What to Do BEFORE You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

What to Do BEFORE You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

Are you thinking of trying the bone broth diet? Dr. Kellyann Petrucci published her very popular book, Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet: Lose Up to 15 Pounds, 4 Inches--and Your Wrinkles!--in Just 21 Days back in 2015. Even now, six years later, this book is still ranked #2 on Amazon for paleo diet books.

A little planning and preparation before you start Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth diet will help you get the best possible results. Here are 6 things to do BEFORE you start the bone broth diet (so you don’t fail):

  1. Take your stats and before pictures.

  2. Learn what to eat and what not to eat on Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet.

  3. Prepare your family before you start the diet.

  4. Make a simple meal plan for your first week.

  5. Make or buy enough bone broth for your first week.

  6. Fully commit to the bone broth diet for 21 days (or longer).

Now let’s explore each of these in detail…

 

Who is Dr. Kellyann?

Dr. Kellyann Petrucci is a celebrity naturopathic physician and certified nutrition consultant who is one of the pioneers of the bone broth movement.

She has a PBS special about weight loss, has regularly appeared on Dr. Oz and The Doctors, and other national news programs, sharing her love of bone broth.

She has authored several books, including Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet: Lose Up to 15 Pounds, 4 Inches--and Your Wrinkles!--in Just 21 Days and Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Cookbook: 125 Recipes to Help You Lose Pounds, Inches, and Wrinkles, which I’ll be discussing today.

 
 

What is the bone broth diet?

The Bone Broth Diet is 21 days of low-carb paleo eating, combined with lots of nourishing, delicious bone broth. Most of the meals on the bone broth diet consist of good quality proteins, lots of non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats. A small amount of fruit is also allowed on this diet.

Twice a week you do a Mini-Fast which, according to Dr. Kellyann, is one of the quickest ways to drop weight quickly and easily. For the mini-fast days, you either sip on bone broth all day or enjoy bone broth until 7 pm and have a bone broth diet-approved snack at that time.

 
 
Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth diet has been crazy popular since 2015. But starting the bone broth diet without planning and preparation can mean lots of frustration. Here are 6 things to do BEFORE you start the bone broth diet to help you get the best p…

1 - Weigh and measure yourself and take “before” photos before starting Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet.

Dr. Kellyann promises you can lose up to 15 pounds and 4 inches on her 21-day bone broth diet program.

To measure your success you need to know your current weight and measurements. Then, at the end of the 21 days, weigh and measure again so you can celebrate lost pounds and inches!

The benefits of the bone broth diet are more than just weight loss. So track some other starting statistics too.

Grab a notebook, journal or notes app to record your starting statistics.

Record your “before you start the bone broth diet”  data in a notebook, a program like Evernote or GoodNotes, or use a note app on your phone.

 

Weigh yourself before starting the bone broth diet.

It’s pretty simple…. Hop on the scale and write down the number. 

 

Take a few full-body “before” photos before starting Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet.

Ideally, have a friend or family member take your before photos. If you are shy, prop up your phone and use the timer to take full-body selfies. 

Take front, back, and side views of yourself.

SMILE in your photos! Don’t frown and look like those miserable people in the before photos you see on infomercial workout programs. You are beautiful at any size.

 

Tips for taking your bone broth diet progress photos:

  • Use your phone’s timer or have a friend take the pictures

  • Wear swimsuit or workout clothes 

  • Pose in front of a solid background 

  • Try to use natural light 

  • Take photos in a variety of poses (front, back, side) 

  • Smile! You are beautiful!! 

 

Measure yourself before starting the bone broth diet.

Dr. Kellyann promises you can lose up to 4 inches if you follow the Bone Broth Diet for 21 days, so it is important to have your starting measurements.

Grab a measuring tape, take these measurements, and write them down in your notebook or in your notes app.

  • Chest 

  • Waist   

  • Hips

  • Upper arm

  • Thigh

  • Calf

How to calculate inches lost:

  1. Add the starting measurements together and write down that number.

  2. After you finish the bone broth diet, measure again and add up the numbers.

  3. Subtract your AFTER measurements from your BEFORE measurements to calculate the number of inches lost.

 

Write down how you feel physically and emotionally before starting the bone broth diet, including any medical or physical issues you hope to improve or resolve.

Do your knees ache? Do you see a few too many laugh lines when you look in the mirror? Are your skinny jeans not fitting AT ALL?

Changing your diet, like with the bone broth diet, isn’t just about weight loss. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, healthy fats, and zero processed foods, like the bone broth diet, may help your body in ways beyond just the number on the scale.

I recommend writing down how you look and feel now - and how you FEEL about how you look and feel - before you start Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth diet. It will help you see progress at the end of 21 days.

 

RELATED: Dr. Kellyann has a new probiotic AND ant-aging skin supplement. Read my review and learn how it’s helping women calm digestive issues and get great looking skin.

 

Grab your journal or your notes app and:

  • Describe your life before starting the bone broth diet. How do you feel, physically, and emotionally?

  • What are the foods you normally eat? Do you snack throughout the day? Do you have a generally healthy diet? Jot down some thoughts about the quality of your food.

  • What are some of the things you'd like to change about how you look and feel? 

  • How is your relationship with food? Do you have cravings? 

  • Do you have pre-diabetes or diabetes? What is your A1C?

  • Do you have high cholesterol? High triglycerides? High blood pressure?

  • If you have had recent blood work and know your numbers, jot them down in your journal.

  • Describe how you want to look and feel AFTER the bone broth diet. Do you want to lose a certain number of pounds? Look amazing in your bikini? Have more energy to keep up with your kids? 

 

Here is your “BEFORE YOU START THE BONE BROTH DIET” starting statistics checklist:

  • Weigh 

  • Take full-body before photos

  • Measure yourself:

    • Chest 

    • Waist   

    • Hips

    • Upper arm

    • Thigh

    • Calf

  • Write how you feel now, mentally, and physically. 

  • Journal how you want to look and feel after you reach your weight loss goal.

  • Set a reminder or a note on your calendar to update your progress at the end of 21 days.

 

RELATED: Dr. Kellyann is also the author of the 5 Day Cleanse and Reset which I have done several times, and wrote a very detailed review of my experience: I did Dr. Kellyann's Cleanse and Reset - My Review and Results

 
 

2 - Know what to eat and what foods to avoid BEFORE you start the bone broth diet.

Pick a bone broth diet book.

Dr. Kellyann has two books that explain the bone broth diet:

  1. Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet: Lose Up to 15 Pounds, 4 Inches--and Your Wrinkles!--in Just 21 Days (which is the original book from 2015) -OR-

  2. Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Cookbook: 125 Recipes to Help You Lose Pounds, Inches, and Wrinkles

I own both books and the diet information and basic bone broth recipes are exactly the same.

The main difference is that each book contains different recipes. The Cookbook has beautiful color photos of some of the recipes and it is a prettier design. The original Bone Broth Diet book is all black and white and laid out in a no-nonsense way.

If you choose just one book, I recommend going with the Bone Broth Cookbook. Click the buttons below to see the current prices on Amazon.

 

Both bone broth diet books teach you the basics of the diet.

In Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth diet books you will learn:

  • What foods to eat

  • What foods to avoid

  • How to turn foods on the “yes” list into tasty meals of your own choosing, or you can use recipes included in the book.

  • About the mini-fast days, why they are so important for weight loss.

  • What to expect physically and emotionally as you go through this 21-day diet.

  • How to troubleshoot any problems, like the “carb flu.”

  • What physical symptoms to expect each day of the diet so you know what to anticipate and that what you are experiencing is normal.

  • What results you can expect on the bone broth diet.

 
What foods to eat on Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

What to eat on Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet.

This is not a comprehensive list and be sure to read WHY some foods are bone broth diet “yes” foods and what foods you cannot eat on the bone broth diet. For example meats like beef, lamb, chicken, and turkey are allowed, but pork should be avoided unless it is pastured pork.


Fat-burning bone broth diet “yes” foods.

  • Meats like beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, and wild boar

  • Bone broth (beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, or fish)

  • Fish and seafood

  • Eggs

  • Organ meat

  • Nitrite-and gluten-free deli meats, bacon, and sausages

  • Vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, eggplant, green beans, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes

  • Fruits like berries, apples, peaches, dates, and bananas

  • Healthy fats like avocados, coconut, coconut milk, ghee, nuts, olive oil, and olives

  • Healthy meal-replacement shakes (see the book for requirements)

  • Fermented foods like coconut kefir, kimchi, pickles, and sauerkraut

  • Approved condiments like salt, spices, vinegar, fish sauce, and cocoa powder

  • Coconut and almond flours

  • Beverages like coffee, sparkling water, and tea (unsweetened)

 

RELATED: Even if you’re not doing the bone broth diet, it’s important to include lots of vegetables in your diet for good health. Here is how I motivate myself to eat more veggies every day - by eating the rainbow!

 
What foods NOT to eat on Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

Foods to avoid on the bone broth diet:

  • grains

  • corn products

  • refined processed fats

  • artificial sweeteners, Including stevia

  • soy

  • dairy products except for ghee

  • commercial condiments with added sugar or artificial ingredients 

  • sugars

  • packaged processed foods

  • commercial sauces, soups, or stews

  • canned foods with sugar, soy, or additives

  • soda, fruit juices, sweetened coffee or tea, and alcohol 

  • processed meats containing gluten, nitrites, soy, or sweeteners

  • white potatoes 

  • legumes

See one of the diet books for the complete list of foods to avoid on the bone broth diet and WHY those foods are excluded.

 
What to Do BEFORE You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

3 - Prepare your family before you start the bone broth diet.

In a perfect world, you can follow a common diet tip which is to get rid of all the junk food in the house before starting your diet. That's great if you live alone, but not so practical when you have a family.

If you live with other people it's really important to tell them you are starting a new diet and to let them know what changes they can expect around mealtimes.

To be clear, you are not asking permission, you are simply informing your roommates or loved ones that you are making some dietary changes that may affect mealtimes. Then, work together to find solutions.


Ask for your family’s support if you feel comfortable doing so.

If you are comfortable doing so, ask for your family’s support as you start the bone broth diet.

I personally don’t do this because, moral support or not, I will eat how I choose to eat. But some people may find it helpful to say “I would appreciate you not tempting me with Cheetos and Oreo cookies, thanks.”

 

Have a discussion about what meal times and fasting days will look like.

If you live with other adults or older children, ask for their input and help as you plan your meals on the bone broth diet:

  • Will they eat the meals you decide to make?

  • Will they supplement the bone broth diet meals with other foods or desserts?

  • If so, who will cook the other items? You or others in the household?

  • Who is going to cook on mini-fast days or will you order takeout?

Have a back-and-forth conversation to come up with solutions that allow you to follow the diet AND that others in your household can eat foods they enjoy.

 

Reassure your family you aren't trying to "convert" them to your diet and you won't toss their junk food.

Then keep this promise, lol. If they choose to join you on your diet adventure without persuasion, that’s great!

 

What “preparing the family” looked like in my house.

In my house, it’s usually just my husband and myself so “preparing the family” was a pretty simple process.

When I decided to start the bone broth diet I told my husband flat-out I was starting a new diet on Monday. I showed him the recipes I was planning to make (he is very skeptical of "weird" ingredients, lol) and we agreed on a few that sounded good. Those recipes became the basis of my meal plan.

I told my husband he could supplement with rice, bread, potatoes, etc. but he was in charge of making any additional food.

We also decided together that he would either make dinner for himself or get takeout on the mini-fast days.

 
What to Do BEFORE You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

4 - Plan a week’s worth of simple meals and a shopping list before starting the bone broth diet.

Not gonna lie, you are going to spend time in the kitchen when you follow the bone broth diet. And you can’t cook the healthy (and tasty) bone broth diet recipes if you don’t have lots of low-carb veggies, proteins, and healthy fats in your house.

The best meal plan for week 1 of the bone broth diet is one that includes foods you enjoy eating and that doesn’t require hours of shopping, chopping, or food prep. Trust me on this.

 

Use one of the 3-week bone broth diet meal plans included in Dr. Kellyann’s books.

Both the Bone Broth Diet Book (page 230) and the Bone Broth Diet Cookbook (page 83) include 3-week meal plans.

If you enjoy the recipes included in those meal plans you have your meal planning all done. Not just for week 1, but weeks 2 and 3 as well!

 

Or create your own very simple bone broth diet meal plan.

I am just not a “follow someone else’s meal plan” person. I always create my own.

How to make a simple meal plan for the bone broth diet: Here’s how I did it:

  • I highlighted recipes that sounded yummy in the bone broth diet books.

  • I choose 3 dinner recipes, 1 breakfast recipe, and 2 bone broth recipes since I am a minimalist and don’t mind eating leftovers.

  • I showed my husband the dinner recipes to make sure he was ok with eating those (and supplementing with rice, bread, or other foods).

  • I created a simple shopping list and ordered groceries.

 

These were the recipes I used for week 1. I supplemented with extra veggies and items I had in the fridge like uncured natural bacon.

  • Mushroom and Scallion Egg Roll-Ups, p. 171 Cookbook

  • Vietnamese Beef Salad, p. 215 Cookbook

  • Asian Chicken Bone Broth, p. 120 Cookbook

  • Italian Beef Broth, p. 124 Cookbook

  • Chicken Francese, p. 189 of Cookbook (served over cauliflower rice)

  • Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup, p. 159 of Bone Broth Diet book (served with egg salad lettuce wraps)

These recipes gave me plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch or even breakfast on non-mini-fast days.

 

Check out the books for Dr. Kellyann’s tips for batch cooking, no-cook meals like salads and shakes. These tips will save you tons of time in the kitchen.

 
What to Do BEFORE You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

5 - Make or buy enough bone broth for your first week of the bone broth diet.

On the bone broth diet, you will have 2 cups of bone broth every day, and drink up to 6 cups of bone broth on your mini-fast days. Definitely either make or purchase enough bone broth to get you through the week BEFORE you start the diet.

Make a batch (or two) of bone broth.

Both the original bone broth diet book and the cookbook include several bone broth recipes. Make a batch or two before you start the diet to last all week. Or…

If you prefer not to cook, purchase approved bone broth.

I don’t mind making bone broth because I think homemade tastes bests, but after chopping veggies, cooking, straining, pouring into containers, and washing dishes I am DONE with broth-making until the next week.

If you choose to supplement with purchased bone broth or to use all storebought bone broth, just be sure it meets these standards.

 

What to look for in purchased bone broth:

  • be sure the words “bone broth” are on the package, not regular broth or stock

  • organic ingredients, if possible

  • mineralized salt or sea salt

  • at least 9 grams protein per serving

  • no added sugars, coloring, artificial ingredients

  • bones from animals that haven’t been fed hormones or antibiotics

 

These are bone broth brands I have tried and recommend:

If you have never tried bone broth before it can be a bit of an acquired taste. It doesn’t taste the same as chicken soup or chicken stock. If needed, doctor it up with flavors and seasonings like salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, turmeric. And see the bone broth diet books for other flavoring tips.

 
What to Do BEFORE You Start Dr. Kellyann's Bone Broth Diet

6 - Before you start the bone broth diet FULLY COMMIT to it for 21 days.

Changing your eating habits can be hard. You may be hit with the carb flu in the first few days and you may miss your nighttime popcorn and wine snack habit.

Before you even start the bone broth diet fully commit to following it for 21 days, no ifs, ands, or buts.

This type of commitment mindset takes the idea of quitting completely off the table.

 

If you are planning to start the bone broth diet I hope these tips help you get set up for the success you deserve.

Stay tuned for my (very detailed) review of the bone broth diet and my results.

—The Keto Minimalist

 

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Dr. Kellyann’s bone broth diet has been crazy popular since 2015. But starting the bone broth diet without planning and preparation can mean lots of frustration. Here are 6 things to do BEFORE you start the bone broth diet to help you get the best p…