If you’re just starting out on the keto diet, then you’re no doubt aware of the various health benefits associated with it and want a keto plan that you can use as a beginner The keto diet has shown in various controlled studies to drastically reduce blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as to speed up weight loss by up to three times when compared to people on a traditional low-card diet.

You should be aware that the keto diet may have some short-term side effects, however. There are various plans for beginners to balance the diet with their lifestyle and minimize any side-effects while your body adjusts itself to no longer having many carbs to burn for energy.

What is the keto diet?

The keto diet is a high-fat/moderate-protein diet and basically wipe carbohydrates out of your diet completely. This puts your body into a state of ‘ketosis’ and makes it much more efficient at burning fat for energy.

This means eating lots of meats, fish, poultry, cheeses, nuts, green veggies, and high-fat things like yogurt, butter, cream, and so on. You can’t eat grains, rice, pasta, or most fruit - and you certainly can’t eat sugary things like candy or highly-processed low-fat diet foods.

The keto diet can sound restrictive to newcomers, but there are plenty of foods to choose from within it. You can find tons of great keto treats, supplements, and meal inspiration at PerfectKeto.com. Also, look out for great keto discounts with these Perfect Keto coupons.

Best keto plans for beginners

Making a drastic change in how your body burns food for energy will have short-term side effects. It’s a shock to the system and can result in the ‘keto flu’. This is where you have lower energy levels and indigestion and it usually lasts for a few days.

Pre-keto: Start with a low-carb diet

While a low-carb diet isn’t a keto diet, it is a great way to prepare your body for what lies ahead. Slowly training your body to rely less on carbs and more on burning fat for energy will help you to avoid negative short-term side effects when you first switch to keto. Do the low-carb diet for the first few weeks, then switch to keto.

Standard ketogenic diet (SKD)

This is the most common keto plan. It consists of around 70% fat, 25% protein, and just 5% carbs. This is what most people mean when they follow the keto diet. For beginners, it’s best to stick strictly to the plan for the first few months - then have carbs on special occasions only.

High-protein ketogenic diet

This is another common keto plan and it is essentially the same as the SKD, but with increased protein levels. If you’re concerned about losing muscle while following the keto plan, then this diet combined with some increased workouts will likely be good for you. It’s about 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD)

This version of the keto diet is usually framed as a ‘five days on/two days off’ regime. You get two ‘rest’ days where you can refill on carbs. It’s commonly followed by athletes who need to keep their body performance high.

Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD)

This is the version of the keto diet that is increasingly used by athletes and bodybuilders. It allows you to add carbs around your workouts to maximize performance in the gym or in sports. It’s worth noting that this and the CKD keto diet have been studied less than the SKD and the high-protein keto diet.