Low Carb Q&A – What You Need To Know For Weight Loss Success

I answer questions about the low carb diet all day every day, so I wanted to share some of the TOP things you MUST know to succeed and lose weight eating low carb.

I’m happy to answer YOUR questions too, so read through these notes first… then leave a comment with any questions you have. 🙂

Ready? Here’s my best advice…

Stop Dieting. Eat Healthy, BE Healthy.

The absolute best advice I can offer from my six years of experience… is to STOP dieting. Just get out of that mindset altogether.

A ketogenic low carb diet is a healthy way of eating. Simply make it a lifestyle choice, instead of a diet. You’ll lose weight naturally as a result. 🙂

Struggling To Stay On Track? Make This SMALL Commitment.

If you just stick to it for ONE WEEK, or even just FIVE little days… you’ll find you have hardly any appetite and your cravings totally disappear. It’s like magic!

There is a science to the way the low carb diet works, putting your body in ketosis, which just makes it EASY to stick to after that.

Can you commit to 5 days? If so, you’ll be home free!

LCHF Diet Explained: How It Works

What Is Ketosis? Everything You Need To Know

Don’t Try To Be Perfect, Just Be Smart.

I’m not personally a “food snob” and don’t try to be perfect, or expect YOU to be perfect. A low carb diet does not necessarily mean all organic foods, all natural, gluten free, etc. It simply means: low carb (ideally 20 net carbs max, 70% fat minimum).

You’ll learn more as you go, and as you get in the habit of reading labels. It’s okay to eat sugar free candy if that helps you stay on track. Sometimes you have to favor convenience over “control” like if you stop at a gas station HUNGRY, or you end up at McDonald’s and need to order sausage & eggs or a burger without the bun.

While it’s best to stay away from processed foods as much as possible, especially bars & shakes, they won’t kill you. Just make smart choices, read labels, and decide what works for you – by tracking and noting any effects.

Are You In Chronic Pain or Miserable? Do Yourself A Favor.

You’ll find that you FEEL amazing when you eat low carb consistently, because of the science behind ketosis. Carbs promote inflammation in the body. Since I went low carb (ketogenic) I am out of chronic pain FINALLY and back to a FUN active lifestyle. 🙂

People with inflammation, arthritis, fibromyalgia, seizures, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc find that eating a healthy low carb diet improves their health dramatically – and quickly.

Has Your Weight Loss Stalled? Try This.

Try going super simple: real food only, nothing processed, no bars or shakes, cut out nuts and cheese and cream cheese, and no complicated recipes, just meat & greens + healthy fats – and 3 or 4 ingredients max per plate. That usually does the trick!

Read: 3IMAX The 3 Ingredients Rule for Weight Loss

You won’t lose weight every day or every week…

It’s common to experience a brief “hold” or even slight fluctuations in your weight after your initial weight loss. Especially during weeks 2 and/or 3. That’s totally normal. It’s just your body adjusting to such fast weight loss. Don’t change anything! Just keep doing what is obviously working so well for you.

The biggest mistake most people make is backing off or quitting when they don’t lose as much – or any at all – some weeks. It’s actually normal for your weight loss to work in cycles, so just stay consistent no matter what the scales say. That’s the trick!

Speaking of tricks, refer back to the first point: don’t try “weight loss tricks”. Just keep eating low carb consistently, making healthier food choices, eat more simple meals, and stay away from “dieting tricks” or anything that makes you feel DEPRIVED. That will tank you, and you want to learn to eat for energy – not do unhealthy things just to force faster weight loss.

Macros Explained & Illustrated – Plus: How To Track Net Carbs

Macronutrients: Simple Explanation Of Low Carb Macros

How To Get A Net Carbs Column in MyFitnessPal

MORE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

If you get leg cramps on a low carb diet… first: don’t take supplements without consulting your doctor. Second: the low carb diet is a natural diuretic, and it’s normal to experience leg cramps as part of the “keto flu” when your body is going into ketosis.

What should you do? Drink chicken broth. It replaces the sodium and electrolytes lost during the diuretic process of going into ketosis. Read this for more information about Ketosis and Keto Flu…

Tip: Don’t eat low sodium on a low carb diet.

Also: Eat low carb foods high in magnesium & potassium (real food is better than pills). Avocado and Salmon top the list as “super foods” that provide both healthy fats, potassium AND magnesium.

Sources for magnesium in low carb foods include: spinach, swiss chard, sunflower seeds, almonds, turnip greens, summer squash, edamame, peanut butter, avocado, salmon, halibut, chicken, beef, broccoli.

Spinach, salmon, avocado & mushrooms are top low carb sources for potassium.

Also – DO NOT eat “high protein”. It’s dangerous, and hard on your kidneys. A low carb diet is meant to be LCHF: Low Carb High Fat. You should be eating at least 70% of your calories in healthy fats.

Healthy Fats & Super Foods For A Low Carb Diet

How are things going for you?

How are you doing with your low carb meals & macro tracking? Any questions or struggles? I would love to hear how your week is going and what you’re eating!

Leave a comment & let’s talk. 🙂

Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler