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🫀 Care for Your Body

When I began reducing carbohydrates, the changes to what I ate happened gradually rather than through a strict plan. I wasn’t trying to follow rigid rules, but I did notice that certain patterns started to emerge as I aimed to stay as close to keto as possible.

It quickly became clear that focusing on whole, natural foods made things much simpler. Many processed foods contain added sugars, and I also became more mindful of how much sugar is naturally present in fruit. To make things easier day to day, I started batch cooking so that I always had something nutritious available. This helped me avoid reaching for foods that were higher in carbohydrates when I was tired or short on time.

I also increased my protein intake and added healthy fats to my meals, which made them feel more satisfying. Vegetables were mostly in the form of salads, and I chose to omit foods such as potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta. Rather than feeling restrictive, this shift felt more like a simplification of what I was eating.

I’m sharing this not as a template for others, but as a reflection on how my eating habits naturally adapted as I explored keto. Paying attention to these changes helped me feel more prepared and supported, rather than relying on willpower alone.

🫀 Care for Your Body

When I began reducing carbohydrates, I paid close attention to how my body responded rather than focusing on targets or rules. I was interested in noticing changes as they happened, even small ones, and trying to understand what they might mean.

One of the first things I noticed was that I felt less hungry. My appetite felt more settled, and as a result my cravings were easier to manage. Alongside this, I noticed an improvement in my mood, which was unexpected but very welcome. Within a few days, I also became aware that my face looked less puffy, which suggested to me that some of the changes might be related to reduced water retention.

In the first few days, however, I did feel more tired and slightly flu-like. I understood this as my body adjusting to a change in how it was fuelling itself, and that phase passed after a short time.

I also found myself feeling much thirstier, which led me to drink more water. As I was eating fewer processed foods, I became aware that my overall salt intake had dropped as well. I chose to supplement with Celtic salt, as I understood it to contain a broader range of minerals than more refined salts. This felt like a practical response to the changes I was making. Another noticeable change was that my urine had a different smell, which again seemed to reflect how my body was adapting.

I’m sharing these observations not as guidance, but as part of my own learning process. Noticing and responding to these changes helped me feel more confident and attentive to what my body needed, rather than trying to follow a rigid approach without reflection.

🫀 Care for Your Body

When I first began reading about keto, what struck me most was not so much contradiction, but the sheer volume of information available. It quickly became clear that this is a subject that benefits from careful reading and understanding, rather than quick summaries or rigid rules.

As I explored different books and resources, I noticed that some authors were more practical and clearer in their explanations than others. While the underlying principles were often similar, the way they were presented varied, which sometimes made it harder to see how everything fitted together. There were also some differences of opinion around details such as daily carbohydrate limits, the distinction between net and total carbohydrates, and how much dietary fat was appropriate. Alongside this, there was a quiet concern about “doing it wrong”, especially in the early stages when everything felt new.

What helped me was recognising that keto is not something to rush into blindly. Instead of focusing on exact numbers straight away, I found it more useful to concentrate on understanding the reasoning behind different approaches and to notice how my own body responded. Taking that slower, more thoughtful approach made the information feel less overwhelming and more manageable.

I’m sharing this because I think it’s easy to feel that confusion means you’re missing something, when in reality it may simply reflect the depth of the subject. For me, accepting that learning takes time helped me move forward with more confidence and less pressure.