So, you have gathered the information you need to prepare you for success with a Ketogenic diet, but still need some guidance staying on track? Today, I'm listing my best tips for success with a Keto diet.
1. Water, water, water!
Drinking a lot of water is an important part of any weight loss process, but it is especially important on Keto. Keto is a diuretic diet, meaning, it gets rid of your excess water stores (yay for getting rid of water weight!). However, this can mean dehydration, an imbalance of electrolytes, and generally feeling crummy overall. Sometimes, this can cause your body to crave sugar or salt, and can cause you to get knocked off track. You should be aiming to consume half your body weight in ounces, daily. For example, a 200 lb person should drink 100 ounces of water.
2. Do your research
While I was getting ready to start Keto, I read all the blogs, articles and resources I could find explaining the Keto diet, what I could eat, what to avoid, how Keto was different from other ways of eating, etc. Feeling informed on the subject matter helped me to feel capable and prepared to approach this lifestyle change with confidence.
For all the resources you need to start your Keto journey, all in one place, click here for my new e-book and meal plan.
3. Stock up and prepare in advance
Once you've figured out what Keto foods you're allowed, and you know what sounds good to you, go do a grocery haul and stock up. Buy cheese snacks, deli meats, bacon, eggs, sugar free condiments, and green vegetables. Buy the meats you like and know how to cook. Go ahead and cook some things to keep in the fridge for quick grabs. Cook a pack of bacon, hard boil some eggs, portion some deli meat and cheese into small ziplocs.
4. TRACK your macros
If you don't keep track of what you're eating, it is easy to let the macros quickly get out of balance. Remember, you want to be taking in 70% of your calories from fat, 25% from protein, and less than 5% (less than 20g) from carbs. Read labels, make sure nothing you're eating contains sugar or too many carbs, and take note of what a SERVING is. If one serving of nuts is 1/4 cup with 6g carbs, but you don't take the time to read the serving or measure it out, you may end up eating two or three servings and the entirety of your carbs for the day. Use an app like My Fitness Pal to make sure you're keeping your macro allotments in balance. Make sure to track any condiments or cooking oils you use! If you cook something in butter or lard, you also need to make sure you track that. If you don't measure or track your condiments or spreads, it's easy to be taking in too many carbs, or way more calories than you think, without realizing it.
5. Refuse to focus on what you're "missing out on."
Your eating style up until this point hasn't worked for you, or you wouldn't be in a place where you needed to lose weight and change your eating. You are choosing to change your eating to make your life better. Focus on the goal, the end result, the way you'll feel when you start seeing progress or meet your goal. Imagine how great it will feel to go shopping for smaller jeans. Imagine how exciting it will feel to have more energy and better mental clarity. Remember how empowered you will feel when you step on the scale and realize you've met a goal!
6. Don't compare your progress to other's progress
Remember, your goals aren't other people's goals, and theirs aren't the same as yours. Some people start a new diet and drop 15 lbs in the first week, some people only drop 1. Some people's bodies get into Ketosis quickly, some people take about a week to really get into fat-burning mode. Social media profiles of others on Keto can be a great tool for inspiration and motivation, but it's important to remember not to compare. It's also important to remember that you can't always tell how much weight people have to lose. I had a lady message me once and say "I'm on Keto, but I've only lost 6 lbs and you've lost 14 in the same amount of time and that's discouraging, I must be doing something wrong." I told her I was probably heavier than her, and she was surprised to learn that I was sitting at about 20 lbs heavier than she was. If you have 30-40 lbs of fat to lose, as opposed to someone who has 100+ lbs to lose, of course you're going to lose much slower than they do. Focus on your own goals and your own journey. Don't compare!
If you are just starting out on your Ketogenic weight loss journey, remember that you are capable of accomplishing your goal, and worthy of investing energy and effort into. Regardless of the work or time it takes, you will get there! Have faith in the process and do the best that YOU can do.
Comments
Post a Comment