Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet (63 page)

Reaching and sustaining a constant state of ketosis is not an easy process. It takes a lot of major lifestyle changes to even get your brain to understand the metabolic shift from using glucose for fuel to using ketone bodies.

– Stephanie Person

Learning to distinguish true hunger from other reasons we eat, as we discussed in chapter 11, and adjusting your eating routine accordingly will help you succeed in your keto journey, especially if you are struggling to produce ketones. Stick to your personal carbohydrate tolerance level and individual protein threshold, consume unlimited fats to satiety, and watch your ketones soar. Some may see success within three weeks, while others may need six weeks or longer before experiencing the positive effects of ketosis. Be patient. Once you get into ketosis, the health benefits will begin to happen in earnest. It’s worth the effort, and you’ll be glad you persevered.

So let’s take a look at a progressive 21-Day Kick-start Keto Meal Plan. It starts with three meals a day in the first week, but consider the second meal optional—if you’re not hungry, just skip it. The plan cuts back to two meals a day in the second week and to one meal a day in the third week. If you get hungry at any time, eat a high-fat snack (and consider adding more fat to your next meal so you can stay satisfied longer). Please don’t feel that you need to follow this meal plan exactly; just use it as a general way to get started on your ketogenic diet. After twenty-one days, you can fall back into the pattern of eating that works best to keep you in ketosis.

Most commonly, people do not achieve ketosis because they are getting carbs from unexpected sources. For instance, a single 12-ounce glass of orange juice provides an astounding 36 grams of carbs. The other part of the story is that for ketosis to work, you’ve got to be careful not to overindulge in terms of protein consumption.

– Dr. David Perlmutter

21-Day Kick-start Keto Meal Plan

Day 1

• Meal 1:
  Jimmy Moore’s Keto Eggs (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Pork roast cooked in butter and broccoli topped with melted cheddar cheese (optional)
  
• Meal 3:
  Perfect Roast Keto Chicken (
  see here
  )
  
• Snack:
  Macadamia nuts (optional)
  

Day 2

• Meal 1:
  Mushroom Burger Scramble (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Halibut cooked in coconut oil with green beans cooked in butter (optional)
  
• Meal 3:
  Bratwurst with Bacon Brussels Sprouts (
  see here
  )
  
• Snack:
  Pork rinds with cream cheese (optional)
  

Day 3

• Meal 1:
  Camille’s Keto Energy Bars (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Pepperoni slices and mozzarella cheese cooked with butter and garlic salt (optional)
  
• Meal 3:
  Jimmy Moore’s Bacon-Wrapped Salmon (
  see here
  ) topped with Jimmy Moore’s Homemade Keto Béarnaise Sauce (
  see here
  )
  
• Snack:
  Gary the Primal Guy’s Keto Chocolate (
  see here
  ) (optional)
  

Day 4

• Meal 1:
  Almond Butter Keto Bombs (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Tuna with Jimmy Moore’s Homemade Really Real Keto Mayo (
  see here
  ) and blueberries (optional)
  
• Meal 3:
  Keto Beef Stroganoff (
  see here
  )
  
• Snack:
  Macadamia Avocado Freezer Fudge (
  see here
  ) (optional)
  

Day 5

• Meal 1:
  4 pork sausage patties
  
• Meal 2:
  Ham and Colby Jack cheese roll-up dipped in Jimmy Moore’s Homemade Really Real Keto Mayo (
  see here
  ) (optional)
  
• Meal 3:
  Pan-Fried Breaded Pork Chops with Sautéed Kale (
  see here
  )
  
• Snack:
  Luscious Lemon Bars (
  see here
  ) (optional)
  

Day 6

• Meal 1:
  Cucumber slices with Keto Skordalia (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Almond butter and dark chocolate (87% cacao) (optional)
  
• Meal 3:
  Keto Pot Roast (
  see here
  )
  
• Snack:
  Keto Vanilla Ice Cream (
  see here
  ) with Jimmy Moore’s Keto Chocolate Shell Topping (
  see here
  ) (optional)
  

Day 7

• Meal 1:
  Celery and Healthified Keto “Refried Beans” (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Beef ribs with snow peas cooked in butter (optional)
  
• Meal 3:
  6-ounce sirloin steak cooked in butter and Baked Creamed Spinach (
  see here
  )
  
• Snack:
  Beef jerky (optional)
  

After the first week, you should notice a discernable improvement in your hunger and cravings. In fact, it’s possible you’ve already “forgotten” to eat a meal. If so, don’t panic. That’s totally normal as your body adjusts from running on sugar to running on fat.

Like the first week, the second week of the meal plan includes snacks in case you get hungry between meals. (But remember, if you’re getting hungry between meals, that’s your cue to add more fat to your meals.) You are under no obligation to eat all of the meals and snacks listed, but they’re there in case you need them. Keep in mind that your first meal of the day could be at noon or beyond.

To maintain some degree of ketones, we must restrict the intake of carbohydrates to no more than about 50 grams daily. It is essential to control not only the quantity of carbs but the quality as well. Allowing only those carbs with a low glycemic load will eliminate foods with added sugars and highly refined, processed items. This is closer to the whole-foods diet that was consumed decades ago when we were a far slimmer and much healthier nation.

– Jackie Eberstein

Day 8

• Meal 1:
  Keto Pizza Frittata (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Hamburger patty cooked in butter, bacon, and Swiss cheese topped with a mixture of sour cream and garlic salt (optional)
  
• Snack:
  Raw almonds (optional)
  

Day 9

• Meal 1:
  Roasted duck with Coconut Almond Porridge (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Salami and cheese (optional)
  
• Snack:
  Deviled eggs made with Jimmy Moore’s Homemade Really Real Keto Mayo (
  see here
  ) (optional)
  

Day 10

• Meal 1:
  Eggs fried in coconut oil, bacon, and avocado
  
• Meal 2:
  Pan-seared scallops cooked in lard and raw spinach salad topped with olive oil and lemon juice (optional)
  
• Snack:
  Cashew butter mixed with cream cheese, a touch of cinnamon, and a few drops of your favorite liquid sweetener (optional)
  

Day 11

• Meal 1:
  West African Chicken Stew (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Veal cooked in ghee with Parmesan cheese and bell peppers (optional)
  
• Snack:
  Pork rinds with sour cream (optional)
  

Day 12

• Meal 1:
  Chicken drumsticks with Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Shrimp cooked in macadamia nut oil with Jimmy Moore’s Homemade Keto Béarnaise Sauce (
  see here
  ) and asparagus cooked in beef tallow (optional)
  
• Snack:
  Heavy cream with unsweetened cocoa powder and a few drops of your favorite liquid sweetener (optional)
  

Day 13

• Meal 1:
  2 Nathan’s hot dogs cooked in butter and topped with melted Provolone cheese, and Pan-Fried Avocado (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Turkey (dark meat) and kale salad with blue cheese crumbles and avocado oil (optional)
  
• Snack:
  String cheese with cream cheese (optional)
  

Day 14

• Meal 1:
  Rotisserie chicken (dark meat) with Easy Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin (
  see here
  )
  
• Meal 2:
  Skinny Keto Pizza (
  see here
  ) (optional)
  
• Snack:
  Strawberries and homemade whipped cream (optional)
  

After two weeks, you may already be experiencing benefits for your weight and health, particularly with your blood sugar and ketones.

Let’s put ketosis to the test in the third week and see how well it will keep your hunger completely satisfied on just one meal a day. I haven’t provided any snacks for this week, but I don’t think you’re going to need them. As we stated in chapter 11, a good sign of what we’re calling your “keto fitness level” is the ability to go eighteen to twenty-four hours between meals rather easily. At this point your body has likely shifted to burning fat and ketones efficiently, and you’re ready to see how you do. Of course, if at any time you get hungry during the week, you know what you’re supposed to do—
eat
!

To be satisfied on just one meal each day, you’ll need to be careful to get enough food in that meal to sustain you. This isn’t the time to skimp on portion size. Each meal may seem like a lot of food to eat at one time, but it provides the same number of calories that would typically be broken up into three meals and snacks. That’s not to say that you should try to gorge yourself or force food down your throat that you cannot eat. Just consume enough food to satisfy your hunger, adhere to your carbohydrate tolerance and protein threshold, and fill up on dietary fat so you can go up to twenty-four hours between meals. Remember, if you like a certain meal and feel comfortable eating it again and again during the week, then go for it!