Achieving Keto Success

Once you’ve decided to follow the keto way of life, you may wonder how you can maintain it over time. While there’s no “perfect” way to stick to the diet, we’ve provided some pointers to help keep you on the path to success.

Make a Plan

The most important way you can help yourself achieve your keto diet goals is to make a plan. While it can take a few weeks to really understand what a well-balanced keto diet looks like, take time to review recipes and create a menu for the first week of your diet. Also, put some steps into place to minimize the risk for deviation. For instance, experiment with you own breakfast bakes, salads, and protein-veggie dishes. This ensures you seamlessly transition into the keto way of life. Introduce Variety in Foods

Although eating generous amounts of bacon, steak, butter, and cream while improving your health sounds amazing, after a few weeks, you may hear the pizza or cookies calling your name. No matter how much better you feel on the diet, being bored with your food is a surefire way to fall off the wagon. Keep up your enthusiasm by branching out from what you typically eat. You can also pair your favorite keto-friendly foods with herbs, seasonings, and flavorenhancing fats to create new sensations for your taste buds.

Choose Healthy Alternatives

Following a keto diet doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods. Many of the recipes in this book offer low-carbohydrate, keto-friendly alternatives to your starchy faves. However, if you still get those carbohydrate cravings and need some ideas beyond the recipes, the following are some lowcarbohydrate substitutions you can try.

Cauliflower makes an easy substitution for many foods high in carbohydrates.

Be Smart When Dining Out

QUICK TIPS WHEN DINING OUT:

While you may find that preparing your own meals at home will offer control over portion size and ingredients used, it’s hard to avoid eating out. Familiarizing yourself with available menu options will make the choice easier once you’re ready to order.

The biggest ketosis-breaking culprits you’ll find in restaurants outside of the obvious starches are sauces, gravies, and dressings, as they often contain added sugars. So when ordering, ask for them on the side. You’ll also typically find meals on menus that contain a lot of protein and are inadequate in fat. Don’t be afraid to box up half of the meal and ask for a fatty side. For instance, if you’re having a burger, remove the bun; box half of the meat; and order some cheese, bacon, avocado, and a side of mayonnaise for the half you have.

• Be cautious of gravies, dressings, and sauces that may have added sugars. • To avoid added carbs, choose broiled, roasted, or grilled chicken over battered or breaded. • Pick sandwiches wrapped in lettuce or take off the bun and eat it with a fork. • Look at nutrition information before you arrive, so you can make a better decision.

CARBOHYDRATE FOOD LOW-CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTES

Pasta and noodles Spiralized zucchini, spaghetti squash (in small quantities), and kelp noodles

Rice Riced cauliflower and grated zucchini

Mashed potatoes Mashed cauliflower or celery root

Flour and breading Almond flour, ground flaxseeds, coconut flower, and crushed pork rinds

Bread Lettuce wraps, portobello mushroom caps, and sliced and fried eggplant

Chips Cheese crisps, kale chips, and dried seaweed

Cereal Homemade nut- and seed-based granola, hemp, and unsweetened coconut flakes

Pizza Cauliflower- or sausage-based crust and pepperoni and cheese bites

Milk Unsweetened almond or coconut oil and heavy cream mixed with water

Track Your Success

Research has shown that those who track their diets—whether on paper or in apps—are more successful in achieving their goals. Consider using a diettracking program or app to monitor your macronutrient intake. This can help you pay close attention to any spices, sweeteners, sauces, dressings, or gravies added to your foods or drinks, as these often have hidden carbs that wreak havoc on your keto diet.

When tracking your progress, you may want to pay particular attention to foods that contain less than 1g of carbohydrate per serving, as this information is not required to be listed on a label. Examples include eggs (.5g carb per egg), heavy whipping cream (.5g carb per tablespoon), and flax and chia seeds (.5g net carb per tablespoon).