YOUR 1ST WEEK ON THE KETOGENIC DIET: WHAT TO EXPECT UPDATED 2022
Learn about your first week on the ketogenic diet and what to anticipate in this post. You decided to start the low-carb, high-healthy-fat ketogenic diet as a result.
The keto diet, however, may initially seem like a substantial adjustment, similar to any change in lifestyle.
The following advice covers what to anticipate and how to adjust during the first week of the keto diet so you can easily adjust to its dietary requirements.
The keto diet, which has a high-fat content and few carbs, was first created to help treat epilepsy, but many individuals are now embracing it to lose weight.
It may be superior to other diets in a number of ways, according to research, including making it easier to burn body fat stores, preserving metabolic rate (the calories you burn when at rest), and assisting you in feeling satisfied with less calories...
Having said that, you might be curious about how much weight you can anticipate losing during your first week on the keto diet. Many people who initially begin the program report experiencing dramatic weight loss. Water losses, though, are responsible for a large portion of this.
The reason why the keto diet works so well for so many people is the combination of carb restriction and ketosis. It is much simpler to eat less calories, enhance health, and lose weight naturally because most keto dieters feel decreased appetite and increased energy.
Unfortunately, as your body adjusts to a low-carb diet, you might have to endure some unpleasant symptoms before you can fully benefit from a ketogenic diet. Common flu-like symptoms include minor gastrointestinal discomfort, mental cloudiness, impaired physical performance, and others.
The Keto Diet Rules for Keto Beginners
limits of 25 net grams per day for carbohydrates. The secret to ketosis is a low carb diet; everything else is just fine print. Look at the food's label if you're unsure. Net carbohydrates are the total carbs less fiber and sugar alcohols. Make sure your daily net carb intake is no more than 25 grams by reading labels and nutrition facts.
Consume a lot of fat. Your daily calorie intake should be between 70 and 80 percent of fat. You are teaching your body to burn fat as its primary fuel while you enter a state of ketosis. You can get there by depriving your body of glucose (carbs), but if you eat lots of fat while your body is still adjusting, you'll feel much better and find the shift to be simpler.
You could wish to reduce your fat consumption at a later point, but not in the first three weeks. If you are having difficulties gaining enough fat, consider using fat boosters or fat bombs (the simplest method). This post on 56 Ways to Increase Your Fat Intake While on a Keto Diet is brand-new.
Consume adequate protein. Your daily calorie intake from protein should be between 15 and 25%. If you eat too little fat, you could not feel enough energized. If you consume insufficient protein, your body will begin to consume its own muscle for protein.
Adhere to the Ketogenic Basic Meal Template. My goal is to make keto simple, as you are aware. To make choosing what should be in your keto meal simple, I created the Basic Keto Meal Template. The recommended serving sizes for each meal are a palm-sized quantity of protein, a handful of non-starchy veggies, and at least a few spoonfuls of fat.
Monitor your macros. It is challenging to stay on track without keeping track unless you are comfortable with how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates are in the foods you eat. Start with this article if you are unsure what macros are. Determine your macros, then monitor them every day for three weeks. You may either enter the things you eat each day into an app like Carb Manager or MyFitnessPal, or you can utilize a tool like No Cook Keto that has already done the math for you.
Drink water. Being naturally diuretic, ketosis causes you to lose water more quickly than you would on a diet high in carbohydrates. You don't want to accelerate the process of becoming ketone acclimated by dehydrating yourself.!
Add extra electrolytes. This is important! To ensure you consume adequate sodium, season your food with pink sea salt. To ensure you get adequate magnesium, use Concentrace Trace Mineral Drops. Consume meals high in potassium, such as avocados and leafy, dark greens. (These also contain magnesium, although it is less readily absorbed.)
Don't forget to take electrolytes! Yes, it's here once more. It's that significant. Make sure the electrolytes in your supplements are sufficient to meet your needs. It is frequently recommended to drink Powerade Zero, however, it is woefully deficient in magnesium (2 mg), potassium (24 mg), and sodium (100 mg). To ensure you obtain enough magnesium, once more utilize Concentrace Trace Mineral Drops.
Avoid deceit. You can play around with your macros and go on carbohydrate adventures afterward. Don't deviate from the plan throughout the first three weeks. It won't take much sugar (or fries, pasta, crackers, soda pop, etc.) to cause you to enter or exit ketosis. Even if you've recovered from the keto flu, it can be enough to make you get sick again. You won't need to be as rigid for long because your body will adjust. Keep your strength for the time being. You are capable of completing this.
Zero scales. Stay off the scales for the first three weeks. I know it will be challenging. On your first and last days, weigh yourself, but don't do it anymore. The first three weeks, getting into ketosis is your main objective. The transition will be slowed down if you worry about weight changes.
Preparing for Keto: The Key Points To Note
The standard ketogenic diet typically consists of the following:
75% (healthy) fat
20% protein
5% carb intake
Chances are, this is going to be a moderate or major change for the average person’s diet.
This requires you to reduce your reliance on carb-based foods, which means minimizing everything from grains to even most fruits and increasing your meat and healthy fat intake.
The following are low-carb foods that are made of or contain healthy fats:
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines
Avocados
Yogurt
Meat and poultry
Cheese
Butter and cream
Nuts and seeds
Dark chocolate
Eggs
To get started…
We recommend that you create a ‘meal plan’ for the first week to implement structure and consistency in this new way of life. This helps keep you stay accountable and healthy.
Keeping a meal plan is a common practice not just among ketogenic diet followers but many others trying to lose weight.
After all, when life gets busy, and you’re overloaded with work and responsibilities, one of the last things you might want to think about is concocting a dinner.
Your body will undoubtedly feel different, and you might see some drastic changes right away.
One scientific study claims that any immediate weight loss in this new type of eating pattern can be mistaken for fat loss.
Glycogen, a substance that stores carbohydrates in body tissues, can shift around during the dieting process, particularly when carbohydrates are restricted.
Results showed that weight loss in a low-carb diet is more likely to be attributed to stored carbs and water being used up, rather than weight. After the initial water weight loss happens, fat loss should occur.
The Keto Diet: The Actual One-Week Plan
Monday – day 1
Eat: Enjoy the tasty menu below. Eat until satisfied. A low-carb high-fat diet reduces hunger. You usually won’t need to snack if you’re doing it right. If you’re hungry between meals, add more fat – like butter, olive oil, or mayo – to your next meal. And consider increasing the portion size.
Stay hydrated: When changing to a ketogenic diet from a diet with a lot of carbs your body will get rid of a lot of water — especially in the first days. So make sure to drink a lot of water. If you’re getting a headache, you probably need to drink more but it’s also important to follow the advice below.
Make sure you get enough salt: We recommend drinking a cup of bouillon, or broth, or adding more salt to your food every day during the first week. You can even shake a little salt into a glass of water and sip it. This will help you minimize the risk of early side effects, like headache, lethargy, or irritability. When starting a low-carb diet, these side effects are common on days 2-4, but with the bouillon (broth) they are usually minor.
Keto egg muffins
3kg
Breakfast
Start the week with one of the best time-saving keto breakfasts of all time – keto egg muffins. If you want something more daring, feel free to switch to another breakfast option.
You can also have coffee or tea. Small amounts of full-fat milk or cream are okay.
Keto turkey plate
9kg
Lunch
A simple yet tasty no-cook keto plate that should keep you satiated until dinner – keto turkey plate.
Lunch out is not recommended, but if necessary, follow these guidelines.
Keto cheeseburger salad
9kg
Dinner
This amazing cheeseburger salad is quick, inexpensive, and filled with all of the best flavors of a juicy cheeseburger. The ingredients come together for a familiar and favorite taste sensation that makes you wonder why you ever ate burgers on a bun!
Cook enough so you have leftovers for lunch tomorrow (that means plan on 2 servings per person).
Tuesday – day 2
Eat: Enjoy today’s simple but delicious menu below.
Stay hydrated: Don’t forget to drink enough water.
Make sure you get enough salt: Have a cup of bouillon or add extra salt to your food or water.
Fat is your friend: If you’re hungry between meals you need to eat more fat with your meals. Don’t fear fat.
Keto egg muffins
3kg
Breakfast
Keto egg muffins. If you want a different breakfast, you can always switch to another breakfast option, like classic bacon and eggs.
Coffee or tea is fine.
Keto cheeseburger salad
9kg
Lunch
It’s time to heat up the leftovers from yesterday’s delicious dinner.
Quick keto chicken garam masala
6g
Dinner
Quick keto chicken garam masala with coconut cream, turmeric, and garam masala, this dish has an exotic and satisfying spicy flavor. You’ll be amazed that something so tasty could be so quick and simple.
Prepare enough so there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow (plan on 2 servings per person).
Wednesday – day 3
Eat: There’s plenty of flavor in today’s colorful menu below.
Stay hydrated: Don’t forget to drink enough water.
Make sure you get enough salt: Have a cup of bouillon or add extra salt to your food or water.
Side effects: Today you may experience some temporary side effects of getting started on low carb, i.e. sugar withdrawal. You might feel a bit tired, etc. Today and tomorrow may be the toughest days. Once you make it through, it will only get easier. Today you can even have a second cup of bouillon if you feel the need.
Keto egg muffins
3g
Breakfast
The week continues with the delicious keto egg muffins. If you feel adventurous, feel free to switch to another breakfast option.
Coffee or tea is fine.
Quick keto chicken garam masala
7g
Lunch
Lucky you, it’s finally time to enjoy the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner.
Keto tuna and avocado salad
8g
Dinner
Keto tuna and avocado salad. Not a fan of mayo, but love tuna, avocado, red pepper and onion? What if we tossed all of those with a tart lime and olive oil dressing? You’d have a quick, simple, and budget-friendly meal in under 15 minutes!
Revitalize Your Motive
Keep in mind that the first week of keto eating is the hardest. Once you’re done with the first week, you will most likely feel good… maybe even great! You may feel energized and you will most likely wave goodbye to those first pounds, too. Now it’s crucial to keep going!
Thursday – day 4
Eat: Here’s another day packed with tasty meals below.
Stay hydrated: Don’t forget to drink enough water.
Make sure you get enough salt: Have a cup of bouillon or add extra salt to your food or water.
Keto egg muffins
2g
Breakfast
Keto egg muffins are delicious, fast, easy, and oh-so keto.
Coffee or tea is fine.
Keto tuna and avocado salad
7g
Lunch
The leftovers from yesterday’s dinner, the delicious salad is waiting for you. And it might even taste better than yesterday.
Keto pizza omelet
7g
Dinner
Is it an omelet? Is it a pizza? Is it a quiche? Who cares?! When it tastes this good and it’s keto, too, call it whatever you like. This keto pizza omelet is tonight’s dinner.
Cook enough so there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow (plan on 2 servings per person).
Minimizing side effects
Yesterday and today may be the toughest days. However, it usually starts getting easier.
Are you experiencing other side effects than feeling tired and generally not great? Here are some specific side effects that people occasionally experience during the first two weeks, and how to cure them:
Friday – day 5
Eat: With the weekend around the corner, the menu is only getting better!
Stay hydrated: Don’t forget to drink enough water.
Make sure you get enough salt: Have a cup of bouillon or add extra salt to your food or water.
Feeling better? Most people are past the worst side effects by now. Some even feel more energetic than ever. If not, make sure you’re getting enough water and salt. Noticing any other side effects?
Keto egg muffins
3g
Breakfast
The last day this week with the tasty keto egg muffins. If you feel adventurous, feel free to switch to another breakfast option.
Coffee or tea is fine.
Keto pizza omelet
8g
Lunch
Lunch will be super quick today with the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner. A simple and very tasty keto meal.
Keto Italian meatloaf with baked tomatoes and pesto mayo
4g
Dinner
Enjoy our delicious keto Italian meatloaf with baked tomatoes and pesto mayo tonight. Maximum taste with minimal effort – just the way we like it.
Cook enough so there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow (plan on 2 servings per person).
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Bonus insight
For many people, sugar cravings rapidly disappear on a strict low-carb diet. Are you still experiencing a lot of them? Then you may be someone who has an addiction or dependence on sugar or on foods that rapidly convert to sugar.
Saturday – day 6
Eat: It’s finally the weekend and there’s so much to enjoy in today’s menu, below.
Stay hydrated: Don’t forget to drink enough water.
Make sure you get enough salt: Have a cup of bouillon or add extra salt to your food or water.
Feeling energetic? Today you should feel mostly great again – perhaps even full of energy.
Classic bacon and eggs
3g
Breakfast
Today the breakfast changes to the classic and delicious bacon and eggs. Feel free to switch to another breakfast option if you’re in the mood for something else.
Coffee or tea is fine.
Keto Italian meatloaf with baked tomatoes and pesto mayo
4g
Lunch
Leftovers from yesterday’s dinner, it’s time for another round of the yummy keto meatloaf!
Keto fried chicken with broccoli and butter
6g
Dinner
Keto fried chicken with broccoli and butter. We know you’re going to love this quick-and-easy keto dinner!
Prepare enough so there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow (plan on 2 servings per person).
At The Beginning: Major Keto Pitfalls
The combination of carb restriction and ketosis is what makes the keto diet so effective for so many. The decreased hunger and increased energy levels that most keto dieters experience make it so much easier to eat fewer calories, improve health, and lose weight naturally.
Unfortunately, to reap all of the benefits of keto dieting, you may have to experience some unpleasant symptoms as your body adapts to low-carb living. These symptoms typically include mild digestive issues, mental fogginess, decreased physical performance, and other flu-like symptoms.
Before you get discouraged and give up on your hopes of having your ideal body, check out our list of common keto conundrums and how to address them. You won’t necessarily suffer from them, but if you do, there are many strategies that you can use to remedy these issues.
1. Decreased Strength and Endurance
As your brain is struggling to energize itself during the first few days of carb restriction, your muscles will end up getting caught in the same conundrum as well.
Although your muscles are able to run on fat (unlike the brain), they still won’t be adapted to using mostly fat and ketones for fuel yet. As a result, you may experience a loss of strength and endurance.
Some keto beginners will find that they can’t follow the same workouts as before. They feel so drained so soon into their workout that they just can’t make it through their regular routine. The good news is that this will typically pass within the next month as your body adapts to burning ketones and fat instead of using mostly sugar for fuel.
However, if you’re training primarily consists of high-intensity activities that last longer than ~30 seconds at a time (e.g., sprinting, playing competitive sports, and lifting weights in sets that have more than 6 reps), you may still struggle to keep your performance at the same level as before. This happens because your body can not burn fat and ketones to fuel activities at high intensities.
It doesn’t matter how keto-adapted you are — your muscles will always require faster-burning fuel sources like creatine phosphate and carbohydrates for high-intensity exercises. For this reason, you may need to incorporate more carbs in your diet or change your training strategies until your body is fully keto-adapted and is finally able to refill its glycogen stores effectively (this can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months).
To prevent any loss in strength and endurance, try these strategies:
Change your training regime temporarily. Focus on exercises that are of low to moderate intensity and/or high intensity that last for around 15 seconds per effort. Every three to five weeks, test out your capacity for high-intensity workouts by doing your original training regime. If you are still struggling, then give your body more time to adapt.
If you would rather not change your training regime for any reason, try implementing a targeted keto diet or cyclical keto diet instead.
Implement a targeted ketogenic diet. You can do this by consuming a small amount of easily absorbable carbs before your workouts.
Try using a cyclical ketogenic diet. This keto diet approach provides you with another way of upping your carb intake so that you can improve performance and reap the benefits of ketosis at the same time.
Make sure you are meeting your macronutrient needs. Consuming enough protein and fat is a crucial component of your diet success and exercise performance. If you are not eating enough fat or protein, you will not be able to optimize your workouts.
Eat plenty of low-carb vegetables. The iron, manganese, and potassium in green vegetables are all important for keeping your energy levels consistent.
Keep in mind, however, that you may not need to use these strategies at all. Some keto dieters have no problem adapting to carb restriction and will have no issue when it comes to following their usual exercise routine.
2. Mental and Physical Fogginess
When you first start keto dieting, the first day will probably feel great, but eventually, about 2 to 3 days later, the mental and physical fogginess will hit. You may find yourself staring at the wall for extended periods of time, feeling half-drunk, and being unproductive at work.
The primary reason this occurs is that your brain is used to running primarily on glucose (and it can’t burn fat for fuel). During the first day of keto, you felt fine because you still had some glycogen (our storage form of sugar) left to burn — but, after around 24 hours, you burned it all off. As a result, your neurons will stop getting the energy that they are used to burning, and your cognitive function will start to decline.
The good news is that if you can push through it, the cloudiness generally clears after a couple of days, and you will experience an elevated sense of mental clarity after your brain starts burning more and more ketones for fuel (this may take around one to two weeks of keto dieting).
Tips for alleviating mental and physical fogginess during the first few days of keto:
Go super low carb for the first week (no more than 10g of net carbs per day). By doing this, you will force your body to use up your glycogen stores and get into ketosis much more quickly.
Start your diet off with an intermittent fast. Intermittent fasting is a great way to speed up your induction into ketosis.
Use high-intensity exercise and low-intensity exercise strategically. First thing in the morning on your first day of keto dieting, do some high-intensity exercise. On the following days, do some light exercise, like walking or cycling, to start your morning. By using exercise in this way, you will burn through your glycogen stores much more quickly and encourage your body to burn more fat.
Consume MCTs when you start to feel fatigued. MCTs are the only fats that will go directly to the liver from the digestive tract where they are converted into ketones. By supplementing with these fatty acids, you will provide your brain with more fuel, so it doesn’t struggle when your glucose levels are low.
Eat more low-carb vegetables. The iron, manganese, and potassium in green vegetables all play a crucial role in keeping your mind clear and energy levels consistent.
3. Gastrointestinal Tracts Disorders — Constipation and Diarrhea
Whether you are experiencing constipation or diarrhea, your symptoms can easily be remedied. Some people may tell you that eating so much meat will clog you up and that all of the fat you are eating will cause diarrhea, but this is not true.
Typically, if you experience diarrhea in the first week of keto, it is because your body is excreting excess water, and one route it uses to release that water is your digestive tract. Once your body adjusts to having lower insulin levels, your stools should start becoming more and more solid.
If your stools are still runny after you are in ketosis, you may not have enough fiber in your diet to give your bowel movements enough bulk. On top of that, you can also experience occasional bouts of constipation for the same reason.
Tips on how to remedy digestive issues on keto:
Eat more low-carb vegetables. The minerals and soluble fiber in these veggies will provide your stool with some bulk while simultaneously remineralizing your body. This will help you prevent constipation and diarrhea at the same time.
Get hydrated. Consume plenty of water and minerals to bring balance back to your digestive tract.
Practice stress-relieving methods. Stress can cause both diarrhea and constipation. Keto dieting will increase your stress levels at first, so make sure you are getting enough sleep every night and practicing stress relief methods like meditation, yoga, and outdoor walks.
The Primary Causes of these Keto Pitfalls
After learning about all of these side effects, you may be wondering why the keto pitfalls can be so difficult for us to adapt to at first. Although there are many reasons for these keto pitfalls, the three main culprits are:
mild dehydration
hormonal shifts during keto-adaptation
not being in ketosis yet
Whenever we restrict carbs, our insulin levels decrease, which causes us to excrete a lot more water and sodium. This rapid water and sodium loss can eventually lead to dehydration and diarrhea.
If the body never gets rehydrated and remineralized, then cognitive function and physical performance will suffer as well.
By restricting carbs, you will also be provoking hormonal shifts throughout your body. In particular, your cortisol levels will increase (to help increase blood sugar levels by stimulating gluconeogenesis and short-term insulin resistance) and your thyroid hormone levels will decrease (because fewer carbohydrates are being consumed). These hormonal changes will be most evident in the first few days of keto dieting, causing symptoms like insomnia, depression, fatigue, and a reduction in physical performance and cognitive function.
On top of all of this, it takes your body a couple of days of keto dieting before it starts producing and burning ketones for fuel consistently. In the meantime, your muscles and brain may not perform optimally because their primary fuel source is restricted.
Fortunately, as you rehydrate your body and produce more ketones for fuel, your symptoms will dissipate and your hormones will start to balance out in a healthier way.
Summary — The Way Out
Keto dieting is such a dramatic change from the typical westernized diet that you will probably encounter some side effects during your first week of keto.
Fortunately, there are many ways to remedy these symptoms, and once you adapt to burning fat and ketones for fuel, you will regain your energy and feel better than you did with your old way of eating.
To mitigate any issues you run into during the first week of keto, here’s what you can do:
Use the keto calculator to find the macros that you should aim for to meet your goals.
Restrict carbs below 10 grams of net carbs per day to get into ketosis more quickly.
Drink plenty of water.
Use intermittent fasting, high-intensity exercise, and/or low-intensity exercise to help speed up the keto adaptation process.
Increase your energy levels by supplementing with MCTs.
Adjust your workout regime, follow a targeted keto diet, or implement a cyclical keto diet, so that you can maintain strength and endurance.
Prioritize sleep and stress-relieving activities.
Implement the relevant strategies based on your goals, lifestyle, and symptoms. By doing so, you will be able to alleviate the mental fogginess, digestive issues, and other flu-like symptoms that you may experience during the first week of keto dieting.
Conclusion
When starting the keto diet, any unpleasant side effects or symptoms you experience should hopefully only last a week or two.
Remember, you’re making a lifestyle change, so naturally, your body will need time to adjust. Just stick with it and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!
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