Keto FAQ

The questions we get asked most, answered without the hedging.

How many carbs can I actually eat?

Under 20 to 25 grams of net carbs a day gets almost everyone into ketosis. Some people maintain it at 50. Start at the low end for a few weeks, then find your own ceiling by raising it slowly and watching what happens.

What are net carbs and can I trust the package?

Net carbs are total carbohydrate minus fiber, and usually minus sugar alcohols. Fiber and erythritol are fair to subtract. Maltitol is not, and it appears in a lot of sugar free bars and chocolate. If maltitol is high in the ingredient list, ignore the net carb number on the front.

Why do I feel terrible in week one?

Almost always electrolytes rather than carbohydrate withdrawal. Lower insulin makes your kidneys dump sodium and water, and potassium and magnesium go with it. The headache, fatigue and night cramps that get called keto flu are the result. Salt your food generously, drink to thirst, and get sodium, potassium and magnesium in daily. It usually lifts within a couple of days.

Do I need to count calories?

Not at first. Keto blunts appetite, and for many people that alone creates the deficit. If you stall for three or four weeks at a stable weight, start weighing food for a week and you will almost certainly find the answer. Nut butter and cheese are the usual suspects.

Is fruit off the table?

Mostly. Berries in small portions work. Avocado, olives and tomato are technically fruit and are fine. A banana is roughly your entire day's carbs in one go.

Can I drink alcohol?

Dry wine, and spirits with a zero carb mixer, fit within a keto day. Beer does not. Two things to know. Your tolerance drops noticeably on keto, and your liver prioritises clearing alcohol over making ketones, so progress pauses while you drink.

Do I need exogenous ketones?

No. They raise the ketones in your blood for a few hours, which is not the same as putting you into ketosis, and they do not cancel out carbs you have eaten. Some people find them useful around fasted training. Nobody needs them to do keto. If your budget is limited, spend it on electrolytes instead.

Urine strips or a blood meter?

Strips are cheap and fine for confirming something is happening in week one. They measure what you excrete, and you excrete less as you adapt, so they fade even while ketosis holds. That is normal. A blood meter is the accurate option. If you are going to track seriously, the number that matters is the cost per strip, not the price of the meter.

Why has the scale stopped moving?

Usually one of four things. Hidden carbs in sauces, drinks and nuts. Portions that crept up because keto food is calorie dense. Not enough protein, so you are losing muscle alongside fat. Or nothing at all is wrong and you are looking at normal water fluctuation over too short a window. Weigh weekly, not daily.

Will I lose muscle?

Not if you eat enough protein and do some resistance training. Aim for roughly 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of target body weight. The old worry that protein knocks you out of ketosis was overstated and has cost a lot of people muscle they did not need to lose.

Is keto safe long term?

For most healthy adults the evidence so far is reassuring, but long term research is still thinner than either side of the argument admits. Anyone who tells you the question is settled, in either direction, is overselling. What we can say is that it is not right for everyone, and that regular check ins with a doctor make sense if you plan to stay on it for years.

Who should not do this?

Talk to a qualified professional first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, have kidney or liver disease, have had your gallbladder removed, or have a history of disordered eating. This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice.

What do I actually need to buy?

To start, almost nothing. Salt, eggs, butter, olive oil and green vegetables. When you want to bake, or stock a pantry properly, our starter guide walks through it and the kitchen staples section covers the specifics.