Ketogenic Diet Success Part 1: Low-Carb Dieting Habits

If you are embarking on a ketogenic diet plan, you are on the path to healthy, effective weight loss. There are, however, certain things you can do and mindsets you can get into that can further boost your chances of success, and make your experience of losing weight the low carb way even more satisfying. Here, we look at how changing your habits to work alongside your ketogenic diet plan can help you reach your goals.

Good Habits to Get into:

• Hydration. Drink plenty of water. This is good for you anyway, but the ketogenic diet plan has a diuretic effect (this is good, because it stops you retaining excess fluid which makes you heavier than you should be), so you need to make sure you are drinking enough. Get into the habit of keeping bottles of water by your bed, on your desk, or wherever you spend a lot of your time, and drinking a glass before every meal (this also stops you eating too much, though the ketogenic diet plan also curbs your appetite).
• Checking labels. Even some of the foods that are generally permitted on a ketogenic diet plan contain some carbs, so make sure you count every gram you eat and make sure you stay below your daily limit. Checking labels also ensures you don’t accidentally buy something with hidden sugars in it.
• Cooking. If you don’t normally cook, it is a great habit to get into. On a ketogenic diet plan, you get the best results by eating whole foods, rather than anything processed. You don’t need to learn any fancy skills, but simply cooking your meat and fish and steaming your vegetables is a good place to start.

Bad Habits to Change:

• Drinking Caffiene. While things like coffee and diet cola don’t contain carbs, the caffiene can interfere with the way your metabolism works and can, in some cases, hinder the effectiveness of your ketogenic diet plan. If you consume a lot of caffiene and switch to decaf versions you may experience some mild withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and dizziness for the first three days, but after that the addiction is out of your system and you will find you can function perfectly well drinking decaf.
• Drinking Alcohol. Many alcoholic drinks are high in carbs, for example beers and hard ciders, and should be avoided anyway, however drinking low carb or carb free alcoholic drinks can also have a negative effect on your weight loss. This is because your body will use the alcohol as fuel before reverting back to using fat again (after carbs and fat, alcohol is the source of energy the body can use). If you don’t want to give up drinking altogether, switch to clear spirits with a carb free diet mixer, and only have them in moderation on special occasions. Don’t drink alcohol at all during the induction phase (the first 10-14 days) of you ketogenic diet plan.