It’s never easy starting a new diet, but a keto diet is especially tough. You may think that a regime telling you to eat more sausage and bacon and fewer fruits and vegetables would be fun, but this isn’t always the case. Because of all of the internal changes in your body, you have to completely switch up your lifestyle, which requires a lot of focus and work. This can cause many people to make damaging errors. With that in mind, here are seven common mistakes for you to avoid.
- Obsessing Over The Scale
Some people shed weight almost immediately after beginning this new diet, but that isn’t always the case. No two people are the same or react to the keto diet in the same way, which mean that some do take a little more time before the numbers on the scales start to drop. While you should definitely track your weight while doing the keto diet, this shouldn’t be your only measure of success. It’s important that you also take measurements of key areas at least once a week.
- Eating The Wrong Fat
One of the toughest parts about this diet is making sure that you consume enough fat each day. That being said, you must remember that not all fats are created equal. While some are healthy and crucial for a balanced diet, others are less so. Fats are the foundation behind a ketogenic diet, which means that you’ll want to make sure that you consume the right ones. This doesn’t include processed fats. These tend to be found in seed oils and vegetables among other things.
- Avoiding Fruits And Vegetables
Although it’s necessary to restrict your carb intake, you shouldn’t do it to the point that you’re avoiding fruits and vegetables altogether. These are crucial to your overall health, even on a keto diet. Because of this, you should make sure that you continue to eat your vegetables, especially non-starchy types, like mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower. Fruits are also very important, and while many fruits are high in carbs, berries contain many fewer but are just as tasty and healthy.
- Neglecting To Drink Water
The restriction of carbs means that you’re going to lose a lot more water than you usually would. To prevent dehydration, you’ll want to drink plenty of it to keep yourself hydrated. Rather than let thirst remind you to drink more water, you should keep a bottle of it with you at all times. If you’re not too fond of the taste, then pop a few berries in the bottle to give it a little flavor. If you start to get thirsty, it means you’re getting dehydrated, so try to avoid ever getting to this point.
- Forgetting About The Flu
A keto diet is not something that you want to start without properly researching first. Among the many things that you should know, you’ll have to learn why supplementing BHB is important on a keto diet. This helps to prevent keto flu, which, although being a good sign that your diet is working, isn’t fun to deal with, leaving you feeling groggy and nauseous. When coupled with plenty of water, the BHB supplement can help to reduce these nasty symptoms of the keto flu.
- Getting Too Little Sleep
Getting adequate sleep is a crucial factor in weight loss. Without plenty of rest, your body begins to feel stressed, which causes it to keep stored fat for support, thus negatively impacting your metabolism. When you’re tired, you’re also more likely to look for quick energy sources in sugary snacks and drinks. For this reason, you should aim to get around eight hours of sleep each night. This can be made easier by creating a bedtime routine and de-stressing before bed.
- Skipping The Doctor’s Visit
Many people decide to try the keto diet to combat some sort of medical condition. If this was your plan, then you must make sure that you clear it with your doctor first. This is especially important if you’re taking any kind of medication. When you begin the keto diet, and your symptoms begin to improve, you may need to adjust the medication that you take. If you fail to consult with a professional, you may do this in the wrong way, putting yourself at risk.
Starting a keto diet can be a challenge, but you’ll find it much easier to see results if you avoid the mistakes listed above. That being said, everyone is different, so don’t try to compare your successes to those of other people.
