What's quietly breaking your keto.
Hidden carbs, label tricks and the mistakes that stall ketosis — with the numbers and the sources.
"Keto-friendly" labels: 9 marketing tricks on packaged food
"Keto-friendly" and "net carbs" are not FDA-defined. Here are 9 packaged-food label tricks, from maltitol math to tiny servings, and how to read past them.
- 'Keto-friendly' and 'net carbs' are not defined by the FDA. The brand decides what they mean.
- The most common trick is subtracting all sugar alcohols, including maltitol, which raises blood sugar.
- Tiny serving sizes and the 'under 0.5 g counts as zero' rule make carbs look smaller than they are.
Alcohol on keto: what's actually low-carb and what wrecks your week
Which drinks are low-carb on keto, which are carb bombs, and why even zero-carb alcohol pauses fat burning. USDA numbers for beer, wine, spirits and mixers.
Hidden carbs: the "keto" foods that quietly kick you out of ketosis
Cashews, half-and-half, deli ham, sweetener packets and sauces: the hidden carbs keto dieters miss, with USDA numbers per serving and what to swap.
Hidden sugar in sauces and condiments: the keto saboteurs
Which sauces and condiments are keto and which hide sugar: USDA net carbs for ketchup, BBQ, teriyaki, dressings and more, plus the label tricks to watch.
How to know you're in ketosis (and why urine strips stop working)
How to know if you're in ketosis: which signs mean something, why urine strips go negative after a few weeks, and what blood and breath tests actually show.
Is it keto? The blunt yes / no / careful food list
A blunt keto food list with USDA net carbs per real serving: what is keto, what needs portion control, and what to skip. Meat, veg, fruit, dairy, nuts.
Keto flu: why it happens and the electrolyte fix
Keto flu is mostly fluid and electrolyte loss as insulin drops. Here's why it happens, how long it lasts, the sodium, potassium and magnesium fix, and red flags.
Keto macros: how to calculate yours, and the protein mistake most people make
Calculate your keto macros step by step: BMR, activity, a protein target in grams per kg, a net-carb cap and fat as the remainder, with a worked example.
Not losing weight on keto? 11 hidden reasons
Stalled on keto? The 11 most common hidden reasons, from calorie creep and fat bombs to water weight, sleep and medications, and what to fix first.
Sugar alcohols on keto: why maltitol is a trap (and which sweeteners are fine)
Sugar alcohols on keto are not all equal. Maltitol raises blood sugar, erythritol barely does. How to count them, plus the gut and safety caveats.