19-Day Keto Diet Plan for Beginners with Intermittent Fasting

Start your healthy eating journey with our ultimate keto intermittent fasting meal plan for weight loss. Achieve your weight loss goals and start burning fat faster than ever before! This meal plan is a great introduction to the keto diet for beginners and includes 19 days of delicious low carb recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And don't worry, there are plenty of snacks and desserts too!

Table of Contents

• The Ketogenic Diet
• What Is The Keto Diet?
• What Is Intermittent Fasting?
• Types of Intermittent Fasting
• Why Intermittent Fasting? What’s The Fuss?
• Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
• Intermittent Fasting - A Summary
• Intermittent Fasting and Keto
• Keto: What Foods You Can Eat
• Keto: What Foods You Can't Eat
• Diet and Meal Plan Breakdown
• Starting Keto: The First 5 Days
• Stage 1: Week 1 (Days 1-5)
• Ready to start your Keto Diet?
• Stage 2: Week 2 (Days 6-12)
• Stage 2: Week 3 (Days 13-19)
• Full Snack List
• Final Thoughts
• Take A Quick Quiz
• 💬 Reviews

By combining the keto diet with intermittent fasting (IF), your body reaches the state of ketosis faster. Simply put, an intermittent fasting keto diet will make you lose weight faster.

In ketosis, your body will use fat for energy instead of carbohydrates, allowing you to burn through fat already stored in your body.

Learn how to combine keto and fasting, helping you lose weight quickly and burn more body fat than ever.

We've created a 19-day keto intermittent fasting meal plan and guide to get you started below, so keep reading!

The Ketogenic Diet

Let's talk about a ketogenic diet, or as you may know it, "The Keto Diet."

Following a keto diet meal plan can improve many health problems while also helping you lose weight.

It's becoming increasingly popular, and I want to tell you why this is no fad diet.

The Keto Diet and intermittent fasting are the Atkins and 5/2 of our generation.

That's to say, these two diets have seen extreme popularity, and the hype around the pair of them has informed (and misinformed) the way that we diet in the 21st century.

With a huge combined reach and cult status in certain areas of the health and fitness world, they’re hard to ignore.

Studies have shown following a keto diet meal plan can improve and slow several health problems such as type 2 diabetes, dementia, heart disease problems, and even cancer growth. (1, 2, 3, 4).

However, how do they work together?

What can we expect from pairing the Keto Diet with intermittent fasting (IF)?

Today, we’ll provide all the answers you’re looking for regarding effective dieting in the 21st century and how these landmark diets play together.

Stick with us if you’re looking to make the most of your Keto Diet, incorporate intermittent fasting, improve your performance, and follow the scientific approach to dieting – with no marketing spin!

What Is The Keto Diet?

“Keep calm and eat bacon!” It’s my new favorite “Keep Calm” meme.

You’re probably wondering what bacon has to do with the equation and why it’s being mentioned in an article about diets, fasting, and weight loss.

So what’s the story?

Two words – ketogenic diet!

A ketogenic diet, AKA a Keto Diet, is a low-carb and high-fat diet in which your body produces more ketones in the liver.

It’s these ketones that are used for energy.

The chances are you’ve at least heard of the Keto Diet, or perhaps you’ve heard it mentioned under one of its other guises, for example, a low-carb diet, a low-carb high-fat diet, or simply the latter’s acronym, the LCHF diet.

Firstly, before we get into the ins and outs of the Keto Diet, it’s important to understand why most people put on weight in the first place because of carbs – carbs aren't great!

When you eat anything with a high carb content, your body immediately reacts and produces glucose and insulin.

Because glucose is essentially the easiest molecule your body can convert into energy, it’s considered the primary energy source. Still, even with its “primary” status, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best fuel source.

The insulin that’s secreted into your body is produced to help process the glucose in the bloodstream and deliver it to where it needs to go around your body.

When your body uses glucose as the number one energy source, it also means that your fats aren’t needed.

What happens to these fats?

It’d be nice to think they disappear into nothingness because they’re useless, but unfortunately, they're not.

Instead, the fat is stored around your body, and in a nutshell, this is what causes you to gain fat and weight.

The body will rely on glucose as its primary fuel on a high-carb diet, which most Americans consume.

Unfortunately, this diet accounts for a huge part of an average American’s diet, mostly made up of refined carbs.

The average American adult man consumes around 296 grams of carbs in a day, with the average American woman consuming around 224 grams, so it’s no wonder that 39.6% of adults over the age of 20 in the US are considered to be clinically obese (Wang et al., 2008).

But when you reduce your carb intake, something magical happens – your body is induced into a fat-burning state called ketosis, but what is this?

In simple terms, ketosis is a natural bodily process that your body will initiate to help you survive when your food intake is lower than normal.

Throughout this state, your body produces ketones, created when fats are broken down in your liver.

Getting your body into the metabolic state of ketosis is the end goal when following a well-maintained ketogenic diet.

Instead of achieving ketosis through starvation of calories, you’re essentially doing it through starvation of carbs.

You’ve got to give credit where credit is due – your body is awesome, as it’s incredibly adaptive to what you put inside it.

When you take away those carbs and consume more fat, it starts to burn those ketones as its main fuel source instead of burning glucose (Maalouf and Rho, 2009).

And when your body reaches its optimal ketone levels, you’ll begin to reap many health benefits, including fat loss and other physical and mental performance benefits.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Unlike traditional dieting, fasting is relatively easy and unambiguous.

People have always done this, and you’ve probably done it too, albeit unconsciously, when you skip either breakfast or dinner when you’re too busy or running late.

If we go back to our caveman ancestors, it’s clear that this way of living has been done for thousands of years, as they would often be fasting while they hunted for their next meal.

After the period of the hunter-gatherers, agriculture came, quickly followed by civilization.

But even still, there were times when food was scarce or the seasons abruptly changed, and fasting was still very much present.

During that time, everyone, from the nobles to the peasants, stored grains and cured meats to prepare for the harsh winters.

Then, because of the lack of irrigation systems, there was famine due to the lack of rain, and as a result, people were forced to fast to make their stored goods last as long as possible.

With civilization came religions, many of which included fasting to show their devotion to whichever God or Gods they believed in.

For example, Hindus refer to fasting as “Vaasa,” which they strictly observe throughout special festivals to demonstrate their penance or to honor their Gods.

Islam is very similar to the Ramadan celebrations when it’s forbidden to eat and drink during certain times of the day.

Fasting is even evident in Catholicism in the six-week lead-up to Easter during Lent.

Many people mistake intermittent fasting for a type of diet, which it isn’t.

It’s better explained as a dieting pattern or making that conscious choice to miss certain meals.

When you purposefully choose to fast and then feast with intermittent fasting, you usually consume all your calories during a set window.

There are a few different types of intermittent fasting, and sometimes you’ve got to play around with it to see what works for you because, like dieting, it’s not one size fits all!

Types of Intermittent Fasting

The 16/8 Protocol

The numbers say it all. You fast for 16 hours and then consume your daily calories within an 8-hour window.

Most people choose simple hours to eat, such as from noon to 8 PM; this way, your fasting state is through the night while you sleep and you skip breakfast, which, when you think about it, is not that hard, especially since breakfast is typically on the go for most people these days.

Other people who are slightly stricter with their fasting may choose to eat during a shorter window of time, say 6 or 4 hours.

The 5:2 Diet (The Fast Diet)

This way of fasting involves eating as normal for 5 out of 7 days of the week consecutively.

On the other two remaining days, you drastically restrict your calories to around 500 a day if you’re a woman and 600 if you’re a man.

You'll be able to enjoy more calories on the non-fasting days, which some people like.

The 24-Hour Protocol/OMAD

With the 24-hour protocol, you skip two meals a day and take a break from eating for 24 hours.

For example, if you eat on a normal schedule and finish dinner at around 7.30 PM, you wouldn’t eat again until 7.30 PM the next day.

So basically, you’d eat your regular three meals a day, and then, from time to time, choose a day that suits you to skip both breakfast and lunch the following day.

If you can’t do an entire day’s fast, that’s fine; try doing it for 18 hours and build your way up gradually until you can manage a full 24 hours.

How many times you do this in a week is entirely up to you. That’s the awesome thing about it! You pick days that fit in with your life and current situation.

Alternate Day Fasting

As the name suggests, alternate-day fasting requires you to fast every other day.

You can either fast completely on your fast days and only consume water, black tea, and coffee, or you can severely restrict your calories to around 500.

If you’re a newbie, I think doing a full fast every other day is quite extreme, so start by slashing your daily calorie intake and work towards a full-day fast every other day.

Personally, I don’t think this is a sustainable form of fasting, as it will require you to go to bed hungry several times a week; however, it is an excellent way to kick start that fat-burning process again if you hit a weight-loss plateau.

The Warrior Diet – Day Fasting

This diet involves fasting all day and feasting during the night within a 4-hour window. Popularized by celebrity fitness coach Ori Hofmekler, this diet also emphasizes eating healthier, unprocessed food choices.

Therefore, when following a ketogenic diet and doing the Warrior Diet, you’ll have to be stricter and cut out any processed food, which sadly includes bacon.

Why Intermittent Fasting? What’s The Fuss?

One of my answers to people who ask, “Why do you fast? Are you religious?” is, “Because it can work for your goals!”

It’s a no-brainer that restricting your calories plays an integral role in weight loss.

But here’s the thing – when you fast, you’re making this caloric restriction a walk in the park, especially if you use your sleeping period to fast.

When done correctly, a healthy person can experience consistent weight loss.

Here are some other reasons why intermittent fasting is the way forward!

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

We’re all crazy busy.

Is there anyone out there who has time to prepare X amount of meals to eat every 3 hours?

If you are one of these people, I take my hat off to you.

When you fast, you only need to consider the food you consume in your eating window.

Let’s face it – we’re all so busy, and life often gets in the way, so only having to think about what you’ll eat in a shorter amount of time is one less decision you’ll have to make daily.

Eating fewer meals in a window instead of those birdfeed-like ones throughout the day will also mean you can sit back and enjoy bigger portions.

You won’t have to worry about hunger because you’ll have eaten enough and feel satiated.

And guess what?

You’ll still have eaten fewer calories than normal.

At the end of the day, IF doesn’t need that much time to prepare.

It’ll also probably cost you less.

Instead of buying food and preparing six meals daily, you only need to make two.

Rather than having to stop whatever it is you’re doing six times throughout the day, you’ll only need to do it twice.

And if you’re like me, who hates any housework (I’m sure my better half would vouch for this), you’ll only need to wash the dishes twice a day… you get what I’m saying – intermittent fasting is more convenient and cheaper!

There are also the health benefits of IF that can’t be overlooked.

It promotes growth hormone secretion and insulin sensitivity, two essential things for fat loss and muscle gain.

So, imagine the results when combining IF with a ketogenic diet.

As well as weight loss, IF can help improve your brain health.

I, for sure, have become way more alert. I’m able to concentrate much better than before, which I’ve always struggled with while following different ways of eating, mostly because I spent most of my time feeling hungry and thinking about food while trying to stifle the sounds of my rumbling gut.

Better focus is one thing, but like a ketogenic diet, IF helps positively counteract serious cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s.

Intermittent Fasting and Keto

When you eat fat and protein, your body adapts to operate on fat for its fuel instead of carbs.

Restricting carbs and glucose will help your body convert fat into ketones and use them as its primary source of fuel – this process is known as ‘ketosis,’ and there are two ways in which your body can enter this state.

The first way is by eating to induce it (i.e., following a keto diet and eating foods low in carbs and high in natural healthy fats) and fasting.

Therefore, it’s safe to assume that putting the two together makes a formidable combination for easier weight loss.

When fasting, your body enters a state that is often referred to as a ‘fast period.’

During this time, it doesn’t have any source of glucose energy available. As a result, your liver starts breaking down fat into ketones; therefore, fasting alone can trigger ketosis.

Many experts in the industry recommend fasting for a short period (24-36 hours) before starting a keto diet, as it often speeds up the transition, pushing your body into the highly metabolic state of ketosis.

And, when you fast intermittently while your body is in ketosis, you can help maintain this state.

Personally, I love fasting, mostly because it’s so simple.

I wake up, skip breakfast, and then train while still in a fasted state.

If you’ve ever visited my home or shadowed me at work, you’ll soon realize that my life is hectic, even crazy, so doing this is just one less decision I have to make.

Keto and IF work well together for a few reasons; however, the primary one is that following a strict keto eating plan can be quite challenging to start with, so every time you do eat, there’s a slim chance you might get it wrong and inadvertently consume foods that aren’t deemed keto-friendly. As a result, you’re knocked out of ketosis.

Also, newbies following a keto diet are often tempted to overeat; one, because the food is so damn delicious, and two, many people that start a keto eating plan have previously struggled with issues such as portion control, which means it’s one less chance that we could screw it all up.

This way of eating isn’t one-size-fits-all.

At the end of the day, it’s you who has to decide what works and what doesn’t work.

Just skipping breakfast alone will most likely not be enough for you to become keto-adapted (when your body runs on ketones) because your body will still have enough stored glucose left from your carb-filled previous meals.

If you want to use fasting to enter the state of ketosis, you’ll need to fast for longer until all your glucose stores have been depleted.

If you want to use intermittent fasting to help kickstart ketosis, it must be combined with an extremely low-carb ketogenic diet to deplete those stored carbs.

What’s my point? Trust me; I do have one!

The moral of the story here is that you need to try different strategies to get into ketosis and figure out which one will work for you and, more importantly, fit into your lifestyle.

Keto: What Foods You Can Eat

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Seafood & Eggs

Eating unprocessed meat that is low in carbs is keto-friendly. Any organic or grass-fed meat is usually appropriate for a keto meal. Remember not to overeat on meat, as your protein intake has to be moderate. If you eat too much meat, you eat too much protein, and this gets converted to glucose for energy.

Fish and seafood are extremely low carbs. Fatty fish like salmon is a great choice. Protein also helps to prevent hunger and increase energy levels. For other protein sources, look for organic and grass-fed options. Eggs are keto-friendly and have lots of protein, but try to buy free-range eggs. Fish, red meat, poultry, and shellfish are also healthy sources of protein

Vegetables

A lot of people don’t enjoy eating vegetables, but you need to remember that they are an essential part of any diet, as they are filled with nutrients that other sources can’t always provide you.

Those that grow above ground are more keto-friendly than the vegetables that grow below ground. Leafy greens are a very good addition to your diet and actually help you feel full faster. Try to buy fresh vegetables that are organically grown and free from pesticides.

If you like gardening, you can go the extra step and grow your own vegetables. This way, you know exactly what goes in your stomach without worrying about chemicals. You can’t load up your plate with every vegetable since some are quite high in starch and sugar.

Dairy and Milk Substitutes

High-fat dairy products, like butter, hard cheese, soft cheese, heavy cream, etc, are suitable for a keto diet. The more fat, the better; however, try to avoid milk since milk sugar adds up. Drink unsweetened almond or coconut milk instead. Always eat full-fat Greek yogurt and keep away from the low-fat kinds, which are high in sugar.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts are great, but they should be eaten in moderation, as it is easy to overeat them while snacking. They are a very healthy snack as long as you can control yourself from eating too many. Be careful of higher-carb nuts like cashews.

If you buy packaged nuts, buy the unsalted variety. It is recommended not to have more than a handful of nuts every day, as just a small amount every day will give you a good source of omega-6 and protein.

Fruits

Low-sugar fruits like raspberries and blackberries are keto-friendly in moderate amounts. Berries are a good substitute for sugary dessert toppings. Add some full-fat whipping cream to a bowl of berries for your sweet fix.

Condiments

As mentioned earlier, when you are on a keto diet, most of your calories will come from fat. You can also include high-fat condiments such as:

Beverages

When following the ketogenic diet, one of the most common side effects is dehydration, as this diet has a diuretic effect. This is more prominent in the first few weeks of the diet. So, always carry a bottle of water with you during this time, as this will keep your body cool and hydrated. During the first few days, you need to remember to drink twice the amount of water that you usually drink. In the long run, dehydration can have detrimental effects on your body. Aside from water, here are some things you can drink:

Coffee is fine with a sugar-free substitute like liquid stevia. If you really need to add milk, use unsweetened almond or coconut milk. Water is the best liquid to hydrate with. You can add natural flavoring to your water, like sliced cucumber and lemon, to give it a refreshing flavor.

Tea of any kind is healthy, but don’t add sugar. On the keto diet, certain teas like green tea or oolong tea actually help people lose weight faster. 

Bone broth is highly recommended, as it contains a lot of nutrients and electrolytes and is very simple to prepare. Adding a bit of butter to it makes it taste better and helps increase your fat intake as well.

If you want alcohol for a special occasion, try a dry wine or straight liquor with a sugar-free mixer.

Chocolate

Unsweetened dark chocolate is a great treat in moderation. Buy dark chocolate with high amounts of cocoa, and you can use this to prepare keto desserts as well. Unsweetened cocoa powder is also a great addition.

Fats and Oils

Fats and oils are usually avoided or prohibited on all other diets; however, they're one of the main foods on a keto diet. Fats can be very helpful in losing weight as long as they are the right kind of fats.

Sweeteners

Because we're completely removing sugar from our diet, we need to use sugar-free sweeteners that contain few or no carbohydrates at all! You will need different types of sweeteners, including granulated, powdered, crystalized, and liquid.

Always Check Ingredients

When shopping for ketogenic foods, beware of foods that are labeled low-carb or keto-friendly. Don’t trust commercial products at face value, and read the list of ingredients provided on the label. There are always hidden ingredients that you really need to avoid. Packaged foods are usually unhealthy and don’t help to lose weight no matter what the label says.

These days, there are many products on the shelves labeled low fat, low carb, diet, ketogenic, etc; however, most of these have hidden ingredients that will harm you in the long run. Any food with artificial sweeteners, additives, alcohol, etc., should be avoided. Remember, you cannot replace real sugar with marketed fake sugar. Also, beware of labels since companies often lie to sell their products. 

A Note on Food

During any diet, your best bet is to eat real, wholesome food and home-cooked meals. The more minimally processed your ingredients are, the better it is for you. Ideally, buy raw, fresh ingredients and nothing canned or labeled. Also, remember that it is a low-carb diet and not a no-carb diet, so you just need to keep the carbs to a minimum every day.

The diet does not have to be stressful for you. While following the keto diet, you can eat without staying hungry and still lose weight. If you follow the diet properly, it will have a very beneficial effect on your health and a positive impact on your life, as eating right is extremely important. 

Remember, your goal is to consume high fat, moderate amounts of protein, and minimal carbs. This will help your body enter into a state of ketosis, thereby resulting in the production of ketone bodies. Your body will soon turn into a fat-burning machine, helping you achieve your goals.

Remember, fat is an essential macronutrient that plays a major role in the ketogenic diet, and it is not the fat that actually makes you fat! Here is an easy shopping list to help keep things simple when you go grocery shopping:

Keto: What Foods You Can't Eat

By now, you should have a general idea of how the diet works. You probably want to get started and begin immediately, but first, you should clear out all non-ketogenic foods from your pantry or kitchen.

Get rid of any unhealthy processed and ready-to-eat foods. Before you go shopping, you can make a list of the foods that are ketogenic and non-ketogenic. It can actually be quite frustrating trying to figure out what to get rid of, so here is a quick guide:

Grains

Avoid all grains in the form of wheat, barley, rye, sorghum, corn, bulgur, oats, quinoa, amaranth, rice, millet, buckwheat, etc. Avoid any bread, pasta, cookies, or even pizza crusts made from these grains. All grains should be avoided on a low-carb diet since they will slow down the weight loss process.

Beans and Legumes

Beans or legumes in the form of kidney beans, pinto beans, lima beans, fava beans, black beans, chickpeas, lentils, white beans, cannellini beans, etc. The high starch content in beans makes them unsuitable for a keto diet.

High Sugar Fruits

Fruits like bananas, oranges, pineapples, papaya, grapes, mangoes, apples, and tangerines. Avoid any fruit syrups, packaged fruit juices, fruit concentrates, or even dried fruits.

Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, yams, corn, yucca, cherry tomatoes, carrots or parsnips.

Sugars

Sugar in the form of honey, agave nectar, cane sugar, turbinado sugar, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc, should be avoided in any form. Instead, you'll be using sugar-free sweeteners like Erythritol, monk fruit, allulose, etc. You can even make your own keto maple syrup here.

Dairy Products

Milk and low-fat dairy products like processed cheese, fat-free butter, low-fat cream cheese, skimmed milk, low-fat whipped cream, low-fat yogurt, etc. Low fat usually means high sugar!

Factory-Farmed Products

Factory-farmed animal products like grain-fed meats, canned meat, beef jerky, packaged sausages, bacon, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, corned beef, salami, hot dogs, or factory-farmed fish. Grass-fed is much better for you.

Unhealthy Fats

Unhealthy fats in the form of canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, corn oil, or soybean oil.

Alcohol

Most alcohol is high in sugar and should be avoided. Avoid cocktails, wines, beer, and mixers that are high in sugar. Check out our guide on keto-friendly alcohol for a list of low-carb wines, beers, cocktails, and liquors.

Sweetened Drinks

Sweetened beverages like sodas, diet sodas, juices, tea or coffee with sweeteners, milk products with sweeteners, etc. If you're a Starbucks addict, don't worry! Check out our huge collection of keto Starbucks Copycat drinks.

Condiments

Avoid condiments with any unhealthy oils, added sugars, or low-fat labels.

Diet and Meal Plan Breakdown

Stage 1 of our keto diet is where we start severely restricting our carbohydrate intake. This stage takes place over the first 5 days and is where we will force our bodies into ketosis. Strictly follow the recipes, and make sure you don't consume any extra carbs.

Stage 2 of our keto diet starts after our bodies are in ketosis. We can lighten up on the restrictions but still keep carb intake low. This stage takes place over the next 2 weeks of the diet and is when you will start to experience the incredible benefits, including weight loss!

Starting Keto: The First 5 Days

You will likely experience a few side effects when starting the keto diet, especially in the first 5 days. Your body has to adapt to the new fat-burning state of ketosis, so these side effects are normal and should pass after a few days.

Knowledge is power, and understanding why these side effects happen and how to manage them is crucial to your success. You'll be able to minimize the effects and are far less likely to give up on a diet.

The good news is your body enters the state of ketosis quite quickly. Once in ketosis, most side effects will disappear once your body adapts to burning fat for energy.

Please remember to ALWAYS seek medical advice before starting a new diet.

Hypoglycemia/Low Blood Sugar

Because your body uses glucose (carbs) for energy, it makes insulin to help blood sugar to be used for energy. Because you're severely restricting carb intake on the keto diet, you may experience side effects from low blood sugar.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia include confusion, dizziness, hunger, headaches, irritability, higher heart rate, pale skin, sweating, weakness, and anxiety.

These can all be very scary if you don't know why they're happening. The best way to manage these side effects is with glucose tablets. When you notice any of the symptoms above, take one or two tablets, which should completely counteract the effects.

Keto Flu/Keto Headaches

One of the most common side effects when starting a keto diet is the keto 'flu' or keto headaches. It's why so many people give up on the diet before it can work.

You may develop flu-like symptoms that worsen over several days. This happens primarily because of mineral deficiencies from changing your diet.

Luckily, it's very easy to resolve! Add one-quarter teaspoon salt to a glass of water, mix, and drink. It will take up to 20 minutes until it starts to work.

Make sure you drink lots of water and consume more salt than usual over the first 5 days of your keto diet. This should reduce the chance of getting headaches and flu-like symptoms.

Fatigue and Exhaustion

As mentioned above, your body will lose a lot of minerals during the first 5 days of your diet. This is because of the amount of water weight you are losing, which is why you need to consume a lot more water than usual when starting.

Symptoms of mineral deficiencies include feeling lightheaded, dizzy, fatigued, and having muscle cramps.

The best way to manage these effects is to drink more water, consume more green leafy vegetables, and optionally add a multivitamin to cover any deficiencies.

Constipation

Another common side effect is feeling constipated, which is also caused by water loss and magnesium deficiency. For some people, it can also be from the higher consumption of dairy and nuts.

Again, drinking more water and adding a multivitamin to your diet is the best way to manage constipation. You may have to reduce your dairy intake as well.

Diarrhea

Conversely, some people experience diarrhea when starting a keto diet. This should only last for a few days, and it happens because of increased fat consumption.

Thankfully, your body should adapt quickly to these changes. Drink more water if you experience diarrhea to avoid dehydration.

Insomnia

Trouble sleeping is something some people experience when starting keto. Often, this is caused because of low insulin levels.

If you're having issues sleeping, have a small snack containing protein and carbs before bed to balance your insulin levels. This is just for the short term while your body adapts to keto.

Heart Palpitations

You may feel like you've had a very strong cup of coffee and feel your heart beating. This can be a sign of low blood pressure, and it should pass. If this doesn't pass or you are unsure, always seek medical advice.

Carb/Sugar Cravings

And finally, we reach cravings! This is going to be the hardest side effect to deal with. Remember to stay strong and give your body time to adapt. The cravings will subside over time.

Keep busy! When craving carbs, do light exercises or find something to keep you occupied. Cravings subside over an hour, so they will disappear if you can find something to do.

You can also eat a snack with protein, like a salad or keto smoothie with protein powder.

Stage 1: Week 1 (Days 1-5)

Now you're ready to start the keto diet, you'll be glad to know that our meal plan is very simple. Make the recipes listed for each day, but feel free to substitute meals for ones you like more than others.

The snacks are optional, depending on your hunger and calorie intake. For more information about calories, read our keto calories guide. It has a macro and calorie calculator which will tell you how many calories to consume based on your goals for weight loss.

Each recipe tells you how many servings you should consume, and each day lists the total calories and net carbs for that day. Customize for your own goals.

Pick your preferred style of fasting and allocate the meals to it so that it works for you. For example, if you were using a 16/8 fasting protocol with 8 pm to 12 pm fasting, your schedule may look like this:

16/8 Intermittent Fasting Keto Schedule

• 7:00 AM - Wake up, coffee/tea with no sugar or milk.
• 11:00 AM - Breakfast
• 1:00 PM - Snack
• 3:00 PM - Lunch
• 5:00 PM - Snack
• 7:00 PM - Dinner
• 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM - 16 hours fasting

Day 1

• Meal 1 - Egg Muffins (2 servings)
• Snack - Zucchini Chips (1 serving)
• Meal 2 - B.L.T Salad (1 serving)
• Snack - Peanut Butter Cookies (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Meatloaf (2 servings) and Cauliflower Mash (1 serving)
• Summary - 1670 calories and 19 grams of net carbs

Day 2

• Meal 1 - Cranberry Pancakes (1 serving)
• Snack - Crispy Crackers (6 servings)
• Meal 2 - Deviled Egg Salad (1 serving)
• Snack - Raspberry Cheesecake Bites (4 servings)
• Meal 3 - Chicken Pad Thai (1 serving)
• Summary - 1628 calories and 19.5 grams of net carbs

Day 3

• Meal 1 - Pumpkin Pancakes (2 servings)
• Snack - Peanut Butter Mousse (1 serving)
• Meal 2 - BLT Salad with Avocado & Cheese (1 serving)
• Snack - Tortilla Chips (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - Shepherd's Pie (1 serving)
• Summary - 1554 calories and 27.9 grams of net carbs

Day 4

• Meal 1 - Keto Chaffles (2 servings) + Crispy Bacon (2 servings)
• Snack - Cheesecake Fat Bombs (3 servings)
• Meal 2 - Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza) (2 servings)
• Snack - Tortilla Chips (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - Chicken Meatballs with Zoodles (1 serving)
• Summary - 1760 calories and 27 grams of net carbs

Day 5

• Meal 1 - Fathead Bagels (2 servings)
• Snack - Crispy Parmesan Crackers (2 servings)
• Meal 2 - Easy Salad with Italian Dressing (1 serving)
• Snack - Cheesecake Fat Bombs (3 servings)
• Meal 3 - Easy Zucchini Alfredo (1 serving)
• Summary - 1819 calories and 21.8 grams of net carbs

Stage 2: Week 2 (Days 6-12)

Congratulations! You’ve made it through Stage 1’s first 5 days.

You’ll find that the recipes for the next 2 weeks are perhaps a little more balanced in the macros.

Have fun with it.

Follow the recipes as is, or mix and match if you like.

Make the ones you like again and skip the ones you don’t.

Day 6

• Meal 1 - Cranberry Pancakes (1 serving)
• Snack - Chocolate Mousse (1 serving)
• Meal 2 - Iceberg Wedge Salad (1 serving)
• Snack- Crispy Parmesan Crackers (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - One-Pan Garlic Butter Chicken (1 serving)
• Summary - 1729 calories and 22.5 grams of net carbs

Day 7

• Meal 1 - Keto Egg Muffins (2 servings)
• Snack - Coconut Cookies (2 servings)
• Meal 2 - Cauliflower Pizza (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - Keto Meatloaf (3 servings) + Homemade Keto Ice Cream (1 serving)
• Summary - 1772 calories and 31.8 grams of net carbs

Day 8

• Meal 1 - Almond Flour Banana Bread (2 servings)
• Snack - Cream Cheese Lemon Fat Bombs (3 servings)
• Meal 2 - Fish Cakes with Garlic Aioli (2 servings)
• Snack - Keto Avocado Smoothie (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Almond Flour Pizza with Feta and Bacon (2 servings)
• Summary - 1812 calories and 21.2 grams of net carbs

Day 9

• Meal 1 - Keto Chia Seed Pudding (1 serving)
• Snack - No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls (2 servings)
• Meal 2 - Keto Lettuce Wraps (2 servings)
• Snack - Almond Flour Banana Bread (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - Roast Chicken with Broccoli & Garlic Cheese (1 serving)
• Summary - 1697 calories and 25.21 grams of net carbs

Day 10

• Meal 1 - Easy Zucchini Bread (2 servings)
• Meal 2 - Tuna Cucumber Cups (2 servings)
• Snack - No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - Beef Stroganoff (1 serving) + Keto Gelato Bars (2 servings)
• Summary - 1573 calories and 30 grams of net carbs

Day 11

• Meal 1 - Baked Avocado Egg Boats (2 servings)
• Snack - Keto Donut Holes (4 servings)
• Meal 2 - Creamy Pumpkin Soup (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Easy Balsamic Chicken (1 serving) + Baked Zucchini Fries (1 serving)
• Summary - 1738 calories and 2.9 grams of net carbs

Day 12

• Meal 1 - Healthy Pumpkin Bars (2 servings)
• Snack - Keto Donut Holes (4 servings)
• Meal 2 - Raspberry Cheesecake Smoothie (1 serving)
• Snack - Peanut Butter Cookies (3 servings)
• Meal 3 - Caprese Chicken (1 serving) + Baked Zucchini Fries (1 serving)
• Summary - 1830 calories and 30 grams of net carbs

Stage 2: Week 3 (Days 13-19)

OK, so now you should be getting a good hang of it, and I am sure, if you followed the diet to a ’T,’ you would have seen results by now.

So, let’s hope this keeps you motivated to try the recipes we have for you in week 3.

Day 13

• Meal 1 - Keto Crepes (1 serving)
• Snack - Peanut Butter Cookies (2 servings)
• Meal 2 - Vegetarian Cauliflower Sushi (2 servings)
• Snack - No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - Chinese Orange Beef (2 servings)
• Summary - 1803 calories and 25.8 grams of net carbs

Day 14

• Meal 1 - Keto Egg Loaf (2 servings)
• Snack - Baked Zucchini Balls (4 servings)
• Meal 2 - Keto Peanut Butter Smoothie (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Lemon Garlic Salmon (1 serving) + Pumpkin Mousse (1 serving)
• Summary - 1649 calories and 22 grams of net carbs

Day 15

• Meal 1 - Keto Egg Muffins (2 servings)
• Snack - Avocado Brownies (2 servings)
• Meal 2 - Deviled Egg Salad (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Eggplant Casserole (2 servings) + No-Bake Cheesecake (1 serving)
• Summary - 1596 calories and 25.9 grams of net carbs

Day 16

• Meal 1 - Fathead Bagels (2 servings)
• Snack - Parmesan Croutons (1 serving)
• Meal 2 - Halloumi Salad (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Pan-Seared Salmon with Goat Cheese (1 serving) + No-Bake Cheesecake (1 serving)
• Summary - 1845 calories and 20.5 grams of net carbs

Day 17

• Meal 1 - Leek and Bacon Omelette (1 serving)
• Meal 2 - BLT Salad with Avocado & Cheese (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Baked Chicken with Yogurt & Lime (1 serving) + Loaded Cauliflower Mash (1 serving)
• Summary - 1828 calories and 21.5 grams of net carbs

Day 18

• Meal 1 - Keto Crepes (1 serving)
• Snack - Cream Cheese Lemon Fat Bombs (3 servings)
• Meal 2 - Bacon Egg & Cheese Sliders (2 servings)
• Meal 3 - Baked Salmon and Green Beans (1 serving) + Keto Chocolate Cake (2 servings)
• Summary - 1673 calories and 25.8 grams of net carbs

Day 19

• Meal 1 - Keto Chaffles (2 servings) + Crispy Bacon (2 servings)
• Snack - Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies (3 servings)
• Meal 2 - Cauliflower Salad (1 serving)
• Snack - Fathead Cinnamon Rolls (1 serving)
• Meal 3 - Ground Beef Cauliflower Curry (1 serving)
• Summary - 1594 calories and 30 grams of net carbs

Full Snack List

• Snowball Cookies
• Vanilla Custard
• Roasted Cabbage Steaks
• Maple Wrapped Bacon Carrots
• Coconut Cookies
• Chocolate Ganache
• Goat Cheese Croquettes
• Feta Stuffed Mushrooms
• Almond Flour Orange Cake
• Carrot Cake Bars
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Halloumi Fries
• Foudjou Cheese Pots

Final Thoughts

Here’s the thing... a keto diet combined with IF can help you kick your ass into gear.

It’s not a diet (I hate this word, but for argument's sake, I’ll stick to what it’s referred to out there in the big bad world); instead, it’s more of a lifestyle, a sustainable one that’s easy to stick to.

If followed correctly, adhering to an intermittent fasting ketogenic diet can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Moreover, it also comes with extra-added health benefits, such as regulating blood sugar levels and helping to prevent some serious diseases, such as certain types of cancers and Alzheimer’s.

It’s certainly not as restrictive as many other diets out there.

And if you do your research, you’ll soon discover that it’s been around for years, unlike many of these other passing diet trends.

What’s more, and luckily for us, it can also include an impressive variety of delicious and nutritious foods that will allow you to remain below your net carb limits.

You may or may not be surprised to learn that since I’ve incorporated intermittent fasting into my daily eating habits, I’ve managed to drop weight and increase my muscle mass.

I’ve also managed to increase my explosiveness when it comes to training. A few months back, I even set a personal best for running, which given my age and my previous sporting achievements when I was younger, is pretty damn amazing if I say so myself!

I still work out regularly, mainly because I love it, but I’ve also been able to cut down on my training time and maintain my results.

In other words, I’m a hell of a lot stronger than I once was, I’m also leaner, and I’m much more explosive despite going to the gym as much and eating less.

More importantly, I’ve also been able to rid myself of that pre-diabetic label looming over me.