The ketogenic diet is all the rage these days, and for good reason. This high-fat, low-carb eating plan has been shown to lead to weight loss, improved mental clarity and decreased inflammation. However, starting a new diet can be daunting, especially when there are so many conflicting opinions out there about what you should and shouldn’t eat. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about starting the keto diet, here are some tips to help you get started without losing your mind.
Check Out My Video Here: Overcoming Overwhelm: Tips for Starting the Keto Diet
This is actually a two-part conundrum. Let’s break them down.
1. ”I’m overwhelmed. What do I do now?”
Let’s say you’ve only started eating keto and just got overwhelmed. Or maybe you dip your toes in just enough to get turned off a little bit too much. Bottom line is, you need help.
Step one of being overwhelmed is to figure out what you were overwhelmed with specifically. It could be any of these:
- There is so much going on in your life right now to make a change.
- You can’t figure out your meals.
- You have a family member or friend that’s sabotaging your lifestyle.
- Any other inhibitions you may have.
Write down what you are overwhelmed with. More importantly, be specific with what is flooding your thoughts. Get those thoughts out of your head and write them down on paper instead. What that does is it helps get the chaos out of your head and turns it into something you can see. You will see how it paves the way for your next step.
Now that you have written down your overwhelming thoughts, you should pick a particular barrier to tackle. Step two is figuring out how to overcome that barrier. For example, let’s say there’s too much going on in your life. Make one change at a time. Perhaps you need to slow your life down or say no to something. You can also try getting up earlier for you to get a fresh start and get something done. Get more rest too by having a regular sleep schedule.
If you’re a parent like me, you may want to look into getting a planner. This way you can see if the kids are doing too many activities. You can then plan out what needs to be taken out and those that are borderline inconsequential.
You can’t figure out your meals.
Here’s one idea of how to overcome that barrier: a meal plan. Take some time out of a Sunday or after your day job. Find time, pencil it out and jot it down. Look into helpful, related posts online and comment on really great ones out there. This way you can get that recipe for how to plan your meals and get some new ideas.
For that barrier where there may be friends or family members who try to talk you out of keto, you really need to be up front and honest on what you want to achieve. Communicate to them how you want to do something healthy for your body. Tell them how you need their help and support. If they really are your support group, they will be more than happy to cheer you on.
What’s next after identifying your personal barriers? To overcome them!
First, you need to evaluate the effectiveness of what we’ve done so far. How will I know if this plan is working or not without assessing it on some kind of regular basis right?! Make sure that each week/day goes towards making adjustments accordingly. Make any changes needed in order for things not only to stay status quo but also improve slowly over time too.
2. “Where do I even start?”
The basics of keto are an excellent place to start, but you need more than just education if your goal is success. You also want guidance and support along the way! This applies well if you are new at trying keto. However, if you know how to do keto but you feel ‘it’s just a little bit too much, you may want to start with small steps. For instance, start with a keto breakfast.
Just start with breakfast, do that for a week. Start with making eggs, some sausage or bacon. Add it in with some vegetables. Maybe add a little bit of soy sauce or condiment of your choice.
Then once you’ve mastered that breakfast, move on to lunch. Lunch typically can be something pretty easy. Prepare a salad that you’ve already pre-made with some protein that you can just add-in. Your creativity is the limit.
You may be an on-the-go type so your schedule looks pretty hectic. The frantic schedule of an on-the-go person means they might not have time for breakfast or lunch. As a way to combat this, plan your meals and choose restaurants that support the goal you are trying to achieve!
You can do breakfast and lunch for maybe week two. Then on week three, take on keto dinner. This is where you could do maybe just three dinners a week. It becomes easy when you have some go-to keto meals that are accessible.
Then once you’re keto-adapted, move on to fasting. This will set your immune system and insulin up for success by starting with a diet low in carbohydrates before transitioning into an intermittent or continuous fast thereafter.
We hope this article has helped you understand that keto doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can actually be very simple if we take things one step at a time and break down the barriers. If you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry! Schedule a discovery call with us and we will help walk you through everything. Nothing is more rewarding than crossing the finish line of your first marathon- or in this case, reaching your keto goals!
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If you’re looking for a more natural way to manage your health, please contact us for a discovery call to see if our approach would be appropriate for your situation.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this email is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional
