FAQ

What is the keto flu?

This is what happens when you first start keto. It is caused by a sudden drop in your salt and electrolytes. That is why it is important to keep these up. It will make the transition a lot easier. Also, make sure you stay hydrated. It will make you feel worse if you are dehydrated as well. How you avoid the keto flu is to drink broth several times a day or you can take sole water several times a day. This will increase your salt and electrolyte intake and help you avoid that feeling. If you don’t like broth and you think sole water is too extreme at first, you can add salt to your food or eat pickles (which seemed to work for my husband).

What is sole water?

Sole water is simply Himalayan pink salt and water. It is water that has been saturated with salt.

Should I have salt?

You need to make sure you keep your electrolytes up, so this means magnesium, potassium, and salt. Since the foods on a keto diet are not processed and full of sodium, it is important to make sure that you get enough sodium to feel well. You will be able to tell if your electrolytes are not high enough because you will not feel well. You will start feeling muscle cramps, dizziness, tiredness, and run down like you do when you first start keto with the keto flu. Dehydration can happen easily as well, so make sure you get enough water too.

Do I have to incorporate I.F. (Intermittent Fasting)?

No. This, like everything else, is a personal choice. Some people like doing IF as it fits into their lifestyles. Some people have a hard time with it. It is all up to the individual person and what works for them. We personally like IF and do it every day. Some days I fast all day until dinner and some days I only skip lunch. I also do extended fasts that are all day until the next day. My husband does IF, but only skips lunch and does not do extended fasts. It is all up to you how you want to do a fast, and a fast can be broken anytime you decide to stop fasting.

Isn’t fasting starving yourself?

No, it is simply not eating for a set amount of time. You can always end your fast at any time by just eating. It is controlled by you. If you would like to know more about IF look for anything written by Dr. Jason Fung. He is the foremost expert on IF.

What is OMAD?

OMAD stands for One Meal a Day, This is another way to do intermittent fasting. You only eat one time a day and then you are done eating for the day. You fast for 23 hours and eat only within a 1-hour window at about the same time every day. Some people like the freedom of only eating once a day. Please research this fully or consult your doctor before doing OMAD as it is a more extreme form of fasting.

Do I have to work out?

You don’t have to, but if you think that you can, you probably should. Exercise is very important, just to get your body moving. However, I did not for the first year on keto. When I felt like I could get up and exercise I did. I still lost weight even without working out. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

What should my macros be?

We have a maco calculator on our site. Just go to the drop-down menu under keto beginner’s guide.  Macros should be about 75% fat, 20% protein, 5% carbs, but again it depends on your goals and individual preferences. Remember, even though it says 75% fat you will not need to eat this much if your goal is weight loss. Most of the fat will come from your body and not from eating it. You should eat fat until you are satiated, because if you are satisfied it is much easier to stay on this way of eating. Your cravings will go away as well after you are fat-adapted. You should not eat at a large fat deficit, especially in the beginning because your body has to switch over to using fat for fuel.

Do I have to track my macros?

In the beginning, it is probably a good thing to do. Some people track macros forever. Some stop after getting fat-adapted and after they learn how to eat keto. Some will do what is called “lazy keto”. This means that they only track their carbs and that is all. My husband and I prefer lazy keto and we stopped tracking after a few months. This again is a personal preference.

What exactly is lazy keto?

This is when you do keto and do not track your macros, except for making sure you are under 20 grams of carbs a day. Otherwise, you do not need to track anything else. I have done lazy keto for the majority of the time I have been on keto and my husband never tracked his macros. In the beginning, you should track your macros, at least until you get used to this way of eating. Some people always track their macros and that is how they stay on track. It all depends on your individual preference.

Do I have to count calories?

Counting calories is not really associated with keto. However, tracking macros is a great tool to see what you are taking in. You should track macros in the beginning, at least until you learn what your macros will look like as far as what foods have what in them.

How do I track my macros?

An easy tracker is My Fitness Pal . Most of our recipes are listed on here so you can just type in our recipe and it is already in there for you. This tracker has an app and a website. There are many trackers that you can use but we have only tried this one.

Won’t my cholesterol go up and isn’t that bad?

There is a lot of science out there that will give you all the information about this. I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or scientist, and there is a lot of science to keto, too much to list it all here. The site I found really helpful for the science part of keto is Diet Doctor . I am not affiliated with this site. I just want to make sure, if you are looking for the science behind it all, that you can get all the information you need for your own journey. However, I like our recipes better than on diet doctor. 🙂

Can I gain weight (or not lose weight) on keto?

Sure, if you eat too much you can definitely gain or not lose weight. Keto is not magic.

Can I use artificial sweeteners?

Yes, most people are fine with artificial sweeteners. Just be conscious if you have any side effects. The ones we use are stevia and erythritol.

Should I take fiber?

If you are having problems “going”, then you may need to take fiber. Again, this is an individual decision. We are not all alike and something that works for one may not work for another person. We are big believers in trial and error for everything. See what works for you or consult your doctor.

Can I have snacks?

Yes, you can have snacks. If you are really hungry, then eat. I do not usually snack. I prefer to eat when it is my meal times only. You just have to find what works for you.

Can I still eat vegetables?

Yes. You can have some vegetables, such as avocados, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, and spinach. Other vegetables only in moderation because of their carb count, so make sure you look up the carb counts on the vegetables you want to eat. If you are doing 20 net carbs or less be sure you are subtracting the fiber to get net carbs.

What kind of fruit can I have?

Most fruits have too much fructose (sugar) in them for you to be able to have on a keto diet, however, you can have berries in moderation (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries). However, that is about all and you should eat them only occasionally because they do contain carbs from fructose. If you budget for them then yes you can have them.

What should I eat?

Meat, eggs, heavy cream, cheese, butter, cream cheese, bacon, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, broccoli, cauliflower. Basically, check the ingredients and carbs. You should be under 20 net carbs a day and try to eat single-ingredient foods. Even if you make recipes they should include single ingredient foods only (or when possible).

Do I need to use keto urine sticks?

No, you do not have to use keto sticks. I have never used them because I go by how I feel. Once you get fat adapted you will be able to tell if you are out of ketosis and when you are in ketosis, no sticks are needed.

Is Keto safe for kids?

I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. This is something that I would strongly urge you to talk to their doctor about before putting any child on a keto diet. My kids are not on keto, but they are older and can make that decision for themselves. So we do not push it on them.

Can I eat out on keto?

Yes. It is really not hard to eat out on keto. Have a hamburger without the bun; any other meat such as steak or chicken; hold the fries and have a vegetable option instead… you get the point.

Where can I find keto recipes?

We have lots of recipes on our site Certainly Keto. However, you can also do a google search for keto recipes that you are looking for,