The Ultimate Guide To Keto: How To Not Only Survive But Thrive!

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Let’s start with the ginormous elephant in the room, shall we? Keto Sucks. There I said it. As a former sugar addict, I can say that with complete and udder authority. I designed this ultimate guide to keto to help you not only survive the dreaded keto flu and the transition process but to help you thrive! Keto is rough, I am not going to lie. These tips and tricks SAVED me during my first few weeks and months. The Ultimate Guide To Keto: How To Not Only Survive But Thrive! 

But once you are doing it for a while, you will feel amazing! You will have more energy than you ever have, more mental clarity, and focus. And yes, weight loss. I always praise health and well-being over a number on the scale. But yes, my friend, your body will change. AND that is why Keto is worth the sucking.

Before I dive right into all my juicy tips, let’s lay down some Keto basics. Your calories will now come primarily from fats (healthy fats), a sliver of carbohydrates, and a portion from protein.

The Ideal Keto Macro breakdown for most is the following:

• 70-75% of your daily calories should come from FATS
• 20-25% of your daily calories should come from Protein
• 5% of your daily calories should come from Carbohydrates (This number is scary. I know)

If I haven’t scared you off yet, let me break some even more troublesome news to you. Not only are you changing the way you eat, but you are also changing the way your body uses food as fuel. 

As of right now, you are a glucose burner. Your body takes in glucose, burns right through it, and instantly needs more. (I see you sugar crashes and afternoon cravings.) The bright and shining liner in all this is once you have been eating in alignment with a Keto diet, your body will transition from burning glucose to burning fat. Yep fat! Keto is a rockstar at targeting stubborn fat that you have spent years trying to get rid of. So that, my dear friend, is the good news, and again why Keto is worth the “sucking.” 

But while you’re body is rewriting the code to how it functions, life is gonna be rough for you. You will be tired, cranky, have headaches, and a whole myriad of other glucose withdrawal symptoms. 

But on the other side of feeling like crap is a world of awesome energy, controlled appetite, insane focus, and weight and inches falling off with minimal effort. #winning

Your first couple of weeks will be the worst, then I promise it DOES and will get better! 

Here are some quick tips to make your first two weeks of Keto suck less.

Hydration: Drink lots and lots of water. This will help your body detox and get the sugar/glucose out of your body faster. I recommend an electrolyte supplement. I like Keto-Beam. Use Code ANDIE20 To Save 20%. They have an advanced keto support set that provides the electrolytes and micro-nutrients you’ll need to maintain a ketogenic diet and minimize the side effects of the Keto flu. I use half a cap of each one daily, and the set lasts me 2-3 months. Sidebar, most people, are deficient in minerals and electrolytes, so this set is a good one for anyone regardless of being Keto or not. You can also use Sugar-Free Sports Drinks. Powerade Zero is a great easy-grab alternative. The bottom line, hydration is your friend! 

Exogenous Ketones: Hang with me on this one. Exogenous Ketones will help put your body into Ketosis faster by putting ketones in your bloodstream from the get-go. i.e., getting you through the Keto-Flu faster! These are not required but are super helpful for getting you in and keeping you in Ketosis. Here are some of the options I have tried. 

GOOD: Perfect Keto Brand. It is reasonably priced and you can save 10% with code ANDIE10. I buy chocolate and put it in my coffee to give it a “mocha” taste! So yummy!

BETTER – Real Ketones A bit better quality, and my results were better (via a blood ketone reading) than the Perfect Keto, but both put me into Ketosis. I also bought the chocolate flavor of this one. 

Ketologic also has a great product. I like their orange mango flavor or the raspberry lemonade. 

BEST – Pruvit is by far the best exogenous ketone of them all. But the downside is that it is under the framework of “direct marketing,” which I do not love. But they are the best. I recommend starting with the challenge pack to see if you like them first. You get 20, and you can do the two a day 10-day challenge or stick with one a day and try it for 20 days.

SURROUND Yourself with Resources: Go nuts and follow tons of Keto accounts on IG, Pinterest, and TikTok. These are all great places to find recipes and products to try. Shout out to my new IG Page @KetoItIs – where yours truly will be sharing her Keto Journey! 

Stock your Fridge With Your Faves: The bright side of Keto is that many of your favorite foods that were once taboo – (I am looking at you NonFat 90’s) are now fair game! Buy the cheeses, Meats, Olives, Avocados, and BACON! – Click here for my FREE Ulitmate Keto grocery guide! 

Do not get frustrated with the scale. With Keto, weight loss will look a bit different. You will stall and then have a big drop. Just be patient and trust the process. If you are already somewhat lean, taking weekly progress pics is a must. Your body will lean out a lot, but the scale may not move much for you. (This was my case) If I were just looking at the scale, I would have been SUPER frustrated, but I kept comparing my photos week after week, and the inches came flying off. I “only lost 7lbs” in 75 days in the photo below, but my body is way leaner!

Be Patient With Yourself! It takes a while to completely change your way of living. Can’t do 20 carbs a day to start? Cool, start with 60G of carbs and ease your way down. Keto is one of the best diets to improve overall health, and at the end of the day, your health is your MOST important asset. So take it slow as you adapt!

Keto is NOT for everyone: Just because I have had huge success with Keto does not mean that it is suitable for your body. LISTEN to your body. If it’s not fit, reach out, and I can help you find something else.

Personal Story Time: I ate a strict Vegetarian diet for an entire year, and I looked and felt weak. It was not a fit! I should have listened to my body sooner and added in more meat! My body was screaming for it. The moral of the story, tune into your body, and listen! You are the only expert on YOU!

This is my body on full vegetarian mode – I felt terrible. Not knocking Vegetarians! I have many friends that THRIVE doing it! Everybody is SO different. It is all about finding what works for you!

Having the right resources as you transition from glucose to fat burner will make this whole switch that much easier. Besides the above-mentioned tools for getting into Ketosis faster and kicking the Keto-Flu in the keister. The products below will help you keep your sanity!

I love my Keto-Mojo meter! I am a super nerd, and I love seeing numbers and data! This gives me a daily readout of ketone and glucose levels. That way, I know where I am at on a day-to-day basis. USE the link below to get 15% OFF your order! Discount is automatically applied at checkout.

I have a KetoKrate delivered every month. It is full of delicious low sugar, high protein, clean treats, both sweet and savory. Don’t let the name “Keto” scare you away. It is just a delicious box filled with yummy goodness! Use code “ANDIETHUESON” to save $10.00 off your first box!

I order Butcher Box for our family each month. I love getting high-quality grass-fed meats. The meat is always good. They always have SWEET “FREEBIE” offers. Hint – act like you’re leaving the site, and you may get free bacon up-sell? The link below will automatically take you to the BEST offer available. 

HighKey cookies are pretty much the tastiest butteriest goodness out there in the Keto/ Low Sugar world. You can typically find the big bag at Costco. But their website has soooo many flavors. Use the link below, and it will always direct you to the best offer available at the time.

It is hard to find flavor syrups that have all-natural ingredients and no sucralose! Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Keto line has all-natural no-sugar options, and I am here for it! USE CODE ANDIE10 for 10% off your entire order. There are codes for more out there, but usually, those will put your order below the free shipping limit, and they really don’t save you! PS They have a HUGE selection of other flavors as well.

I ❤Perk. My favorite flavors are Chai and Mexican Hot Chocolate. It is chock-full of collagen, protein, and a nice healthy kick of caffeine. I love it because, for me, it crushes cravings and helps suppress my appetite. If it’s 3ish, I am usually make up a cup of Perk! Use Code “andie” for 15% OFF your entire order! The natural line is only ZERO to TWO net carbs!!!

Make sure and grab my FREE Extended Guide to Keto, How To Not Only Survive But Thrive!!