I’m sorry – I couldn’t help myself with that ‘one weird trick’ phrase that’s used as clickbait all over the Internet – but it really *was* one little thing that helped me get into ketosis.
I’ve been doing low carb to varying degrees for a dozen years now and the one thing I noticed in myself is eating enormous amounts of butter always got me into ketosis in record time. Once I’m in ketosis I can throttle back the butter – and the ketosis itself helps with carb cravings.
It’s also motivating to see the keto sticks turn a dark red. Doing this when I come home in the evening is a great motivator to keep me away from the carb-laden ‘kid chow’ that my daughters like.
The problem is *eating* enormous amounts of butter. Don’t get me wrong – I love butter, but the amounts needed to make this trick work was kinda ‘yuck’.
I used to wrap it in roast beef but I’ve grown sick of this trick.
This past week I stumbled across a way to get the amount of butter I need to do the trick – one stick per day – that I actually look forward to having. It’s also simple and takes 5 minutes.
Here’s the trick:
Ingredients:
- The best butter I can afford. Kerry Gold Irish butter is great, but any ‘pastured’ butter will do. If you were stupid enough to try this you could probably do this with the cheapest stuff that you can find but there’s beneficial substances in the pastured butter – and since you’re going to be getting a massive blast of calories from this, shouldn’t you go upmarket if you can?
- Chicken broth or chicken stock with sodium. Unless you are salt-sensitive (and I question if such people should go on a ketogenic diet), a ketogenic diet will deplete you of salt. I personally see nothing wrong with salt, but I’m a little nuts and you probably shouldn’t be taking my advice anyway
- Tamari Soy Sauce. More salt. Tamari soy sauce is gluten-free and I’m experimenting with minimizing my gluten intake just for fun.
So what I do is get a large coffee mug – 16 oz. – and put a half stick of butter in it, then cover with the chicken broth and place in the microwave on high for about 3 minutes. The stick of butter won’t be completely melted, but with a bit of stirring and a minute or two and it will.
I then add the Tamari soy sauce to taste. I like salt so for me that’s at least a teaspoon if not more.
This – to me – tastes pretty darn good. It tastes like a creamy, buttery, chicken soup where the butter does not overpower the chicken and soy sauce flavor.
On day one of my upteenth time tried to restart my low carb diet I had this twice daily. I typically skip breakfast and just have coffee and cream, then have this at lunch time and right before leaving work to help me get past the dozen or so fast food places I pass on my way home that have been my downfall as of late.
To say this is ‘filling’ is an understatement.
By the evening of the second day the keto strips showed I was in full-blown ketosis – and there’s certainly a number of other physical symptoms of starting ketosis that I was feeling that backed up the strips.
My plan at the moment is to stay on a ketogenic diet for as long as I can. I’d like to do 3 months and go back to my doctor and get my bloodwork done. I might mix in intermittent fasting as well. Once your body is used to burning ketones for fuel – and this ‘keto-adaptation’ can take weeks if not months to fully adapt, fasting is way easier because you are not going to be dealing with hypoglycemia like you might coming off a high-carb diet. Your body knows how to mobilize fat as fuel and it just won’t be as much of a struggle.
I *do* feel compelled to state that this is awfully extreme and I don’t recommend ANYONE be as daredevil as I am. I think I’ve become quite the kook and super-duper low carb, high fat diets are not for everyone and have their hazards. Perhaps each post from now on should have a variation of the disclaimer you see on car commercials when you see them do high-speed maneuvers to convince guys in mid-life crisis to buy overpriced sports cars:
Professional stunt dieter – do not attempt this at home.
Low Carb Confidential 
I don’t like soy sauce, but I can see the appeal. I agree that butter is a good keto-inducer, and KG is my absolute favorite!
Stunt Dieter. That’s a hoot. Would love to hear how it goes and any progress you make. I could be a stunt dieter too. You only live once eh? LOL
Jimmy Moore used to eat 5 eggs OE and an entire stick of butter daily back in his Warrior Diet days. So no, you aren’t gross.
Hi!
Thanks for all of the things you have written on your blog! I think you totally ‘underestimate’ your experience…because it ‘seems’ to be the ‘experience of many of us’…the ‘fringe’ eating disordered “heretic” ‘your term’ totally ‘eccentric and obsessive’ *my term* haha. WE NEED YOU to write a book! ASAP… Really I had a bad ‘keto flu’ once upon a time trying this thing out and..and it became a huge imbalance in electrolytes, hormones, sugars, etc. So, I keep floundering! I am a total depressive in the summer and ‘alcohol’ helps ‘medicate’ shit momentarily…in all of your experiences…do you think REAL LIVE keto ‘by the book’ the weightloss version not the epi one help me feel less depressive and more motivated?! Yes or No?! I would really value your response….keep on keeping on…I am thinking miso soup might be useful after reading this post about butter/bouillon…can’t wait for your next entry! Speed it up, please! 🙂 Ha! I would like to think a lot of peoples might like a *reflection* on your behalf regarding all of the attention Kelly Hogan has received recently on her ‘Zero Carb Lifestyle’ hence ‘www.myzerocarblife.com’ Did you hear all the hoopla?! Check out her site! Good reading and insights…have a good one! It is ‘officially’ summer…ahahahahahaaaaaah! P.S. McD’s isn’t all bad: working a labor job+ strength training: everyday I ate a mcdouble and a carmel frappe and lost weight and built quite a bit of muscle!! Even drinking whiskey, vodka, and beer almost nightly! boo.
Take care and smile! YOU are AWESOME!!!
You slay me. I just hope you don’t kill me.
As I’ve fallen off the wagon yet again, I’ve gotten back on the horse (to mix metaphors) and am doing the butter trick again – with the roast beef this time.
I was in ketosis in 36 hours.
You might well drop dead at the first sip of my butter broth – how the hell would *I* know? I *do* know that given the rise in popularity of keto diets, there’s some pretty stupid advice out there – why do you bother to stop in to this creaky old blog and bother to read what *I* have to say?
I’ve been faking Keto for almost two years now, mostly concentrating on my handle (Mos’ Keto) although I went legit, name-wise, with you. It’s almost impossible to convey my level of lazy, so suffice it to say I’ve read very, very little of what I’m sure is a fascinating and hilarious blog. As with raw purple kale, I really mean to get around to it. Really.
Your comment raises many questions, Paul. You claim impossible levels of lazy, yet leave comments on a blog. Did something I wrote wake you from your ennui? Or are you busy leaving comments on other blogs telling them how lazy you are? It’s a riddle wrapped in an enigma.
As to kale, I *do* have a recipe where I’ve managed to make it taste good, rather than an exercise in virtue-signaling. I even get requests from the family to make it. Here you go: The World’s Simplest Low Carb Kale Soup Recipe That’s Actually Tasty.