New to Keto

twinsation
twinsation Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
Starting keto on Tuesday and just wondering about recommendations on portion sizes. I’ve been reading a lot, but have not seen any suggestions on portion size. Do I just try and use MFP and calculate?

Replies

  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Your portions should match what macros/calorie goals you have set up for keto. Having a food scale will be helpful for you to weigh out your food.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Yep, calories still count on keto. Use the first couple of weeks as an experiment to log really accurately and see how the foods you'll be depending on fit your calorie goal, then learn and tweak as you go. Good luck!
  • barbarainc28
    barbarainc28 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks for the question because tomorrow will be my very first day doing the KETO lifestyle.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited December 2018
    I would weigh and measure your foods, especially at first. That's the best way to get an idea of portion sizes.

    Keto us typically under 20-50g of carbs, which is often 5-15% of your total calories. Protein us moderate and often 25-30% while losing, then possibly lower (20-25%) at maintenance. Fat is the rest, 60-75% in most cases.

    Don't forget to get a LOT more sodium/salt. Good luck!
  • KetoZandra
    KetoZandra Posts: 132 Member
    1) The 1st thing a newbie needs to do is find out what your personal macro numbers should be. So type "macro calculator" into your search engine and follow the steps. Macro means your personal goal for calories, fat, carbs and protein. For instance my macro is 1250 calories, 5% carbs, 75% fat and 20 protein.
    2) Then go into your MFP and change your settings to match your personal macro settings.
    3) Buy a mini digital food scale. This how you figure out your portion size based on the weight, how many calories, fat, protein and carbs.
    4) Track everything you eat. There is a learning curve and it's normal to get a bit frustrated figuring out everything in the beginning.
    5) One final thing that confused the heck out of me in the beginning. If for instance the carb section on your daily macro says you are allowed 6g of carbs and in the fiber section you have eaten 3g of fibre you are allowed to carry the 3g of fiber over to your carb section and eat 9g of carbs that day instead of 6g of carbs.
    6) Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead.

    I hope this helps.
  • deannaroseatx
    deannaroseatx Posts: 8 Member
    This is my first time doing keto, too (although I started yesterday). I planned this attempt better than the invasion of Normandy. I've read numerous articles on the keto diet, why it works, how to get your body into ketosis, and most importantly-HOW WE FAIL AT KETO. Honestly, I didn't think about the difference between "dirty keto" and "clean keto" until I thought about my original eating habits. If you go into this thinking keto is all bacon & butter all the time, you're gonna fail. KetoZandra said it best when she said "plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead". Think about the foods you like, what you can afford, and how much time you'll have for cooking. I love food, but I'm a little picky (mid-range for my family), so I found all the keto-friendly foods I like and found different ways to prepare them (with lots of butter and olive oil, of course), and have a fridge full of pre-cooked meals for the week that fit my daily macros. I also have keto urine test strips to make sure I'm actually in ketosis, because what good is a full-fat diet if your body is still using carbs as your primary fuel source?

    Anyways, knowledge is your best weapon in any given situation, but doubly so when it comes to keto. If you want to master it, learn as much as you can, and people around here (speaking for myself, at least) will be happy to let you know what does & doesn't work, provide info on experience, and generally support your efforts. Good luck!
  • GenieJeanie
    GenieJeanie Posts: 2 Member
    Well, I went to order test strips,,,,are these the large ones? 🤣😆6wubjj3b0fd8.jpeg

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