For some, Keto can be tricky. Especially at first. It is an entirely new way of eating so make sure to be patient and persevering. As long as you commit to it, everything will be fine. If you follow the guidelines we provided below and create your own eating strategy you will achieve your ideal body in only a few months.
Know What Foods to Eat and What to Avoid
Before starting keto, you must first know what foods are and are not allowed in your diet. What foods are keto? It depends on your daily carb limit.
Considering the following: a medium-sized apple includes around 21-25 carbs. If you eat the apple, which would mean that the rest of the calories you eat throughout the day should be from protein and fats.
We must add that this example leads to a shortsighted approach and might cause some mineral or vitamin deficiencies. So, make sure your diet is balanced. In other words, you must consume a wide range of whole foods like fish, low-carb veggies, lean meat, nuts, seeds, and low-carb fruits.
Create a Nutrition Plan for When You Are on the Go
When you’re at home, you have higher control over the foods you consume. If you tend to go out regularly, keeping a keto diet might be more difficult because of all the temptations. The best thing to do is to prepare ahead. Don’t let yourself go hungry. Keep some healthy snacks in your bag at all times:
- Nuts and seeds;
- Dried meat;
- Coconut products;
- Seaweed; etc.
Certain keto-friendly supplements like the ones marketed by Adapted Nutrition can also help you stick to the plan.
Make Your Home Keto-Friendly
You may be excited when you start the keto diet but it’s important to maintain consistency over the long-term rather than going hard early and then quitting. One tip for conquering the keto diet is to replace regular foods with keto-friendly ones over a period of time rather than all at once. You can do this by slowly but surely eliminating all of the non-keto friendly foods from your kitchen. Creating a proper environment will help you avoid cheating on your diet. To create an ideal, keto-friendly environment you should consider doing the following:
- Clean your kitchen and throw all the high-carb foods like sweets, bread, rice, pasta, candy, etc.;
- Restock your kitchen with healthy fats and low-carb alternatives like macadamia nuts, pepperoni, or kale chips;
- Plan and prepare all your meals ahead of time.
Drink a Lot of Water
Drinking plenty of water is essential when you’re on a keto diet. Eating low-carb foods makes the body store less water which can get you dehydrated. You must increase your water intake to up to 16 cups per day.
Rely on Whole Foods
We should always focus on eating whole foods because they are natural and healthier than processed foods. Following this kind of guideline is even more important during a ketogenic eating plan because it is an effective way to get rid of cravings.
Don’t Eat Unless You’re Hungry
You don’t need to constantly eat something or snack to feel full. Low-carb diets don’t promote frequent meals. This can even interfere with your weight-loss goals. Eat only when you’re hungry. Don’t worry because low-carb diets make this task a lot easier since they suppress appetite.
Conclusion
All of the tips above are basic steps that will help you transition from a typical, carb-dependent diet to keto. A final tip would be to use a macro calculator to keep track of your macros. To recap, your daily macros should look like the following:
- Fat – between 40% and 70%;
- Carbs – between 15% and 30%;
- Lean protein – between 15% and 30%.