get the electrolytes you need from choosing the right foods, but in the first few weeks, you’re going to need more electrolytes than normal as your body adapts.
Keto electrolyte powder, pills, or drops can help you get the electrolytes you need to avoid the keto flu and keep you on track.
You can learn how to avoid the keto flu here.
How many carbs can you have on Keto? This is a common question for keto beginners.
The truth is there is no one size fits all number. In fact, your carb limit can even change day to day.
The number of carbs you should have on keto can vary significantly based on your age, health, personal goals, along with a variety of other factors.
In the next section, I’ll show you the basics, but if you want more detailed info on finding the right number of carbs for you to reach your personal goals, check out my in-depth post on how many carbs you should have on keto.
I recommend starting with a 30 carbs limit for keto beginners if I had to pick one number that works for most people because it’s going to help you adapt to the keto lifestyle and start seeing the benefits faster.
If you’re new to keto, check out my free Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Keto where I share everything I’ve learned from losing over 40lbs and keeping it off for over 4 years!
A few important things to know if you’re a keto beginner:
1. A 30 total carb limit will put you in ketosis quickly. For most people your body adapts to keto in a few days to up to two weeks.
2. Higher ketone levels aren’t always better. Ketones are a byproduct of burning fat for fuel not an indicator of success.
3. Celebrate non-scale victories! Weight loss is great, but it isn’t the only way to track progress.
4. Don’t starve yourself. Fat is calorie-rich and nutrient-dense. You should be able to eat until you feel full.
5. You don’t have to be perfect. It’s ok slightly above or below your target carbs for the day. It’s about progress not perfection.
6. Don’t let other people define your success. Your results after a week, a month, or a year don’t have to match someone else’s big transformation story. Again it’s about progress and we all move forward at a different pace.
7. Have fun! There are a number of great recipes out there so you never have to feel like you’re missing out. A few of my favorites are keto steak dinner, keto chicken stir fry, and keto chocolate mousse dessert.
8. Ask for help. If you’re struggling with any aspect of the keto lifestyle don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can contact me here and I read every message.
If controlling your carbs is king for the keto lifestyle then balancing your macros is a close second.
Here’s a simplified explanation of what this means when you’re living the keto lifestyle.
Carbs are a limit: as I covered in the section above I recommend starting with 30 total carbs per day. If you go above this number it’s okay! It’s about progress not perfection.
Protein is a goal: The generally accepted amount of protein you should have on keto is between 0.5 to 1 gram per pound of your body weight per day. For example, if you weigh 150lbs you should aim for 75 to 150 grams of protein per day. You can learn more about keto and the right amount of protein here.
Fat is a lever: After you’ve figured out your personal protein goal and limit your carbs, about 70% of your calories should come from healthy fat. This will keep you feeling full and give you consistent energy throughout the day.
If you’re truly hungry (not bored) then increase your fat intake and if you want to lose weight faster by burning more body fat then decrease your fat intake. Be careful, not to decrease your fat too much because your body needs some healthy fat to function well.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…so you can pin it to your keto board!
Another common question for when you’re figuring out how to start keto for beginners is what can you drink?
Staying hydrated is always important, but especially when you first start keto because you body becomes more efficient at processing fluids.
I recommend drinking water with electrolyte supplements for the first few weeks to avoid the keto flu I talked about in one of the previous sections.
In addition to water, keto coffee and tea are also great options. You can even add a little bit of milk if you want, but be aware that the carbs can add up quickly if you drink caffe lattes or multiple cups with milk each day.
Can you drink alcohol? Yes, you can have a glass of dry wine or a shot of liquor, bu it causes carb cravings and weight loss stalls for a significant number of people. I recommend you pause alcohol for the first few weeks.
Another important step for how to start keto for beginners is to document your progress because it can be hard to see if how far you’ve come if you’re just looking from one day to the next.
When you start your keto lifestyle, make sure to take “before” photos facing forward and another facing sideways. Set a reminder on your calendar to take the same photos again wearing the same clothes in 14 days to see how much progress you’ve made.
Here’s another bonus motivation tip if you’re brave enough. For extra accountability, share your “before” photo with a friend.
Also, if losing weight is part of your goal, don’t be surprised if you don’t lose weight every day.
Thanks to all of the miraculous processes in the human body, our weight can naturally vary up to 5lbs day to day. You’re 7-day average weight is a much better way to measure your progress.
There are a bunch of different numbers you can measure on keto, but when you’re just getting started the most important number is 30 total carbs or less per day.
After you are able to consistently stay at 30 total carbs or less a day, then you can start dialing in your macros, testing your ketones, adjusting your calories, and all the other fun things to really optimize your keto lifestyle.
For example, you can learn how to reach your goals faster by personalizing your carb limit.
On the other hand, you may reach your goals without doing anything beyond staying under 30 total carbs per day.
Additionally, when you’re ready there are a number of free keto apps that help you easily track carbs and a ton of other numbers. Here’s a detailed review of the best free keto apps.
What about testing for ketones? Despite all the hype in the keto community, testing for ketones is not necessary when you’re trying to figure out how to start keto for beginners.
After you’re a few months into the keto lifestyle in some cases it can make sense to measure ketones to see how your body is reacting to certain foods and environmental factors like sleep and stress.
The urine strips many people use to measure ketones are cheap but wildly inaccurate. The best way to measure ketones is with a meter that measures the ketone levels in your blood.
If you’re going to get a ketone meter, I recommend Keto Coach because it’s both affordable and accurate.
Why is there such a coconut craze in the keto community?
Coconuts are high in a special kind of healthy fat called MCTs (Medium Chain Triglycerides) that cannot be stored as body fat and is almost immediately converted into energy.
Most saturated fats are Long Chain Triglycerides (LCT). This means it uses the lymphatic system to turn these healthy fats into energy. Unlike LCTs, MCTs are converted immediately for quick energy and are not stored as fat.
Plus, MCTs have the unique benefit of boosting ketones even if your body isn’t fat adapted yet! This makes them great for keto beginners.
There are four types of MCTs and they work differently in your body. C8 is the best and you want to avoid C6.
Here’s a short explanation of each.
I use MCT products with made mostly of C8 and C10 MCTs.
If you have questions about how to start keto for beginners you can contact me here.
Looking for more keto resources? Check out my series on the best places to shop keto.
Also, If you’re looking for other resources you’ll want to read the best FREE keto apps along with 4 best exercise programs for keto online.
Until next time, remember it’s about progress, not perfection and keto on!
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