Slips, Trips and Falls

Often, getting started on Keto feels like learning to walk.  Everything you thought you knew about eating is now different, and because of that, we sometimes trip up, slip up, or fall off the wagon completely.  This is especially true at first, when you're still learning to read and trust your body's signals. 

So, you're "going Keto" and you're doing your best but you still don't seem to be losing as much as you think you should.  What's wrong?  Well, there are several pitfalls where newbies and veterans of the diet alike can stall their progress.  You have to remember that even though the mechanics of Keto can work for anyone, the details can vary according to your own physical makeup.  So look through the following potential trouble spots and see where you might need to tweak your own day to day Keto life.

Protein

There is no one formula that fits every situation to say how much protein you need, but all factors considered, the consensus is that when you are eating a very low carb diet, the quasi-optimal amount of protein you need is about one-half to one gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight. (Note the term ideal.) For example, if your ideal weight is 150lbs, your protein intake should be between 75 and 150 grams per day.  To clarify here, that's not 75 grams of meat or cheese (or whatever your source of protein) by weight. That would only be around 2 ounces. This is 75-150 grams of protein.  Some comparisons:

• 8 oz steak - 45 grams protein
• 4 oz chicken - 36 grams protein
• 4 oz ground beef - 28 grams protein 
• 1 cup cottage cheese - 23 grams protein

So, as you can see, you can consume quite a bit of protein sources throughout the day to reach your protein goals.  Many factors contribute to your protein needs (fat intake, exercise, age, weight, medications, etc.) so you will have to adjust your intake to fit your needs.  If you're stalling on your diet, you might not be getting the right amount of protein.  Try switching your protein sources, or raising or lowering your amount (you know if you eat a lot or a little protein in your basic diet). 


Leafy Greens

If you know me personally, you'll find this funny coming from me, but there is every possibility that you are not getting enough leafy greens. (I don't willfully eat any leafy greens.)  And by leafy greens, I mean dark greens like spinach, romaine, kale, etc.  Iceburg lettuce shouldn't even be considered a food.  Get your green fix with more nutrient dense greens and bulk it up on the greens.  They are full of antioxidants and other essential vitamins.  If, like me, you don't eat salads or any raw greens if you can help it, or if you just need to bolster your intake, consider smoothies with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.  You should have a minimum 4-7 cups of raw greens per day.

Fat is Yummy

I don't recommend obsessing over your macros and spending hours pouring over nutrition facts sheets looking for the optimum foods, but one of the macros that people sometimes have trouble hitting is the fat macro.  The "marketing team" for the low-fat craze should go down in history for the power of their mind-altering ads pushing low fat products.  The entire world was duped to the point that we allowed ourselves to fall victim to an obesity epidemic in the quest for "low-fat".  Fat does NOT make you fat. I repeat, FAT is not the enemy here.  Fat keeps you from getting fat!  You need that fat in your diet, especially once you've removed the carbs.  When you are cooking up your proteins, add butter, add coconut oils, add heavy cream to your sauces.  For your leafy greens, add oils and spices, cheeses, creamy dressings (watch for sugar, though).  Fatten up all your foods and not only will you not miss the carbs, your food flavors will be enhanced and will keep you satisfied longer, overcoming the desire to eat between meals.

Treats and "Keto Products"

One of the strengths of Keto is that any one can do it.  There are no clubs, fees, special supplements, pills, packaged foods, etc. required.  That doesn't mean that "Big Food" (the bedfellow to Big Pharma) doesn't want to join the party and grab a few of those dollars we're spending on high quality foods.  That also doesn't mean that all store bought foods are bad.  There are some really good "Keto Products" on the market that are made from fresh, clean, whole foods, but the majority of the products you find with the KETO moniker are just an attempt by the food industry to score a new demographic. Read your labels carefully.  And besides that, you ought not be snacking anyway.  Limit your "treats", even Keto-friendly ones, to once in awhile, or to celebrate small victories.  Remember, everyday can't be a celebration or none of them are special.

Some Keto-specific products I've found that suit my needs and come from reputable sources are:

Rebel Ice Cream - This company makes the best low carb ice cream around. It is also the lowest in net carbs of any other commercial product.  One pint, (which has 4 servings in case you didn't realize) has only 5-8g net carbs (depending on the flavor). 

My first pint was chocolate and it had 6 net carbs for all FOUR servings, or 1.5 carbs per serving.  In my greediness, I thought "Oh yeah, I'm eating the whole thing!"  But I couldn't.  I could only eat half of it and then I was full. FULL. Ever willfully stop at half a pint of Ben and Jerry's because you were full?  No, didn't think so.  This stuff is available directly from Rebel, or you can find it in many local grocery stores or on Amazon. 

Thinslim Foods - Okay,I know you're going to balk when you see the prices of this stuff, but you're going to have to trust me.  It is worth it.  They have the perfect blend of wheat proteins, oat fibers and flax that makes this a zero carb bread!  Yes, zero.  There are total carbs per slice, but that is offset by the fact that they are grams of dietary fiber, so there is no insulin impact. 

This was my dinner on ThinSlim bread!

The company even guarantees you'll have no blood glucose response.  I'm a huge fan of the breads, the bagels, and their pastas.  Sign up for their newsletter and you'll get periodic codes for free shipping (over $50) in your email.  Team up with a friend if you don't want to spend that much at once.  The option to have bread, bagel, and pasta choices is worth the price to me, knowing that the ingredients are natural and healthy. This stuff is also available on Amazon sold by Linda's Diet Delites which is a sister site to Thinslim Foods. Linda's has some excellent treats as well (including hot and cold cereals).

The fact of the matter is, you should be eating ingredients, not foods packaged in plastic wrappers.  "Keto" bars, shakes, snacks, coffees, etc. are just snack-foods repackaged in Keto clothes.  Many of them still contain non-approved sweeteners, grains, and <gasp> GMO ingredients. Steer clear of most of these Keto-labeled convenience products and stick to whole, natural food with ingredients you know.

Water and Exercise

It's the never ending mantra - drink 8 glasses of water per day.  You know what? That's another of those bills of goods that somehow made a lasting impact on the world without any real scientific basis. Actually, 8-8oz glasses of water is sort of the minimum.  Recommendations for Ketoers is more like 11 glasses for women, and 16 glasses for men.  BUT, that's fluid, not just water.  Included in that are the other liquids you consume: broths, teas, coffee, sauces, etc.  Not included in this is diet sodas and alcohol, which actually serve to dehydrate the body, increasing the need for additional fluids.  Bottom line, drink water as your predominant fluid and drink it whenever you are hungry or thirsty.  A good test of your hydration level is to pinch-lift a portion of skin from the back of your hand, the quicker it returns to normal, the better your hydration.  If your skin slowly resumes it's natural position rather than snapping right back, you need to drink more fluids.  Because of the higher sodium consumption necessary for proper Keto (remember, your liver needs salt to make ketones), fluid intake should also increase.

As for exercise, it's wonderful, it's healthy, it's stimulating, but it isn't a strong factor in losing weight.  For that matter, exercise can actually appear to stall weight loss (not really, but it can look that way on the scale).  The truth is, you lose weight in the kitchen and you shape it in the gym.  I have said this many times.  Exercise is good for you, BUT it isn't a good "diet" plan.  Exercising to lose weight is like honking to steer your car. It's all part of the same functionality, but not really connected... for more on exercise, see my next blog post.

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Have a blessed day!