dlewis1234's Journal, 14 July 2019

Good luck on keto. My tip for the first week would be do not count calories. Make sure to get your carb number down. That is your main focus. Once that carb number is down and the body adjust calories will usually drop automatically as you start burning body fats. Plan your meals around the protein item and think of vegetables as extras. I look for soy sauce without added sugar (like kikkoman). Some people more strict than me would use the liquid ammino as replacement. You can find that at walmart. As for sweeteners. Those can be very individual. Most people use some. Stevia is popular but some people do not like it. And erithyrol is another one people use. Just limit them some. If I have too much I get food cravings. But that is me. Not everyone reacts that way. Good luck to you and your husband. Have fun with it. It is great to enjoy nice clean foods and lose weight 

Ditto Liv. I use Sweet Drops SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia at home; whatever offered when out but only in coffee with a 2 cup max. There are so many articles with a wide difference in opinions on protein with respect to keto. Initially I was on the 'eggs & bacon' path; finally found other articles that opened my eyes to how to keep the carbs low yet still have a variety of food.  

When eating low carb, the body sheds salt, which can cause headaches, dizziness, fuzzy thinking and constipation: otherwise known as he "keto flu". It is easily prevented by having salty broth or bouillon twice daily. I also use LiteSalt and NoSalt; and slow-release magnesium (Mag 64) to prevent muscle cramps and restless legs. 

Thank you friends! I really appreciate your input ❤️ 

Magnesium for the muscle cramps and pickles or pickle juice really helps cramps & cravings. Having boiled eggs on hand helps as snacks. (I'm not doing ketosis now but did it for years!) 

Be careful i was on this diet i lost 35 lbs for 3 months i saw great results but this diet threw my thyroid hormone out of balance and my hair started to fall with alarming rate. If you do the diet u have to make sure u get enough iodine from other sources. Take this seriously, it really screwed me up 

Thanks Rosie!  

Ekdale, this concerns me, as i just got my hair back after losing it to chemo i will take your advice! Thank you so much 

I don't do strict Keto - but mainly follow it. I reduce carbs to minimal, using lots of green and non-starchy veggies. Not much in fruit, but do use berries. I think if you can ease into it that way, it will become habit. Don't use artificial sweeteners, eat your protein (fish, red/white meat, eggs, cheese) and you should not be low on iodine. Buy a book on Keto - it's worth it. I am a normal weight in my 50's and exercise daily. Even walking counts! Soy should be fine. Congrats on your anniversary! 

Soy sauce is out but you can use coco aminos as replacement. Coffee, chia seeds, electrolytes (with no sugar, maltodextrin--this screwed me up) is a must. And just take it slow. I am not on strict keto. I follow a low carb at 20g net carb then count the rest of the calories for my RDI. I do bulletproof coffee sometimes-- not really a big fan of the fats since I have hypertension though some say it is ok. I have yet to see my doctor again and might request for a blood chem to check if everything is ok. It is a struggle and getting a keto flu is no fun. I did have it. I had a hard time focusing and wants to sleep all day (I am really a carb eater-- not on sweets). So, continue with your meds and monitor your vitals everyday. That is what I do. I am doing more exercise now to stop from snacking (and it helps me gulp much water than food).  

Sallyhansen thank you! Yes i will definitely ease i to it and keep the carbs to a minimum My goal is to get into a normal rate range, and i have walking for about a month now. I do almost two miles daily, it was a way to get back my muscle strength after the chemo. I still struggle, but push myself to get strong! 😁 

Thanks Jackie! I am a big coffee fam, but also a carb fan so i expect a bit of a struggle. I used to be a sweets all day everyday person, but i have that under control. I can go awhile without a sweet now! That wasn’t as tough as i thought it would be. I was raised on pasta and potatoes, so i know that will be tougher than anything, but i have the resolve to stick to it, and i like the idea of keeping a bit of carbs to keep my sanity lol!  

Intermittent fasting is also a move to consider - 12-16 hours without eating. (Think dinner to morning or later). Lots of research is showing this is promising.  

I use monk fruit as a sweetener for occasional dessert recipes and I like to include berries in my salads along with nuts or seeds. Keto Vale has some great recipes that even my husband enjoys! 

Sallyhansen, i have been practicing that 😁 i hope it will help me reach my goal. Thank you friend 💐 

Joleen, thank you! I will definitely look for those recipes! 

Read The Obesity Code by Jason Fung. Great book! 

Notcharlie- thanks! I will look for it 😁 

I was keto for a while -- and I've found from talking to people that keto is easier for people who have certain tastes others. if you like sweets and breads and drink a lot of sodas and such, keto will not be an easy transition. there are some keto friendly breads and sweets that are made to be keto alternatives to what you might normally eat, but my own personal opinion is they all taste horrible. I discovered that I like real bread and I like real sugar. I don't like any of the alternatives because they taste weird. but what made keto easy was giving them up entirely. once I said screw it, I'm meat and veggies only from now on, keto was actually easy. believe it or not, after a couple weeks, I didn't miss bread or sweets at all. 

I recommend going to dietdoctor.com. It's a wonderful resource for keto and very reputable with a great video library. It cost something to join, but worth it to get yourself going.