Keto Diet for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide

The ketogenic diet, often called the keto diet, is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate eating plan that has gained popularity for its potential health benefits, including weight loss. The diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain (6). Ketogenic diets can cause significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has some health benefits (6, 7, 8).

This article serves as a detailed guide for beginners, providing essential information to start and maintain a keto diet effectively.

What is the Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic or keto diet consists of a very high-fat diet that is also very low in carbohydrates. This combination of low carbs and high fats helps many people shed excess body fat while staving off hunger which is a very common occurrence in other weight loss plans. A ketogenic diet is also great for helping individuals with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes improve their health.

On a ketogenic diet, the body shifts from using glucose (sugar) as its primary fuel source to using fat. The premise of the ketogenic diet for weight loss is that if you deprive the body of glucose-the main source of energy for all cells in the body, which is obtained by eating carbohydrate foods-an alternative fuel called ketones is produced from stored fat (thus, the term “keto”-genic).

When you eat a ketogenic diet, your body is forced to burn through the fats in your diet to create fuel to power your daily activities. This occurs in place of burning the carbs that are usually used for the process. When you adopt a keto diet, you are essentially telling your body to run on fats instead of sugars. When your body begins to burn fats instead of carbs, you enter a state known as ketosis.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Understanding Ketosis

Ketosis is one of the most important concepts of a ketogenic diet. The metabolic state of ketosis occurs when the liver takes the fats from your diet and metabolizes them into tiny molecules of energy, also called ketones. Ketones are used by the brain and other bodily organs to perform the necessary functions of daily life. Your body typically prefers to utilize blood sugar or glucose for energy. However, during ketosis, the body pulls the majority of the energy needs from the ketones because your carbohydrate levels are greatly reduced. To reach a state of ketosis, most people must eat 50 or fewer grams of carbohydrates a day. However, the carb intake needed for ketosis varies for each person; for some, the number may be as little as 20 grams of carbohydrates per day.

During fasting, or when very little carbohydrate is eaten, the body first pulls stored glucose from the liver and temporarily breaks down muscle to release glucose. If this continues for 3-4 days and stored glucose is fully depleted, blood levels of a hormone called insulin decrease, and the body begins to use fat as its primary fuel. The liver produces ketone bodies from fat, which can be used in the absence of glucose. When ketone bodies accumulate in the blood, this is called ketosis. Healthy individuals naturally experience mild ketosis during periods of fasting (e.g., sleeping overnight) and very strenuous exercise.

How Soon Ketosis Happens

How soon ketosis happens and the number of ketone bodies that accumulate in the blood is variable from person to person and depends on factors such as body fat percentage and resting metabolic rate.

Ketoacidosis vs. Ketosis

Excessive ketone bodies can produce a dangerously toxic level of acid in the blood, called ketoacidosis. During ketoacidosis, the kidneys begin to excrete ketone bodies along with body water in the urine, causing some fluid-related weight loss. Ketoacidosis most often occurs in individuals with type 1 diabetes because they do not produce insulin, a hormone that prevents the overproduction of ketones. However in a few rare cases, ketoacidosis has been reported to occur in nondiabetic individuals following a prolonged very low carbohydrate diet.

Proponents of the ketogenic diet state that if the diet is carefully followed, blood levels of ketones should not reach a harmful level (known as “ketoacidosis”) as the brain will use ketones for fuel, and healthy individuals will typically produce enough insulin to prevent excessive ketones from forming.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Types of Ketogenic Diets

There is not one “standard” ketogenic diet with a specific ratio of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat). The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day-less than the amount found in a medium plain bagel-and can be as low as 20 grams a day. Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80% fat from total daily calories, 5-10% carbohydrate, and 10-20% protein. For a 2000-calorie diet, this translates to about 165 grams fat, 40 grams carbohydrate, and 75 grams protein. The protein amount on the ketogenic diet is kept moderate in comparison with other low-carb high-protein diets, because eating too much protein can prevent ketosis.

There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, and what you eat depends on the type. They include:

• Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): This is a very low carb, moderate protein, and high fat diet. It typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs.
• Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high carb days.
• Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
• High Protein Ketogenic Diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

However, only the standard and high protein ketogenic diets have been studied extensively. Cyclical or targeted ketogenic diets are more advanced methods and primarily used by bodybuilders or athletes.

Health Benefits of the Keto Diet

A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and lower risk factors for disease. In fact, research shows that the ketogenic diet may be as effective for weight loss as a low fat diet. What’s more, the diet is so filling that you can lose weight without counting calories or tracking your food intake (16). One review of 13 studies found that following a very low carb, ketogenic diet was slightly more effective for long-term weight loss than a low fat diet. People who followed the keto diet lost an average of 2 pounds (0.9 kg) more than the group that followed a low fat diet (13). Another study in 34 older adults found that those who followed a ketogenic diet for 8 weeks lost nearly five times as much total body fat as those who followed a low fat diet (17). The increased ketones, lower blood sugar levels, and improved insulin sensitivity may also play a key role (18, 19).

• Weight Loss: A ketogenic diet can help you lose slightly more weight than a low fat diet. This often happens with less hunger.
• Diabetes and Blood Sugar Control: The ketogenic diet can boost insulin sensitivity and cause fat loss, leading to significant health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
• Other Health Conditions: Studies have now shown that the diet can have benefits for a wide variety of different health conditions:
  • Heart disease: The ketogenic diet can help improve risk factors like body fat, HDL (good) cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
  • Cancer: The diet is currently being explored as an additional treatment for cancer, because it may help slow tumor growth.
  • Alzheimer’s disease: The keto diet may help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and slow its progression.
  • Epilepsy: Research has shown that the ketogenic diet can cause significant reductions in seizures in epileptic children.
  • Parkinson’s disease: Although more research is needed, one study found that the diet helped improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome: The ketogenic diet can help reduce insulin levels, which may play a key role in polycystic ovary syndrome.
  • Brain injuries: Some research suggests that the diet could improve outcomes of traumatic brain injuries.

Foods to Eat and Avoid on a Keto Diet

Many versions of ketogenic diets exist, but all ban carb-rich foods. Some of these foods may be obvious: starches from both refined and whole grains like breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and cookies; potatoes, corn, and other starchy vegetables; and fruit juices. Some that may not be so obvious are beans, legumes, and most fruits.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

Foods to Avoid

Here’s a list of foods that need to be reduced or eliminated on a ketogenic diet:

• Sugary foods: soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.
• Grains or starches: wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.
• Fruit: all fruit, except small portions of berries or strawberries
• Beans or legumes: peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
• Root vegetables and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
• Low fat or diet products: low fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments
• Some condiments or sauces: barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, etc.
• Unhealthy fats: processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
• Alcohol: beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks
• Sugar-free diet foods: sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc.

Foods to Eat

Most ketogenic plans allow foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of meat, processed meats, lard, and butter, as well as sources of unsaturated fats, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, plant oils, and oily fish. Strong emphasis on fats at each meal and snack to meet the high-fat requirement. Some dairy foods may be allowed. Although dairy can be a significant source of fat, some are high in natural lactose sugar such as cream, ice cream, and full-fat milk so they are restricted. Protein stays moderate. Certain fruits in small portions like berries. Fruits other than from the allowed list, unless factored into designated carbohydrate restriction.

You should base the majority of your meals around these foods:

• Meat: red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken, and turkey
• Fatty fish: salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel
• Eggs: pastured or omega-3 whole eggs
• Butter and cream: grass-fed butter and heavy cream
• Cheese: unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.
• Healthy oils: extra virgin olive oil, and avocado oil
• Avocados: whole avocados or freshly made guacamole
• Low carb veggies: green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.
• Condiments: salt, pepper, herbs, and spices

It’s best to base your diet mostly on whole, single-ingredient foods.

“Net Carbs” and “Impact Carbs”

“Net carbs” and “impact carbs” are familiar phrases in ketogenic diets as well as diabetic diets. They are unregulated interchangeable terms invented by food manufacturers as a marketing strategy, appearing on some food labels to claim that the product contains less “usable” carbohydrate than is listed.

Net carbs or impact carbs are the amount of carbohydrate that are directly absorbed by the body and contribute calories. They are calculated by subtracting the amount of indigestible carbohydrates from the total carbohydrate amount. Indigestible (unabsorbed) carbohydrates include insoluble fibers from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and sugar alcohols, such as mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol commonly used in sugar-free diabetic food products. However, these calculations are not an exact or reliable science because the effect of sugar alcohols on absorption and blood sugar can vary. Some sugar alcohols may still contribute calories and raise blood sugar. The total calorie level also does not change despite the amount of net carbs, which is an important factor with weight loss.

Sample Keto Meal Plan

You can eat a wide variety of tasty and nutritious meals on a ketogenic diet. It’s not all meats and fats.

Here’s a sample keto diet plan for beginners that provides approximately 21.4g of net carbohydrates:

Monday

• Breakfast: Veggie and egg muffins with tomatoes
• Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil, feta cheese, olives, and a side salad
• Dinner: Salmon with asparagus cooked in butter

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Egg, tomato, basil, and spinach omelet
• Lunch: Almond milk, peanut butter, spinach, cocoa powder, and stevia milkshake with a side of sliced strawberries
• Dinner: Cheese-shell tacos with salsa

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Nut milk chia pudding topped with coconut and blackberries
• Lunch: Avocado shrimp salad
• Dinner: Pork chops with Parmesan cheese, broccoli, and salad

Thursday

• Breakfast: Omelet with avocado, salsa, peppers, onion, and spices
• Lunch: A handful of nuts and celery sticks with guacamole and salsa
• Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, and a side of grilled zucchini

Friday

• Breakfast: Sugar-free Greek, whole milk yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder, and berries
• Lunch: Ground beef lettuce wrap tacos with sliced bell peppers
• Dinner: Loaded cauliflower and mixed veggies

Saturday

• Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes with blueberries and a side of grilled mushrooms
• Lunch: Zucchini and beet “noodle” salad
• Dinner: White fish cooked in olive oil with kale and toasted pine nuts

Sunday

• Breakfast: Fried eggs with mushrooms
• Lunch: Low carb sesame chicken and broccoli
• Dinner: Spaghetti squash Bolognese

Always try to rotate the vegetables and meat over the long term, as each type provides different nutrients and health benefits.

Eating Out on Keto

When eating out, select a meat-, fish-, or egg-based dish. Order extra veggies instead of carbs or starches, and have cheese for dessert.

Order this and replace any high carb food with extra vegetables. Egg-based meals are also a great option, such as an omelet or eggs and bacon. Another favorite is bun-less burgers. You could also swap the fries for vegetables instead. Add extra avocado, cheese, bacon, or eggs. At Mexican restaurants, you can enjoy any type of meat with extra cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. For dessert, ask for a mixed cheese board or berries with cream.

Potential Side Effects and How to Minimize Them

Although the ketogenic diet is usually safe for most healthy people, there may be some initial side effects while your body adapts. There’s some anecdotal evidence of these effects often referred to as the keto flu (38). Based on reports from some on the eating plan, it’s usually over within a few days.

Reported keto flu symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting (39). Other less common symptoms include:

• Poor energy and mental function
• Increased hunger
• Sleep issues
• Nausea
• Digestive discomfort
• Decreased exercise performance

To minimize this, you can try a regular low carb diet for the first few weeks. This may teach your body to burn more fat before you completely eliminate carbs. A ketogenic diet can also change the water and mineral balance of your body, so adding extra salt to your meals or taking mineral supplements may help. Talk to your doctor about your nutritional needs. At least in the beginning, it’s important to eat until you’re full and avoid restricting calories too much. Usually, a ketogenic diet causes weight loss without intentional calorie restriction.

Long-term harmful effects from the ketogenic diet may include dyslipidemia (abnormal amount of lipids in the blood), kidney stones, and decreased bone density. There is also concern that highly restrictive diets, such as the ketogenic diet, may be low in certain key nutrients.

Long-Term Risks

While the keto diet has its benefits, staying on it in the long term may have some negative effects, including risks of the following:

• Low protein in the blood
• Extra fat in the liver
• Kidney stones
• Micronutrient deficiencies

A type of medication called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for type 2 diabetes can increase the risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that increases blood acidity. Anyone taking this medication should avoid the keto diet (40, 41).

Other Side Effects

• Low bone density and bone fractures
• Constipation
• High cholesterol
• Kidney stones
• Slower growth than typical
• Fatigue

If you're planning to give the keto diet a try for the first time, ask your doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian if it's right for you.

Helpful Supplements for the Keto Diet

Although no supplements are required, some can be useful.

• MCT oil: Added to drinks or yogurt, MCT oil provides energy and helps increase ketone levels.
• Minerals: Added salt and other minerals can be important when starting out due to shifts in water and mineral balance.
• Caffeine: Caffeine can have benefits for energy, fat loss, and performance.
• Exogenous ketones: This supplement may help raise the body’s ketone levels.
• Creatine: Creatine provides numerous benefits for health and performance. This can help if you are combining a ketogenic diet with exercise.
• Whey: Use half a scoop of whey protein in shakes or yogurt to increase your daily protein intake.

Getting Started: A Beginner's Guide

Fats, Carbohydrates, and proteins are known as macronutrients, and each one has a unique effect on the process of ketosis. This is because these three macronutrients are digested differently and have separate effects on blood glucose levels. Carbs raise both glucose levels and insulin levels and are considered 100% non-ketogenic. Therefore, carbs must be drastically reduced or eliminated from the daily diet for the body to reach ketosis. Proteins are both ketogenic and non-ketogenic in composition. Over 50% of protein derived from food is turned into glucose in the bloodstream and raises insulin levels. Fats are 90% ketogenic and 10% non-ketogenic. This makes fats the optimal choice for a ketogenic diet because non-ketogenic nutrients can be converted from triglycerides and glucose if the brain needs them. Once you understand the role of each of these macronutrients, you can begin to understand how ketogenic foods work under the basic guidelines of a ketogenic diet. Below are five basic steps for implementing a keto diet plan that will help you simplify the process as a beginner.

1. Determine the Fitness Goals You Want to ReachThis step is vital no matter what type of diet you are beginning, but it is especially important for a keto diet because the nutrient requirements are fairly strict. The first step you want to take is to identify the personal reasons you believe keto is for you. Defining your why will help you focus on the lifestyle changes involved in moving towards keto. Your why will also help you decide how you will measure your progress to see if your dietary changes are paying off.
2. Calculate Daily Calorie GoalsOnce you have determined your primary health goals, your next step is finding out how many calories you need each day to reach your goal of losing, gaining, or maintaining weight. There are several ways to easily calculate your daily caloric needs, including online calculators and fitness and wellness apps. You can also speak to your doctor or a nutritionist to set healthy caloric goals.
3. Calculate Your Macronutrients (Macros)In addition to setting a target number of daily calories, you must also find your ideal macronutrient consumption amounts, also known as calculating your macros. This will tell you how many grams of protein, fat, and carbohydrates you need to consume to maintain ketosis each day. How many carbs you can have a day on keto will be determined by the type of keto diet you choose and what your body’s unique needs require from your diet. It is crucial to maintain your carbohydrate intake each day to reach ketosis. Being strict with your macros helps you maintain ketosis and reach your goals. For most people adopting a ketogenic diet, the breakdown of macros is as follows:70% of daily calories from fat25% of daily calories from protein sources, and5% of daily calories from carbohydratesYour current level of fitness, metabolic health, and other individual factors will determine the exact percentage of macronutrients you should consume.
4. Plan Your MenuOnce you know your goals, calculate your daily calories, and determine your daily macronutrients, the next step is planning your menu with low-carb recipes. Before you start piling on heavy foods like cheese and bacon, take into consideration the quality of the high-fat foods you will consume on keto. You must think about your overall health and incorporate nutritious foods that will also help you meet your daily intake needs. A keto diet should be much more than a weight-loss plan-it should also contribute to your overall well-being. If you fail to eat nutrient-rich foods, your goals will be much harder to reach. Eating a nutrient-rich low-carb diet will also ensure you have energy, stabilize your mood, and lower hunger and food cravings-all things that will help you stick to a ketogenic diet.
5. Be Consistent With Your GoalsIt is important to understand that planning your keto menu is the start, but sticking to eating according to your ideal calorie and macro levels is how you reach the finish line. You also must stick to your keto diet for more than a couple of weeks to see results. Consistency is key. Willpower will help you with your goals, but you must dedicate yourself to developing healthy habits over time. Your success will rely heavily on you making healthy food and fitness decisions for your long-term wellness. You don’t have to stress yourself to maintain perfection, but you do want to focus on being consistent if you want to see progress. Sticking to your dietary goals consistently will pay off if you keep going. One thing to note-don’t allow a day of not hitting goals to deter you from your long-term progress. Each day is a new opportunity to make healthier decisions!

Keto Diet Tips for Your First Week

The first week of your keto diet can be challenging, especially if you are transitioning from a much less structured way of eating. The nature of the keto diet requires many people to make lifestyle changes that can feel a bit overwhelming early on. It is vital to remember that keto, like many other diets, requires an adjustment period. This is where your body will make a huge shift from using dietary sugars for energy to using fats for energy, leaving you feeling a bit under the weather. The “Keto Flu” is a real possibility, but with the proper preparation, you can overcome it and thrive in your first week. If you do feel a bit under the weather, the flu-like symptoms may last several days. With your keto-approved menu and consistency, you can make your first week a positive experience. In addition to eating your menu of keto-friendly foods, you should also use these keto diet tips for your first week.

• Hydrate. Switching to a ketogenic diet will cause your body to lose the excess water stored from your former diet of high carbs and sugar. Drinking plenty of water or taking sugar-free electrolyte supplements can help your body adjust to changing water levels.
• Focus on hitting your calorie and macronutrient requirements. Get enough protein and fat to reach ketosis, and you will feel better and less hungry.
• Get adequate fiber.

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