There is so much information out there, maybe a little too much and it can be super overwhelming for Keto Diet beginners.

I remember when I first started looking into following a Keto Diet it seemed like everything I looked up had bits and pieces of different information, but what I really needed was someone to tell me the benefits of a Keto diet, exactly what to do, what to eat, and what not to eat.

So I’ve put together this post as a complete guide for Keto diet beginners. I’m going to tell you the 5 things to help you get started on a Keto Diet the right way and the things that have really helped me easily stick to a keto diet menu and reap the benefits of ketosis.

2. Don’t Try to Wing It

You could trial and error until you figure it out, but I assume you’ve decided to make a change and the longer it takes to get results the less likely you will be to stick to it. You need to figure out what does and doesn’t work for you along the way, but if you have a plan to start with you will get faster results.

You can download my free Keto Meal Prep Guide and Approved Food list, which will give you a quick guide to quickly put together Keto friendly meals for the whole week.

Also, check out these posts:

3. Track Your Macros

You will hear so many people saying “you can eat as much as you want as long as you are eating the right foods.” FALSE! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if your goal is to lose weight that is not possible unless you are in a calorie deficit. Meaning you are burning more calories than you are consuming in a day.

By the way, if you didn’t know, "macros," stands for macronutrients: fats, carbs, protein, etc. The easiest way to track your macros is to download the Carb Manager app to your phone, make a free account and when setting up your profile, you can select “Keto.”

It’s super easy to use and will help you learn exactly how much in a day you need to eat to fuel your body and balance the types of foods you eat.

When starting, it’s not a bad idea to also test your ketone levels. I use these Ketone Test Strips. This way you can easily tell if you're in ketosis and if there are any foods your consuming that may be throwing you out of ketosis. (it’s only $8 for a pack of 100 strips)

4. Prepare Your Pantry

Food is my biggest weakness, I love to eat, and the meter that is supposed to tell me when I’m full is broken! I could literally eat all day! Plus I have the worst sweet tooth! And worst of all my willpower to walk away from cookies is nonexistent.

If you are the same way be prepared! Throw out the junk you know will tempt you and stock your pantry with Keto friendly snacks and ingredients!

Check out this post: 9 Keto Approved Snacks That You Can Buy.

5. Find Alternatives to Your Favs

If you aren’t enjoying it, it’s miserable, so you have to turn this into a lifestyle not a strict diet that forces you to give up everything you love to eat!

When it comes to recipes, you can easily turn your favorite recipes into Keto Friendly variations and any of your guilty food pleasures you can usually find a Keto approved alternative!

Substitute Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener for sugar in any recipes
Substitute Pork Panko for Bread Crumbs in recipes
Love Sodas? Try Zevia I love the Cola and Root Beer
Addicted to Chocolate? Perfect Keto Brownie Bars (Ah-Mazing!) or Try Suntella (just like Nutella) or Choc Zero Chocolate Bark
Crackers for Dipping? Try using sliced Bell Peppers or these Flackers.