99 Keto Tips & Hacks From Keto Dieters For Keto Beginners


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Below we’ve collected the 99 best Keto Diet tips and hacks for keto beginners as submitted by members of the Advantage Meals Keto Community.  

These tips and hacks were submitted by people who have actually been where you are right now; starting a ketogenic diet.

We asked our keto friends this simple question:


“What do you wish someone had told you when you started Keto?”


We sent this question to the thousands of people subscribed to our Keto Newsletter (you can signup here), thousands of people receiving our No-Cook Keto Meal Plan Support Emails, and the thousands of people in our closed Keto Facebook Group to get their best keto tips and hacks.

Then we compiled the thousands of expert answers into the most common and best keto tips, hacks, tricks, and truths.

In addition, we’ve included links to more information about some of the tips in case you want a greater understanding.

If you have tips to add, please put them in the comments at the bottom of this article.


List Of 99 Keto Tips & Hacks for Keto Beginners

1. Keto is a trial and error process.  You will need to make adjustments as you learn what works for you.

2. Keep it simple with simple ingredients and recipes.

3. It isn’t as hard as you think.

4. There are alternatives to almost every non-keto food.

5. Keto is a process and not “one size fits all.”

6. You won’t be perfect all the time, and that’s ok.

7. You will feel better, but it does take some time.

8. Keto Facebook groups like the Advantage Meals group are great support.

9. Sometimes it’s better to reduce your carbs slowly.

10. It’s not as scary as it sounds.

11. Within two weeks, my sweet tooth adjusted and old treats are now too sweet.

12. You’ll sleep better.

13. You won’t be “hangry” between meals.

14. Your mental focus will improve.

15. You won’t want to go back to the processed carb habits.

16. Starting Keto is way more fun when you do it with help and friends.

17. The first big weight loss will be water weight, but fat loss will come soon.

18. It will be hard sometimes, but it’s worth it.

19. That you are going to have to try new foods, and you’re going to love many of them.

20. Bone Broth will help with Keto Flu and is a superfood!

21. The weight loss will be slow and steady.  You can’t lose a lifetime of fat in a few weeks.

22. Just eat simple things at first and add to your “menu” as you get more into it.

23. Suplementing with Exogenous Ketones makes starting keto way easier.

24. You can still eat out on keto, you just got to be smart about it.

25. Meal prepping is important. If you don’t plan and prep, failure is more likely.

26. Keto isn’t a fad diet.  It’s based on a paleo diet eating like our ancestors ate.

27. Carbs are addictive which is why it’s so hard to lose weight eating ‘regular’.

28. When you eat Keto, your hunger gets smaller and you’ll eat less.

29. Keto food is satisfying.  Both tasty and filling.

30. At first, you need to track macros using a mobile app like Carb Manager or My Fitness Pal.

31. Find your go to snacks.  Quick and easy.

32. Breathe! Don’t stress about keto.

33. Keto is a process; a new lifestyle.  Embrace it and experiment as you find what works for you.

34. Supplementing electrolytes (here is our favorite on Amazon) is not just important, but essential.

35. The carb cravings will go away!

36. How you experience hunger will change in a fundamental way. I can’t explain the change, you just have to experience it.

37. If you eat carbs, you haven’t ruined your keto way of eating!  You can get back into ketosis quickly.

38. Nearly everyone gets Keto Flu for a couple days around day 5 to 10 of a new keto diet.

39. That I needed to work very closely with my Doctor as my need for diabetic medications dropped quickly and significantly!  Keto win.

40. When you get Keto Flu, it isn’t keto making you sick, it’s withdrawals from your carb addiction.

41. You can get low carb bread mixes.  I use them to make holiday stuffings and more.

42. One of the advantages of eating incredible simply is that macro tracking is incredibly simple.

43. Keto is very satisfying, all the fat you eat will keep you satiated!

44. Stock up on Keto foods, things that will make your life easier.  

45. Make fat bombs and store in the freezer, it helps to get you through those times when you want a treat.

46. Look on-line for recipe ideas.  I’ve found some great recipes that help keep me on track, like fat head pizza!

47. When you do make a meal, make extra so you can freeze it for another time or have it for lunch the next day.

48. If you are having a hard time, ask for help!  Facebook can be a great place to meet other people on keto that have been there and done that.

49. Fasting can get you into ketosis faster.

50. The 3 Week No Cook Keto Meal Plan was amazing for me as it kept keto simple for me  – I knew exactly what to eat without having to figure it out.  

51. Don’t sweat it if you eat something you shouldn’t.  Just get back on plan; stressing out about it doesn’t do any good.

52. For some people, keto will affect your bowel movements.  Diarrhea or constipation are possible. Tweaking your macros or electrolytes usually help.

53. Everyone will eventually hit a Keto Stall, but that’s not what is happening on week two.

54. Keto can reduce or cure Type 2 Diabetes.

55. Keto can greatly reduce or cure arthritis.

56. Sometimes your total cholesterol will rise on keto, but your ratio of good to bad cholesterol will often improve greatly.

57. Tracking Net Carbs is way easier than tracking Total Carbs.

58. Supplementing Salt can help with brain fog as you start keto.

59. Keto can change your menstrual cycle.

60. I’m never hungry, like NEVER!  Who knew? Why wasn’t I told?

61. Sometimes your body is changing even when the scale is not changing. Take measurements and don’t weigh yourself too often.

62. Keto doesn’t have to expensive and you can even shop at discount stores!

63. You won’t be hungry, but will you have cravings? Yes! But never hungry.

64. You can be successful with quite a lazy, very little cooking approach OR all out gourmet, both can work.

65. There are lots of types of keto, and everyone does it a little differently!

66. There are so many health improvements, far beyond the weight loss. It is totally worth doing even if you have very little or a lot of weight to lose.

67. You’re never too old to keto, I’m doing it at 72!

68. When you first start eating keto, a carb cheat day can make you feel like crap.

69. Not everyone can go cold turkey when escaping the addiction of carbs, some people do better easing into keto.

70. You will feel better in so many ways.

71. Getting older doesn’t mean getting sicker and feeling worse.  Keto changed it all.

72. Those low-carb packaged products are not the best way to eat keto.

73. You can eat chocolate on a Keto Diet, you just have to be picky.

74. Drink lots of water when you start. You will feel better and lose more weight.

75 If you don’t like plain water, add a little lemon juice and a little salt to it.  The lemon will also help with your pH balance and the salt replenishes your sodium.

76. Those ketone test strips go bad fast!

77. Ketogenic Diets have been used to treat seizures for decades.

78. Plan ahead and make sure you have good keto snacks when you start keto.

79. Keto can make you poop funny.

80. Your breath can smell funny when you get into ketosis, this will pass.

81. There are sneaky carbs in milk!

82. You can’t eat most fruit on Keto, but most berries are ok.

83. There are millions of keto recipes on Pinterest!

84. Some people find that too much protein will stall their weight loss as your body can turn it into glucose.

85. Keto Libido is a real thing.  😉

86. Yes, sometimes the first fat you lose is in your boobs.  🙁

87. You might feel tired when you start keto, but it will go away.

88. Riced cauliflower is a great substitute for rice.

89. 90 Second Bread makes a decent keto bread.

90. You can find all kinds of keto desserts recipes on Pinterest

91. I wish someone told me how easy the Keto diet is, that you can adapt almost any recipe to keto, and that you won’t be hungry.

92. I wish someone would have told me about intermittent fasting before a week in.  It’s a game changer.

93. Once you’ve been doing keto for a while, you don’t need to track macros all of the time.  You can just eye it.

94. You can make homemade Keto Ice Cream that is actually good!

95. Cheating in the first few weeks will make it take longer and be harder to lose your carb cravings.

96. I wish I had known how simple it is.

97. How easy it is to find something satisfying to eat wherever you are

98. There is no one right way to keto.  Don’t let anyone keto shame you, and don’t do it to other people.

99. I wish someone had given me this list of keto tips when I started.  Share this with other newbies!



Looking for more Beginners Keto Info?

Start here…

P.S. Please add your own Keto Tips & Tricks in the comments!

~Angela

Angela Davis

I'm Angela Davis, Co-Founder of Advantage Meals. I have a Bachelors in Anthropology and Masters in Holistic Nutrition. My passion is Ancestral Nutrition and for over a decade I've been helping Keto Diet beginners and those looking for their Primal Diet. "There is no one right way." Below are the most recent articles I've written for AdvantageMeals.com.

28 thoughts on “99 Keto Tips & Hacks From Keto Dieters For Keto Beginners

  1. #36 is spot on…I didn’t know how to describe what I was feeling until I saw the comment ” the way you experience hunger will change”…that was so rewarding. I was so surprised after a couple of days of eating high fat to experience a sense of calmness…blood sugar peaks and valleys are eliminated. No more 2 pm tiredness and still have brain power all day long

    1. Agreed! We’ve tried so many times to explain the hunger change, but keto beginners don’t get it until they experience it.

  2. If you feel tired and need a little energy try drinking matcha tea. It helps with concentration. It is a deep green powder that I add to regular green or black tea. You can get it at Costco. Also, I have a noticed an incredible reduction in gas/ bloating. I have never felt better. Try monk fruit as a sugar substitute it is a natural sweetener like stevia without the after taste. One tsp of monk fruit is equal to one tsp of sugar.

  3. Take your measurements and don’t get on a scale more than once a month! Many times the inches go down even when the scale doesn’t move. And take a before photo, even if you never share it. Take a new one every month or so.

    The other thing is give it a full month. Many quit because of the keto flu when it would have been done with in another day or so.

  4. I’m still in the learning phase. I started out by saying I love my wine & my vodka/sodas, but am finding that I’m drinking less than I used to. I still have my weaknesses, especially when getting together with friends for dinner (& wine), but I’ve almost cut out my breads & grains completely. It is definitely a process, and different way of eating, but I don’t think it’s a diet by any means. Just a change in lifestyle. I’m working on it, and I think I will improve. Slow & steady 🙂

  5. Amazing how being Keto is fulfilling both mentally and physically. But be wary of falling off the Keto wagon. Getting back was tough for me. Couldn’t back on wasn’t easy for me. That first determination and drive was lost.

    1. It’s funny how the experiences are different for everyone. I find that the longer I’m keto, the easier the transition becomes after a cheat day. Glad you got back in the grove!

    2. I would love to try it but its really overwhelming with all the information overload. Also in South Africa we have very few products keto friendly which is s struggle. I’ve tried messaging a few keto Instagram pages but no response. Would love someone to just give me some basic step by step things to follow just to get me started. Especially with counting macros etc. I’ve been seriously struggling with my weight lately and am so eager to get started but just need some guidance.

      1. Zarah,
        Your on the right track by identifying you need to do something about your weight. I believe once one realises there’s a problem, then its half solved. You can just start keto diet with locally sourced approved food.
        I think there is a food list on Angela’s site.
        Goodluck on your weight loss journey.

      2. Try watching YouTube videos. I recommend Dr. Eric Berg, Dr. Ken Berry and Thomas Delauer. They have tons of info to get you started.

  6. Dr. Boz (Dr Annette Bosworth) on Utube is a good source also. I love hearing practicing doctors talk about nutrition and it’s affect on our overall health. We need to educate more doctors!

    1. #26 & #36 are definitely true for me so calorie deficit is so easy now. I have tried to do more of a nutritional ketosis approach since we garden a lot & this helps me find motivation & energy to want to exercise more. I find its much more enjoyable to eat a variety of colors on a salad or as a meal and have found that food prep is very fun again because its all about portions & variety for me. A little bit of a so called high carb veg or fruit added to a dish is usually fine just for added flavor or color. A lot but definitely not all of frozen meat alternatives like vegan ground beef or brisket crumbles or meatless chicken are extremely low carb as well as tofu & unsweetened soy milk &vegan butter.

  7. I eat Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) which is very similar to Keto. It uses intermittent fasting as an integral part of the program. You can watch “The Magic Pill” on Netflix for a good understanding of the history and body mechanics of a high carb diets. There is also a really good video by Dr. Jennifer George Walsh that thoroughly explains how it all works. https://youtu.be/hRXAb2amwDA

    #11 isn’t true for everybody. I still enjoy “regular” carb and sugar laden foods and I’ve been at this for 8 months. That said, I can have that occasional sweet and get right back to the keto way of eating without any withdrawals
    #72- I second this one. Ingredients in “keto friendly” foods are often not great for your body. You will get better results with real foods.

    * avoid fake sweeteners (Splenda, equal, etc) because in some people they still cause an insulin spike and are received by the brain/body in the same way that carbs are. Utilize sugar alcohol products (Swerve is a good one) as they don’t usually produce the same insulin response. That said, they can still trigger cravings because sweet stuff is yummy.

    * lots of people talk about how much more energy they have on keto. Not true for everyone. I didn’t have decreased energy but I wasn’t MORE energetic. Biggest change was that I didn’t need naps.

  8. #26 & #36 are definitely true for me so calorie deficit is so easy now. I have tried to do more of a nutritional ketosis approach since we garden a lot & this helps me find motivation & energy to want to exercise more. I find its much more enjoyable to eat a variety of colors on a salad or as a meal and have found that food prep is very fun again because its all about portions & variety for me. A little bit of a so called high carb veg or fruit added to a dish is usually fine just for added flavor or color. A lot but definitely not all of frozen meat alternatives like vegan ground beef or brisket crumbles or meatless chicken are extremely low carb as well as tofu & unsweetened soy milk &veganaise&vegan butter. Low carb tortillas are a thing I’ve found them as low as 2 net carbs, some 4, some 5, some 6. Too much meat & cheese & not enough or not plenty of veggies & yes fruits (chopped up servings not whole) can lead to lack of fiber causing issues. Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp protein all great for unsweetened soy milk smoothies with berries…equal ration cream cheese to eggs make great blender crepes.

  9. I have already lost 30 something pounds and never had so much energy. I eat anything I want… the keto way… I can’t believe I love eating healthy with ease. Thank you so much for all the tips so I can pass on to people who see me and want to do the same thing I did. By the way my psoriasis and toe fungus healed up fast.

  10. In my experienced between intermittent fasting, which I have been doing for years, the keto diet has helped my ulcerative colitis, and from what I know it can help a host of other gut imbalances

    1. I agree! Keto and intermittent fasting help lots of gut issues. The combination of eliminating foods that cause damage and disrupt your gut microbiome, along with the healing that occurs during fasting is very powerful!

  11. I have lost 38 lbs in 3.5 months on Keto with intermittent fasting- 2 meals a day/no snacks. I do have more energy, and I do not get exhausted after eating anymore. I have lost my food cravings except coffee-still crave it! I was hoping this Keto diet would help my eczema (which I only have on my forearms) but this is not the case- no changes at all. Though I have been told to cut out all gluten-which I have for 3.5 months. Any suggestions for keto and getting rid of eczema??

    1. That is so awesome! Congrats on your success so far. Intermittent fasting is the “secret sauce” to health and weight loss, I’m convinced.

      As for eczema, it can have numerous causes, which makes it very frustrating. One of these is an auto immune response set off by a food trigger. Gluten is a common one, but food triggers are exceedingly individual, so it will take some experimenting on yourself to find what works for you. Common triggers include dairy, soy, eggs, nightshades (tomatoes, chili peppers, eggplant, etc.), nuts and seeds. Some people swear that going carnivore, and eliminating all plant foods, healed up their eczema.

      I would say if you have an intuition about any particular food that might be bothering you, try cutting it out for at least 2 weeks, more if possible, and see how you feel. It may take some time to find it, but when you do, you’ll have stopped the eczema at it’s source!

    2. Perhaps food isn’t triggering your eczema. I suffered with it for years and I found that getting a shot at the Doctor cleared it up. I got one once a month for 3 months and all my eczema was gone. It’s been gone for 3 years now. I tried everything trying to avoid medication the shots were a last resort for me but it worked and I’m so glad I decided to do it! I never had any ill effects from them either.

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