Just for the record, I HATE the word “diet” or “dieter” and for good reason – diets don’t work! PERIOD. Lifestyle change does though. This is a huge reason why I felt compelled to share some of my top keto tips with you today.

The ketogenic “diet” has become extremely popular over the past several years and continues to grow as I am writing this. What’s not to love, right? Rapid weight loss, AH-MAZING food, more energy, better skin, regulates your hormones and the list goes on.

With popularity brings a lot of advice, tips, tricks and countless recipes. Unfortunately, not all the advice out there is good advice. This quickly causes confusion for anyone new just starting their keto lifestyle and can ultimately lead you to giving up.

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If there is only one piece of advice you take away from here today let it be this:

Question all the information you consume, especially on the internet. With Keto continuing to increase in popularity, more research and studies are being done and the information we have now may change. You are responsible for your own health. Learn as much as you can, when you can.

Okay, time to dive into the good stuff! *rubs hands together*

Here are my top 7 keto tips to help you make the most of this incredible lifestyle!

Know your Macros

There seems to be a lot of confusion around macros. How do you know what yours are and what the hell is a macro anyway? For now, I’m just going to skim the surface and tell you what you need to know. If you’re interested in learning more about macros leave me a comment at the bottom of this post and let me know.

Macro is short for Macronutrients. This would be our fats, proteins and carbohydrates. There are several different calculations involved in order to get your specific numbers. Alternatively, you can google keto macro calculator and you will get a million options. Not all macro calculators are created equally, however. The one I have found to be the most accurate is from Carb Manager (you can log in your daily food intake too which is great when you’re just getting started on keto).

Know how to handle “Keto-Flu” symptoms

The “Keto-flu” are the symptoms some people experience from a carbohydrate withdrawal. It can be a rough ride for the first few days. I’ve heard some even experience symptoms for over a week. Yikes!

Here are a few things you can do:

• Drink a lot of water.
• Add Himalayan Pink Salt to your foods.
• Drink 3 – 4 cups of Organic Bone Broth – add Himalayan Pink Salt too!
• Exercise – even if it’s just a walk.

Test for ketosis regularly

Another thing you must do is consistently test to see if you’re actually in ketosis. If you don’t test and just assume you could be hurting your chances of experiencing the benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle. There are 3 different testing methods: through urine, breath or blood.

Urine Test

This is the least accurate test out there but also the cheapest. You can find these test strips at your local pharmacy or you can order them online.

Breath Ketone Analyzer

This is much more effective than a urine test but will be your most expensive option of the three. The most popular option that a lot of people seem to love is by Ketonix.

Ketone Blood Monitoring System

Just one prick of the finger is all you need to get the most accurate reading and it is much more affordable than the breath analyzer. KetoMojo is the best one on the market right now and they always seem to have special promotions going on.

Meal Prep, Meal Prep, Meal Prep

All you really need to do is set aside 2 hours a week. Plan a few meals and make enough for that week. This can be especially helpful if you have a family to cook for and don’t want to cook two separate meals every night. Yes, you will have to take a small amount of time out of the week to plan and prepare but it will set you up for long-term success.

Just Because You Can, Don’t!

This is not an all you can eat butter and bacon diet. Despite what you might have heard don’t eat a package of bacon every day. You still want to add a lot low-carb veggies such as leafy greens to your meal plan and consume healthy fats. Some of my favorites are macadamia nuts, olives, avocados, and I always have coconut and olive oil on hand for cooking.

I’m not saying you can’t eat bacon just use common sense when you are planning your meals. In fact, why not try cutting meat from your diet 3 times a week?!

Beware of Hidden Carbs & Sugars

Dun, dun, dun……Carbs and sugars are hidden everywhere in the foods we buy. It’s sad but true. Sugar is one of the most addicting things on this planet, so there is no wonder the food companies sneak it into our foods. Read your food labels. Here are a few names to look out for:

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Molasses
• Fructose
• Fruit juice from concentrate
• Glucose

I’ll be going more in-depth about this in the future. For now, though, keep these in mind when you are shopping and checking food labels. These names seem to appear in the majority of our foods.

A couple other things to avoid are lunch meats. These meats are highly processed and do contain carbs and sugars, just skip them altogether.

No sugar added should not be mistaken for sugar-free. I’ve seen this a lot with people who are “keto” sharing their alternatives to the real thing and see the no sugar added versions, don’t fall victim to this – or you’re gonna have a bad time!

If you want to know more about what foods are keto approved and which foods to leave behind you can Grab a FREE copy of my Keto Edition: Eat This, Not That.

Join an online community for support

There are a lot of groups that offer support for the ketogenic lifestyle. This is a great way to meet others on the same journey as you, to learn new recipes, get tips and a place to reach out for support. If this is something that is of interest to you, I welcome you to join my Free Facebook Group Keto Kick-Starter or check out different forums like Redditt.

Find Keto-Friendly Versions of Your Favorite Foods

Have fun with this new life of yours! Experiment. Find new ways to make your fav foods. Test. Chances are your favorite foods are already recreated to fit your new keto life – Pinterest is a great place to look! Just make sure you look at the ingredients they’re using and make sure that there aren’t any hidden sugars or carbs like we talked about earlier.

You got this!

Have a question? Drop it in the comments below.