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Meal Planning Is The Key To Keto Success

Photograph of a blue plate with tiles spelling "meal plan" on it used to illustrate, "Meal Planning Is The Key To Keto Success".Everyone knows keto dieting is a fantastic way to lose those excess pounds. Did you know custom keto meal planning based on your individual needs will also improve your focus and energy level? Possibly the most often heard complaint about doing keto is the difficulty of maintaining it because there are so many restrictions.

Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case for you! Because, this article will talk about customizing your keto diet in a way that works best for you, specifically. This will improve your levels of clarity and energy all day long.

 

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What makes keto so difficult?

For a lot of us who are accustomed to the Standard American Diet (SAD), changing over to a keto diet can be really difficult. Switching over to keto is a huge change for our bodies and causes many people to suffer from what is called the “keto flu”.

Because changing your body’s energy source from sugars to ketones creates so much stress, new ketoers experience flu-like symptoms. These symptoms are similar to what you might expect from the flu or common cold.

Related reading: “The Keto Flu: Symptoms, Causes, And Remedies

Keto requires tracking what you eat

Honestly, most people hate to track their consumption. A lot of people think tracking isn’t necessary. But we have to be able to recalibrate our sensation of hunger and our bodies to what will be the “new normal’ on keto.

While eating the standard American diet we all tend to overeat by 500 calories or more each day. All of the carbohydrates and sugars create energy very quickly. Because that energy burns quickly too, we’re left feeling the need to fuel up and we ate more.

Those extra 500 odd calories is the cause for all the weight gain seen in the developed, industrial world. Because people aren’t active enough to use those extra calories.

Tracking the food you eat and creating a daily menu will let you manage what you eat and work on how to avoid feeling hungry throughout the day. Without feeling hungry or wanting that afternoon nap caused by the sugar crash from lunch.

Carbohydrate and sugar addiction

Most of us are greatly addicted to sugar and carbohydrates and we don’t even know it. Carbs and sugar are how most people get their energy.

Kicking the carb and sugar addiction is fairly stressful and lasts a long time. It can take a few months of concentrated effort for a person to become truly adapted to the keto diet. To do so you have to learn to control your intake of carbs and sugars.

The keto diet achieves this with fats and proteins. Together fat and protein will give you strong muscles, sustainable energy, and a leaner body with a significant loss of body fat.

As you become used to keto you’ll feel hungry because your body is craving energy as it moves away from using glycogen (blood sugar) and towards fat as its primary source of energy.

Keto meal planning

There are a lot of resources out there that can help you plan out and try the keto diet. Having a plan will help guide your shopping and gives you the best chance at a successful keto diet.

Making and tracking your keto meals yourself

If you intend to do the meal planning and tracking yourself using a spreadsheet like Google Sheets or Excel would be helpful. You’ll want to create a spreadsheet to list your foods and the overall calories needed. Then purchase the right foods to get you through those moments of weakness we all get.

Related reading: “How To Make A Keto Meal Plan

You can start with this meal planning spreadsheet over at Nicole Burt’s blog.

A photograph of an assortment of fitness watches. Click to learn more about fitness watches and the keto diet.Using apps like “Chronometer”, or the apps that come with fitness watches, allows you to track your food’s macronutrients allowing you to watch your intakes of fat, protein, and fat.

For the DIY method to work, you have to be very knowledgeable of keto-friendly foods. Many people fail because they bought food they believed was keto-friendly but wasn’t. Sabotaging their own results.

That brings us to finding more resources to read, or subscribing to a service the will help you make viable keto meal plans as well as helping you to stay on track to achieve your goals.Book cover of the Keto Cookbook - 60+ easy and fun keto recipes. Click to learn more.

  • Additional reading (most time consuming)- Reading more means you’re willing to spend the money for the books, and invest the time to do the research.
  • Meal planning (most balanced) – This is a middle-of-the-ground method using a meal planning service like the “Custom Keto Diet Plan”. This service develops your meal plan based on many of your personal parameters like age, weight goals, food preferences, activity level, and more. All you have to do is buy your groceries off of the provided shopping list and follow the meal plan.
  • Meal delivery services (most convenient & costly) – There are some services that will put together and deliver keto-friendly meals to you. These may not be “made for you” like a custom meal plan is or even be the right amount of calories for you. Even though this is the most costly way to get your meals, it will save you loads of time in a lot of cases.

Custom made keto diet planning

Book cover image of the "Deliciously Easy Keto Recipes" eBook written by Rachel Roberts.j Click to get your own FREE "Delicious Easy Keto Recipes" eBook.

If you find creating a perfect keto diet plan is a bit too much, consider using our custom keto diet planner to get yourself to the next level.

Custom diets are tailored to each individual. This custom approach allows you to make your own meal plan by selecting your food preferences, activity level, weight goal, age, and even your height and weight. It’s a very complete analysis of your needs.

What is included in your custom keto diet plan?

  • An 8-week keto meal plan built by a team of expert certified nutritionists, personal trainers, and chefs.
  • Meal with macronutrients and calories tailored to your specific goals and situation.
  • A meal plan that has plenty of variety, giving you a full range of nutrients. Increasing your likeliness of staying on the diet because you won’t experience food fatigue – it’s a thing.

Related reading: “Food Fatigue Is Real

Related reading: “EU Political Report, Food Fatigue

  • Recipes with detailed instructions making your meal preparation very easy. No cooking experience is needed.
  • Weekly downloadable grocery lists detailing everything you’ll need for the next 7 days.
  • Customization options to suit your own personal tastes.
  • The plan will show you what to eat daily to hit your goals in the fastest and most pleasurable way possible.

A custom keto meal plan is the best way for a lot of people to get started on their keto journey. As your eating these meals you notice changes in the way you see food and will need less and less help with meal planning and selecting the right foods to reach your goal.

In Summary

Creating a strong and complete meal plan is key to succeeding on the keto diet because it is such a strict diet.

You have to become well versed in all the keto-friendly foods that you can buy. A lot of people haven’t succeeded with keto because they buy the food they believe to be keto-friendly but aren’t.

To get past this hurdle many people choose to get a custom keto meal plan and shop for only those foods. That way they are able to stay on track and succeed with their keto diet.

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Custom Keto Diet Banner - Click to get your own Custom Keto Diet Plan

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Conceptual B&W photograph "Really ?!?". Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

10 Things About The Keto Diet You Don’t Know

People tend to be very skeptical when they hear about a diet that changes our metabolism in a way that makes our bodies burn fat instead of sugar for its energy. But the keto diet promises just that. It’s a type of low-carb dieting that has been trending in recent years. It’s trending, but it’s not a fad, it’s been in use for ~100 years. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Conceptual B&W photograph "Really ?!?". Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

** This article contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services we can stand behind. Thank you very much for your support. **

Here’s our list of 10 things about the keto diet you don’t know:

1 – The keto diet was developed in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy, not for weight loss. Since its development, it has been used to treat other medical conditions like diabetes.

Related reading: 15 Health Conditions That May Benefit From a Ketogenic Diet

2 – The keto diet is an extremely low-carb diet compared to other low-carb diets. The keto diet works when your body is deprived of carbs to the point it will burn fat for its energy. To do that, the keto restricts your carbohydrate intake to just 50g per day. That’s less than virtually any other diet out there. For example, one cup of cooked brown rice has just under 50g of carbs.

Related reading: Measuring Your Macros: What 50 Grams Of Carbs Looks Like

3 – Most diets limit the amount of rich food you can eat. But the keto diet permits a wide variety of food. It allows you to eat fats, including those from meat and dairy products.Diagram of a keto diet food pyramid. Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

4 – Most fruits are forbidden on the keto diet because they have high amounts of carbohydrates. However, berries are acceptable on the diet because they have low sugar content.

5 – The majority of your calories come from fat while following keto. It’s important to eat only the healthy fats, not all fats.

6 – Keto Flu is a thing. It’s not really the flu but it’s a group of symptoms that may accompany The Flu. Keto flu is the side effect of starting the keto diet. It seldom lasts more than a week or so, and not everyone feels the keto flu.

Related reading: The Keto Flu: Symptoms, Causes, And Remedies

7 – The keto diet quite literally changes your body’s metabolism. It’s called “ketosis”.

Related reading: 10 Ways To Know You Are In Ketosis

8 – Dietary supplements may be needed with keto. Supplements can help your body adjust to the changes in metabolism brought about by ketosis. There’s a wide variety of helpful supplements available.

Related reading: What About Taking Supplements On The Keto Diet

9 – The ketosis can be taken too far. Ketosis can be harmful if you stay in a calorie deficient state and lose too much weight. It’s important to keep your doctor informed of your dietary decisions.

10 – It’s common for a person to lose 2 – 8 pounds when they first start the diet. But, as with any diet, the results vary a lot from person to person. Because it depends on their activity level, metabolism, health issues, and a plethora of other things.

Now that you’ve learned the 10 things about the keto diet you don’t know, you may be asking yourself…..

Will the keto diet work for you?

Even after touching on all of these facts, you may still be skeptical about the effectiveness of the keto diet. Many theories indicate the keto diet will:

  • Decrease you cravings
  • Increase your metabolism, thereby increasing the number of calories you burn
  • Boosts fat loss

Related reading: From Harvard School of Public Health, “Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss

 

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Custom Keto Diet Banner - Click to get your own Custom Keto Diet Plan

Get your FREE eBook

Book cover image of the "Deliciously Easy Keto Recipes" eBook written by Rachel Roberts.

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Photograph of a woman not feeling well due to the Keto Flu. Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.

Top 5 Keto Flu Remedies That Work!

Keto flu remedies that work are a handful of things for you to do if, or when, you find yourself feeling the symptoms. Or, by doing these things at the same time you begin your keto diet you may well avoid feeling the symptoms entirely!

What is the keto flu?

The keto flu is a group of flu-like symptoms that some people experience when they start the keto diet. The keto diet is a high-fat, medium amount of protein, and very low-carb. The objective of the keto diet is to put your body in a state of ketosis. In ketosis, you’ll burn stored fat instead of glucose. This process is quite a change of metabolism and some people react to it by presenting flu-like symptoms. However, there isn’t any disease involved and the symptoms are very temporary.

Photograph of a woman not feeling well due to the Keto Flu. Click to learn about getting a customized keto diet plan designed based on your activity level, food preferences, weight goals, and other personal criteria.The symptoms and severity vary by person. But most people who are affected will have some combination of general achiness, constipation, headache, or nausea because of the sudden diet change. Be aware that, unlike The Flu, keto flu does not cause fever. If you have a fever you may want to see your doctor.

These side effects, or symptoms, seldom last more than a few days to a week. That is, so long as the ketoer strictly adheres to the diet. Falling in and out of ketosis will cause the symptoms to last longer because you’re not giving your body time to adjust.

The keto flu can be very uncomfortable for some people, while others won’t even think about how their feeling. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, treating the keto flu symptoms appropriately will get you through this adjustment period more quickly and with less discomfort.

And consider this. If you start following these remedies at the same time you start your keto diet you may be able to avoid the keto flu entirely.

Related reading: The Keto Flu: Symptoms, Causes, And Remedies

Top 5 keto flu remedies that work!

** This article contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services we can stand behind. Thank you very much for your support. **

1 – Drink plenty of water

Extra sugar is stored as glycogen. Our body’s cells hold the glycogen molecule and a lot of water. Our bodies dump a lot of that water and glycogen as we go into ketosis. Because we are losing so much water we can become dehydrated unless we drink plenty of water.

Dehydration can lead to general body aches, headaches, and sluggishness.

Because dehydration is such an unwanted side effect, be sure to drink plenty of water to prevent it. This is particularly important if you were drinking a lot of sugary drinks before starting your keto diet.

2 – Boost your electrolytes

As your body expels water it also loses electrolytes. The loss of electrolytes is compounded as insulin levels decrease. A lot of the keto flu symptoms are associated with lower levels of electrolytes. If you’re experiencing a feeling of weakness, fatigue, or cramping, it could be the lack of electrolytes.

You can improve your electrolyte levels by adding salt to your diet or drinking a sports drink that is high in electrolytes. Because sports drinks can have added sugar, you will have to watch your carbs more closely. Alternatively, drink sugar-free sports drinks.

3 – Consume enough calories

Eating a keto diet will reduce your appetite. Because your appetite is reduced you run the risk of not consuming enough calories to stay healthy. The combination of a decreased appetite from eating keto, and feeling nauseous from the keto flu, can put you in a position where you’re not taking in enough calories.

Ensure you’re eating healthy fats and consuming enough calories every day. Then your energy level should improve and your nausea will be reduced.

Accurate meal planning is crucial to consuming both the right amount of macronutrients and calories. Correct meal planning is also time-consuming and can be frustrating. One option is to have a custom keto meal plan prepared for you by professional nutritionists and chefs based on your food preferences, weight goals, and other personal information. Click here or on the banner below to learn more.


Click to get your own Custom Keto Diet Plan

Related reading: How To Make A Keto Meal Plan

4 – Take it easy

It’s important to avoid overdoing things at the start of your keto diet. Because it takes time for your body to transition completely to ketosis.

For the first 7-10 days avoid strenuous exercise and hard work. Instead, try lighter types of exercise like yoga, walking, or medicine ball exercises. Then you get back to your regular routine when you’re feeling better.

Related reading: Lose Weight Fast With Yoga And Keto

5 – Try transitioning more slowly

Since many of the keto flu symptoms are caused by a sudden dietary change, you can transition to keto more slowly versus going full bore. Phasing out carbohydrates while increasing fats over a week or two will let your body adjust over time instead of overnight. Avoiding keto flu symptoms entirely!

When should you see a doctor?

The keto flu is very temporary and should go away pretty soon after starting the diet. If your symptoms last longer than 10 days or are painfully debilitating, or they’re accompanied by a fever, you might want to see your doctor.

Are you ready to start your Keto Diet? One way to get started with a Keto Diet is to have an 8-week “Custom Keto Diet Plan” created for you based on your height, weight, age, level of physical activity, and personal weight goals. Click the banner to learn more about your customized keto diet plan, or click here to go straight to your custom keto diet meal planner.

Click to get your own Custom Keto Diet Plan

 

Get your FREE eBook

Book cover image of the "Deliciously Easy Keto Recipes" eBook written by Rachel Roberts.

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