Starting the new year I switched up my diet to that of a keto plan. I heard a lot of interesting things about this. I’d been putting it off for a while, mainly because my biggest downfall is usually snacking on things I make for Venice. A bite of her toast each morning, spoonful of porridge, finishing her pasta, etc the list goes on. I knew this would have to stop. However, in a way, I welcomed the change.
Shifting those few extra pounds needs change. Not only that, processed sugars and carbs everyone knows are bad. But they are like drugs. Your body relies on sugar, its our main source of fuel. It’s like rollercoaster, you eat some, you’re at the top, you quickly burn it off and you come crashing down, just to repeat the process again. I wanted to break that habit and make the transition into burning fat for fuel. A much reliable and sustainable source of energy. That is, once you can make the switch. I’m 5 weeks in. And I still find days hard. Not massively, but I do look at a loaf of sour dough in the food market for a little longer than you should. That said, I wouldn’t break and change now. I’m too far in, and feeling great. So how do you do it? What are the hot tips and mantras I live by? Hell I’m no expert. I’m 6 weeks in, but from a novice and a beginner of carb cutting, here are my suggestions, my meals I swear by, the snacks I choose, the supplements I take.
Do your research first.
I’m no doctor, dietitian, or nutritionist. Keto, or being in a state of ketosis is not for everyone. Even if you want to be. It just doesn’t work for everyone. So know your facts, research it.
Come up with a meal plan.
You need to plan your meals, you need to a food shop so you have food in for the week, otherwise you will get hungry and buy the first thing you see. Plan in 3 solid meals a day. I’m not a huge breakfast person, so for me a almond flat white was breakfast but everyones different. Planning meals doesn’t need to be hard either. At the beginning, which im still doing also, stick to easy meals, which consist of whole foods, usually in their natural form so you can easily see what your dinner is made up from which then makes counting your macros and carbs a hell of a lot easier. Long term this doesn’t work as it gets very boring, but cooking can easily turn into a nightmare when your trying to count your carbs, calories, proteins and fats when your having to count every single ingredient. Later down the track this wont matter so much as you’ll know day to day what you should be eating and how many carbs your body can take to stay in ketosis.
Get a carb counting APP.
I use an app called ‘carb manager’, personally, and this is just me, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without it. Its actually quite mind blowing what foods can totally kick you out of ketosis. Although basic research prior to starting helps, there’s still foods I have to check the carb app with. For instance, eat half a banana, and your basically fucked. Say goodbye to ketosis that day. Dairy milk is a big no no and as a general rule, if its sweet you aint eating it. I’m still yet to have a cheat day to find out how long it takes to get back into ketosis once you’ve kicked yourself out. I've heard it can be a day, or it can be 3. I’m not currently willing to find out.
Supplements
Taking supplements each day has been key for me to get the good fats into my body and also boosting my ketone levels. The ones I take are below, but really there are tons!
Check out the websites I live by below to browse other options
- MCT OIL, stands for Medium chain triglycerodes. Good fat burning brain food.
- MCT POWDER, the same as above but can be easier to digest, comes in yummy flavours and easier to mix through foods. Plus way easier to travel with.
- GHEE – basically pure butter with the bad bits taken out, although regular butter is also fine, this is just better, and one of the ingredients to use alongside MCT oil or power to make a bullet proof coffee
- PRE MIXED BULLET PROOF COFFEE – I also use the pre mixed sachets. These are good for travelling with and taking to work etc, basically a shot of caffeine and good fat.
- KETO SNACK BARS – my favourites are: ‘Carbrite’ chocolate brownies (1.5grams of net carbs) ‘Atkins’ double decadence chocolate bar (1.6grams of net carbs) PerfectKeto peanut butter protein bar (3grams of net carbs), ‘Essentially Keto’ Cacao orange & pecan energy bar (2grams of net carbs)
- KETONE LEVEL BOOSTERS. ‘Pefect Keto’ have a great chocolate salt flavor, or Pruvit has an orange swirl or chocolate dream one. Although if im being honest, non of them taste awesome, you get used to them. But they are incredible for boosting your ketone levels. And higher ketone levels means more fat burning. They are also good for boosting metal performance, pre gym workouts, and giving your metabolism a kick start if taken in the morning after fasting. They are my favourite out of all supplements to take.
Favourite websites for these-
Travelling and Mantras
Travelling for work or for vacation, either way it means being out of your comfort zone of what you usually eat or have to hand. This can be difficult. I say that as I’m currently writing this on vacation in New York, sat in a bookshop looking on towards the café at the pastries. This isn’t to say its impossible, its just harder. For example, I’m that annoying person asking the coffee shop server what almond milk they use and how many carbs it has. Because that’s basically what it comes down to. Eating at restaurants is also basically impossible. Yes I’m being dramatic but it does sometimes feel like that when you have to ask for the ingredients to the sauces and whether there’s any hidden foods they are using and haven’t listed on the menu. That’s something I’ve learnt the hard way! I ordered an egg and bacon salad the other day. The bacon came on the side in some fancy jug that you poured over the salad. And yes, the bacon was in some kind of delicious sauce. Not that I tried it. I knew it would include sugar. So that ended up being a very shite salad. Which leads me to mantras. Surround yourself with positive suggestions. I ended up following a heap of keto Instagram accounts. For great recipes but also great positive quotes which I see everytime I go on. This helps. A lot. Not only for new exciting things to eat but for keeping you on the straight and narrow when you need it. My favorite quote currently is ‘I’m nourishing my body’. Which is interpret as - The new foods I’m choosing to put inside my body are nourishing it. Not leading it to spiral on some roller coaster of sugar chasing demons. So when I see Tom tucking into his fucking awesome slice of pizza, I tell myself, I’m not eating that shit, because I’m nourishing my body. And yeah, its still hard, I still want to face plant it, but I don’t and it makes it a hell of a lot easier doing so.
Favourite Instagram handles
- @Keto.meal
- @Keto.tips
- @Keto.summit
- @Keto.connect
- Theketobible