Cooking Keto With Kristie

Often the best way to start is to simply jump in!

For reliable information, including medically sound information, check out the Diet Doctor website. They have additional guides as well as some delicious low carb recipes.

Top Ten Tips 

These are my Ten Tips for reducing carbs from Ultra Processed foods, eating adequate protein, and enjoying healthy fats. When you finish reading them, read them again. When you’ve read them a second time, consider how you might implement them one by one.

1. Count all the carbs and keep them low. When I first changed my diet, I didn’t know a macro from a micro, but I knew that I had to count carbs. Count total carbs; do not subtract fiber especially if you’re consuming packaged foods. That’s all I knew for the first four months, and I lost over 40 lbs. in that time. I discontinued all of my medications in those first four months. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Despite the detailed information here, don’t wait for perfection. Don’t drive yourself insane counting macros, weighing, and measuring. For accurate carb counts, use the USDA Food Central database to find nutritional values. If the food you’re eating has a label, you can use the nutritional information on the label. Know the carb count of EVERY food you put in your mouth BEFORE you put it in your mouth. You can also use a free app/website like Cronometer. They have a full help center with articles if you need assistance using the app.
2. Commit. Decide you’re going to follow a plan 100% for two weeks. I promised myself at the end of two weeks, I’d eat the entire doughnut shop if I wanted. Just two short weeks. I was desperate, and I knew I had to follow the plan 100%. Even one little Hershey kiss can throw your body off, and you will not see the results you want. Diet can be unforgiving for those of us with metabolic dysfunction. Moreover, during those two weeks, you will be able to push through cravings and enjoy the benefits. Once you accomplish two weeks of success, the plan gets easier. Commit to four short weeks; one day at a time. No sugar, no starch, no grains. Decide “Come heck or high water, I’m following this plan for four solid weeks.” Then do it.
3. Find your favorite keto foods to eat. My favorites are steak, sheet pan fajitas, chopped caprese salad, and homemade Ranch salad dressing. When I’m tired of that, I’ve got meatloaf, taco soup, pepper steak, and coffee with heavy cream or FairLife whole milk (triple filtered and low in sugar). I have recipes available here on this site, on my YouTube channel, Diet Doctor, in my cookbooks, and in my Cooking Community. In the Cooking Community, I also have meal plans and resources for how to think about and structure quick and easy meals that you can always have in mind to fall back on when your day goes a little haywire.
4. Prioritize protein intake. Getting adequate protein is essential for everyone, not just for muscle maintenance but also for overall health. Protein supports metabolism, helps regulate appetite, and is necessary for tissue repair. Aim for a protein intake based on your body weight and activity level. Most people should be aiming for a minimum of 100g protein a day; more if you are taller or more active. Too little protein can lead to muscle loss and affect bone health. Choose high-quality protein sources such as poultry, fish, beef, pork, eggs, and dairy. Avoid relying on processed meats or protein bars or powders, as they may contain unwanted additives. I have a lot more information, and links to my sources, in my Cooking Community.
5. Limit carbs to 7-10 grams total per meal. The “magic” that makes a ketogenic plan work is linked primarily to keeping blood glucose stable, particularly if you have any type of metabolic disorder. Eating higher carb meals will raise blood glucose, which is why you have to be consistently on plan and remain vigilant about counting carbohydrates. The physicians I follow who recommend a low carb diet generally advise patients to count total carbs, which means not subtracting fiber. Some soluble fiber may impact blood glucose, especially in packaged foods; therefore, counting total carbs is a more conservative, but safer guideline. While you may find that you can tolerate up to 12 to 15 total carbs per meal, many people cannot. Cravings are worse for me when I exceed 7 total carbs per meal. Through trial and error or blood glucose monitoring, you can find your carb threshold, but that is not something you should worry about when you’re just starting. I do have information about using a CGM in the Cooking Community.
6. Eat to hunger. A healthy diet does not work by starving the body. It works by eating foods that nourish you while keeping blood sugar stable. While it’s good to eat to hunger, it can also be important to pay attention to when you eat. Many experts recommend starting the day with a good, protein forward breakfast. This can actually help reduce excess hunger later in the day. If you find that you are not hungry for breakfast, examine your meals and when you’re eating. If your meals are very high fat, or if you’re eating late in the evening, that may suppress your hunger in the morning. Try dialing back the fat content and not eating within three hours of bedtime. I have links to more information about this in the Cooking Community and it is a topic we do a much deeper dive in Compass, which is one of my guided courses.
7. Learn to listen to your body. Know whether you’re eating what’s “right” by listening to your body. An ideal ketogenic meal meets these requirements:

• You leave the table feeling satisfied. Not stuffed, but comfortable.
• You don’t feel tired or sluggish 1 to 2 hours after eating, but you do feel energized. If you do feel tired or sluggish, then your meal was not ideal. Feeling tired or sluggish can be linked to eating too many carbs or a food sensitivity. Make note of the grams of carbs, fat, and protein in your meal.
• You do not feel hunger, true physical hunger for at least 4 to 6 hours after the meal.

Physical hunger is not feeling anxious, frustrated, angry, or happy. Hunger is not an emotion. True hunger is not triggered by a commercial on television or by someone around you eating. Physical hunger is disruptive. It stops you from what you’re doing, and says softly, “Uhm…I need a little fuel here.” If you’re busy and you get distracted by hunger, you’re truly hungry. When you’re hungry, eat. Focus on eating protein and fat instead of carbs. If you’re not physically hungry, drink water, phone a friend, run an errand, clean, or go for a walk. Learning to trust physical hunger cues is a significant key to success.

8. Don’t try to take shortcuts. There is no substitute for real food. Whether you’re tempted by the convenience of “low carb” products that are not really low in total carbs, or tempted by supplements, don’t. Learning to eat real food and changing your habits for the rest of your life is going to make you healthy in two weeks, two months, two years, and two decades. Looking for shortcuts never got me further along my journey for any length of time.

9. Eat real foods and pay attention to ingredients. Looking for convenience, I made this mistake. If a food is marked “low carb,” “sugar-free,” or even “keto,” it probably isn’t a good option. When you pay attention to ingredients, you find that many sweeteners used by food producers will impede your progress. For example, diet soft drinks can cause stalls and many people find that drinking them increases hunger. Those who pay attention to ingredients are more likely to see better results. I have a sweetener guide HERE that discusses some of the most commonly used sweeteners and which are ideal and which are best avoided.

10. Create new habits. To be successful, you will have to think differently about food and meals. When you eat, what you eat, and why you eat are going to be different. You will have to learn to eat different foods and create new meals. Even if you don’t like to cook, you can still create low-carb meals that you enjoy. If you don’t DO something different, you will never BE different.

If you would like additional information, links to the sources that I’ve used to compile this information, more specific assistance, recipes, guided courses, meal plans, etc. I have that information and more in my Cooking Community if you’d like to join us!