How to lose the most weight in the least time โ cheap, simple & easy!
Ever feel like keto is complicated or expensive? It truly does not have to be, and shouldnโt be. When I first started eating very low carb (keto) 11 years ago, it was โstupid simpleโ โ all I really had to do was learn to read labels. And since itโs as simple as โ20 net carbs a dayโ the math was pretty easy too. ๐ Somehow though, over the last few years, it became over-complicated, with a lot of expensive advice & products (that you probably donโt need).
Iโm just getting back to work and catching up on messages, and had 4 really great questions hit my inbox last week. One about which supplements to use when starting keto ๐ซ another about eating Kraft cheese slices ๐๐ง and two about MCT oil.
I thought you might enjoy my take on these topics too, plus a few more tips Iโve learned over the last decade โ to help make things easier.
My reply: No, I only used MCT oil when I had gut health issues, to relieve painful inflammation in my entire digestive system. It has other great benefits too, but itโs definitely not necessary. You donโt need any supplements to start, just simple real foods. ๐ฏ ๐ I used the Atkins website. The phase one plan (now called Atkins20) is Keto ๐ and they have helpful food lists etc, all free! See:
Atkins vs Keto: Which One Is Right For You?
I felt a little overwhelmed when I first started too, even without all the โketo trendsโ and products & supplements that we have to wade through now, but it turned out to be MUCH easier than I thought. And it STILL can be (is) that simple.
Of course, I do love that there ARE so many more options now. Things like cleaner bars & shakes with way better ingredients, delicious keto ice cream in SO many flavors, unsweetened macadamia milk, GOOD sugar free chocolate (without maltitol) etc. That definitely helps!
Simple Keto: How to Lose The Most Weight in the Least Time
If youโre just starting out, or youโre restarting, the best advice I can offer is: keep it VERY simple. Donโt over-restrict yourself with things like an egg fast, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, etc. That feels too much like dieting! Simply eat 20 net carbs a day max, eat when youโre hungry, and find sugar free low carb alternatives for your cravings so you can easily stay on track.
Keep it THAT simple, and ignore everything else (to start).
If youโre in a stall, or just want to speed things up a little, my 3IMAX method works like a charm for everyone whoโs tried it! 3IMAX = 3 Ingredients Max and basically means: whole foods, very simple meals, no more than 3 ingredients per plate. Thatโs an easy rule!
You could eat just wings or baked chicken thighs, cheesy eggs (eggs scrambled with cheese), or grilled salmon with steamed asparagus, a hamburger steak with roasted broccoli, etc.
As for how much to eat, and when to eat, just listen to your body: eat when youโre hungry, donโt when youโre not, stop when youโre satisfied (vs stuffed). Your appetite will totally change once youโre in nutritional ketosis, so that will take care of itself. Fortunately your cravings and taste buds totally change too, which is what makes โeating ketoโ so easy! ๐
* salmon, spinach & broccoli
Water & Electrolytes
I have never used an electrolyte product in my life. ๐คทโโ๏ธ That seems like an expensive and unnecessary supplement (to me), and Iโve been โeating ketoโ for 11 years. I think the only time you might โneedโ them is if you drink too much water or eat low sodium while in ketosis โ as being in ketosis is a natural diuretic, which is why you feel less bloated and lose all that water weight!
The simple solution is to โsalt upโ โ take a shot of pickle juice, or my preference: enjoy a nice hot mug of chicken broth. If you just try to re-hydrate with water alone, youโll flush out the sodium & electrolytes your body needs.
When my daughter had a stomach flu and couldnโt even keep broth down yet, I gave her Redmondโs sea salt and had her put a bit on her tongue while she sipped her water. Worked like a charm!
How Much Water Should You Drink?
Lisa said: โLynn, I have tried keto previously and felt great until the 7th day. I was using a supplement system and they told me to drink half my weight in ounces if water. I was drinking 100oz. I got SO dehydrated, ended up in ER for electrolyte replacement. What is your recommendation for calculating water per day.โ
My reply: How scary! It sounds like you had water intoxication. That was definitely bad advice! ๐
Unfortunately there are some potentially harmful myths floating around about chugging water, drinking half your body weight in ounces every day, water challenges, etc. ๐ณ
My advice: listen to your body, drink when youโre thirsty. Ideally your urine should be pale yellow. Any darker: drink more water. Any lighter or clear: drink less water (or โsalt upโ). Simple!
Other Supplements (Take This and That and Take This Too) ๐
I cannot count the number of social media posts Iโve seen fill up with comments on various supplement recommendations like: potassium, magnesium, electrolytes, apple cider vinegar, Vitamin B, exogenous ketones, mct oil, potions & drinks & pills oh my!
You donโt need all that.
Who can even afford all of that?!
Thereโs a time and a reason for some supplements, but for the most part, and especially starting out: you donโt need what you donโt KNOW you need. Mostly you just need real foods that are naturally nutrient rich: steak, avocado, spinach, blueberries, salmon, etc.
You want to talk to your doctor before starting any combination of supplements. Itโs ideal to get a panel done (bloodwork) to determine if youโre deficient in anything first, and to also discuss any symptoms or issues youโre having.
A Hard NO to Exogenous Ketones โ
The first thing you should know is that there is A LOT OF MONEY in exogenous ketones. They are raking in the big bucks selling these to people with some pretty โinteresting claims.โ If youโre curious about my take on it, read this quick post: Exogenous Ketones ๐ซ My Takeโฆ
MCT Oil (Be Cautious With This One!)
I mentioned Iโve used MCT Oil in the past, and with great results too! Itโs not something I recommend to anyone starting out though. I used it for a very specific reason (after already achieving my ideal weight, btw). But it DOES have a lot of great benefits โ as long as you choose the right one (and NOT most of the โsnake oilโ on the market these days.).
Iโve just starting using it again lately, for similar reasons as before (this time: gut health issues). The one I use and recommend after researching over 50 brands & types is Kiss My Keto MCT C8/C10 Oil. Itโs a pure and very high quality mct oil, at one of the lowest prices โ and itโs the ONLY one that comes in a glass blottle (vs plastic), and with a pump!
As for the difference between C8 and a C8/C10 combo mct oil, Iโve tried them both. The ONLY difference I could tellโฆ was in the price. ๐
The ONLY other thing I like at Kiss My Keto is their dark chocolate candy bars. ๐ซ Our discount code is LOWCARBTRAVELER at that website, but the MCT C8/C10 oil and dark chocolate bars are the only two things I like there. Everything else Iโve tried was: ๐ (just being honest).
The candy bars are pricey, but theyโre HUGE (3 generous servings per bar) and one serving is very satisfying. Pumpkin Seed & Sea Salt was (surprisingly!) my favorite. I ended up ordering more of those. ๐ Which works out great, because it bumps my order up to get free shipping when I order their MCT oil. Iโd much rather have chocolate than pay for shipping! ๐
Long story short: you donโt need to use MCT oil unless you NEED to use MCT oil, and if you DO decide to use it or try it (because itโs a great appetite suppressant, great for fasting, and great for gut health issues) โ then definitely get the C8/C10 blend from KMK, because itโs the highest quality AND best value. โ
I lost all of my weight just eating very low carb, with no hard rules or strict eliminations, ZERO supplements, and without exercise. I started exercising later, very close to my goal weight, to tone up: to gain muscle, not to lose weight.
All you have to do is 20 net carbs max, 70% fat minimum, eat when youโre hungry, drink when youโre thirsty, donโt when youโre not โ and keep it that simple. And donโt skimp on the healthy fats! ๐
I never counted calories, and ate 70-80% of my total daily calories in fat (very high fat). See: Low Carb High Fat Explained and also Macros Made Easy โ plus this Video: Eating Fat To Lose Fat.
Eating high fat does not equal eating low protein. Thatโs a common misconception, as is โketo is a high protein dietโ (which is fine too). Itโs more about the ratios. For a simple explanation on that, see: How Much Protein Should You Eat? โ Including 5 Keto Food Diary Examples with LCHF Macros.
Donโt let anyone over-complicate it for you. Youโll do best just eating real food, real simple, and very low carb of course. But when I started I โdid it all wrongโ and still lost 8 pounds in the first 10 days. โAll wrongโ meaning I drank a lot of diet soda (and NO water), binged on sugar free chocolate, ate a lot of processed foods (as long as they fit in my 20 net carbs a day!) etc. โAll wrongโ being subjectiveโฆ
I always say: Do whatever it takes to get started. Youโll learn as you go, your tastes and preferences will change, your appetite and portions will adjust naturally, the results will kick-start your motivation โ and you can improve as you go from there. ๐
โCan I Eat Kraft Cheese Slices?โ
This was a question I got on Instagram a few days ago. It was actually worded this way: โIs Kraft slice cheese good for you on low carb eating?โ Kraft makes a lot of different kinds of cheeses. I assumed she might mean Kraft Singles, the individually wrapped processed cheese slices, but that was just an assumption. Kraft also makes block cheeses, shredded and โreal cheeseโ slices โ all of which I buy and love. Especially their colby jack cheese blocks. ๐ฅฐ
The term โgood for youโ is relative too. Taken in the context it was asked, I would guess (assuming again) she simply meant โis it low carb?โ or โis it okay to eat as part of my 20 net carbs a dayโ- in which case the answer is yes and yes, itโs fine in that context.
When I first started eating low carb, I didnโt know the difference between margarine and butter. I grew up with Country Crock โspreadโ in the refrigerator, and honestly thought that WAS butter. ๐คทโโ๏ธ
It was later that I switched to โreal butterโ and can definitely taste the difference !! but in the beginning it didnโt stop me from losing weight (at all) and it wasnโt any more โbad for meโ than all the other junk and processed food I was eating before I went low carb.
I eat pretty simple now and actually prefer โwhole foodsโ (real food), but Iโll still grab an Atkins bar or meal now and then, enjoy keto ice cream, etc.
Whatever works to stay on track, and sometimes: whateverโs convenient in the moment!
Anyway, without any real context and just making assumptions, this was my reply to that question:
Itโs been years since Iโve looked at the label or carb count. I get the real cheese slices, the sliced cheese vs processed cheese. It just tastes better. ๐ But check the label and see what the carb count is. Kraft makes a lot of different options. ๐ง
I get the Kraft colby cheese block and love the Sargento brand sliced cheeses too. I wasnโt very picky at first as long as the carb count was decent. ๐คทโโ๏ธ Iโm not an ingredient snob (lol) I just got spoiled on โreal cheeseโ โ kinda like โreal butterโ after growing up on country crock (margarine). ๐ฌ The flavor is just so much better!
There are a lot of โketo expertsโ around the web making it all seem a bit complicated, and for me: difficult to sustain long term. There are also a lot of โketo policeโ running around, quick to tell you what youโre doing wrong ๐ lol. That can be SO discouraging!! My advice: keep it simple. You know your body best, and youโll figure things out as you go. I did!
This is a great read too, and includes a 20 minute Keto Q&A video:
Keto Diet Simplified: What It Does NOT Mean
Anything that โfeels likeโ dieting is really hard to maintain, for me at least. Thatโs the reason I chose keto 11 years ago: because you donโt have to count calories, go hungry, do without, etc.
There are so many great low carb and sugar free options! And if you drop all the โrulesโ itโs super easy to maintain long term.
I struggled more the first few years going on and off track, but I found that just made it much harder. The longer you are in ketosis consistently, the less junk food or cheat days will even appeal to you. That makes it easy!
I eat super simple whole foods mostly, but I do enjoy a (low carb) splurge now and then, and I donโt do fasting or calorie counting or anything that feels restrictive or HARD. I find what works best is โmindful eatingโ and to just listen to your body.
Sometimes my body says, โICE CREAM!โ ๐จ haha โ fortunately there are some great keto friendly ice creams at most stores now. Thereโs a fix or a recipe or a swap for just about anything you might craveโฆ if you really want to stay on track. ๐
Mary asked: what do you recommend starting on in the beginning as far as supplements, vitamins, etc?
Starting out, just real food โ cheap and simple. See what the diet change itself does first, then only supplement if necessary.
Mary replied and asked specifically about collagen because she had joint pain & stiffness. Collagen is definitely good for that! But honestly, I think youโll be impressed how much better youโll feel from just eating low carb alone. Carbs & sugar promote inflammation in the body, which is the source of a lot of our chronic pain & health issues. Thatโs why I suggested just eat very low carb first, and see how you feel after 3-6 weeks.
Supplements Iโm Taking Now (And Why)
I started using a good collagen several years ago when I had major gut health issues that caused my hair to break off and fall out & my nails to split. That was AWFUL. It was a really bad flu that totally wrecked my entire digestive system and took me over a year to fully recover from.
It was bad enough for me to see a specialist, and my gastroenterologist recommended the collagen and mct oil + FDgard and IBgard in addition to a super strict elimination diet (to identify & eliminate culprits). UGH โ that was a terrible experience!
That was a case of โlisten to your bodyโ with obvious signs in my hair & nails. Which to be honest, bothered me even more than the gut health issues (lol). So thatโs when I started using collagen daily.
I started seeing results by the 3rd week and have been using it ever since!
See: Creative Ways To Add Collagen Protein To Your Keto Diet (And Why You Should)
That post ^ has some great ideas for using collagen even if you donโt drink hot coffee or tea.
Unfortunately I have post-viral syndrome again now, aka longcovid. So while I donโt normally use anything outside of my collagen, Iโm currently taking a new combination of supplements in a series of tests (trial & error) with my doctor โ and this combination is one that finally seems to be helping! ๐
Iโm currently taking:
* Monolaurin
* an H1/H2 antihistamine combo
* IBgard
* Collagen
โ and I just started using MCT oil again to see if that helps as well.
The monolaurin has REALLY helped with my (scary) neurological issues and cognitive dysfunction. I researched it in depth and read a lot of reviews from people with chronic conditions, brain fog & autoimmune disorders. It just may be a miracle supplement!
โ๏ธ The collagen I use is Perfect Keto Unflavored Collagen Powder and my discount code is LYNN20 for 20% off if youโve been thinking about getting some โ or need to restock. My daughter uses and LOVES their Cinnamon Toast Collagen, but I prefer the unflavored.
The MCT C8/C10 oil worked really well for me with gut health issues and digestive inflammation before. I also discovered it was great for fasting. I used it first thing in the morning and didnโt get hungry until an early dinner!
Note: If you havenโt used MCT oil before, youโre meant to start out with one teaspoon (1/3 of a serving) and work your way up to a full TBSP, just fyi.
A good (clean) MCT oil will also improve (raise) your ketone levels and metabolism, works great as an appetite suppressant, and I definitely experienced a nice energy boost with it.
But again, quality REALLY matters when it comes to choosing an MCT oil. Most of them are just overpriced coconut oil and empty calories โ without any real benefits.
I got in the best health and shape of my life just keeping it super simple without over-restricting, enjoying a wide variety of delicious low carb foods, and with zero supplements. Basically โwithout dietingโ but rather just enjoying an easy low carb lifestyle.
Once I lost weight and started exercising, I consistently got leaner and stronger. I started with just an easy one mile walk, then added in inclines, longer walks and a faster pace โ and worked my way up to some way more FUN and adventurous workouts like bouldering, rock climbing and back country hikes. ๐ I so look forward to getting back to all of that when Iโm well again!
These pictures were taken 2 years ago, age 46, before I got sick last year:
You donโt have to โdo it perfectโ and you donโt have to do it like anyone else.
Find what works for YOU in a way that you can ENJOY life and get healthy โ at the same time!
For me that meant relying less on the scales and focusing more on living and eating for my health. That was a huge shift for me away from dieting or losing weight, and into more mindful eating โ which ultimately lead to more mindful living, and being MUCH happier. ๐
I hope this proved helpful, or maybe even answered a question you were curious about too. If you have any questions or youโd like my take on anything else, just drop a comment & letโs chat! ๐
Best,
Best,
Lynn Terry
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. I found a new supplement to try after writing this note, so want to add that discussion here for anyone else with longcovid or autoimmune disorders or chronic conditions (ie silently struggling):
I am just starting out on low-carb living. Thank you for this keep it simple reminder!!!
Youโre welcome! Let me know if you ever have any questions. Iโm happy to help any way I can. ๐ Congrats too! I started just over 11 years ago, and โฆ itโs the best thing Iโve ever done for myself!! xo
Iโm starting back with the challenge but Iโve always been on diet mode since 2012! Counting calories carbs fats etc using my fitness pal and I canโt get away from the scale! I would just love to not count calories or track foods but Iโm always afraid of not eating right any suggestions
Thanks Sherry