Your 3 Day Keto Kickstart And Menu Plan

So I’m writing this post today as much for me as I am for you. As some of you know, I’ve been doing the low carb and gluten free thing for 2 years now, with great success. Over the Summer though, I got a little lax and the weight started creeping on. Since then I’ve been gaining and losing the same 12 pounds for about 6 months - a cycle I really, really need to break. This is UNACCEPTABLE, people! I need to start walking the walk, not just talking the talk! So I’m buckling down, getting serious, and hitting the Keto HARD from now on. I’m guessing many of you are in a similar situation, since blog traffic has about doubled since January 1st! So I thought I’d share some of my tips for getting into ketosis in three days or less. Then we can rock the low carb thing together and lose the weight for good!

Some of you may be new to low carb eating, and whether you are following Atkins, Keto, or another low carb plan, there are a few basic things you should know. 1. Eat less than 20g net carbs per day if you want to get into ketosis. Net carbs are calculated by subtracting the fiber grams (or sugar alcohols in some cases) from the total carb grams. Don’t guess - you’d be surprised how many grams of carbs there are in things you might have considered “free” like onions, garlic, tomatoes, and kale, just to name a few. 2. Purchase some ketostix - they aren’t expensive and you can even cut them in half to get double the strips. Some people say they don’t matter, but when you are suffering as much as you will be in the first few days, it’s nice to get the validation that it’s working.

On average it takes most people about three days to get into ketosis.The sticks will confirm that ketones are being excreted through your urine. That’s all. They won’t change color at all for no ketones, then there is trace (light pink) and it goes up from there to dark purple. The darkness of the stick doesn’t matter. As long as you are showing even trace amounts, then you are in ketosis and good to go. 3. Eat enough salt! I’m going to say that again so pay attention. When you eat low carb your body doesn’t retain water the same way, so sodium and other important electrolytes get flushed out quickly. You need to replenish these or you will feel awful - it can even lead to heart palpitations, panic attacks, and other scary things. Salted bone broth or stock is a great way to replenish your electrolytes. 4. DRINK LOTS OF WATER. THEN DRINK MORE WATER.

THINK YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH, I DON’T CARE, GO DRINK EVEN MORE WATER. You should slosh when you walk and be pee-ing every 10 minutes like you’re 9 months pregnant with an 11 pound baby bouncing on your bladder like a pogo stick (you moms know what I’m talking about). Aim for at least 100 ounces a day - especially in the first couple of weeks until your body adjusts. Then you can lower it to 99 ounces a day if you’re feeling confident. Just kidding. DRINK MORE WATER. 6. If this is your first time doing low carb you may be blindsided by the detox symptoms. I’m not going to lie, depending on how carb heavy your diet is when you start, you may wish you were dead by day three. Headaches, bone deep fatigue, irritability, dizziness, and more, depending on your body. Hang in there, it’s worth it! The first three days are the hardest. Some of you have done it before and know to just ride it out and it will all get better soon. Those of you who may be new to what they call “keto flu” might panic, thinking your death is imminent.