How to Successfully Stick to the Keto Diet

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Keto diet

Whether you’ve just started the Keto Diet or have been rockin’ the hot, new trend for a while, here are some tips and tricks to keep your motivation at an all-time high.

  1. Alter your focus.

Is counting calories an effective method? Is there certain foods you should or should not be eating? Does intermittent fasting work well?

Well, it depends on who you ask. Do you think counting calories would help you? If there are certain foods you can and can’t eat, would you be opposed to incorporating that into your diet? Do you want to intermittent fast?

Instead of focusing on what others are saying surrounding the Keto Diet, simply follow these two principles:

Eat mostly protein-dense and fiber-rich foods because of how satisfying and filling they are.

  1. Eliminate all calorically-dense processed foods from your diet because of how easy it is to binge on them.

It’s no secret that the key to weight loss is putting your body in a calorie deficit. Try a few things and track your results. Not seeing/feeling what you want to see/feel? Don’t get discourage and readjust a few aspects of your diet.

  1. Track your macros.

Studies show that we tend to underestimate the amount of food we eat. Instead of focusing on your caloric intake, track your macros instead. Download MyFitnessPal for general marco tracking or Cronometer for more detailed marco and nutrient tracking to help you. This will tell you exactly what percent of fat, protein and carbs you need to eat on a daily basis to reach your health and fitness goals.

  1. Rework your food environment.

Frozen pizza in the freezer, chips in the cabinet and cake in the fridge. It can be hard to reach your goals when there are so many surrounding temptations. To prevent these temptations from taking over, here are a couple things you can do:

  • Only keep keto-friendly food in your kitchen. Keeping healthy food options available and within reach will making it easier to stick to your lifestyle changes.
  • Plan your meals. Busy day? Taking a trip? Bring your own snacks/meals or scoop out keto-friendly restaurant options beforehand to make sure you’ll get your proper fat, carb and protein fix while you’re not at home.
  • Eat foods that you can measure and track. Straying away can throw off your macros and potentially derail your progress.

  1. Reach out to other Keto enthusiasts.

Support from friends and family is HUGE, especially when they’re aware you’re tackling a new challenge. When you have people to share your thoughts, tips and tricks, struggles, concerns and accomplishments with, it’s much easier to keep going and reap the results you want. 

  1. Don’t let the “keto flu” worry you.

Going from a surplus of carbs each day to a small amount will cause your body to react differently than it normally would. Don’t get discouraged if you experience crazy cravings, irritability, muscle soreness or brain fog within the first few days of the Keto Diet. Drink plenty of water and eat nutritious, filling and rich foods to eliminate some of these symptoms. Your body will get into its new groove in no time.