Keto Pitfalls Part 2: Sidestep These Costly Diet Blunders
In part 1, I outlined five keto diet mistakes that will either make the experience less pleasant, potentially causing you to quit, or ensure that you don’t get the best results. Even though the theory behind the diet is quite simple, there are many things to consider. So, without further delay, let’s go straight into another five keto pitfalls.
Not Keeping an Eye on Vegetables with Carbs
Despite all the marketing and medical advice, a vast percentage of us don’t get enough vegetables. Indeed, the CDC found that only 10% of American adults meet recommendations for vegetable and fruit intake.
You can’t hide from your healthy greens, as vegetables are a cornerstone of the ketogenic diet. However, some vegetables contain a surprising number of carbs. For instance, the potato is actually botanically vegetable but you must avoid it. Likewise, green peas contain 14 grams of carbs per 100 grams. So, you might think you’re following the diet, but in reality, certain veg can easily push you out of ketosis if you’re not careful.
To avoid this mistake, familiarize yourself with the carb content of common vegetables. Opt for low-carb options like spinach, kale, zucchini, and cauliflower. It’s also wise to use a keto-friendly app or food diary to monitor your carb consumption, especially when eating vegetable-based dishes.
Watch your portions. Even low-carb vegetables can add up if you eat large quantities. For instance, spinach contains 3.6 grams of carbs per 100 grams. Therefore, be mindful of serving sizes to stay within your daily carb limit. Also, it’s best to prioritize vegetables high in fiber, as this can help with digestion and overall gut health while staying keto-friendly.
Snacking Too Much
Did you know that the idea of eating three meals a day didn’t take root in most cultures until the 16th century? Before then, people generally ate a morning meal and didn’t eat again until the evening. As for snacking, there were few options until the late 19th century when potato chips were introduced to the masses. The 20th century saw a precipitous rise in the snacking industry, which is now ubiquitous, as evidenced by the enormous number of adverts for such foods!
If you’re on the keto diet, you must avoid the snacking trap, especially when surrounded by tempting keto-friendly treats like cheese, nuts, and other high-fat, high-calorie foods. While these snacks can fit into your macros, over-snacking can lead to excessive calorie consumption, slowing or halting your weight loss progress.
As such, it’s best to stick to the standard three meals per day routine. Ideally, you’ll create a meal schedule so you know precisely what to eat and when. Batch cooking followed by freezing can save a lot of time.
Also, you need to ask yourself if you’re hungry because many people snack out of boredom. Suitable options for a snack include celery with almond butter, a small handful of nuts, or boiled eggs (I once saw a guy in the gym pull two hard-boiled eggs out of his shoes after a training session).
Neglecting Sleep
A huge percentage of us don’t get enough sleep. CDC data revealed that approximately 37% of Americans get insufficient sleep. Incidentally, almost half of Hawaiians don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep (which means Sleepless in Schofield Barracks is a thing).
Apart from its importance in weight management and general health, sleep is a critical factor in the keto diet. Poor or insufficient sleep can increase stress hormones like cortisol, which may lead to cravings, overeating, and a slower transition into ketosis. Lack of sleep can also sap your energy, making it harder to stick to the diet or stay motivated to exercise.
Nip this in the bud by creating a consistent bedtime routine that includes reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath to help you relax. Limit your screen time before bed because blue light can play havoc with melatonin production. Avoid screens at least an hour before sleep, and wait until tomorrow to watch the latest Jack Reacher episode.
Make an effort to keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Consider blackout curtains, white noise machines, or a weighted blanket if needed. Certain keto-friendly foods, like fatty fish or magnesium-rich almonds, can promote better sleep by supporting your body’s natural rhythms.
Not Paying Attention to Food Quality
Many people on keto focus solely on macronutrient ratios while ignoring the quality of the foods they consume. This “dirty keto” approach may help you stay in ketosis, but it can negatively affect your overall health in the long run. Eating too many processed meats, unhealthy fats, and artificial sweeteners can lead to inflammation, poor digestion, and a lack of essential nutrients.
So, eat only whole, unprocessed foods as often as possible. Options include high-quality meats, organic vegetables, and healthy fats like avocado and extra virgin olive oil. Yes, it will cost a little extra, but you’ll probably save money by eliminating snacking! Also, steer clear of foods with hidden sugars, trans fats, and unnecessary additives.
Focusing on Protein and Getting the Carb/Fat/Protein Balance Wrong
According to most popular keto diet sources, between 70% and 80% of your calories should come from fat, with protein comprising only 20-25%. So, if you eat 2,500 calories, perhaps 1,750 calories can come from fat, 100 calories from carbs (equating to 25 grams), while the other 650 calories can come from protein. This would result in a daily protein intake of approximately 162 grams, which is plenty!
Granted, the above shouldn’t be taken as Gospel, but it should give you a good idea of how to structure your diet. Too many people completely overdo their protein intake, taking 300 grams or thereabouts because they think it will speed up weight loss or help with muscle gain. However, consuming too much protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, a process where the body converts excess protein into glucose, which may hinder ketosis.
You can swerve this error by aiming for a macronutrient split of around 70-80% fat, 15-25% protein, and 5-10% carbs. Use a keto calculator to measure your weight, activity level, and goals to determine your exact macronutrient needs. Finally, when eating protein, look for slightly fattier cuts of meat (while still focusing on quality), cheese, and oils rather than lean meats like chicken breast.
Use This Advice to Faithfully Follow the Keto Diet
This may seem like a lot of information (and I’m not done yet). You may even view the ketogenic diet as a complicated, confusing process, but in truth, most of this advice revolves around common sense. Once you understand what the keto diet is all about, you’ll quickly know whether it’s a suitable option for you. If you decide it is, the Premium Jane keto range is well worth investigating.
In the third and final part, which is hopefully better than The Godfather Part III, I explain five more keto diet errors, including calorie comprehension and focusing too much on the scale.
