How to get started...

I always say the biggest challenge with starting this lifestyle is 'deciding you want to do it'.  Other than that, it's pretty painless.  The deciding part for me came very easy.  I was 'sick and tired of being sick and tired' of how I looked and felt and was flat out ready for a change.

Once you've decided, you need to get familiar with how many carbs are in the foods you love.  There's a shopping list of items on my website under 'How We Keto'.  Go through and make a grocery list from those foods, that you love.  Don't make a list of foods you don't love....this is the Keto Diet not the 'no fun diet'.  Then go to the store and stock up.  The biggest test with this lifestyle is when you're hungry or 'bungry' (bored and hungry) and there's no Keto foods available in your casa to eat.  Been there done that and you'll cheat.  So, make sure you've got some choices.

Once you get home with all your groceries, start deciding what kind of meals you can put together and go ahead and get started.  If you like chicken salad, make up a big tub of it and throw it in the fridge.  I like to mix up canned chicken, Hellman's Mayo, a little red onion and salt & pepper.  If you're a 'chip & dipper' make sure and get some Pork Skins.  They will be great to eat with chicken salad or maybe Pimento Cheese, tuna salad etc. Cook up some breakfast sausage so you can add it to scrambled eggs in the morning.  Grill up some hamburger or ground chicken burgers, make up some taco meat for salads...you get the idea.

The more food you have, readily available, the easier it will be to stay on track.  One word of caution, you still need to read labels and be familiar with the carb counts on all the foods you love. The name of the game in the beginning is to stay under 20 carbs per day.  As you get a little more familiar with the lifestyle, you'll want to start counting your macros.  Meaning all the calories you eat throughout the day should break down into 75-80% fat, 15-20% protein and no more than 5-10% carbs. I highly recommend selecting an app on your phone to help you keep track of all your macros (carbs, protein and fat).  I use 'MyPlate' (orange with a white knife and fork) and I upgraded once to track macros. You can always keep a journal and look up foods online as you go, as well.

There are a lot of low carb goodies out there.....bars, shakes, cookies, chocolates etc.  I know it's hard when you get started to go 'cold turkey' but you'll be better off if you do and lose weight much faster.  If you're about to de-rail and cheat, buy one bar.....maybe a Quest Bar or Atkins Bar.  Don't buy the whole box....you'll end up eating them all and throw yourself right out of ketosis.  Just get one....cut it up in pieces and leave it on the kitchen counter and eat one piece at a time.  Most of all, hang in there.  You can do this!!