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Avocados:Avocados are rich in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates. They also provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Meat (Beef, Poultry):Meat is a staple in the ketogenic diet. It's a great source of protein and healthy fats. Opt for grass-fed or pasture-raised meats when possible.

Fatty Fish:Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. They're not only keto-friendly but also provide essential nutrients.

Eggs:Eggs are a versatile and nutrient-dense food. They are low in carbohydrates and high in both protein and healthy fats.

Cheese:Many types of cheese are low in carbs and high in fat, making them a tasty and convenient option for a keto diet. CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR MEAL PLAN

Nuts and Seeds:Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds are good choices for keto-friendly snacks. They provide healthy fats, fiber, and some protein.

Oils and Fats:Olive oil, coconut oil, butter, and other healthy oils are essential for a ketogenic diet. They can be used in cooking or as dressings.

Low-Carb Vegetables:Leafy greens (e.g., spinach, kale), cruciferous vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower), and other non-starchy vegetables are low in carbohydrates and high in fiber.

Berries:While many fruits are high in carbs, berries such as strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are lower in carbohydrates and can be enjoyed in moderation.

Lance has been on an incredible keto journey, to say the least. He initially started the diet as a way to manage his epilepsy, and ended up losing 70 lbs (32 kg) and reversing pre-diabetes.

Here is his story and inspiring words for anyone who wants to do the same thing:

You've heard the arguments, weighed out the challenges and benefits, and decided you're all in: You're going keto.

More people than ever are embracing this very low-carb, high-fat diet plan and sticking with it for months or even years. Once they successfully make the switch from using carbohydrates to using fat and ketones for fuel, they find they're leaner, healthier, and more mentally focused than ever.

But for every lifter who ends up loving the ketogenic diet, you'll find another who had a miserable experience and bailed after just a few days. This is a shame, because they probably could have felt great if they had simply had a better plan—or a plan at all.

Here's what you need to know—including keto meals and a keto food list—to ace your nutrition and supplementation during the crucial first month of ketogenic dieting.  

Your Must-Have (And Must-Not-Have) Keto Food List

Ready to head out the door and start buying your keto foods? First get rid of foods that don't fit with keto. This means any food with a significant carb content, including fruit. Even carrots and onions are too high-glycemic to work with keto.

Now that your cupboards are bare, here are some of the staple keto diet foods you should build your ketogenic diet around:

Fatty nuts and seeds: cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds

Avocado

Whole eggs

Full-fat cheese

Beef: ground chuck (80/20), filet mignon, porterhouse, ribeye

Chicken: Thighs and legs

Vegetables: spinach and other greens, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, mushrooms, bell pepper

Pork rinds

Olive oil

Salted butter

Heavy cream

Sour cream

Cream cheese

Fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies

Bacon

Chicken broth or bouillon cubes with at least 1 gram of sodium

This is a guide to my keto weight loss journey. Everything I did to lose weight (50 pounds in 6 months!) by eating clean keto. Includes keto recipes to eat and foods to avoid, every meal I ate, info on intermittent fasting, my exercise routine, and more! If you’re looking to start the keto diet, this is an easy, quick start guide with all your questions answered!

My Keto Weight Loss Journey

Hi! I’m Natalie! So honored to have you here following along! I’m rooting for you and your health journey so much!

I’m going to share all about my weight loss journey with you, but it is so important for you to know this before we begin:

MY WEIGHT DOES NOT DEFINE MY HAPPINESS! I HAVE BEEN HAPPY AND FELT LOVED AND WORTHY AT ALL SIZES I HAVE EVER BEEN.

Having said that, I definitely feel my best, have the most energy and look on the outside the way I feel on the inside when I am making healthy eating choices. For me, that is clean keto.

Being thin does not come naturally to me. I have to make adjustments to what I eat to be a happy weight.

My Weight Loss Stats

Highest Weight: 255 pounds (May 2017) Starting Weight 1st Time Losing Weight: 238 pounds (September 2019) Lowest Weight: 185 pounds (March 2020) Weight After Baby #3: 237 pounds (March 22, 2021) Current Weight: 221 pounds (April 2021) Height: 5’9″

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My Keto Weight Loss Journey

Hi! I’m Natalie! So honored to have you here following along! I’m rooting for you and your health journey so much!

I’m going to share all about my weight loss journey with you, but it is so important for you to know this before we begin:

MY WEIGHT DOES NOT DEFINE MY HAPPINESS! I HAVE BEEN HAPPY AND FELT LOVED AND WORTHY AT ALL SIZES I HAVE EVER BEEN.

Having said that, I definitely feel my best, have the most energy and look on the outside the way I feel on the inside when I am making healthy eating choices. For me, that is clean keto.

Being thin does not come naturally to me. I have to make adjustments to what I eat to be a happy weight.

My Weight Loss Stats

Starting the Clean Keto Diet

In September 2019, I set out to lose weight, feel better, have more energy, and be the best version of myself.

I lost 50 pounds in 6 months! Ultimately losing 53 pounds in 7 months!

For this first round of losing weight, I ate clean keto, did intermittent fasting, and jogged 30 minutes a day. (All explained in more detail below!).

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

My Not So “Setback”

In April 2020 (right after hitting my “happy weight”) I was lucky enough to get pregnant with my 3rd baby boy (yea!), who was born in January 2021.

Pregnancy did NOT feel like the time to stress over weight (especially the 1st and 3rd trimesters, ha!). I made mostly healthy choices but also allowed for lots of indulgences. Because sandwiches and ice cream are just so delicious and feel very necessary when pregnant, ha!

Keto is taking over. It’s becoming such a popular diet that it’s common to see keto labels on food and when you search “keto” billions of responses will pop up. Whether you’re in a weight loss plateau or you’re simply looking to help shed a few pounds and feel healthier, keto could be exactly what you need. Though, it can be hard to start a new diet so we got a whole list of keto before and after transformations and facts that are guaranteed to convince you to give the keto diet a try.

What Is Keto?

The ketogenic diet (or keto diet) was first created in the 1920s as a treatment for people with epilepsy after research demonstrated that fasting reduced seizure activity. Therapeutic usage of ketogenic eating patterns is used by medical professionals to this day, but the diet is also becoming more popular outside its clinical applications.

The ketogenic diet is an eating pattern that includes high amounts of fat, low to moderate amounts of protein, and very little carbohydrates. It’s typically rich in foods like butter, cheese, eggs, meat, nuts, oils, seafood, and seeds and does not have many fruits, vegetables, grains, potatoes, sweets, or other carbohydrate-rich foods.

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Although there are variations to the ketogenic diet, they all share a primary objective of restricting carbohydrate intake. A typical keto eating plan aims for about five percent of calories from carbohydrates, twenty percent from protein, and seventy-five percent from dietary fats. On a 2,000-calorie-per-day ketogenic diet, this equates to about 100 calories (25 grams) of carbohydrates, 400 calories (100 grams) of protein, and 1,500 calories (167 grams) of dietary fat. 

By restricting carbohydrates and monitoring protein intake, a keto diet’s main objective is to put your body in a state of nutritional ketosis, a metabolic process that increases the production of ketones, which are made by the liver and can be used as the body’s primary energy source. When we are not in ketosis, glucose (derived from carbohydrate intake) is our body’s primary energy source.

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Why Go Keto, Anyway?

Studies have shown that keto can lower insulin levels because when you eat foods with carbohydrates and lesser protein, you raise your blood sugar levels. Insulin steps in to lower those blood sugar levels, delivering glucose to your cells for energy or to store for backup fuel called glycogen. However, high insulin levels (which can happen when you eat too many carbohydrates) can prevent fat loss. On a keto diet, you keep insulin levels lower. Basically, low insulin means that your body can more easily access fat stores for fuel.

There are also benefits for hormonal balance. Among hunger-regulating hormones such as leptin (a hormone that tells your brain to stop eating), ghrelin has the opposite effect. This hormone tells you to eat more. When these and other hormones stay in balance on a keto diet, you’re less likely to have hunger and cravings.

Consult a Healthcare Professional: Before beginning any diet, especially one as restrictive as keto, it's a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or registered dietitian. They can help assess whether the diet is suitable for your specific needs and health conditions.

Educate Yourself: Take the time to understand the fundamentals of the keto diet. Learn what foods are allowed, what to avoid, and how the diet works. Knowledge is a powerful tool for success.

Plan Your Meals: Create a meal plan that includes keto-friendly foods. Focus on foods like fatty cuts of meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, and low-carb vegetables. Avoid or limit high-carb foods like grains, sugar, and starchy vegetables.

Calculate Macros: Determine your daily macronutrient goals, which typically involve consuming around 70-75% of your daily calories from fat, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. Tools and apps can help you track your macros.

Gradual Carb Reduction: If you're currently consuming a high-carb diet, consider gradually reducing your carb intake over a few days to minimize keto flu symptoms, which can include fatigue and headaches.

Stay Hydrated: When you start the keto diet, you'll lose water weight, so it's crucial to stay hydrated and replace electrolytes. Drinking plenty of water and consuming electrolyte-rich foods can help prevent dehydration.

Monitor Ketosis: Use keto test strips or a blood ketone meter to monitor your state of ketosis. Keep in mind that it can take a few days to a week to enter ketosis.

Embrace Healthy Fats: Incorporate healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, and fatty fish into your meals. These fats will be your primary source of energy.

Control Portion Sizes: Even on a keto diet, it's important to control portion sizes to avoid overeating, as excess calories can hinder weight loss.

Plan for Social Situations: Be prepared for social events and dining out. Look for keto-friendly options, and don't be afraid to ask for modifications to suit your diet.

Track Your Progress: Keep a food diary, take progress photos, and track your weight and measurements to help monitor your progress and stay motivated.

Be Patient: The transition to ketosis can be challenging for some, and it may take time for your body to adapt. Be patient and persistent.

Seek Support: Consider joining keto communities or forums for support and information sharing. Having a support system can be valuable.

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet, is a popular low-carb, high-fat diet that has been shown to provide various health benefits, including weight loss, improved blood sugar control, and increased energy levels.

When following a keto diet, your body enters a metabolic state called ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. However, the amount of time it takes for your body to enter ketosis can vary depending on several factors, including your current diet, activity level, and metabolic rate.

GET YOUR KETO MEAL PLAN HERE

Typically, it takes 2-7 days of following a strict low-carb diet to enter ketosis. During this time, your body will deplete its glycogen stores, which are stored carbohydrates in your liver and muscles. Once these stores are depleted, your body will start to produce ketones, which are molecules that your body can use for energy instead of glucose.

However, it's important to note that everyone's body is different, and some people may enter ketosis faster or slower than others. Additionally, some people may experience keto flu symptoms during the initial transition phase, including headaches, fatigue, and nausea. These symptoms usually subside within a few days as your body adjusts to the new diet.

Overall, the key to achieving ketosis is to strictly limit your carbohydrate intake and increase your intake of healthy fats. It's also important to listen to your body and make adjustments as needed to ensure that you're getting the nutrients you need and feeling your best.

This is a very low carb plan that includes lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, cheese, lean pork and beef), low-carb vegetables, and moderate amounts of fat (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, olives). Ketogenic meal plans lead to nutritional ketosis which helps decrease appetite. Medical supervision, monthly blood work and prescription supplements are required for this meal plan. There are 3 phases: ketosis, re-introduction of quality carbohydrate foods and low carb living.

Benefits of ketosis include:  lack of hunger  improved energy  improved blood sugar  improved blood pressure  decrease in triglycerides

GET YOUR MEAL PLAN HERE

Tips on how to prepare for a ketogenic meal plan:  Begin cutting back on carb foods. You will be asked to eliminate these foods during the ketosis stage, which typically lasts 3-6 months.  The transition to a very low carb plan may be easier if you start reducing carbs prior to starting o Examples of carb foods: sweets, desserts, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, corn, peas, beans, lentils, fruit or fruit juice, milk.  Try filing ½ your plate with low carb vegetables as they will be a part of your meals. o Examples of low carb vegetables: green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cucumber, salad, peppers, asparagus, greens, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, celery.

What foods do you eat on keto diet?

Foods you can eat on the keto diet include fish and seafood, meat and poultry, non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, and zucchini, avocados, berries, nuts and seeds, eggs, high-fat dairy products, olive oil and other oils, and high-cocoa chocolate.

Marc, AKA liqfitness, has been showing off his incredible 8.6st weight loss - which he claims only really kicked off once he went keto.

At his heaviest, he weighed in at 24st and had 56 per cent body fat. Men are classed as obese if they have over 25 per cent.

Having always struggled with his weight, he found himself ballooning after a series of serious injuries playing football in high school.

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His weight piled on after a series of injuries

"I've always struggled with weight loss but that surgery and recovery made me gain a lot of weight," he said on his Instagram.

"I became so unhealthy that I couldn’t keep up with my football team’s workouts and I was very depressed."

He says that he started off just eating healthier last January.

“So I started off by just eating healthier around January 2018," he told followers in the "Progresspics" thread.

Eating healthier wasn't enough

“Cut out alcohol and focused on eating lean foods and veggies."

But he said that he "didn’t see much progress", because he wasn't keeping a track of how many calories he was consuming.

It was only when he started on a keto diet following a method devised by company Ideal Protein that things started to change.

"On Ideal Protein, I eat around 1100-1400 calories a day," he explained.

Cutting the calories and going keto was key

“It doesn’t seem like much, but once you get used to it, you realise how insane anything more than 3000 calories seems.”

The Ideal Protein Protocol is split into four phases: weight loss (followed until 100 per cent of your weight loss goal is achieved), a 14-day phase, a "pre-stabilisation" phase and a 12-month maintenance stage.

The company says that "chronologically, the body will first draw on its carbohydrate reserve before turning to protein and fat.

"During the weight loss phases of the Protocol, we limit carbohydrate intake to encourage the body to turn to its fat and muscle components for energy.

"By eating protein foods, the Protocol helps to support muscle mass and teaches you how to develop smarter eating habits and lifestyle choices, to help maintain your weight after weight loss is achieved."

Keto works by forcing the body to burn its own fat reserves for fuel, rather than carbs.

GET YOUR MEAL PLAN HERE

His doctor monitored him every week

While 1,400 might seem incredibly low for a man, Marc said that he was following a weight loss protocol as set out by his doctor who regularly checked in on him.

"He monitored me every week to make sure I stayed healthy and got the nutrients I needed. It was very hard to eat such little amounts, but it paid off,” he said.

“If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to cut that down to like 2,000 calories.

“My BMR (basal metabolic rate - how much you burn at rest) is 2,400 calories, so that’s how many calories I burn in a day without working out. It’s all a science.

"Eat fewer calories than you burn"

Despite getting down to a lean 20 per cent body fat, it's taking a little more time for all of Marc's body to change.

He says that he still has man boobs and had no idea that they'd still be there after so much fat loss.

"Fat loss is unique to everyone. That's why I always tell people not to compare themselves to others.

"You might lose weight in some areas faster than I lose it and vice versa. It's a process and one that I'm riding out!"

His weight loss journey hasn't just been about shedding body fat

"Overall, weight loss isn’t just about the weight. It’s a lifestyle change.

"You’d be surprised how many aspects of your life change when you make those sacrifices. I’ll never go back."

Lots of people swear by keto for fat burning but more and more research has suggested that carbs are actually essential from a health perspective.

While no one is suggesting you start mainlining chips, scientists are convinced that having a moderate amount of foods like potatoes, bread and pasta might extend your life by up to four years.

Weight Loss: One of the primary reasons people follow the keto diet is for weight loss. By significantly reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing them with fats, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy. This can lead to effective weight loss for many individuals.

Improved Blood Sugar Control: The keto diet may help regulate blood sugar levels, making it a potential option for individuals with type 2 diabetes or those at risk of developing diabetes. By reducing carb intake, blood sugar spikes are minimized.

Enhanced Mental Clarity: Some people report improved mental focus and clarity when following the keto diet. The brain can efficiently use ketones, which are produced during ketosis, as an energy source. GET YOUR MEAL PLAN HERE

Increased Energy: Ketosis can lead to more stable energy levels throughout the day. Instead of experiencing the energy highs and crashes associated with high-carb diets, keto followers often report sustained energy.

Better Blood Lipid Profile: The keto diet may lead to improvements in the levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease.

Appetite Control: The keto diet is known for its appetite-suppressing effects. High-fat foods tend to be more filling, which can help individuals control their caloric intake.

Epilepsy Management: The keto diet was originally developed as a therapeutic option for epilepsy, particularly in children who did not respond well to medication. It is still used today for certain epilepsy cases. GET YOUR MEAL PLAN HERE

Potential for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Some research suggests that the keto diet may help manage symptoms of PCOS by regulating insulin levels and promoting weight loss.

For Thomas DeLauer, living a healthy lifestyle is second nature. The YouTube trainer has made a career out of documenting his various fitness challenges and workouts for his more than 2 million followers. This week, he's at it again, experimenting with a low-fat version of the keto diet.

In previous videos, DeLauer has already demonstrated how he uses keto in conjunction with intermittent fasting to maintain his ripped physique. In the new video, DeLauer outlines a few additional restrictions that he followed:

He chose to double up on his protein intake while decreasing his fat intake by half.

He added a 150g protein shake (because one person can’t just eat meat constantly).

He ate two to three times as many veggies as he would on a normal day, stocking up on double the amounts of baby broccolini and brussels sprouts than he would normally consume on any given day.

One of the most exciting things about starting a keto diet is how fast you can experience a transformation.

Within one week most people notice a sharp decline in sugar cravings and by week two a noticeable uptick in energy and clear-headedness. By week three, brain fog and food obsessions are a thing of the past.

If you have weight to lose, you can expect the scale to start ticking down almost immediately. In fact, many people experience the most rapid weight loss within the first two weeks.

If you’re wondering if the benefits plateau from there, the answer is a resounding no.

Research shows (and our customers have confirmed) that significant changes in blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, and BMI can all take place within two months on keto.