The Start of Keto: What To Expect

Oh boy. The first week of Keto should have hit me like a brick wall…at least that’s what a lot of people who start the keto diet says happens to them as they transition into the low carb, no sugar diet. But, surprisingly, the horror stories of the keto flu did not hit me and perhaps it was because I did not pursue what many call “strict keto”. The level of keto I chose was non-strict, easing into the diet by eliminating carbohydrates gradually and sugar entirely.

I will admit, the first week of keto sucks as you try to maneuver through the can-haves and can-not-haves. Quite surprisingly the can-haves is a pretty doable list and I’ll get to those in another post.

The only thing I can tell you is when you start keto is to keep an open mind. Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go as planned. And, do not be discouraged if you find that keto is not for you.

My first week did not include the “keto flu”, but it did include some serious weight loss. However, I started the week of the menstrual cycle, so it is hard to know if it was weight loss from my extreme menstrual cramps or a combination of Aunt Flow and Keto.

Most people say that the first few days of keto, they experience poor energy, increased hunger, sleep issues and other symptoms. However, my recommendation is to ease into keto. Try a regular low-carb diet for the first few weeks, which I did and it felt more natural instead of instant deprivation.

So, what can one expect with the first week of keto? As cliche as it sounds, everybody’s body is different and everybody’s “normal” eating habits are different so yes, the first week will affect everyone differently.

One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed about my first week of keto was seeing the scale drop down five pounds. It was a motivator to actually see the scale go down (even if it was just water weight that I was losing).

All of this I will go into great detail about in future entries, however, the overall mindset should be this: