Getting started

After a year and a half of research, and essentially dipping my toes in the water, I dived into a ketogenic lifestyle right around Halloween this year. I dumped my bowl of peanut butter eyeballs into the trash, and went shopping for what have come to be my essentials.

Initial shopping list:

-Coconut oil
-Olive oil
-Unsalted butter
-Truvia or splenda packets
-Bacon
-Eggs
-Chicken breasts & thighs
-High fat% ground beef
-Salami (lowest carb you can find)
-Fish
-Cheddar cheese
-Cheese sticks
-Cucumber
-Cream cheese
-Fresh ground peanut butter or almond butter (or any non-sweetened nut butter)
-Avocado (expensive, but well worth it!)
-Broccoli
-Kale and/or spinach
-Cauliflower
-Bell peppers
-Bouillon or cans of broth
-Unsweetened shredded coconut
-Ranch dressing (lowest carb you can find)
-Good multi-vitamin


Second step was to join MyFitnessPal.com, and customize my setting into a keto friendly arrangement.
Once you log in, go to "Goals" and hit "change goals."
Use the customize feature set your macros to around 5% carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat.

In general, I try to stay under 20 net carbs a day. Net carbs are your total carbohydrates after you subtract the fiber. Fiber is incredibly important for your digestion, which is why keeping veggies on your menu is a must! While out shopping, I like to reference the best vegetables for keto list from ketogenic diet resource. They have a great breakdown of net carbs per serving size.

Water.

Drink it, love it, and then drink some more. On non workout days, I generally drink 4 -5 large sports bottles full, plus tea when I need something warm. I generally add 2 more bottle fulls while working out.
The general idea is to drink enough water that your pee is a very light shade of yellow, but not clear. Clear pee generally means that you're over-hydrated, and your kidneys are likely shedding electrolytes too quickly. That said, it's important to note..

Sodium.

You're probably not getting enough of it right away. Lowered electrolytes can have dizzying effects, and often lead to what has come to be called Keto Flu. The easy cure for this is to drink a cup of broth a day, like you would a cup of tea. It's incredibly satisfying, and a bit of a comfort food.
Want to know more about sodium? Read this.

Water weight.

Getting started, your body will start to shed 'water weight' fairly quickly. Women will shed the weight slower than men, thanks to our biology. Ladies, be glad - quick weight loss can have huge repercussions on our hormones levels. Slow and steady keeps us sane. My first two weeks, I lost 4.5lbs. Others have lost a reported 15-20lbs, depending on where they started and gender.

Keep in mind, this comes right back on when you stop getting enough water.

Scales and measurements.

Be wary of jumping on the scale after every bathroom break. Most folks will vary up a pound or three throughout the day, or week. The recommended schedule for weighing yourself is once a week at most, at a set time of day. I generally go with first thing in the morning on a monday (keeps me honest over the weekend, and makes my monday a bit more chipper when the scale dips) before my coffee. Measurements are every 2 to 3 weeks, since they're often a bit slower to change.


Good luck, and congrats on getting started.