Getting started with keto

Begin with ordinary meals, learn the labels and make room for the adjustment. These guides explain the first steps without promising a quick fix.

A place to start

How to Calculate Net Carbs on Keto

How to work out net carbs from any food label, the fibre and sugar-alcohol sums, worked examples for everyday foods, and the apps that count for you.

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Getting Started

Measuring Ketosis: Blood, Breath or Urine?

Whether you need to test for ketosis at all, and how the three methods compare. Urine strips, blood meters and breath analysers, what each measures, what it costs, and why chasing the numbers can mislead.

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How Long Does It Take to Get Into Ketosis?

For most people, two to four days of eating very few carbs. What decides whether it is faster or slower, how to tell when you are there, and why ketosis is not the same as being fat-adapted.

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Net Carbs vs Total Carbs: Which Should You Count?

One of the first things that confuses people on keto is whether to count net carbs or total carbs. What the difference is, the case for each, the sugar-alcohol catch, and which approach suits you.

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Keto vs Carnivore: How the Two Diets Compare

Keto and carnivore get lumped together, but they are not the same diet. What each one actually allows, where they overlap, what the evidence says, and how to decide which suits you.

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Keto Electrolytes: Getting Them Right Without Overdoing It

Electrolytes are the difference between a miserable first fortnight on keto and an easy one. A practical guide to sodium, potassium and magnesium, and an honest warning about the one you can dangerously overdo.

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Keto and Diarrhoea: Causes and How to Stop It

Loose stools and diarrhoea are a common early keto complaint. Here is what actually causes them, from a sudden flood of fat to sugar alcohols and MCT oil, and how to settle your gut down.

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Keto vs Low Carb: What's the Difference?

Keto and low carb overlap but they are not the same thing. Where the carb lines fall, whether either produces ketosis, and how to tell which approach actually fits your goals and your life.

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How Much Protein on Keto Per Day?

Most people need about 1.2 to 2.0g of protein per kilo of body weight per day on keto. Here is how to set your own figure, split it across meals, and why eating too little is the common trap.

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Feeling Cold on Keto: Why It Happens and What to Do

Cold hands and feet, or just feeling chilly, is a common keto complaint that surprises people. Here is what causes it, why it is usually harmless and short-lived, and the handful of fixes that sort it out.

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Fat-Adapted on Keto: What It Means and How Long It Takes

Fat-adaptation is the stage where keto stops feeling like effort and starts feeling normal. What it actually means, how it differs from ketosis, the signs it has happened, and roughly how long it takes.

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Not Hungry on Keto: Is Losing Your Appetite a Problem?

A quieter appetite is one of the most common effects of keto and usually a good thing. How to tell normal appetite suppression from actually under-eating, the signs to watch for, and what to do about it.

Getting Started

Electrolytes on Keto: Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium

Electrolytes are what separate an easy start on keto from a miserable one. Why sodium, potassium and magnesium drain faster on low carb, how much you need, the warning signs of a shortfall, and a simple daily routine that keeps cramps and keto flu away.