5 Tips To Actually Make Your Keto Diet Work

The ketogenic diet that reduces the consumption of carbohydrates and emphasizes on increasing the consumption of fats (mostly) and proteins is a favorite of people seeking to lose weight. Like with all kinds of diet, the results begin to show only after a few months of diligent practice of the diet. It is mostly during this time that people often lose steam and begin cheating their diet.
The same is true with keto diet. Even if at the beginning it can seem challenging and exhausting, these five shortcuts can help you get through the initial stages of the diet and see more satisfying results quicker. Such tips can also help you maintain your weight loss journey as you go ahead with your diet.

Create a keto environment

Preparation is crucial to progress in everything you do. The same goes with your diet. Having a suitable environment for your diet will help you adhere to it for longer. There's always a battle between your emotional brain and your rational brain, especially if you follow a strict diet. It helps at this time to not give your mind any kind of stimulus that may trigger a wrong eating choice.Make your environment force you to make healthier food choices. Here are a few things you should do to improve at home food environment:

• Stop storing carb-heavy and unhealthy food. If you need to keep these food at home, keep it at a place that is out of your reach and sight.
• Keep all keto-friendly foods close by.
• Reduce your portion size to ensure you eat just the appropriate amount.
• Also, prepare for your sweet cravings. They are bound to happen and being prepared in advance will help you keep up your diet and fulfill your cravings. You can keep keto-friendly sweeteners and desserts ready for whenever you have those uncontrollable cravings.

Prepare for the Keto Flu and Other Keto Concerns

Going from a diet that doesn’t limit carbs to a ketogenic diet will cause many changes throughout your body that won’t feel too good at first.
The first phenomenon that will occur is a rapid loss of water and minerals like sodium. As a result, many ketoers will experience flu-like symptoms during their first few days of keto dieting. For example, here are some of the symptoms you may experience:

• Sugar cravings
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Confusion
• Poor focus and concentration
• Stomach pains
• Brain fog
• Cramping
• Irritability
• Muscle soreness

Luckily, most of these symptoms can be cleared up by drinking plenty of water and consuming mineral rich foods (and mineral supplements if necessary).

Add friendly fat to your diet

It is proven that adding friendly fats or medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) is actually beneficial for people on a keto diet. These kinds of fats are easier to digest as compared to other forms of fat. Also, they go straight to the liver where they are converted to ketones. This helps you reach ketosis faster which is responsible for increased energy and feeling less hungry.

Consider intermittent fasting

The keto and the intermittent fasting diets are thought to be the ultimate combo for all those who want to lose weight. During intermittent fasting, you can only eat during a particular time of the day. It helps maintaining insulin levels and also control calories. The most common kinds of intermittent fasting are – time-restricted eating like (fasting 16/8, fasting 18/6, fasting 20/4), alternate day fasting and 24-hour fasting. One of the major benefits of the intermittent fasting method is improved gut health. A few other benefits also include Boosted energy & cognitive function, reduced insulin resistance, longevity and increased weight loss.

Do not forget to exercise

Do not experiment with a new workout during the first few days of the keto diet. Continue with your current workout regimen till your body starts to get used to the diet. You might need to change your workout routine once the initial symptoms of the keto flu pass. As the intake of fats increase with the keto diet, the body can easily use it as fuel in workouts like high intensity interval training (HIIT) or CrossFit training. However, keto dieters tend to not eat enough calories as they leave a complete food group out of their diet. You have to be very careful of the number of calories you take. Not takin in enough calories especially with routine exercising can leave you tired and unwell.