The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Keto

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet helpful for people trying to lose weight or improve their metabolic health. It can help you burn stored fat, improve your blood sugar levels, and get your appetite under control. Keto may even offer some brain health benefits, too.

Whether you’re new to keto or ready to get started, this guide offers everything you need to know about what to eat, what to avoid, and what to expect on the keto diet.

Understanding the Keto Diet

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein eating plan. It works by allowing your body to shift into a metabolic state called ketosis. While in ketosis, you begin to use glycogen before breaking down fat into molecules called ketones.

Simply put, ketosis burns fat as its primary source of energy over carbs. The result is often weight loss, blood sugar balance, and better control over chronic conditions.

Generally, most people on keto aim for this macro breakdown:

• Carbs: 5% of calories or less
• Protein: 20-25% of calories
• Fat: 70-75% of calories

For many people, this works out to about 25-50 grams of carbs per day. 

Carbs like bread, pasta, potatoes, sugary sodas, and even fruit break down into sugars and have a large impact on your blood sugar levels. Although protein and fat can also affect your blood sugar levels, they have much less impact than your carbohydrate intake.

Ketogenic Diet Types

There are several different types of ketogenic diets that offer different benefits. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Standard: This is the classic keto diet, in which you follow the same macro pattern daily and track your food intake.
• Clean: On clean keto, you stick to low-carb, high-fat macro patterns but choose high-quality, organic foods and avoid highly processed foods common in American diets.
• Dirty: Dirty keto is solely based on hitting your macro goals, regardless of food quality. A dirty keto diet may include things like fast food, diet soda, and artificial sweeteners.
• Lazy: Lazy keto means you’re not tracking your food intake. This may be a good fit if you dislike measuring portions, but it’s easy to eat too many carbs or calories on lazy keto.
• High-protein: High-protein keto allows for 30-35% or more calories from protein and less from fat. This may be a good option if you’re trying to lose weight.
• Cyclical: On cyclical keto, you cycle between high-carb and strict keto. This may be useful for people in training or who adjust their macros around hormonal shifts.
• Targeted: Targeted keto is similar to cyclical keto, but the carbs are timed before workouts. These carbs are burned up during your workout, so it’s easier to stay in ketosis.

There can be some overlap between these types, too. You may choose to follow a clean, lazy, cyclical keto diet, for example. That just means you choose minimally processed foods, don’t track your macros, and eat more carbs on certain days. It depends on your needs and goals.

Read Next: Your Ultimate Guide to the Mediterranean Keto Diet

Potential Health Benefits

Keto is known for its weight management benefits, but that’s just the start. The diet can be profoundly anti-inflammatory, and this anti-inflammatory effect is thought to be a major reason for its many benefits. Whatever your goal, you should start seeing results within a few weeks.

Supports Weight Loss

Many people try keto because they want to lose weight or are struggling with obesity, so let’s start there. Keto helps with weight loss by helping the body shift into ketosis, where it burns fat for energy over carbs. This reduces your insulin levels and increases your breakdown of fats. (1)

The low-carb, high-fat diet approach is also good for satiety. Fat and protein are very filling, and many report that their appetite is more controlled by keto than when they are eating high-carb foods. That can lead to lower calorie intake and more sustained weight loss.

Weight loss on keto doesn’t mean muscle loss, either. Ketosis helps preserve your metabolic rate, so you’re still burning the same amount of calories while your weight decreases. (2)

How much weight you might lose on keto depends on your calorie deficits and other habits. Intermittent fasting can help make your weight loss more sustainable and help you stay in ketosis. Strength training can help you build muscle, which burns more calories at rest.

Read Next: Your Complete Guide to Alternate-Day Fasting

Helps Stabilize Blood Sugar

The keto diet may help stabilize your blood sugar and improve insulin resistance. That’s why the diet is popular with people struggling with type 2 diabetes and conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) related to blood sugar control. (3, 4)

Following a keto diet drastically reduces your carb intake, which limits glucose spikes. (5) With fewer carbs, your body relies on fat for energy, lowering insulin demands. That can improve your insulin sensitivity and help manage blood sugar levels. 

Promotes Brain Health

Low-carb diets have long been used effectively to help treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children. (6) Although research is still ongoing, the effects of a ketogenic diet can be very helpful for other aspects of brain function, too.

Researchers have found that following a keto diet may be helpful for depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and cognitive decline. (7) Some studies show it may have some neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s, too. (8)

Aids in Cardiovascular Health

The keto diet may have a positive effect on several key risk factors for heart disease, such as blood pressure, inflammation, and insulin sensitivity. (9) Weight loss from keto can further reduce strain on your heart.

It’s essential to focus on healthy fats as you meal prep for keto. Opt for fish, avocados, and nuts over processed fats for a healthier lipid profile, lower cholesterol levels, and optimal cardiovascular benefits. 

What to Eat

It’d be impossible to list everything you can eat on keto, but we do have some broad suggestions for very-low-carbohydrate options as you meal plan:

• Meats and fish: Red meat like beef, chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish, pork
• Alternative proteins: Eggs, soybeans, soy proteins
• Fruit: Raspberries, strawberries, coconut, avocados, lemons, limes
• Non-starchy vegetables: Broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, leafy greens, yellow squash, garlic, bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, okra, mushrooms, green beans, carrots, celery
• Dairy: Sour cream, cream cheese, heavy cream, cheese
• Dairy alternatives: Unsweetened plant milks
• Nuts and seeds: Chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts
• Fats and oils: Butter, olive oil, coconut oil, animal fats
• Other: Vinegar (except for balsamic), herbs, spices, sugar-free dark chocolate, broths, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce

It’s still important to check nutrition labels for any packaged foods to make sure they’re truly keto-friendly.

What Foods to Avoid on Keto

Foods high in carbohydrates should be avoided on keto. Here’s a list of what you should limit or skip on a keto diet:

• Proteins: Breaded/battered meats, all beans and legumes except soybeans and peanuts, imitation crabmeat
• Fruits: Apples, bananas, mangos, cherries, grapes, pears, papaya
• Vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, winter squashes, peas
• Grains: Bread, rice, pasta, oats, grits, flour, cornmeal, quinoa, tortillas, flatbreads, biscuits, rolls, crackers
• Nuts and seeds: Cashews, pistachios
• Sugary foods: Sugary soda, fruit juices, sweetened beverages, candy, cookies, cakes, snack cakes, ice cream, syrups, jellies, honey
• Dairy products: Milk, yogurt
• Other: Sweetened coffee creamers, balsamic vinegar, ketchup

Again, nutritional labels are important. There are many foods that contain more carbs than you would expect, especially veggies that would be considered fine on a different type of diet.

Read Next: The Pescatarian Keto Diet: A Beginner’s Guide (With Food List & Meal Plan)

Supplements to Take

You may not need any supplements on keto, but there are some that might address nutrient deficiencies or help you thrive on the diet. Here are our recommendations:

• Electrolytes: When you first start keto, you may experience muscle cramps, headaches, and fatigue as electrolyte concentrations shift. Supplementing can prevent some of those side effects. For an easy, tasty electrolyte supplement, try Perfect Keto Daily Electrolytes.
• Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil: Some research shows MCT oil can help deepen your ketosis and help your body burn more fat during exercise, increasing your weight loss. Our MCT Oil Powder is mess-free and ideal for mixing into protein shakes or your morning coffee.
• Protein powder: A protein powder can be a great way to boost your protein intake and satiate your hunger as a filling, on-the-go protein shake. Most protein powders are keto-friendly, but we’re partial to our Keto Whey Protein with added MCT oil.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: The keto diet is heavy on healthy fats. Krill and fish oil can be a nice addition to your diet if you’re not eating enough seafood already.

Exogenous ketones: These supplements are an external source of ketone bodies like beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the most abundant ketone in the body. Taking exogenous ketone supplements may help your body enter and maintain ketosis.

Getting Started

You shouldn’t dive into any diet without thinking, even if you’re just trying it on short-term. Starting with your healthcare provider is a good idea if you’re on existing medications to manage a health condition. Once you’ve done that, here’s how to plan for keto.

Understand the Keto Basics

The best way to start keto is to start with a good understanding of the diet’s foundations. This article is a great start, but be sure you have a solid idea of which foods are keto-friendly and which aren’t, as well as how to read nutrition and ingredient labels.

It’s important to understand how to know whether you’re in ketosis, too. When in doubt, ketone strips, breath ketone tests, and blood ketone tests are 3 ways to know more definitively whether you’re on the right track.

Calculate Your Macros

Set goals and calculate your macros based on those goals. What do you want to accomplish with keto? The more specific, the better. 

For example, your goal may be to achieve a certain body weight or to get off of some of your diabetes medications. You’ll need to follow a different ratio for each and decide whether you’ll be counting total carbs or net carbs.

If you’re not sure whether you’re getting the right ratio for your needs, a ketogenic calculator can help.

Our Keto Calculator is a free, efficient way to help you identify the amount of fats, carbs, and proteins you need to meet your goals.

Prep Your Pantry

Stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with keto-friendly foods. If you’re able, it’s also a good idea to get high-carb foods out of sight so that they aren’t tempting you every time you enter the kitchen.

Read Next: The Ultimate Guide to Keto-Friendly Flours

Plan Your Meals

Before you start keto, make a plan for the next week. What are you going to eat and when? How will you stick to keto if you decide to eat out at a restaurant, if you get invited to a party, or if you get stuck working late? 

Thinking through these scenarios before they happen is the key to success. As you continue, it’s a great idea to do a weekly meal planning session to keep yourself on track. If all of this sounds overwhelming, check out a few of our favorite keto-friendly recipes.

Consistently Track Your Progress

Decide how you’re going to track your progress on keto based on your goal. It could be weight if weight loss is your goal. You could also choose to track your waist circumference, ketone levels, or blood sugar levels. It all depends on your “why” for doing keto.

Common Mistakes

Keto is fairly straightforward, especially if you’re used to tracking what you eat, but there are some common mistakes that can derail your diet and ketosis. 

Too Many Carbs

On a very low-carb diet like keto, it’s shockingly easy to breeze past your daily carb limit. This is especially true if you’re not measuring your portion sizes or tracking what you eat in a food journal or app.

Here are three strategies to help you stop overdoing it on carbs:

• Check labels: Read labels on any packaged foods that you eat or refer to a food tracking app to check carb counts. Some foods can be deceptively high in carbs, especially things like dressings, condiments, sauces, and gravies.
• Measure portion sizes: Research shows that we are all pretty bad at estimating portion sizes, which could lead to struggles on keto. The most reliable way to measure portion sizes is to use a food scale.
• Keep a food log: Track every bite. It’s easy to forget or gloss over keto-friendly snacks or a few stray bites of something, but these can add up quickly and drastically impact your daily carb count. Record everything.

Not Enough Protein

It’s a common misconception that keto is similar to low-carb, high-protein eating plans like the Atkins diet, but keto is more of a moderate-protein diet. Finding that balance leaves some dieters without enough protein, which can affect muscle mass and appetite. (10)

If you’re getting hungry on keto, you may not be including enough protein. Strive to include 20-30 grams of protein — or a palm-sized, roughly 4-oz serving of meat — with every meal and snack you have.

Too Much Fat

Although keto is a high-fat diet, eating too much fat can hinder your weight loss goals. (11) Your body becomes better at burning fat when you’re in ketosis, but it will always prioritize dietary fat over stored body fat if dietary fat is available.

If you find that you’re not losing weight at the pace you want, it’s probably a good idea to cut back on the fat intake.

The Keto Flu and Other Side Effects

For many people, following keto is safe and side effect-free. Still, it’s important to be aware of what you may feel at the start of keto, including the keto flu.

Keto flu isn’t an official condition, nor is it an actual flu. It describes a collection of symptoms common when your body is adjusting to keto for the first time. (12) These include fatigue, brain fog, headaches, constipation, muscle cramps, and bad breath.

Some of these symptoms may be the result of electrolyte imbalances from the loss of water weight at the start of the diet. To help prevent keto flu, be sure to drink plenty of water and supplement with electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

Ketoacidosis, a dangerous level of ketosis, is another common concern of those new to keto. It’s important to note here that this is life-threatening side effect of uncontrolled diabetes, not the keto diet. Healthy adults are able to regulate ketones safely before reaching harmful levels. 

Who Should Not Immediately Start a Keto Diet

Although keto is safe for many people, there are some things to consider if you fall into any of the following categories:

• You have a diagnosed medical condition. Keto can affect your blood sugar, blood pressure, and brain function. If you have conditions related to these like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or epilepsy, talk to your doctor first.
• You have a history of kidney stones. You can follow keto with a history of kidney problems, but it’s important to monitor your protein intake closely. Animal proteins can make your urine more acidic and increase your risk of kidney stones. (13)
• You’re pregnant or nursing. A better option may be a whole food-based, minimally processed diet that includes healthy carbs, like paleo.
• You’re highly active. If you’re highly active and you switch suddenly to keto, you may experience fatigue and drops in performance initially. A personal trainer or registered dietitian can help you find the right macro balance.
• You’re taking prescription medications. Keto can lower your blood sugar and blood pressure levels, which can be dangerous if you’re on drugs for either. Your doctor needs to be aware of any new diet so they can make adjustments as needed.

Remember: When in doubt, talk to your doctor first. Keto can be a game-changer for your health, but it’s important that you start a new diet responsibly.

Read Next: Keto Cheat Days: Should You Take the Risk or Skip Them?

The Bottom Line

Keto has provided amazing weight loss and metabolic health results for many. Before you get started, you need to have a good idea of what you can and can’t eat, the potential risks, and the basics of how it works. Consider this your go-to resource for getting started with keto.

Try Our Keto Kickstart, a 30-Day Step-By-Step Guide to Help You Start and Succeed in Your Keto Journey.