Strict Keto works.  Maybe a bit too much work for some people and maybe a bit restrictive for some people.  Some people are super into the rules and love being strict.  Sometimes being too strict makes people bail on a program and go back to their old ways.   KNOW YOURSELF.   Personally I am not super strict but it is a good idea to try to start as strict as you can and adjust from there so here are the rules:

Macros – 70% Fat, 25% Protein, 5% Carbs — Personally I put all my info into Carb Manager and count macros and calories and it works and is easy

Foods to Avoid:

No Starches – Avoid all bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, rice or anything else that is a starch

No legumes or beans  – No black beans, red beans, peanuts, peanut butter or anything else that is a legume or a bean.

No Fruit – No fruit at all except for occasional small portions of berries

No Root Vegetables or Tubers – No potatoes, no carrots, no beets, no sweet potatoes or any other root vegetables or tubers. Your veggies will not grow under the ground for strict keto with only a few rare exceptions.

No booze – Due to the fact that it can spike your blood sugar, there is no booze on strict keto

No low-fat or diet products or sugar free diet products – These contain sugar alcohol or artificial sweeteners and may spike blood sugar.  These can also make keto easier for some so choose wisely as they may slow down your progress or stall you.

No Sugar — This should seem obvious but I see posts all the time asking about sugar and honey so no sugar or things that are just like sugar — such as honey or agave syrup or maple syrup or brown sugar or corn syrup or anything that is a sugar

Unhealthy processed fats – Some of these are soybean oil or margarine or seed oils such as canola oil so no trans fat, no seed fats

Some condiments or sauces – This is a vague rule but more of a reminder to double check the ingredients that these are not hiding sugar or other ingredients that are not keto.

 

So that’s it !!   Strict keto can be a bit strict for some (too strict for me) and I see a lot of people who get all upset if you “break the rules” and I mean people who do not even know you (Lord only knows why they care what you do) but my advice is DO YOU.   If this is too restrictive, it is better to do some of it and stay with it than it is to dump it altogether.  I find the longer I do Keto, the easier it is to tighten it up so be as strict as you can (even if you can’t do it full on strict) and stay within your carb limit and you will benefit  🙂