Hello, Darlings! Today we are Back On Keto Diet- Round 2 The Next 30 lbs. I fell off the wagon after my bout with COVID. Between my birthday celebrations and my girl’s trip, I have been eating way too many carb, sugars, and alcohol. Today is my day to start fresh, and I am ready and excited
Remember, the Keto Diet is no sugar, less than 20 gram of carbs, moderate protein, and lots of good fats. Many people jump into Keto but don’t understand you have to have your “keto chemistry” correct for you to see results.
Back On Keto Diet- Round 2 The Next 30 lbs
Keto Diet Chemistry- Peeing Pink!
The first step to getting back into ketosis is to get your “keto chemistry” correct. You want to be producing ketones and the only way to do that is to limit your body’s production of glucose for fuel. Glucose is sugar, whether it is straight sugar, carbohydrates, or too much protein. The body will turn your food into glucose and use it for fuel. This is what we DO NOT WANT.
What we want is for the body to use fats as fuel. We want to turn on our “fat furnace” and the only way to do that is to limit sugars, carbs, and proteins. I use the Carb Manager App to track my macro (carb, fats, and protein). To produce ketones we need to rev up our fat engine and the best way to do that is with LOTS of good, healthy fats.
First Days Back On Keto Diet- Good Fats & Water
On the first days back on Keto, my goal is to really concentrate on getting in my good fats and drinking LOT of water with electrolytes. The water with electrolytes will help keep my body hydrated while I transition back into ketosis, hopefully without any symptoms of the Keto Flu.
Keto flu is the body’s reaction to restriction of carbs/sugars, this can include headaches, nausea, cravings. Also, your body will react to the addition of good fats with stomach/bowel issues. Finally and the easiest to prepare for is dehydration. Eating carbs/sugars cause your body to retain water (bloating). Starting back on the Keto Diet you will be going to the bathroom a lot, releasing all that extra fluid.
It is important to replace the lost water/minerals or you will get sick. That is why I drink tons of water with electrolytes. With the restrictions on carbs/sugars, now your body can use the replacement water to run more efficiently rather than store it. Losing “water weight” is one of the first victories on the Keto Diet.
Goal Is To Pee Pink
Take the time to get your keto chemistry correct. This means checking your urine to see if you are “peeing ketones”. When your cells start to use fats as fuel, they will produce ketones. It takes some time for your body to get the “fat engines” going, so extra ketones will be released into your blood and urine. You can easily check to see if you are producing ketones by using urine ketone strips.
Urine Ketone Strips are cheap and easy to use. The amount is not important, all you want to do is to be “peeing pink”. Larger amounts mean your body is not using those ketones and they are wasted. As your body gets more efficient, it will be harder to measure in the urine. Then you can advance to another ketone measurement system such as blood if you want.
Day 1 Keto Diet- Start With Coffee & Breakfast
I am not a huge Bulletproof Coffee drinker, coffee with butter/cream. I don’t like the taste or texture. Many people love it and swear by it. What I do is start the morning with coffee, MCT Oil, and a tablespoon of heavy cream. Start SLOWLY with the MCT Oil. I use capsules, adding 2 to my coffee. allowing them to dissolve.
If you add too much, too soon, you will be visiting the bathroom (not in a good way). You have to get your bowels accustomed to the MCT Oil. When I take the MCT Oil in the mornings I have more energy and greater clarity (less brain fog).
Breakfast On Keto Diet- Bacon & Eggs Are Your Friends
After my morning coffee, I move on to a lovely breakfast of bacon & eggs. Eggs are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. I cook mine using olive oil or real butter (good fats) and add a hard cheese (like cheddar, swiss, parmesan) which are also great sources of Vitamin A, calcium, B12, and Omega 3 fatty acids.
Because I need to get my “fat engines” revving, I am going to eat bacon too. It is important to read the label on your bacon, some have high amounts of sugar added for flavoring. Look for sugar-free, or low sugar bacon.
Other additional good fats you could add to your breakfast include avocados. Now I record my coffee and breakfast foods on the Carb Manager.
Keto Diet Lunch Is Protein + Good Fat + Low Carb
You might not even be hungry for lunch, but we need to continue to “rev the fat engines”. For lunch choose a protein such as chicken or beef, then add a low-carb vegetable. Grill or bake your proteins then add a low-carb vegetable or salad.
Your healthy fat can be cheese on a salad, slice of avocado, or nuts. Any healthy fat will do. If you chose a salad and want to add dressing, just make sure you check the label for hidden sugars. You can also add “real butter” or olive oil to your protein or low-carb vegetable while you cook it.
Keto Diet Need MORE Fats- Try Fat Bomb
Remember the Keto Diet is high fats (good kind), low carb, moderate protein, and no sugar. The hardest part of this diet is getting in enough good fats to get the fat engine going, especially in the begining.
I like to have as a snack, Fat Bombs. My favorite fat bombs are made with cream cheese (full fat), coconut oil, Swerve, vanilla, and raspberries. I mix these ingredients together and proportion them out on a piece of wax paper. Then I freeze it, creating a nice frozen treat with the favor of raspberry cheesecake.
Drink Your Water, Take A Walk, Treat Yourself To Hot Bath
As your body gets back into ketosis (fat engine running), make sure you are drinking lots of water with electrolytes. I can not say that enough. Most of the Keto Flu symptoms are caused by dehydration.
Next, do not go work out in the gym or go for a run. Instead, take a nice long walk, enjoying the spring weather, and breathe. The Keto Diet stresses your metabolism so you need to treat your body kindly. Finally, treat yourself to a nice long soaking bath with Epsom Salts. The Epsom Salts have magnesium in them and will help with aches, along with loss of magnesium from the Keto Diet.
Day 1 is done and was successful. I am feeling great with LOTS of energy. Keto Diet is not a race, it may take time to see results. So, stay steady on the course and look to Dr. Boz You Tube Channel for videos for information and encouragement.
First time doing the Keto Diet, check out my series on the Keto Diet
