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| This Small-Steps Keto Plan can help you make permanent changes. |
Low carb isn’t a diet – it’s a lifestyle.
We hear that mantra all the time.
In fact, even the Weight Watchers commercials often say exactly the same thing:
- This isn’t a diet.
- It's a lifestyle.
You have to give up some of your emotional supports if you want to get the value that a low-carb diet offers. However, going into carbohydrate restriction with the understanding that it’s for life helps to eliminate the dieting mindset that so many low-carb dieters fall into.
But can you really eat this way for the rest of your life with no problems?
Why Are You Struggling to Stay on Plan?
On a low-carb diet, you get to eat:- fatty meats such as pork ribs and bacon, real butter, and sour cream
- heavy whipping cream in your coffee or tea
- salty mixed nuts
- assorted cheeses
- avocados
- olives
- and deviled eggs
- cheesecake for dessert
- low-carb pancakes and muffins
- jalapeno hot poppers
- dozens of ways to enjoy chicken wings
But then -- your birthday or anniversary rolls around or your
best friend wants to go out to lunch at your favorite Italian restaurant or
pizza joint.
Before you know it, you’re missing many of the foods you had to give up to create your latest lifestyle.
Social engagements, holidays, and parties don’t feel as fun as they used to, with so many carbs around, so you start feeling deprived, restricted, and left out. Slowly, resentment begins to take over the excitement you used to feel instead.
Before you know it, you’re missing many of the foods you had to give up to create your latest lifestyle.
Social engagements, holidays, and parties don’t feel as fun as they used to, with so many carbs around, so you start feeling deprived, restricted, and left out. Slowly, resentment begins to take over the excitement you used to feel instead.
If you have food allergies and sensitivities like a nighshade problem that makes many
standard low-carb foods off limits, it can be even worse. You'll lose the enthusiasm and momentum that helped you get over the initial hump of adaption more
quickly.
With no comfort foods to fall back on:
You suddenly find yourself falling head-first into a plate of homemade Christmas cookies.
You may sneak a thick slice of pizza when no one’s looking, make excuses for why you need to eat that extra-large piece of chocolate cake for your birthday, or even give up totally.
With no comfort foods to fall back on:
You suddenly find yourself falling head-first into a plate of homemade Christmas cookies.
You may sneak a thick slice of pizza when no one’s looking, make excuses for why you need to eat that extra-large piece of chocolate cake for your birthday, or even give up totally.
So what happened?
Where did all of that enthusiasm and motivation for your low-carb diet go?
You know low carb works, so why is it so easy to go off plan?
If you really want to lose weight and keep it off, why do you make so many diet excuses for not doing it?
Is there any way to prevent that from happening?
Where did all of that enthusiasm and motivation for your low-carb diet go?
You know low carb works, so why is it so easy to go off plan?
If you really want to lose weight and keep it off, why do you make so many diet excuses for not doing it?
Is there any way to prevent that from happening?
Enter the Small-Steps Low-Carb Diet Plan
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| Here is my small-steps keto-diet plan. It can help you stick to your low-carb diet so you can get real-life results. |
In a previous post, I talked about using a back door approach to a low-carb diet if you’re having problems pairing your menus down to an Induction level of carbohydrates.
When you follow a standard Atkins Diet, it can take weeks to find your Critical Carbohydrate Level for losing, and many people don’t have enough patience to do it that way.
Although, a back door approach that gently slips you into the state of ketosis takes even more time to discover your level of carbohydrate tolerance, it’s far less restrictive than a typical keto diet, so many dieters find it easier to stick to.
For example, when I first wrote this post, I had finally gotten around to experimenting with a recipe for low-carb crackers made with almond flour. Although, I wasn’t happy enough with the results to take a picture of them and post the recipe, they were a big hit with hubby.
Since we lived in a small rural community in Central Utah back then and traveled up north quite a bit to get things we needed, I decided that my first change toward a healthier lifestyle would be finding a side dish that contained fewer carbs than potato salad and fruit.
I always made cold baked chicken to take with us, but needed something more in line with a low-carb diet to go with it.
For me, taking personal responsibility and actively finding comfort foods that would allow me to make better low-carb food choices when traveling was essential to getting myself back on track.
When you follow a standard Atkins Diet, it can take weeks to find your Critical Carbohydrate Level for losing, and many people don’t have enough patience to do it that way.
Although, a back door approach that gently slips you into the state of ketosis takes even more time to discover your level of carbohydrate tolerance, it’s far less restrictive than a typical keto diet, so many dieters find it easier to stick to.
My Small-Steps Keto-Diet Plan is similar to the back door approach, but you make the changes from the vantage point of a carbohydrate-reduced eating plan.
You don’t start backwards.
You simply take a step back from what you’re currently doing to carefully examine where you are, and then take the necessary steps to implement one single change that will help you convert your diet into a ketogenic lifestyle that you can live with.
You don’t start backwards.
You simply take a step back from what you’re currently doing to carefully examine where you are, and then take the necessary steps to implement one single change that will help you convert your diet into a ketogenic lifestyle that you can live with.
For example, when I first wrote this post, I had finally gotten around to experimenting with a recipe for low-carb crackers made with almond flour. Although, I wasn’t happy enough with the results to take a picture of them and post the recipe, they were a big hit with hubby.
Since we lived in a small rural community in Central Utah back then and traveled up north quite a bit to get things we needed, I decided that my first change toward a healthier lifestyle would be finding a side dish that contained fewer carbs than potato salad and fruit.
I always made cold baked chicken to take with us, but needed something more in line with a low-carb diet to go with it.
For me, taking personal responsibility and actively finding comfort foods that would allow me to make better low-carb food choices when traveling was essential to getting myself back on track.
Take it Slow
If you have no food allergies, sensitivities, or autoimmune
problems, you might struggle with different problems and low-carb lifestyle
issues than I have.
Some people have problems drinking enough water. Others might:
- use too many sugar substitutes
- drink several cans of diet soda every day
- find themselves addicted to homemade, low-carb baked goods
- have no motivation to begin an exercise program
- have problems sticking to their plan because they don’t prepare ahead for emergencies
- not have a well-stocked low-carb kitchen or refrigerator
- not know how to handle food temptations when they strike
No matter what your particular issues are, take the time to
examine your behavior and mindset.
Self-examination is what will allow you to find the problems that are preventing your personal success with whatever low-carb or low-calorie program you’re currently following, but those problems can also work against you if you try to make too many changes all at once.
Switching from a typical, processed-foods American diet to a whole food, low-carb lifestyle all at once can be quite overwhelming in the beginning. Even the 12 basic rules for Atkins Induction might be far too drastic to implement all at once.
Switching from a typical, processed-foods American diet to a whole food, low-carb lifestyle all at once can be quite overwhelming in the beginning. Even the 12 basic rules for Atkins Induction might be far too drastic to implement all at once.
The body fights change, and so does the mind – especially when
those changes aren’t comfortable, feel restrictive, or are perceived as being
temporary or enslaving.
Be kind to yourself, and take it slow.
Pick one single thing about your current behavior or lifestyle that is interfering with your weight-loss goals.
Maybe it’s something you know you should do, or something you shouldn’t. Whichever issue you choose, focus on only making that one, single change because even when changes improve your outlook, health, or energy levels, there is always a mental adjustment attached to the change.
For example, a couple of years ago, I decided to switch from drinking regular soda back to a diet version. I was interested in seeing how many pounds drinking high-fructose corn-syrup was actually costing me.
As a result, I lost absolutely no weight at all, but not because switching from corn syrup to diet soda wasn't beneficial. It was because I was making higher calorie choices at dinner to make up for the missing calories in the soda. Once I caught on to what my body was doing, I was able to make an additional correction that resulted in the weight starting to come off again.
Be kind to yourself, and take it slow.
Pick one single thing about your current behavior or lifestyle that is interfering with your weight-loss goals.
Maybe it’s something you know you should do, or something you shouldn’t. Whichever issue you choose, focus on only making that one, single change because even when changes improve your outlook, health, or energy levels, there is always a mental adjustment attached to the change.
For example, a couple of years ago, I decided to switch from drinking regular soda back to a diet version. I was interested in seeing how many pounds drinking high-fructose corn-syrup was actually costing me.
As a result, I lost absolutely no weight at all, but not because switching from corn syrup to diet soda wasn't beneficial. It was because I was making higher calorie choices at dinner to make up for the missing calories in the soda. Once I caught on to what my body was doing, I was able to make an additional correction that resulted in the weight starting to come off again.
Give yourself adequate time to make an adjustment.
If low carb is a lifestyle, rather than a diet, there should be no pressure to rush the process.
If low carb is a lifestyle, rather than a diet, there should be no pressure to rush the process.
Changes Need to Be Permanent
Lasting change is the goal.
Temporary change does very little for you except allow you to enjoy a little temporary success.
I really learned that lesson when I did my single round of HCG a few years ago and ended up regaining everything I’d lost during that 6 week period. The changes I made to carve off the pounds were not permanent. I saw that restriction as temporary.
The diet mindset was accented by the fact that I didn’t enjoy eating plain chicken breast, raw cucumbers, and cabbage every single day.
Temporary change does very little for you except allow you to enjoy a little temporary success.
I really learned that lesson when I did my single round of HCG a few years ago and ended up regaining everything I’d lost during that 6 week period. The changes I made to carve off the pounds were not permanent. I saw that restriction as temporary.
The diet mindset was accented by the fact that I didn’t enjoy eating plain chicken breast, raw cucumbers, and cabbage every single day.
But I also failed to maintain those losses because I didn’t
have anything solid to move into next.
The parameters of the program simply
tell you to do a sugar-free low-carb high-fat diet for 3 weeks, and then return foods to
your diet slowly to keep on top of maintenance.
However, the cravings control center in my brain didn’t want me to return to a normal diet that way. As a result, when I returned to my typical way of doing Atkins maintenance, it didn’t work.
However, the cravings control center in my brain didn’t want me to return to a normal diet that way. As a result, when I returned to my typical way of doing Atkins maintenance, it didn’t work.
I could not sustain the new weight level because to stay
at that lower weight of 145 pounds required a diet that was too low in calories and too restrictive for comfort.
I realize that now.
I couldn’t eat the high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet required for three weeks after stopping the HCG drops due to my fat absorption issues. I also didn’t think about my dietary restrictions before starting the diet.
That is the bottom line for me.
For someone else, the bottom line might be different.
I realize that now.
I couldn’t eat the high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet required for three weeks after stopping the HCG drops due to my fat absorption issues. I also didn’t think about my dietary restrictions before starting the diet.
That is the bottom line for me.
For someone else, the bottom line might be different.
I only came to this realization in 2012, after regaining the weight, and after beginning
to re-read Dr. Atkins original diet book. For low carb to be sustainable, it
has to be:
By incorporating changes slowly, you can move toward converting your current diet into a permanent ketogenic lifestyle. And that's the whole point of switching to carbohydrate restriction, isn't it?
- satisfying
- eliminate hunger
- fit within your metabolic issues
- conform to your health restrictions
By incorporating changes slowly, you can move toward converting your current diet into a permanent ketogenic lifestyle. And that's the whole point of switching to carbohydrate restriction, isn't it?
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