Once you get the hang of the ketogenic (keto) diet, it may finally launch you on your way to losing weight and/or improving your health. But – if you just plunge in without some help with meal planning, as a beginner you may fall into one of these common keto diet newbie mistakes.
Let’s say that you’ve gone through the initial period of cutting way back on carbs and adding to your healthy fat intake. But what if you still aren’t seeing the results you want?
Maybe you track your own blood sugar, or blood pressure and the numbers aren’t falling in line with your hopes and intentions.
Perhaps you’ve gone back to your doctor proud of your effort only to be told your cholesterol or triglycerides are STILL too high. If this is you, you’re probably making one or more of these keto diet newbie mistakes.
You’re Not Tracking Your Food Intake
Many people resist keeping track of what they put in their mouths. It feels like an extra hassle, and you figure you can skip. Scientific studies show keeping a food journal not only helps you get on track with a healthy diet but also maintain it.
It’s so easy to do nowadays too. There are many different apps available for tracking macronutrients and carbs that you’re crazy not to use one. There are several good apps that are specifically for eating the keto way. Just try a few to find out which one is best for you.
Don’t like techie apps? Then get a basic printable diet diary log page or book to record what you eat.
You’re Eating Too Many Carbs
This mistake goes back to the one above. It’s easy to overindulge in carbs when you aren’t paying attention.
You may want to start portioning out higher-carb foods, so you know exactly how many you’re eating. And like we mentioned above, try out a tracking app. You may not need or want to track forever.
Once you get an understanding of what food combinations work for you, you can decide if you really need to do that. But for now, the best way to meet your health goals is by cutting back on the carbs. Eating carbs can take you right out of ketosis and undermine your efforts.
You’re Not Eating Enough Fat
Even though you’ve read all the evidence that healthy fat doesn’t make you fat, you may still be having a hard time wrapping your mind around it. We’ve been brainwashed to believe we need to eat low-fat everything to avoid the major issues in the modern world. But we’ve ended up cutting out the healthy fats too, which is the problem.
Most of us need much more healthy fat in our diet. Trust your instincts and the latest research and then enjoy your nuts, butter, and full-fat salad dressing. (Do we need to say it? You can make getting enough fat easy by tracking it.)
You Aren’t in Ketosis Yet
There are different reasons why you may not be in ketosis.
You might not be eating enough fats or eating too many carbs. One common mistake is not understanding that too much protein can throw you out of ketosis. On the keto diet, you need moderate protein, which is somewhere around 25-30% of most people’s calorie intake.
If you’ve only been going keto for a week or so, it might just be taking your body longer to get into ketosis. Everybody is different. Some people take a few weeks to hit the sweet spot. Try adjusting the balance of macronutrients you are eating each day to see if that helps. Raise your healthy fat while reducing your carbs and protein.
If you really want this keto approach to work for you this time, get a specific plan. Get guidance from people who know this eating plan inside out. Check out the 28-day Keto Challenge Program – Click Here.
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