Most people automatically assume that more fat, especially more saturated fat like butter and coconut oil, would mean a greater risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. But that’s wrong. In reality, higher levels of insulin (more carbs) are associated with the very diseases we’ve attributed to fat and cholesterol.

That said, there are low-level risks associated with ketogenic fasting:

• dehydration – much of the weight loss in the first two weeks is water loss
• nausea
• headache
• diarrhea – high-fat diets can cause GI symptoms until adaptation occurs
• exacerbated liver and gallbladder issues
• fatigue
• electrolyte imbalance

It’s important to consult your doctor before making any significant dietary changes or before starting a ketogenic fasting protocol.

In order to start your own ketogenic fasting regimen, you’ll need to begin a ketogenic diet, then start an intermittent fasting schedule. Fat fasts are optional.

To start a keto diet, you’ll need to do a lot of self-education to understand the types of foods you can eat, the foods you can’t eat, and what to expect in your first days and weeks of eating a high-fat, low-carb diet. You’ll also need to calculate the macronutrient levels (fat/protein/carbs)  that will help you reach and sustain ketosis. This will vary from 10 grams of carbs per day for obese and sedentary people to 100 + grams of carbs for highly fit and active people.

(Getting keto shopping lists and meal plans is essential, too.)

Once you’ve gotten through the first week or so on a ketogenic diet, you’ll need to start an intermittent fasting practice. (You can choose to do prolonged fasts later on, but first things first, right?)

You can select from the following fasts:

• Time-restricted eating – eating all your meals within a 12-4 hour window, and fasting for the rest of the day
• 16/8 – fasting 16 hours per day, and eating all your meals in an eight-hour window
• OMAD (one meal a day) – eating dinner and fasting all the way to dinner the next day
• Alternate-day fasting – fasting every other day, and eating whatever you like in a 12-hour window on eating days. (Up to 500 calories can be consumed on fasting days)
• 5:2 – fasting on any two non-consecutive days out of the week, then eating whatever you want on the remaining five days
• 24-hour fasts – fast for 24 consecutive hours once or twice per week (lunch to lunch, dinner to dinner, etc.)

Doctors recommend starting with smaller fasts, like 12-hour daily fasts, and working your way up from there. And with ketogenic fasting, it’s perfectly acceptable to drink fat-containing beverages in the morning to help you achieve your fasting window. (Once you become fat-adapted, this usually isn’t necessary.)

Simply limit your calorie intake to about 1,200 per day, and stick to around 80-90% fat. This can involve a few Bulletproof coffees, a couple fat bombs, and some fatty meat.