1)  Start Off Properly

When starting a low carb diet, make sure you complete your due diligence and know what you are getting yourself into.  There are a lot of low carb myths out there that could potentially ruin any attempt at losing weight, or even worse compromise your health.  Find out as much as you can about each low carb program so that you can pick the one that you think is best for you.  Learn the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates, and which foods contain each type.  Discover what ketosis is, and how to achieve a ketosis state.  When initially starting a low carb diet, your body will go through some major metabolic changes.  There are some great references like this one that will help you cope with these changes and adjust your diet as necessary.  

2) Don’t Give Up

Starting a low carb diet is not always easy for everyone.  Some people may experience physical differences that will indicate that there are adjustments that need to be made. 
Many people completely cut carbs from their diet and then experience fatigue and irritability within the first week.  These types of unpleasant responses made by your body often times cause people to discontinue their diet attempt.  By easing yourself into the diet and learning about these changes before they happen, you can preemptively avoid problems or quickly  resolve them to keep you on track.       

 3)  Eat Enough Fruit and Vegetables

A common misconception about low carb dieting is that because fruit and vegetables contain carbs, they shouldn’t be eaten.  Avoiding fruits and vegetables in the long term could have some serious health repercussions.  You’re better off thinking of fruit and vegetables as the basis of your diet.  The micronutrients in fruits and vegetables will help you prevent fatigue throughout the day.  Learn which fruits and vegetables are the best during low-carb dieting. 

 4)  Eat Enough Fiber

Cutting carbs usually means that you’re cutting fiber from your diet as well.  Additionally, because fiber is considered a carbohydrate many people stay away from it on a low carb diet.  It is important to know that fiber is not digested like other carbohydrates and therefore not counted in total carb intake. Fiber plays a major role in digestion health, so knowing these facts before you start a low carb diet can prevent issues in the long run.  By eating enough fruits and vegetables, your fiber intake will remain sufficient.  Julian Bakery Smart Carb #1 is a perfect food for low carb and high fiber intake. If you eat gluten free, check out Smart Carb GF #3.  There are other great low carb, high fiber foods that can be utilized during low carb dieting to maintain a high fiber intake. 

 5)  Count Calories

In addition to counting your carbohydrate intake, it is also a good idea to keep track of how many calories you are eating as well.  Low carb dieters often have the misconception that they can eat as much as they want, and as long as it’s all low carb food, they will still lose weight.  We must keep in mind that other macronutrients, if eaten in abundance, will also be stored as fat.  It is important to stay tuned to your appetite.  Only eat if you feel hungry and stop eating when you feel satiated. 

 6)  Plan Your Diet

One of the biggest issues that dieters experience is not planning their meals.  By having diet friendly foods on hand and packing your lunch, you will avoid referring back to bad habits.  Before starting your diet, cleanse your kitchen of foods that do not fit into the diet and replace them with foods that do.  Surrounding yourself with healthy food is a great way to develop better eating habits.  Nothing is worse than being hungry, not knowing what to eat, and settling for the drive through. 

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 7)  Mix It Up

When dieting, it is very easy to pick a handful of meals that work and stick to eating the same ones every week.  This is a sure-fire way to get bored of your diet.  It is important to eat a variety of foods so that you don’t become a slave to the same foods.  Different foods offer different nutrients and combine to provide a well-balanced diet.  Do not settle for food you
don’t like just because it fits into your diet.  It is possible to still eat your favorite meals, just look for the low carb versions. 

 8)  Monitor Ingredients

Some ingredients used to replace sugar and starch should be completely avoided.  Low carb or sugar free meal replacement and dessert products are often red flags for dangerous ingredients like maltitol, xylitol, and sorbitol.  These sugar alcohols are actually carbohydrates that are not completely absorbed and can ferment in the intestines causing bloating, gas, or diarrhea. 

 9)  Avoid The Carb ‘Ramp Up’

After successfully losing weight on a low carb diet, it is easy to begin adding small amounts of carbs back into your diet.  Some people seem to do it as a reward for successfully losing weight, others do it subconsciously. Either way, continuously cheating on your diet will increase carb cravings and eventually cause weight gain.  Dieting should be thought of more as a lifestyle change, or else it could result in a vicious cycle of weight gain that becomes tough to break.

 Keep your carbs low with Julian Bakery’s Smart Carb Bread!

10)  Exercise

There is a very common misconception that if you are on a low carb diet, you don’t have to exercise.  Many people can be successful at losing weight while staying sedentary.  However, I can not stress enough how important exercise is for more than just losing weight.  Exercise increases metabolism, improves cardiovascular and respiratory health, as well as improves overall sense of well-being.  Whether dieting or not, exercise is a very good lifestyle habit to form.