Easing Into Keto: The Tapering Method
Tapering means cutting carbs in steps over a few weeks instead of all at once: starchy sides first, then sugary drinks and sauces, then keto-level carbs.
On this page
- Why taper
- The food-order method
- The number method: 150, 100, 50, 20
- Tapering or jumping in: how to choose
- What the research says
- Tapering with a partner or family
- If you take diabetes or blood pressure medicine
Why taper
Your body needs time to switch from burning carbs to burning fat. If you cut carbs to near zero on day one, your stored carbs run out before that switch is complete. That gap is when many people feel tired and foggy.
Tapering spreads the change out. Each step is small, so each step is easier to keep.
KetoDick on this: he says going strict from the first minute means you are "basically guaranteed to crash," from the video, because glucose is gone before the liver and mitochondria have adapted (video qfy0IBkPF4A). He recommends tapering as the easy way in, while saying plainly that he did not taper himself (video qfy0IBkPF4A; video cTGYIFOTPl8).
The food-order method
This method cuts foods in a set order. You do not need to count anything for the first step.
- Drop the starchy side. Most plates are meat, starch and vegetable. Remove the starch: bread, rolls, rice, noodles, potatoes and corn. He also lists carrots here. He estimates this step alone removes a third to two-thirds of your carbs (video qfy0IBkPF4A).
- Stay there a week or two. He says this step may be enough for weeks one and two (video qfy0IBkPF4A).
- Check your drinks. Look at the sugar in coffee creamers, milk and juice (video qfy0IBkPF4A).
- Check your sauces. Sweet sauces, such as teriyaki-style sauces, can carry a lot of sugar (video qfy0IBkPF4A). See hidden carbs.
- Move to keto-level carbs. Now count carbs. See tracking.
- Add extra limits only if needed. He puts cutting things like dairy last, only if progress calls for it (video qfy0IBkPF4A). See is dairy keto?.
Keep the salads the whole time. He insists on leafy greens such as spinach and arugula for fibre, vitamins and minerals. He builds salads with chicken, cheese, egg and a high-fat dressing, and leaves carrots off (video qfy0IBkPF4A). See fibre and vegetables on keto.
The number method: 150, 100, 50, 20
If you prefer numbers, step your daily carb total down in stages.
| Stage | Carbs per day | His label for the range |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | about 250 g | Typical American diet |
| Step 1 | 150 g | (no label given) |
| Step 2 | 100 g | Under 100 is "very low carb" |
| Step 3 | 50 g | Under 50 is "extremely low" |
| Step 4 | 20 g | Under 20 for ketosis |
He passes on the stepdown as something some people recommend, and gives the labels and the 250 g starting point himself (video DoSUgIr2rNo). He gives no fixed number of days per step. One option is to hold each step until it feels normal, then move down.
His own targets changed over time. In 2017 he gave under 20 g for ketosis (video DoSUgIr2rNo). In his 2018 basics video his beginner rule is under 50 g of total carbs, mostly from green vegetables (video UygKGoP_BtA). See how many carbs and why 20 grams?.
Tapering or jumping in: how to choose
| You might prefer tapering if... | You might prefer jumping in if... |
|---|---|
| You have a demanding job or young kids | You like clear, all-or-nothing rules |
| Your family will not change how they eat | You live alone or your household is on board |
| You have felt awful on past diets | You want the hard weeks over with |
| You eat a lot of bread, pasta or soda now | You already eat fairly low-carb |
Neither path is wrong. The choice is mainly about how you want the first weeks to feel.
KetoDick on this: he describes his own start as jumping "in the pool," from the video, and warns beginners that the first 14 days are hard (video cTGYIFOTPl8). He suggests allowing a month to 45 days for adaptation, and says tapering is fine if you prefer it (video cTGYIFOTPl8).
What the research says
The evidence pages behind this guide include no trial that compares tapering with an abrupt start. What they do show:
- Early symptoms are common and usually pass. An analysis of online posts found reported "keto flu" symptoms clustered in the first weeks and were mostly described as short-lived (Bostock et al. 2020).
- Lower-carb steps count on their own. The American Diabetes Association says cutting total carbohydrate has the most evidence for improving blood sugar, and lists low-carb patterns among several options (Evert et al. 2019).
- A moderate low-carb diet can work for weight. In DIETFITS, 609 adults on a healthy low-carb diet (moderate, not ketogenic) lost 6.0 kg over 12 months, against 5.3 kg on healthy low-fat, a difference that was not significant (Gardner et al. 2018).
So stopping at step 2 or 3 is not failure. He makes the same point: low-carb diets carry much of keto's benefit in the literature (video qfy0IBkPF4A). See keto vs low carb and types of keto.
Tapering with a partner or family
You do not need the whole house on keto. The first step, dropping the starchy side, works for everyone at the table.
KetoDick on this: for a partner or family who will not go fully keto, he suggests just cutting the starchy sides (video qfy0IBkPF4A).
Practical ways to share meals:
- Cook one protein and one green vegetable for everyone.
- Serve the starch on the side for those who want it.
- Keep sauces separate so each person controls the sugar.
If you take diabetes or blood pressure medicine
Tapering does not remove the need to talk to your doctor first. Even step 1 can lower blood sugar for some people.
- Insulin or other diabetes medicine: doses may need to change as carbs come down. Ask your doctor to plan the steps with you. He tells anyone on medication to review dosing with their doctor (video UygKGoP_BtA).
- Blood pressure medicine: low-carb eating changes fluid and sodium balance. See medications.
- Kidney disease: ask before adding salt substitutes, which contain potassium.
A taper can make these changes easier to manage, because each step is small enough to watch.
Related
- Chapter: Starting keto
- Guide: Your first month, week by week · Fat adaptation · Keto flu
- Blog: Your first week on keto · Keto vs low carb
- Videos: Starting keto the easy way by tapering · Simple keto and setting up MyFitnessPal
Last verified: 2026-10-31