The keto diet became very popular in the last 5 years. People are starting to understand that keto (as well as zero carb carnivore diet) is the best diet for losing weight, and maintaining it. Many studies show the health benefits of this diet. Moreover, the keto diet is delicious – eating tasty meat and losing weight is just perfect. And there are so many meats to eat – beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, goose, fish and more. Endless food choices. That’s why you hear about the keto diet everywhere nowadays. It really works for the vast majority of people.
In this article- I will mention some of the most common mistakes on the keto diet. There is a lot of misinformation online, and people that read it- and do keto wrongly-may not see the results they were hoping for.
1. Using Sweeteners
Some sweeteners raise insulin, while others don’t. But nonetheless -I highly recommend avoiding them altogether. Sweet/carb addiction is a real thing. The keto diet is a great way to combat this addiction. Yes, you can stay keto even while using lots of sweeteners daily- but that is just you masking the real problem – you are addicted. Eat meat and some high quality carbs (or follow the carnivore diet – eating only meat) – that’s it.
Many keto dessert recipes include the use of sweeteners. Some of these recipes can be found here, on KetoAndEat. In my opinion – eating such a keto desert from time to time is absolutely fine. But not if that becomes a daily habit.
2. “Fat Bombs”
For some time, “keto fat bombs” were very popular – and many people in different keto groups promoted them. In most cases, these “fat bombs” are made from butter and added to coffee or when eating lean meats. The fact that Keto is fat-focused doesn’t mean you need to stuff yourself with fat, and surely not consume fat bombs. If you consume too much fat – you will have diarrhea, nausea and other not pleasant symptoms.
Let your body dictate how much fat you need. On some days, you will crave fatty cuts of meat (like beef or pork ribs) – and on others, leaner meats. As long as your meals, on average over the week – are about 15-25% fat, it’s excellent.
3. Eating Processed Foods
In the last few years, “keto” became something many manufactures state on their products (like “keto cookies”) to sell more. But in my opinion – a real keto diet is focused on real foods. That means – fresh meat from the butcher. Not processed “keto foods”. Ask yourself – did humans eat what I am about to eat – 10,000 years ago? Was it available back then? If the answer is no – you probably shouldn’t eat that.
4. Not Preparing Food Ahead
Carbs are addicting. If you return home from work, tired – and there is no food to eat, it will be very tempting to grab some carbs and snacks – and eat them. I highly recommend preparing food beforehand. Make sure that when it’s time to eat – you don’t need to spend an hour in the kitchen to prepare food.
Vacuum food sealers are great in my opinion. You can prepare bulk amounts of food, vacuum seal it – and freeze. When needed – you can grab the bag from the freezer. I always keep “SOS ready to eat meat” in my freezer. This really helps me avoid carbs and processed foods. There are many great affordable vacuum food sealers online. Also, in the past vacuum sealing bags were expensive – but nowadays, the prices are more affordable. You can save money by buying rolls instead of ready to use bags.
5. Counting Calories
Counting calories is a very bad habit. You can’t “beat” hunger over a long time. You can restrict yourself for a day, maybe a week – but when you feel real hunger – your brain will make sure you eat. That’s how our body was designed to act – over millions of years of evolution. You can’t “cheat” the system. And I’m not even talking about the fact the body isn’t a close system which you can apply “calories in, calories out” model to. It’s a complete nonsense. If so, the best strategy is focusing on real foods – meat ! Over time, the body heals, and starts regulating the amounts you eat. When eating highly processed carbs and foods – there is no such regulation.
6. Not Eating Organs
Organ meats are cheap, delicious (when you know how to prepare them correctly) and super healthy. They contain minerals, vitamins and many other micro nutrients. Beef liver is the most talked about organ meat, but you can also eat beef kidney, beef heart, beef testicles, turkey gizzards and many other organ meats. You can find many related recipes on KetoAndEat.
7. Not Salting Your Food Enough
The clearance of ketones causes the body to lose sodium. On top of that, when eating keto and avoiding proceeded foods (as well as bread) – you consume much less table salt. So now, when preparing your food – use salt generously. Not only it’s healthy to your body – but it also makes food taste much better ! So win-win !
8. Not Drinking Enough Water on Keto
Dehydration is an increased possibility on keto. When decreasing carbs, it can shift the fluid and electrolyte balance. Carbohydrates are stored along with water in the body. As these carb stores are depleted – the water is lost along with them. Ketones are also flushed out in the urine, and that also depletes water and sodium. So don’t forget about drinking water regularly !
9. Not Eating Omega-3 Rich Foods
You don’t need Omega-3 supplements – eat rich omega-3 foods instead. For example – cod liver and sardines. I personally really like canned cod liver. It is cheap and can be bought anywhere. On KetoAndEat you can find a great cod liver salad recipe.