How To Start Keto: Get Your 10 Day No Carbs Results

Are you ready to learn how to start keto and boost your health (perhaps an overstatement… do read on) with a 10-day no carbs results challenge? This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to succeed on your ketogenic journey. From meal plans to exercise tips, we’ve got you covered for the next 10 days and beyond, ensuring you achieve those no carbs results effectively.

How To Start Keto: An Introduction

Welcome to your ultimate 10-day keto challenge! Are you ready to revolutionise your health and kick-start your metabolism? This challenge is designed to help you shed stubborn pounds, boost your energy, and reset your relationship with food. You can get 10-day no carbs results by following this plan.

A recent 2023 study in Frontiers in Nutrition found that a well-formulated ketogenic diet led to significant improvements in body composition, with participants losing an average of 4.5% body fat in just 12 weeks. Imagine what you could achieve in just 10 days!

Disclaimer – Now, before you go thinking I’m claiming keto is some kind of miracle that will melt the pounds off you and cure world hunger simultaneously… I’m not. You won’t lose body fat on keto without a calorie deficit (see below). You can absolutely lose body fat without keto, too!

However, a keto reset is a great tool to use when you’ve been overindulging in sugar, junk food, or need a post-holiday reset.

The Science Behind Ketosis

Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body shifts from using glucose as its primary fuel source to burning fat for energy. To achieve ketosis, you’ll need to reduce your carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams per day. This forces your body to break down fat into ketones, which become your new energy source.

Fat adaptation occurs when your body gets used to burning fat instead of glucose for fuel, leading to stable energy levels, improved mental clarity, and reduced sugar cravings.

Keto Macronutrient Breakdown

• 70-75% of calories from fat
• 20-25% of calories from protein
• 5-10% of calories from carbohydrates

A 2023 systematic review in Nutrients found that ketogenic diets were more effective for weight loss compared to low-fat diets, with an average difference of 1.04 kg over 12 months.

Get Your 10 Day No Carbs Results: Preparing for Your Keto Challenge

Proper preparation is crucial for the success of your 10-day keto challenge. Let’s dive deeper into each step to ensure you’re fully equipped for this transformative journey and achieve no carbs results.

Pantry Clean-Out

It’s time for a kitchen makeover! Bid farewell to high-carb temptations lurking in your cupboards. Remove or donate items like:

• Crisps and biscuits
• Pasta and rice
• Sugary cereals and granola bars
• Sweetened yoghurts
• Fruit juices and fizzy drinks

Replace these with keto-friendly options such as:

• Nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, chia seeds)
• Avocados
• Low-carb vegetables (spinach, broccoli, cauliflower)
• Olives and olive oil
• Coconut oil and MCT oil

Stock Up on Keto Essentials

Your shopping trolley should be brimming with keto-friendly foods. Here’s a comprehensive list:

• Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, grass-fed meat and butter, ghee
• Quality proteins: Grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, wild-caught fish, eggs
• Low-carb vegetables: Leafy greens, courgettes, asparagus, bell peppers
• Full-fat dairy: Cheese, cream, Greek yoghurt (in moderation)
• Nuts and seeds: Macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds
• Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries (in small quantities)
• Electrolyte supplements: Magnesium, potassium, sodium (consult your GP before starting any new supplements)

How to Start Keto: Sample Meal Plan

A well-structured meal plan is the backbone of your 10-day keto challenge to achieve no carbs results. Let’s dive into a comprehensive plan that will keep you satiated, energised, and firmly in ketosis.

Calories and Keto

You can gain fat on keto (yours truly has done so), so you’ll need to eat within a calorie deficit. An easy method of calculating your macros for this challenge is as follows:

Take your current bodyweight in lbs and multiply by 12. Take me as an example. I weigh 180 lbs. 180 x 12 is 2160. Ensure you’re hitting 7500 steps per day.

Sample Keto Meal Plan

Here’s a glimpse into what the first 3 days of your 10 days might look like:

1st Day:

• Breakfast: Keto Full English with eggs, bacon, grilled tomatoes, and mushrooms
• Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad (hold the croutons!)
• Dinner: Grilled salmon with asparagus and homemade hollandaise sauce
• Snack: Celery sticks with cream cheese and a handful of macadamia nuts

2nd Day:

• Breakfast: Keto smoothie (unsweetened almond milk, spinach, avocado, chia seeds, and a scoop of low-carb protein powder)
• Lunch: Tuna salad stuffed avocados
• Dinner: Keto shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash topping
• Snack: Hard-boiled eggs with sea salt

3rd Day:

• Breakfast: Keto pancakes made with almond flour, topped with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a few berries
• Lunch: Greek salad with feta cheese, olives, and olive oil dressing
• Dinner: Beef stir-fry with low-carb vegetables in coconut oil
• Snack: Cheese crisps (baked cheese slices)

Navigating Common Keto Challenges

We’ve covered most of these above, but I’ve placed within their own section, as the below three challenges are primary reasons why people quit keto.

Dealing with “Keto Flu”

The keto flu is a common experience when transitioning to a ketogenic diet. Symptoms may include fatigue, headaches, irritability, and brain fog. Here’s how to manage it:

• Increase electrolyte intake: Focus on sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Consider adding a pinch of sea salt to your water or drinking bone broth.
• Stay hydrated: Aim for at least 2-3 litres of water daily.
• Get plenty of rest: Your body is adapting to a new fuel source, so give it time to adjust.
• Gradually reduce carbs: If symptoms are severe, try reducing your carb intake more slowly over a few days and then go into your challenge with an element of adaptation under your belt.

Dining Out on Keto

Social situations don’t have to derail your 10-day keto challenge. Here are some strategies for dining out:

• Research the menu in advance: Most restaurants have their menus online, allowing you to plan your meal beforehand.
• Don’t be afraid to customise: Ask for modifications to make dishes keto-friendly, such as swapping chips for a side salad.
• Focus on protein and vegetables: Grilled meats, fish, and low-carb vegetables are usually safe bets.
• Be mindful of hidden carbs: Sauces and dressings can be sneaky sources of sugar and carbs. Ask for them on the side.
• Choose keto-friendly drinks: Opt for water, unsweetened tea, or spirits with sugar-free mixers.

Incorporating Exercise into Your 10-Day Keto Challenge

Exercise is a powerful tool to boost your no carbs results. Start with light activities such as walking or yoga in the first few days. As your body adjusts, incorporate strength training or High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Week One: Light Activities

Stick to walking or yoga as your body adapts to the ketogenic diet.

Week Two: Ramping Up

• Strength training: 2-3 sessions per week
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): 1-2 sessions per week
• Low-intensity cardio: Daily walks or leisurely bike rides

Listen to your body and adjust as needed during your 10-day keto challenge.

Incorporating exercise while learning how to start keto can significantly improve your results.

Tracking Your Progress and Measuring Success

Consistent tracking of your progress is crucial for long-term success, particularly on a keto diet. Scientific research shows that self-monitoring plays a significant role in achieving and maintaining weight loss goals.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that individuals who regularly tracked their food intake and measured their progress through apps or journals were significantly more likely to stick to their diet and achieve better results. Tracking also helps you recognise patterns in your energy levels, moods, and cravings, allowing you to adjust your diet to meet your body’s needs.

Tools for Success

• Use apps like MyFitnessPal to log your food intake and macros.
• Take before and after photos to visually track your body composition changes.
• Record measurements of your waist, hips, and thighs.
• Note improvements in energy levels, sleep quality, and mood.

The Science Behind Tracking

Tracking your food intake and daily activities activates a feedback loop. Research from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that self-monitoring helps create habitual awareness, meaning you are more likely to make conscious food choices that align with your goals. This process has been proven to help people achieve and maintain weight loss more effectively than those who do not track their habits.

By keeping track of your no carbs results, you’ll have a clearer picture of how the ketogenic diet is working for you, and can make adjustments where necessary. Tracking progress isn’t just about the scale – it includes measuring how you feel, how well you’re sleeping, and how much energy you have throughout the day.

Beyond the 10-Day Challenge: Sustaining Your Keto Lifestyle

Now that you’ve completed your 10-day keto challenge, let’s look at three long-term approaches to maintaining or adapting your keto lifestyle. You can continue with strict keto, transition to a more flexible low-carb approach, or experiment with cyclical keto. Here’s how each works:

Continue with Strict Keto

Strict keto involves maintaining the same macronutrient ratios that you’ve followed during the 10-day keto challenge. This means consuming 70-75% of your daily calories from fats, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. By continuing with strict keto, your body remains in a state of ketosis, where fat is burned for energy instead of glucose.

Benefits:

• Continued ketosis: Staying in ketosis keeps your body fat-burning and may help with long-term weight management.
• Stable energy levels: Many people report that they experience consistent, stable energy when they continue with strict keto.
• Mental clarity: Ketones are a cleaner energy source for the brain, leading to improved focus and mental sharpness.

Challenges:

• Meal planning: Sticking to strict keto requires ongoing meal prep and planning. It can be difficult to maintain, especially in social situations or when dining out.
• Limited food variety: Strict keto can feel restrictive over time, which may lead to food fatigue or the temptation to stray from the diet.
• Risk of nutrient deficiencies: Since strict keto limits some food groups, it’s important to monitor your intake of micronutrients like magnesium, potassium, and vitamins.

Transition to a More Flexible Low-Carb Approach

This method involves increasing your daily carbohydrate intake slightly (typically between 50-100g per day), while still keeping carbs low enough to avoid large blood sugar spikes. It offers more flexibility in food choices, which can make the diet easier to maintain long-term.

Benefits:

• Increased food variety: A more flexible low-carb approach allows for a greater range of fruits, vegetables, and occasional whole grains, making it easier to follow over time.
• Less restrictive: This approach offers more freedom, which can make it feel more sustainable for the long term without feeling deprived.
• Potential for improved performance: Athletes or highly active individuals may benefit from having more carbohydrate flexibility to fuel their workouts.

Challenges:

• Maintaining balance: Adding more carbs may make it harder to maintain ketosis and some of the fat-burning benefits associated with strict keto.
• Carb counting: While it’s less strict, you still need to be mindful of your overall carb intake, which requires attention and planning.

Experiment with Cyclical Keto

Cyclical keto involves following strict keto for most of the week (5-6 days), then increasing your carbohydrate intake on 1-2 days (often referred to as “carb-loading” days). This approach is popular among athletes who want to take advantage of the ketosis benefits while still fueling higher-intensity activities with carbs.

Benefits:

• Performance boost: For those who engage in high-intensity workouts, cyclical keto allows for better glycogen replenishment, which can improve performance and recovery.
• Psychological flexibility: Having scheduled “carb days” can make the diet feel less restrictive and give you a break from the rigid structure of strict keto.
• Less muscle depletion: Cyclical keto can help prevent muscle glycogen depletion, which is common during extended periods of very low-carb dieting.

Challenges:

• Planning required: Successful cyclical keto requires detailed meal planning to ensure you’re getting the right amounts of carbs at the right times.
• Temporary water weight gain: Increased carb intake on cycling days can lead to temporary water weight gain, which some people find discouraging.

My 10-Day Keto Challenge: A Personal Journey

I’ve been through this 10-day keto challenge many times. I generally use it as a reset following a vacation, Christmas, or if I’ve been off the rails for too long.

My first attempt – Day 1 started with enthusiasm and a fridge full of avocados. By day 3, the keto flu hit hard (which I’ve now managed to mitigate following the tips above). But on day 5, something magical happened. I woke up feeling energised like never before.

By day 10 of my keto challenge, I felt like a new person. My jeans were looser, my mind felt clearer, and I had a new appreciation for the power of nutrition.

Weight loss mastery requires increasing your knowledge to the point where you can utilise different tools within the locker.

How Do I Eat Most of the Time?

Most of the time, I choose option 2 above (low-carb most of the time). I find this suits my lifestyle, and I generally eat carbs once a day.

Key Takeaways

Listen to your body and adjust as needed throughout the challenge.

The 10-day keto challenge can jumpstart weight loss and boost energy levels.

Proper preparation is key to success.

Stay hydrated and mind your electrolytes.

Exercise can enhance your results.

Track your progress beyond just the scale.

Plan for life after the 10-day challenge.

Ketosis can lead to improved metabolic health.

Meal prep is crucial for staying on track on your no carbs results journey

Be prepared to navigate social situations and dining out.

Useful Related reading

You’ll find some useful articles below. These subjects are touched upon above, but more detail can be found by exploring the links.

10 fat loss tips. The best way to lose body fat.

How to get abs. 6 pack secrets you must know.

How to lose weight while working from home

Conclusion

Now you’ve learned how to start keto, as you embark on your own keto challenge, remember that everyone’s body responds differently. Be patient with yourself and celebrate all your victories, big and small!

The keto diet isn’t for everyone, but if you’re looking to reset your relationship with food and potentially shed some pounds, this 10-day keto challenge could be just what you need.

Again, it’s a great kick-start towards reducing sugar, increasing protein and good fats. Try it, and you may be pleasantly surprised.

I’d like to thank you for reading this article. I aim to publish 2-3 times a week. You can sign up to my website below, and you’ll benefit from being on my priority mailing list. You’ll receive notifications of new articles and exciting subscriber news and offers coming your way soon.

Chat soon,
Matt.