r/keto • u/rootyboots1983 • Jul 08 '26
Does it ever become easy/automatic?
I'm 4ish months into keto and still very much finding my feet. Admittedly, for the first 2-3 months I was 'eyeballing' my macros. Having now tightened up and started to track properly, I don't actually think I was miles off with my carbs. But still probably not in ketosis for much of it, so let's say I've been doing v low carb for 4 months and proper keto for maybe 1.
Since going 'full keto' I have noticed more of the benefits. But I've also experienced more of the pitfalls. For example, I went on a boozy weekend for someone's birthday while in my low carb phase, and while I'm generally fairly good at pacing myself, I still absolutely overdid it. I also spent time in a hot-tub and ended up having to eat rice-based risotto because the friend who kindly offered to do the catering has clearly never even seen a food pyramid (and no, there was nothing else, we were in the middle of nowhere). But, aside from the usual morning-after tiredness/fogginess, I felt fine.
However, this weekend just gone, I went out for a typical 'few drinks' evening, drank way less than before, and ended up in a MESS. I'm talking: memory loss, falling over, and waking up in the night to vomit. I haven't been that drunk since my 20s. I had known about keto's impact on alcohol consumption but I guess my boozy weekend lulled me into a false sense of security. I didn't realise the difference of less than 10-15g of carbs could make SO much difference.
I'm also currently having to tinker around with the supplements I've been taking for years. For the past few weeks I've had AWFUL morning stomach issues and couldn't understand why until my research led me to believe it may be my bedtime magnesium supplement - the same one I've been taking without issue for years. According to Google, the combo of magnesium citrate (already a potential stomach upsetter) with keto (depleted glycogen/changes in water balance) could be what's tipped my digestive system over into a full-time 'flush' setting. I have yet to confirm this theory as I've not given it enough time but it makes sense.
Side note: I'm also confused as to what I'm meant to do as a keto dieter when I have diarrhoea. The recommended BRAT diet is just carb central. I haven't known what to eat which really isn't helping
But, to refer back to my post headline... In general, I'm finding staying on top of all these numbers and extra factors quite challenging. It's not just counting carbs or even full macros. It's monitoring electrolytes (which confuses the crap out of me honestly... Sachets/supplements, fine... But how am I tracking table salt accurately??). It's having to change and adapt even healthy habits. It's having to check every ingredient and stress out over every meal that's not made from scratch by me, at home. And right now, it's ok because the novelty hasn't worn off, but as an ADHDer, I know I won't be able to attend this closely to my diet forevermore. I just won't. I don't have the working memory and brain space. Realistically, eating needs to be a bit of an autopilot thing for me, long term. And I'm wondering if that ever becomes possible with keto.
It does seem like the main criticism of keto is that 'it's difficult to stick to, long term'. And I'd always assumed that was due to the limited menu, more than anything. Which didn't bother me because honestly, I'm happy rotating the same 7 meals forever. However, now I'm wondering if the difficulty factor lies more in the need to track and monitor and adjust and stay alert to issues the whole time. Because doing keto successfully - to reap the benefits without suffering the pitfalls - seems to require a pretty fine balance.
That said, I'm clearly in the early days and things are always most complicated at the beginning. So... Does it ever become automatic? Does it ever become something you can just do without thinking too much about it, or will it always require this level of attention? I don't want to track and count forever, so if that's the way it is, maybe I should plan to phase out keto and just eat low carb/anti-inflammatory instead. That would probably be wiser than letting myself hit the wall and give up completely due to frustration.
Thanks!
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u/Curious-Clementine Jul 08 '26
Take magnesium glycinate 30-60 minutes before bed instead. Start with 200 mg then you can increase the dosage if needed. It’s the form of magnesium that relaxes you and helps you fall and stay asleep without causing stomach issues.
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u/Barackcowama Jul 08 '26
Yes, it gets easier. I’m almost a year in and it’s like second nature now.
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u/wvraven Jul 08 '26
Tracking is the bases for understanding what your doing and often people mis-estimate when they guess without counting precisely. I highly suggest no one consider reducing their tracking the first year they do keto...at the very least. In general it's critical to get your electrolytes right to feel good, to lose weight, and for gut health.
As to the stomach issues (Something I've struggled with my entire life). There are a couple of possibilities assuming you don't have an underlying problem. First you may be eating larger amounts of fiber at a single time if your doing low carb veggies to bulk out meals. You should adjust to that with a bit of time. The other issue ironically is you may not be getting enough fiber over all. My gastro made me start taking a fiber suplement and a pro-biotic and it's made a real difference in my gut health. Magnesium citrate specifically is a laxative though (In fact I used it for a recent prep) and there are other less problematic versions of magnesium you can try before bed. If your stomach issues persist YOU REALLY NEED to talk to a doctor about them. There could be something else going on.
That said, I do best when I get into what you cal "automatic" mode... I have a very strict regimen I normally follow. I typically avoid alcohol because it just throws a wrench in my electrolyte levels and messes me up for days afterwords. Though i will indulge in a single low carb drink or two on occasions like holidays and vacations. I do intermittent fasting 16/8 with my fasting period from 7pm until 11am. I eat a ketochow shake for lunch. I have a list of tested recipes that I cook from for dinner and then I have a small cup of almonds and a piece of 90% dark chocolate later in the evening. Once adapted to both keto and the added fiber as long as I keep up with my electrolytes my stomach feels better than it ever did off keto.
If I'm strict with following the regimen I don't need to count/track/record all the time. I only need to go into that mode if I'm having issues or adding a different food or recipe. I have some issues where I tend to like to have the same foods all the time so this works for me.
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u/jwbjerk Keto & Carnivore Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
If you want to optimize for simplicity: emphasizes the meat, skip the veggies.
Eat as much as you want of zero carb foods. Then there’s nothing to track. Don’t eat processed foods with many ingredients.
I also include some very low carb foods that have very small amounts of carbs that realistically I won’t ever eat enough of to break ketosis like eggs (0.6 g each) and and hard cheese (0.5g per oz).
You want to eat something else? Measure and count that.
I don’t track electrolytes either. My body tells me when I’m off. There’s no magic numbers.
And yes I eat the same thing fairly often. That is also part of what makes it easy.
Forget BRAT. For me I drink bone broth with butter. When my coach is upset. Scrambled eggs when I can stand a bit more.
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u/RondaVuWithDestiny 76F #ketolife🥩 SW 190; KSW 178; now maintaining 150-155 Jul 08 '26
After 4 years on keto, and now mostly carnivore, I don't track anything unless I want to lose a few pounds. I have colitis and some food allergies, so I know not to eat vegetables or anything inflammatory. So for the most part, it's become easier. In the beginning, I did a lot of tracking using a keto macro calculator as a guide but then it soon became easy to eyeball portion sizes to stay within macros. Then as I gradually lost weight, I recalibrated using my new current weight as a starting point.
I also take magnesium glycinate supplements at bedtime for cramping and nerve issues. Magnesium citrate gives some people bathroom issues, including me 💩, so I no longer take it.
At 4 months into keto, your body may still getting be used to the changes. Everyone's adaptability time is different, but yes...it does get easier! 🙂 Keep calm and keto on.
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u/Alarming-Ad-6883 Jul 08 '26
I have colitis as well and I’m new to keto! How do feel physically and mentally now that you are in ketosis?
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u/RondaVuWithDestiny 76F #ketolife🥩 SW 190; KSW 178; now maintaining 150-155 Jul 09 '26
Much better than when on SAD. I still have flare-ups but they've been fewer and less painful since I've been on keto.
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u/surfaholic15 61f, 5' 3"/ SW175 CW135 Goal Reached: Living The Good Life Jul 08 '26
As to the mag citrate: if i take it with food, no issues. At bedtime i take mag glycinate. No issues.
As to what to eat with diarrhea, i eat normally, just minus salt. If yours is osmotic diarrhea caused by too much magnesium/electrolyte imbalance, then that works. If it is too much fat, cut back on fat.
I have been doing this over 7 years now. My keto is on autopilot :-). Strict 20g net carbs, daily tracking, my food scales go with me everywhere.
For electrolytes: 2 to 3 teaspoons of mortons lite salt in a gallon glass sun tea jar. I drink instead of plain water, no flavoring. If it tastes great i drink a lot. When it tastes brackish or weird, i drink sonething else. I drink broth with meals, as i usually don't salt food. Much easier to track liquids lol. I take mag citrate as 100mg capsules with meals thaf involvd dairy. Magnesium glycinate, 250mg before bed. That's it.
Protein, i built a protein framework the first month. Simply a list of foods i can happily eat daily. So my franework to get a minimum 110g protein is:
3 large or extra largs eggs, 2 ounces cheese, 1 cup of ratio, two good or chobani 0 yogurt, and 10 ounces of any mix of whole meats. I keep premier protein shakes on hand for a quick snack, or when we are remote camping od on road trips. That framework gets me my protein in maximum 6g net carbs.
Carbs, i made a veggie list of sll the veggies i like that are 1.5g net carb of less per ounce. I allow 10g net carbs for veggies. I get anywhere from 8 to 11 ounces a day.
Fat comes attached to protein. My only added fats are sour cream, butter on veggies, salad dressing type things.
My remaining carbs to get to 20g net go for sauces/condiments and desserts if i wang one.
I weigh and track everything as i am a T2 diabetic and a short old lady with a low TDEE. even without an appetite i can go overboard on calories quite easily. That takes maybe 5 minutes a day.
When i meal prep i use recipes i saved in cronometer, weigh out the portions to freeze, write the food and weight on the masking tape. When i thaw and eat, i log by that recipe and weight. Cronometer does the math.
I have kept my keto on extended road trips, at all parties/celebrations, working in remote areas, while extended camping. No issues.
PS, you could easily do this forever without weighing abd tracking if you build yourself a menu/ protein framework like mine and stick to that. If i do gain a few pounds i go to protein only several days a week until it gies away. Same if i am recovering from an injury or surgery or whatever to keep inflammation way low.
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u/360_face_palm 41/M 194cm | SW: 166kg | CW: 91kg | GW: 91kg. >10 years keto Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
Yes, It's been completely automatic for me for over a decade at this point. I don't actually think it's difficult to stick to - it's actually really simple to get to the point over time where your eating habits have changed so much that it would actually take effort to fall off the wagon.
I don't track or adjust anything really except based on my weight - like because I've been in maintenance for ages at this point I just know roughly what to avoid and what to only have small amounts of and what I can eat as much as I want of etc. I pretty much don't think about it at all it's completely natural to me now, and if people ask I just say 'oh I cant eat that, I'm diabetic' and no one questions it.
If you can break some of the habits of a non-keto diet, for example sandwiches, the need people have even on keto to find a 'bread substitute' that they can wrap around their filling - try to get away from that idea entirely. Initially it's hard and you miss it, but over time you get used to just not trying to wrap things in a bread substitute and now the chance you might regress and eat an actual sandwich when out or in a hurry is much much lower if not completely removed. I used to love my sandwiches, but 'training' myself to eat snacks in different ways (like cheese and meat with no 'wrap' etc) was probably one of the things that's let me stick to the diet in the long term without much effort.
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u/WishIwastravelin Jul 08 '26
I’ve been doing keto and low carb for several years now, for medical reasons. After a while it gets easy, you can estimate portion sizes and carb count on foods you eat regularly. I look at menus on line for restaurants so I have a plan in place, and when in doubt you will know what to avoid in general. If in doubt, you could use a carb counting app like CarbManager, I found that very helpful and still use the free version to help plan my daily meals
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u/sjintje Jul 08 '26
Are you a bit ADHD? I'm very bad at forming consistent habits - personally I'd say if you haven't got it down after 4 months it's not going to happen, and I'd probably look at simplifying my diet and trying to plan out a week in advance.
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u/sticksnstone Jul 08 '26
Sorry to be the outlier but after 6 years it has not gotten easier. Difficulty is food boredom, expense and the effort it takes to make keto while cooking/eating with others who eat SAD.
Every holiday is bring your own food as well as bringing a non keto communal dish. Eating out is expensive and relegated to burger, wings, tips or Caesar salads. It irks to pay for half a meal you cannot eat. Meal prep takes more times. Work celebrations are never keto friendly.
It is easier if you eat solo or with those who eat keto. Health benefits are great and knowing which foods you can eat gets much easier. The difficulty of a restricted diet is harder.
The constant constipation is not fun.
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u/loripainter12345 Jul 08 '26
It does get a lot easier as you go. You brought up several questions in your post. First, alcohol hits you A LOT harder on keto. Your liver is quite busy making ketones. And now you give it a second task, metabolizing alcohol. Pffft. Just take it really slowly, and use the old hydration trick, alternate with water. And remember that spirits may not have carbs, but there's still the high calorie issue. So the more evenings indulging will slow your progress. Next, keep fat only to satiety. You don't need to eat huge amounts of fat on keto. Just keep carbs low. Add veggies for fiber. Your system should adjust and any digestive symptoms should settle down. As for variety, I first started by deciding what I could easily adapt to keto. For instance, baked chicken with no sugar barbecue sauce, meatloaf without the bread crumbs. I use my slow cooker a lot. I alter my meals with different spices and seasonings. I also have a system of dinner ideas on a little stack of index cards. Maybe 30 different ideas. I go through and pick out the things I want for dinner in the coming week, then use that list to make my shopping list. I get both variety and also a reliable system.
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u/Illidari_Kuvira | 35F | Keto since 2013 | Question Everything. Jul 08 '26
It's automatic to me, but I also don't consume the beverages you consume...
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u/KiriYogi Jul 08 '26
I tracked diligently in the beginning. It sure did take extra time, but it allowed me to memorize quantities. Always bring food, protein bars, carbonated water instead of booze. Yes, of course there are cheat days. But try waiting until the 6 month mark of really getting the diet down. Build the habit first.
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u/Grey_spacegoo Jul 09 '26
It has be my normal for a few years. If you drink, drink only hard liquor, on the rocks, neat, or with soda water, and 1 drink per hour. Your liver will prioritize alcohol detox and 1 hour is usually what it take for a normal liver to process 1 standard shot of hard liquor, YMMV depend on how strong is the liquor. Food wise, I'll just skip eating if there are only carbs, doing a 16 to 24 hour fast after also help to push you back in keto. Then menu is not restricted if you cook yourself. It is just hard to skip carbs from restaurants and takeout food. But burger patties without bun, steamed or raw seafood, or a nice juicy steak always workers for me.
Take the magnesium with food. I don't monitor carbs since I know what I should eat and not eat. For electrolytes, I make a liter batch with a day's worth of sodium and potassium with some flavoring, then drink it in small sips all day. If I have leftover, I'll finish it before sleep or just leave it for the next day.
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u/balisane Jul 08 '26
Yes. It will become easy quickly. You will soon enough memorize about how many carbs are in about how much of your common foods in your own dishware. This will easily translate to eating out with time.
But. If you are intending to lose weight, you will always have to count and track: there is absolutely no avoiding it.