Here are some common mistakes people make when trying the Keto Diet.
Always consult a medical professional before starting any diet or exercise program.
Mistake #1 Being to Strict.
The Ketogenic diet originally started as a medical intervention for epilepsy. If you are using it for fat loss or losing weight, you do not have to be as strict as you do if you are using if for a medical condition. If you go over 50grams of carbs a day by eating a boatload of vegetables, you will do just fine. It will more than likely be much better then what you are currently doing.
Mistake #2. Not eating enough salt/sodium
Sodium is not generally a nutrient that you need to look for; it finds you.
Almost any unprocessed food like fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats, and dairy foods is low in sodium. Most of the salt in our diets comes from commercially prepared foods, not from salt added to cooking at home or even from salt added at the table before eating. But when you are on a Ketogenic diet, you are eliminating most processed foods, carbs that contain high levels of sodium. Your body needs sodium to thrive. Ketosis lacks carbs. Thus a sufficient amount of sodium is being missed from your body. When your body excretes water after restricting carbs, sodium comes with it.
So when you don’t have enough sodium, you may become victim to the dreaded “keto flu”. Many beginners on keto will feel flu-like symptoms if they are sodium deficient.
Thus, the most important electrolyte to monitor when you first go on the ketogenic diet is Sodium.
To prevent yourself from becoming a victim of the dreaded keto flu, increase your sodium intake by salting every meal. You can add pink Himalayan sea salt to your water and sipping during the day to ensure sufficient Sodium.
Top tip: Carry a bag of salted nuts with you, just in case you need more fat and salt.
Mistake #3. Weighing yourself every day
The ketogenic, or keto diet is a low-carb way of eating that has been adopted by many looking to lose a pound of fat and improve health.
Although the keto diet is known for its tremendous weight loss benefits. If daily weighing causes you more anxiety than motivation, then it's not right for you.
When you first start keto, you will experience water weight loss during the first few days. But once your body has adjusted to this new way of eating, it will retain some water.
Your weight can fluctuate because of different things like your fluid intake, your hormone levels, and your activity level. We don't want to get too hung up on the number. So, weighing yourself daily can demotivate you.
Top tip: Weighing yourself once a week (at the same time of day) will give you a much better overall picture of your progress.
Mistake #4. Not Drinking Enough Water
Water makes up 60% of the human body and is needed to help maintain a healthy weight.
Carbohydrates you eat, except for indigestible forms, eventually become glucose in your blood. Assuming your metabolism is functioning normally, if the switch is on you will store fat. If the switch is off, you will burn fat. But when your body is adjusting to burning fats for fuel, water intake should be increased because carbohydrates are responsible for storing water in the body. When you limit your carb intake, water is excreted along with electrolytes, which means they must be replaced.
Since dehydration can make you feel tired and weak, which can lead to health problems, staying hydrated should be a top priority for all of us. Make hydration part of your lifestyle, because staying hydrated will improve your regular state of health.
The color of your urine is also a pretty good gauge of your hydration levels. If it’s a darker yellow, drink more water.
Top Tip: You should drink between 0.5 ounces and 1 ounce of water for every pound that you weigh.
Mistake #5. Not Sleeping Enough
The quality of your sleep directly affects your mental and physical health and the quality of your waking life, including your productivity, emotional balance, brain and heart health, immune system, creativity, vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort!
The keto diet can impact your weight, skin, mental health, and risk of disease in beneficial ways. Lack of sleep has been shown to increase sugar cravings and stress levels, which directly affect ketone production.
The big difference is there between the amounts of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. If you’re getting less than eight hours of sleep each night, chances are you’re sleep-deprived. What’s more, you probably have no idea just how much lack of sleep is affecting you. So, try getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night!
Top Tip: Limit screen use one to two hours before bed, so your body can perform at its best.
Mistake #6. Too Much Snacking
The keto diet is a type of diet that significantly restricts carbohydrate intake. Ordinarily, the body breaks down carbohydrates into the sugar glucose, which it uses for energy. When there are not enough carbs in the body, it goes into a stage called ketosis.
To follow a properly formulated ketogenic diet, you shouldn’t have to snack. It has been seen that when you are in the Ketogenic diet, your cravings for snacks should be nonexistent.
Snacking may contribute to diabetes in the following ways:
• Rapid effect on blood sugar levels
• Weight gain (excess calories it is easy to get carried away)
• High blood pressure
Mistake #7
Too much protein, a ketogenic diet is a diet that consists mainly of fat. Eating too much protein can spike your blood sugar. Generally, protein should be less than 20% of your diet when following a keto diet.
Give these tips a try if you are still struggling, check out the Custom Keto Meal Planner:
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