Getting Started

Plan for Success

Planning in advance and having a few great backup plans for unforeseen events will always make any challenge much easier. This is especially true when starting a new diet or exercise program. Planning for this challenge will include these four pillars of a fool-proof plan; Timing, Food, Products, and Accountability. Being intentional about these four areas will ensure that you hit your goals with the least amount of risk for failure.

Four Pillars of Success

– Timing: At least a week before you start the 14-day challenge, make sure to review the entire book and all the recommendations. When will you start your challenge? A weekday, a weekend? Are there any holidays, birthdays, or other social events during this time? Will you have enough time to prepare meals and read the daily entries? When will you prepare meals; what day and time? When will you read the daily entries; before bed, on a lunch break or right when you wake up? Being intentional about timing and committing to a timing plan can remove many barriers to success. Our recommendation when planning for timing is to grocery shop on Saturday and then meal prep on Sunday for a start date of Monday.

– Food: What meal plan will you follow? Will you follow the exact 14-day meal guide and recipes to the last detail? This will give you the best results, but it is not the only option. For example, you may want to follow the no-cook plan a few days a week or you may want to sub in a pescatarian meal for one or two of your dinners. If so, you will have to modify your grocery list and plan accordingly. Will you have any meals during this week that you will eat at a restaurant? If so, check the restaurant guide at the back of this book and make sure to check the restaurant menu in advance to plan for what you will order.

– Products: There are a few products that I recommend and use as a part of my ketogenic experience. You do not have to use them, but in my experience, they make a very big difference. You will need to decide now if you will take a supplement or not and which supplements/products you will take or use. If you are going to use a product, where will you get it from? How long will it take to receive it? If ordering online, make sure to order 5-7 days in advance. Products we recommend are:

1. Ketone Urine Sticks- Keto sticks are urine test strips that allow you to recognize if you are producing ketones in your body. This is a good indicator of whether or not you are in ketosis and how far into ketosis you are in. Find the test strips we use on www.ketofieldguide.com

2. Exogenous Ketones- This is a commercial product that introduces ketones into the body from an outsides source, meaning that your body does not have make them to have the good and positive effects of having ketones. This has been very helpful for me, especially in those first few days when your body is transitioning from a carbohydrate energy system to a fat for fuel energy system. Your body will take a few days to burn all the existing carbs and start to produce ketones. Think of this product as a bridge between the two energy systems. Just throw a scoop into your bulletproof coffee every A.M. and feel the energy and mental clarity flow! This is how I completely skipped feeling the dreaded "Keto Flu". My favorite product is Chocolate Sea Salt by Perfect Keto.

3. Fat Supplement- Often people find it hard to get the right amount of fat into their daily diet. One way to supplement this is to take a fat supplement. Caprylic acid supplements are also useful for digestive issues and ulcers. Take two capsules 2 x a day to kick up the fats and give your body the extra fuel it craves.

4. Electrolyte Supplement- While the last three products were optional, we highly recommend that you take an electrolyte supplement while in ketosis. Fruit is a major source of many electrolytes in our diet, so cutting them out completely will leave you deficient. Finding a sugar free or low sugar electrolyte supplement can be difficult. Our favorite is Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator with zero calories and no fake sugar. This one also has copper and zinc! If you do not want to take this supplement, consider taking a pill supplement like magnesium and calcium. You can drink water fortified with electrolytes or try another sugar free option. Remember to check the label for hidden ingredients!

– Accountability: Will someone be joining you in this challenge? We highly recommend that you invite someone, or a few friends to join your challenge with you. It is easier, and more fun, to stick to a challenge when you have a buddy to talk to about the successes and challenges. SSOHealth also offers a private VIP challenge group as a part of the KFG All-Access E-Pass. Challenges take place four times a year. As a part of this group you will have a community who is going through the challenge with you each time. They also offer customized coaching for the two-week challenge that has been shown to greatly improve success.

Take the time to answer all of the questions outlined in the Four Pillars of Success. The answers to these questions become your personal success plan. Once you have your plan in place, it is time to put in the preparation work.

Preparation Check-list

[check] I have read through the book, including recipes, meal plans, and getting started sections.

[check] I have walked through and written down my plan for success, including when I will start this challenge, when I will grocery shop, when I will meal prep, what exactly I will eat, which products I will use, and who I will do the challenge with.

[check] I have purchase and received all products I will use.

[check] I have designated an accountability partner and/or completed my first call with my coach.

Choosing a timeframe to complete the challenge

• Choose periods of low stress and low risk of unforeseen events

• Take into account holidays, birthdays, and other carb-filed celebrations

• Make sure you have time before the start of the challenge to read and process all information

• Make sure you have time to plan, purchase food and prep food each week

High-fat Nutrition FAQs

Welcome to the frequently asked questions of keto. This section is meant to anticipate and answer your questions concisely and clearly without overwhelming you. The answers to each of these questions are based on a combination of professional experience and research. Once you have read through this section you should have a great foundational understanding of ketosis and ketogenic eating that you can continue to build upon throughout the challenge. If you find that you are struggling with concepts or have more questions left unanswered, reach out to us on our social media for clarity.

The Basics:

This challenge is not a product driven experience. I am not trying to sell you on a single product or solution. This is an educational experience where you will learn about food, about how your body uses food, and how to provide your body with quality food to improve your health. You will feel challenged to think differently and to break your addiction to sugars (both processed and natural forms of sugar). The next two weeks will focus on real and fresh foods that you can purchase on your own in the grocery store. The food in this challenge is real nutrition that you can control and replicate on your own for years to come. Use this challenge and this book to create a new foundation of what achieving health through nutrition can be like for you. Let's start with some of the basic questions and answers that you may have.

1. What Is "Keto"?

The term "keto" is used to signify a type of diet used in health, wellness, and weight loss. The word keto is short for the word ketosis, a state in which your body starts to produce ketones as a byproduct of using fat for fuel. Ketosis happens when you stop eating carbs and start eating high amounts of healthy fats. It may seem concerning at first, but the science behind this diet is well documented. Wading through the media onslaught of food marketing is difficult, especially when most of what we see says to eat low fat and supports the use of added sugars. The Keto Field Guide does not explore the science behind the use of ketosis; rather we strive to provide a method and framework for putting the science into practice. We encourage you to do the research on the "why" of ketosis outside of this book if you are interested and still have questions regarding that aspect.

"keto" or "ketosis" is often used as a medical diagnosis for a critical state that Type 1 Diabetics can get into if they do not have enough available glucose in their body. For these people with T1D, ketosis is a life-threatening emergency, so when some people hear "keto," they automatically think bad health. However, that is far from accurate. For people with healthy functioning metabolisms (and for T2 Diabetics), the act of voluntarily feeding your body fat for fuel will put your metabolism in a state of dietary ketosis without the risk of critically low available energy. When you think of keto, think about it as an efficient way to feed your body with a diet that is very high in fats and very low in sugars (or carbs). This is very important; to be in ketosis and get the benefit of the experience, you MUST NOT have any available sugar in your system that your body can use as fuel. Think of it as switching your engine onto premium gasoline.

2. What Are the Benefits?

There are multiple benefits of being on a ketogenic diet. The most significant advantage that most people see with this diet is weight loss, but it is more than just that. Many athletes and revolutionary thinkers use the state of ketosis to kick-start their health, make their bodies more efficient, and promote brain function. Research on ketogenic eating shows improvements in many chronic conditions including stabilizing blood sugars, reducing inflammation, improving energy and decreasing stress. Tim Ferriss also talks about how he treated his Lyme disease with ketosis on his podcast, and Dr. Joseph Mercola speaks about ketosis prevention and a possible cure for most cancers.

3. How Can I Tell If I am In Ketosis?

Being in ketosis is an "all or nothing" kind of thing. Either your body is using sugar for fuel, or your body is using fat for fuel, there is no "in-between." When your body uses fat for fuel, the byproduct is ketones. There are two main ways to test for ketones, blood levels with a finger stick or urine levels with a dip stick. The urine level test kit is affordable and minimally invasive. You can find it on the website at www.ketofieldguide.com. Truly being in ketosis is a great goal, but not the real point of this 14-day challenge, and certainly not the point of the transformation you will hopefully undergo way beyond these 14-days. More importantly than asking "Am I in ketosis?" Is to ask, "Have I changed my relationship with food to become more nutrition/health centered and less emotional?"

4. Are There Risks Involved?

Like anything new, there may be risk involved. There is a very minimal risk for specific medical conditions and even lower risk for generally healthy people. Always consult your doctor if you have any diagnoses or any questions (and see the medical FAQs). There are adverse side effects (keto flu) while your body is transitioning to the new energy system.

5. How Long Should I Stay on a Ketogenic Diet?

This is a highly personal decision. There are no negative side effects of being in a state of ketosis other than electrolyte depletion that you can manage with a supplement. Many people who eat in this style for medical purposes stay in ketosis for months. As your body learns to adapt to using fat as an energy source, you will easily be able to incorporate more healthy carbohydrates into your diet occasionally and may benefit from a slow carbohydrate day here and there where you shoot for 20% of your macros from healthy carbohydrates. You should not stay on traditional ketosis macro splits if you are trying to lift heavy to build muscle. In this instance, adding in carbs at the right times will benefit your goals more than staying under 25 grams of carbohydrates will.

6. Does Eating Fat Make You Fat?

Short answer, nope!

Eating fat DOES NOT make you fat!

Eating fats while cutting out carbs makes your body's energy system run smoother, burning more fat while giving you energy!

7. What Happens If I Mess Up and Eat Carbs?

Here is the hard conversation. You are either in a state of burning fat for fuel or you are not. If you eat almost correct and miss ketogenic state by a centimeter, it might as well be a mile. Commit to the time frame to give your body the chance to make it into ketosis. This decision will take willpower and assertive choices; even a few extra carbs will make the difference between feeling sluggish on keto and feeling fantastic energy while losing weight and performing better. Don't cheat; you deserve better!

8. Can Ketosis Help Me Lose Weight?

All recent research supports caloric deficit as the only way to reduce weight. This means that science shows that it does not matter if you eat Paleo, keto, Adkins, or shitty, as long as you burn more than you take in, you will lose weight. While this is absolutely true, this does not take into account the performance of the body and how nutrition affects body systems. If you eat 1200 calories of nutritious and bioavailable foods, you will feel different than if you take in 1200 calories of doughnuts. Eating empty processed foods will make you sluggish, tired, bloated, irritable and hungry. Eating ketogenic with high fat nutrition will make you feel satiated, balanced, lighter, and energized. In the long run, it is more sustainable to eat fewer calories of nutrient-dense foods than it is to eat fewer calories in a standard processed diet. Eating ketogenic will allow your body to find a healthier weight naturally with nutrition, and you may find that you need less calories as a result. So, long answer, yes, but not in the way that you may have expected.

9. What do I Do After my Keto Challenge Ends?

Keep connected and keep in touch through our All-Access E-Pass! Coming off of ketosis and reintroducing carbohydrates into your diet can be a scary process. This process will depend on you and what your goals are. Some of you may feel great at the end of this challenge and choose to continue with this style of eating. I say go for it! If you do decide to reintroduce carbohydrates, now is the time to set a foundation of what you will allow in your body. Healthy carbs from fruits and vegetables can be very beneficial, but returning to processed, refined carbohydrates like bread and pasta will likely make you feel ill and gain weight. Choose your cheat meals so that you are living a full and balanced life, but keep in mind the type of life you want to lead. When your body is fueled with high-quality nutrition, there will be no end to the possibilities for your health.

The Nutrition:

The most important aspect of achieving ketosis is eating the correct foods. Fueling your body with fats is how you achieve the ketosis state and start to reap the benefits. During this challenge, and when you choose to be in ketosis, you will give up fruit and lots of vegetables (except for the occasional berry). That does not mean that fruit is inherently bad, it just means that for this style of eating, you will not eat them. Again, cycling in a day or two of slow carbs (like fruits and starchy vegetables) will be beneficial once you become keto adapted and after you have participated in the 14-day challenge. Let's cover some of the common nutrition questions and answers about ketosis.

1. What Can I Eat on Keto?

Fats, any animal proteins, and any leafy greens. The keto diet consists of high-fat, low-carb, nutrient-dense foods. Around 75% of your intake should be healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, butter, palm oil and some nuts and seeds. Fat is essential in the ketogenic diet because it is what fuels the body and prevents hunger and fatigue. You should also consume a variety of non-starchy vegetables such as brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, cucumber, and all sorts of leafy greens. In more moderate amounts you should intake foods that are high in protein and low in carbs. This includes bone-broth, meat, fish, eggs, poultry, and full-fat dairy products. Stay away from any sugar, processed foods, all grains, and starchy vegetables. As always, drink plenty of water.

2. How is Keto Different from Atkins/Paleo?

Lots of things are different! Keto is a high fat moderate protein diet, it is not a high protein diet. Atkins and Paleo do not have the same high fat intake that is necessary to change how your body makes energy. Ketogenic eating can be considered a refined version of Paleo, focusing on eliminating grains and improving the quality of the food you eat.