What is Lazy Keto? Is Lazy Keto Right For You?

What is lazy keto? And is lazy keto right for you?

Some people hate to track their macros and others love to track them. Those of you (you know who you are!) who love to track your macros are most likely follow a strict keto diet. Others don’t like being weighed down, and instead opt not to track macros and simply eat intuitively low carb.

Should You Count Your Macros? Should You Follow a Lazy Keto Diet?

Well, that depends.

When first starting a keto diet, I normally have my clients just reduce their total carbohydrate intake. First I’ll instruct them to take out chips and soda from their diet. Then the potatoes and other starchy vegetables and grains.

After a few weeks you’ll have effortlessly reduced your carbohydrate intake, and you may or may not already be in ketosis.

A good majority of my clients follow a strict keto diet. This is because they need elevated ketone levels and lower Glucose Ketone Index (GKI) to manage some sort of disease or aliment.

The blood glucose and blood ketone meter I use is Keto Mojo. It’s easy to use and the strips are the cheapest on the market!

One of the most surprising benefits my clients have, is the reduction of (or the elimination of!) hot flashes and night sweats. All by following a strict keto diet and tracking their Glucose Ketone Index.

Some who follow a strict keto diet track their macros because they have tracked for years, and it’s just a part of them that they don’t want to give up. Others track because we are trying to reverse diet them.

Some of my clients who are interested in weight loss initially start on a strict keto diet. And then they transition to a lazy keto diet once they hit their goal weight, or when they continue their weight loss by intuitively eating.

Two benefits to following a keto diet are that you have more even glucose levels throughout the day and that you are more easily satiated. Both of these factors allow you to follow a lazy keto diet and stay in ketosis without tracking.

How Can I Track My Keto Macros?

If you want to track your keto macros, I recommend using the Cronometer app! It’s super easy to use. Additionally, I like it much better than other apps because it uses the USDA database for nutrition, and it doesn’t allow just anyone to add a food that the whole world can see (you can still add foods and recipes just visible to yourself though!).

What is Reverse Dieting?

Reverse dieting means that a client came to me eating a severely low caloric intake or was eating at a caloric deficit, and we will be slowly increasing their macros to minimize any fat gain while increasing their basal metabolic rate.

What is Lazy Keto?

The definition of lazy keto is open to interpretation. I feel that the term lazy keto refers to intuitively eating a low carb, moderate protein, and high fat diet without tracking macros.

To follow a lazy keto diet and see results, you must first know what foods include carbohydrates. And specifically, which foods contain a lot of carbohydrates.

High Carb Foods Include

• Chips
• Cookies
• Bread
• Starchy vegetables (potatoes, peas, corn, lima beans, some squashes)
• Some fruits
• Candy

Or reversely, if you know what foods are low in carbohydrates, you can just stick to eating those. To help you follow a lazy keto or strict keto diet, we created this keto diet grocery list.

Low Carb Food Guides (Foods You Can Eat on a Lazy Keto or Strict Keto Diet)

• Keto Fats
• Keto Sweeteners
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Dairy
• Snacks
• Nuts
• Flours

What is Dirty Keto?

Some people call a lazy keto diet a “dirty keto diet” when the majority of the food eaten is highly processed or in the form of fast food.

This may be grabbing a burger or two from a fast food joint, adding cheese and bacon, and omitting the bun and ketchup. This meal is low in carbs, high in fat, and moderate in protein. However, depending on the quality of the restaurant, the micronutrient profile might not be the best.

We created a keto fast food guide to help you navigate different fast food restaurants and still eat low carb.

What Do Some Lazy Keto Meals Look Like?

Lazy keto breakfast may look like 2 slices of bacon and 2 eggs cooked in bacon fat, with half an avocado.

A lazy keto lunch might look like 1 chicken thigh, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 cup steamed broccoli and cauliflower, with 1 ounce of melted cheese.

And a lazy keto dinner could look like an 8-ounce ribeye steak seared in a cast iron skillet with 1 tablespoon butter, a few Brussel sprouts, and the other half of of the avocado from breakfast.

You don’t have to eat extravagant or difficult meals on a keto diet to get awesome results!

Lazy Keto Recipes We Love

• 3 Ingredient Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bites
• Easy Sea Salt Caramel Low Carb Mousse
• Instant Pot Crack Chicken
• Sesame Vegetable Beef Stir Fry

Tips for Keto Success

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Keto Recipe Inspiration

Or if you’ve been doing keto for a while and just need a little help with inspiration, we’ve got you covered! Check out our low carb and keto recipe collection.