Apr 30, 20237 min read

Caring Advice for Virta Newbies

Shared by DeniseM

Dear Virta Newbie,

Well if you are reading this post it probably means you have made the outstanding decision to take charge of your health and make amazing changes with the power of food and the Virta treatment! So very exciting and I just want to applaud you for making this very positive choice! Bravo to you because there are so many people with health challenges that do nothing, but not you!

It takes courage, it takes commitment, and it takes A LOT of determination to change things dramatically, but I promise you, you won’t regret it if you give Virta your all because Virta will give back to you many times over what you put into it.

I won’t go into all the differences, at this moment, what Virta has done for me, but in a nutshell, it has saved my life! I know positively for sure I would not be here if wasn’t for joining Virta. I know positively for sure I would have been blind and probably lost limbs. Virta has saved me that and in the process I’ve lost over a hundred pounds. This is why I think Virta is the best thing you can do on the face of the Earth for your health! The quality of your life is in your hands now and you’re going to have so much support from your coach and all of us in the Community. You will not be alone!

I want this post to welcome you wholeheartedly to Virta and hopefully, just give you some suggestions from myself and those in the Community to help you have a very successful and happy start with Virta!

I know things can seem daunting at first. Take a deep breath! I promise everything is going to be OK. Give yourself a lot of grace and just know it’s going to be OK. Things will probably not be perfect, but as long as you keep trying that’s the most important thing. Consistency is key. You have to decide to commit completely because keeping one foot in the carby world and one foot in Virta world, just will not work. You will torture yourself if you don’t fully commit. You also won’t see the progress and that’s what Virta is all about. The amazing progress is just waiting for you if you just do what you need to do and reach out and grab it!

From the very beginning, I have thought this is my new life now and there is no turning back. Whatever you do, don’t think of Virta as a temporary solution. I promise you will lose a lot, if not all of the progress you make if you do. This is not a prison sentence either. Do I want things I shouldn’t have from time to time? Of course, I do, but I KNOW what happens when I vere off course and it isn’t pretty, so I’m not perfect, but I’ve learned things work out MUCH better if I can keep that from happening and be very consistent.

This is a great video on commitment (Yes, another video to watch, so sorry!) but this video has helped me so many times. It’s short, less than 15 minutes and I urge you to watch it when starting. I hope this helps you!

So my number one bit of advice when joining Virta, is to put yourself in the proper mindset. Virta is the start of so many good things to come for you and you WILL be able to do it. Try not to get overwhelmed. You will have so much support. Planning is key. I would say try to have at the very minimum 2-3 days planned so that you aren’t caught at the last second not knowing what to eat or do or not having the proper food on hand.

Here are just some starting bullet points to take into consideration and that hopefully will help!

Talk with your family and discuss the necessity of what you are about to embark on and ask for and let them know the extreme significance their support will make. It is of PRIMARY importance.
Prepare your home/kitchen. I have to put carby things out of my sight, even after almost six years. I think especially when starting, if you can throw away or donate your carby food, or put things that could be challenging to ignore away that would be very helpful. If you have family members who still want carby things, ask them to put them out of your sight, at least for a few months or until you are more comfortable.
If you have small children this is a little more difficult, but not impossible, but I basically only cook keto. Every once in a while I’ll make something carby for the family, but they usually eat all keto with me. Why isn’t good quality protein, healthy veggies, and fruit just as good for them as it is for me? So my family are all adults, if they want carbs, they get them on their own. Every once in a while I’ll make a baked potato, rice, or pasta to go with dinner for them, but it isn’t very often. I’ll usually make say a keto pasta sauce, and most of the time they will have keto pasta, they really like it, but I ever so often make carby pasta. But the rest of the meal is keto.
Watch the Virta videos and take notes. Especially the ones on food you may want to watch twice. There is so much good information in the Resource Center. There is a Virta Cheat Sheet that you can use and refer to often that is so helpful. Possibly print It out and tape it to the fridge or someplace handy until you feel more comfortable.
As I said above, planning is key. It would be very helpful to get a carb app to help you track your macros. (Macros are the macronutrients which make up what you eat in protein, fat, and carbohydrates) Some popular carb apps are Carb Manager, Fat Secret, Cronometer, and My Fitness Pal. You can plan your days out ahead of time using one of these apps and you won’t have to worry about what to do each day, you’ll have a plan! You can also share your plan and what you eat with your coach, especially in the beginning. I STILL do this to this day! Make sure to stay within your prescribed carb count and ounces or grams of protein. Very important not to go over. A common misconception about the keto diet is you can eat unlimited fat or you are supposed to gorge on fat, this is not true. Fat is used as a way to control hunger, so eat just enough to feel satisfied and your hunger at bay. You may also consider eating healthier fats like olive, coconut, and avocado oils.
It’s probably best to stay simple at first. So think of some great protein you would like to eat. Beef, poultry, pork, seafood, and eggs are all great choices. I have an air fryer/grill that I use all the time and everything comes out great. (See the post about the Ninja Foodi Grill. It’s the best, most useful appliance I have ever bought. You can also roast your veggies in it, but a regular oven will work just fine. So you have your protein and a 1/2 cup of a low-carb veggie or two per meal, put some butter on one or both, and BOOM, there you go. A good, simple Virta-friendly meal. Salads also are a great choice. See! No worries! Easy peasy! Ha! Now go grocery shopping! Usually, it’s best to stay on the perimeter of the store. Here is my cringe-worthy Aldi shopping trip for newbies that gives you some basic things to look for! Also more newbie info here on virtaworks.
Very important to drink your bouillon. When you go into Ketosis your body is shifting from burning glucose for fuel to burning fat. This occurs because you are not providing your body with its previous fuel source which was carbohydrates. During Ketosis your body starts to release stored water and in that water are electrolytes like sodium and that’s why the bouillon is important. You can add seasonings or even butter or heavy cream to it to make it more tasty.
Make sure you stay very hydrated. Virta recommends at least 64 ounces of water per day. Fat cells also need proper hydration for them to be broken down and the most weight loss to occur. That’s a great incentive to drink more water right there!
SLEEP! Proper, good-quality sleep is SO important! It affects everything. Your blood sugar, ketones, weight loss, and stress level. You might also notice you have better, deeper sleep! Also, a lot of people describe more vivid dreams. When I first started I kept dreaming about sandwiches! So don’t be surprised!
Becoming Fat-Adapted (Your body switching from burning carbohydrates to burning fat for fuel) is a process that can take weeks, so try not to rush this process or to compare yourself to others who might be having things happen more quickly, your body is going to take the time it needs, so definitely please don’t get discouraged if things are going slower than you hoped. You will get there! Promise!

I think I will stop now, I don’t want this to be overwhelming! When I first started Virta I looked at it as this wonderful new adventure and it certainly has been that! I have seen it make the most profound difference, over the years in the Community, for thousands of people. The life-changing stories I have heard! The most incredible things happen when you give your body the proper food it needs and you stop giving it the foods that make you sick. So here’s to YOUR wonderful new adventure and I will look forward to seeing you in the Community!

Wishing you Health and Happiness,

Denise♥️

Here’s more welcoming thoughts from the Community.😊

Gene B with T2D says: