One of the biggest hurdles of going keto is putting and keeping your body in ketosis. Ketosis is a natural metabolic state that results in your body burning fat instead of carbs for fuel (when it doesn’t have enough carbs). So, naturally, to achieve ketosis, you’ll have to say goodbye to most carbs and hello to fat — and lots of it. RELATED: 8 Steps Beginners Should Take Before Trying the Keto Diet It depends on which version of keto you’re doing, but generally, you’ll aim to get 5 to 10 percent of your total calories from carbs on the diet. The goal is to consume only 20 to 50 grams (g) of net carbs per day — or less than the equivalent of ½ cup of long-grain brown rice, which contains 25 g of total carbs (and about 23 g net carbs), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Net carbs, which are an unofficial term, are defined as total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols, according to the website for the Atkins diet, another low-carb plan. For most people, going that low won’t be easy: The typical American woman over age 20 gets nearly 50 percent of her calories from carbs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For example, on a 1,400-calorie diet, this would be equivalent to about 175 g of carbs daily. Meanwhile, you’ll need to reach for lots of healthy high-fat foods, like fatty fish, avocado, olive oil, nuts, and eggs. Butter, bacon, and cheese are also allowed, though these are among the less-healthy choices for fat. The goal is to get about 70 to 80 percent of your daily calories from fats overall. RELATED: What to Eat and Avoid on the Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Food List and 7-Day Sample Menu That’s just part of the struggle when following keto. You’ll likely also see various side effects, especially in the first few weeks, such as headaches, fatigue, and drowsiness — all signs of the so-called keto flu. To overcome challenges like these, it’s apparent that what a keto dieter really needs is resourceful information and tons of encouragement. “One reason why the keto diet has continued to be popular is that it fosters a sense of community,” says Melissa Mitri, RD, owner of Melissa Mitri Nutrition in Milford, Connecticut. Keto blogs can help you feel as if you’re supported in the diet, which you need, since it can be restrictive and there are many hurdles to overcome when starting. One thing to keep in mind, says Mitri, is that these blogs are limited in that the authors are not medical or nutrition experts but are speaking from their own experience. “Remember that everyone is different and there is no one diet that works for everyone,” she says. While it seems as if everyone is on the keto diet, a low-carb, high-fat plan isn’t necessarily better than another diet for weight loss or managing type 2 diabetes, notes a review published in the September-October 2019 issue of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. Because the keto diet limits or eliminates foods known to be healthy and heart protective (for example, beans, whole grains, and most fruits) and encourages those that can increase cardiovascular risks (red meat, for one), the authors recommend that people work closely with their healthcare team when following keto. RELATED: 11 Keto Diet Dangers You Need to Know Many people jump into keto because they’ve seen friends and loved ones have rousing success on the diet. Indeed, a low-calorie version of keto helped overweight and obese adults lose an average of 22 pounds in four weeks or less, according to a review published in the November 2019 issue of Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders. Still, not everyone is in favor of the diet going mainstream. Medical experts in the July 2019 edition of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) cautioned that the diet isn’t a slam-dunk fix for obesity or type 2 diabetes — and more research is needed to examine the long-term health implications. Making an informed choice, rather than riding the keto trend, is important to ensure that you start safely and get the most out of the diet. The blogs below are exemplars in the keto category. Whether you’re struggling with exercise motivation, diet logistics, or looking for out-of-the-box keto recipes, you can be sure to find all of that and more here.
1. Keto in Pearls
RELATED: A Complete Keto Diet Food List and 7-Day Sample Menu
2. Cast Iron Keto
3. Ruled.Me
RELATED: How a Mindset Shift Helped 1 Woman Lose 150 Pounds on the Keto Diet
4. I Breathe I’m Hungry
5. KetoGasm
RELATED: The 5 Best and Worst Alcoholic Drinks When You’re on Keto
6. Keto Connect
7. Meat Free Keto
RELATED: How to Follow a Vegetarian Keto Diet in a Healthy Way
8. No Bun Please
9. Little Pine Kitchen
RELATED: 27 Best Restaurants for Keto Diet Followers
