Getting started on any new diet can be challenging in the first couple of weeks. While the keto diet isn’t as harsh as other diets, it does have rules that you need to abide by and there will be a short transition period where your body adapts to the diet.
Generally, the first 4 days will be the hardest for most people. For some, it may take about 7 days before they’re truly comfortable with the diet and in ketosis.
In this article, you’ll learn a few success tips that will help you adapt better to the keto diet and give you the edge you need to make keto a part of your lifestyle.
1. Understand the diet
Before starting on the diet, you must do your research. You must know the macros, how much fat you’ll eat, what foods you can eat, what recipes you can make and so on.
You may need to invest in keto recipe books to help you whip up tasty meals. It will also be a good idea to scout around your neighborhood or usual eating places to see if they sell keto meals or if the chef is willing to make a dish according to your requirements. This will make eating out much easier on days when you just don’t wish to cook. Being well-informed will make it much easier to comply with the diet.
2. Track your carbs
Initially, you may be a little confused and overwhelmed when starting the diet. This is normal. The most important thing you want to focus on will be your carb intake. It should not exceed 50 grams a day. Ideally, you should keep it to 20 grams until you reach ketosis.
Severely limiting your carb intake will help you to reach ketosis faster and break your addiction to carbs. It’ll also make it easier on the body to switch from glucose to ketones as a fuel source.
3. Reduce all temptations
Clear out your kitchen and refrigerator of all foods that are not in alignment with the keto diet. This will prevent you from giving in to temptations, because there aren’t any around the house.
The first few days of the keto diet will be challenging, and you may feel lethargic. You’ll not have much energy to exercise willpower and be disciplined. So, by not tempting yourself, it will be easier on you mentally and emotionally.
4. Get a food scale
Having a food scale will allow you to weigh and measure your foods. You’ll be more accurate with your macros and portion sizes. A food scale is relatively inexpensive, and you can easily get one from amazon.
It will also help you when the recipe books give you specific quantities to use in the cooking. You’ll be able to measure the weight of the food.
5. Seek motivation
The only way to succeed with the diet is to stick with it till your body adapts and it becomes a habit. To do that, you’ll need to find motivation.
The downside of motivation is that it wanes over time. While you may have started out enthusiastic, as time passes, you’ll lose interest when the daily drag of maintaining the diet sets in.
Find motivation by watching videos on YouTube of people who have used keto to lose weight and get healthy. Just search for “keto weight loss” and you’ll have all the inspiration and motivation you need.
You may join Facebook groups dedicated to the keto diet. By speaking with others who are passionate about it, you’ll not only find motivation and maybe an accountability partner… but you’ll be more passionate about it because everyone else in the group is.
Follow these tips and you’ll be much more successful with the keto diet. While you won’t see changes overnight, this diet gives you some of the fastest results possible. So, stick with it and in a couple of weeks, you’ll be glad you did.
