You did it.
You made the conscious decision to lead a healthier lifestyle by switching to low carb.
Are you finding it difficult to stay on track?
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been at it for a while, maintaining a low carb lifestyle takes dedication and resilience. You definitely have to be committed to stay on target to reach your health and fitness goals.
We have put together four tips to help you reach those goals by maintain a low carb lifestyle. But first, let’s define what we mean when we say low carb.
Defining a Low Carb Lifestyle
A low carb lifestyle follows a diet with limited carbohydrates, or sugars, starches and fibers found in grains, milk products, and starchy vegetables and fruit. Instead, the diet consists of foods that are high in protein and fat, like eggs and meats. With that said, dedicating yourself to the switch can be difficult when you love pastas and pizza, so our first tip to maintaining the lifestyle is arguably the most important.
4 Tips for Maintaining a Low Carb Lifestyle
1. Do It For You
Whether you started a low carb lifestyle to lose weight or better your overall health and wellness, always remember the reason why. Write it down if you have to! Whenever you think about cheating or giving up, think about why you chose to go low carb. Having goals in place will give you something to work towards and make it easier for you to stay on the right path.
2. Low Carb vs. No Carb
Since we mentioned cheating, this second tip is also something for you to keep in mind at all times. Low carb does not mean no carb. You can still enjoy some of the foods you love without feeling guilty about it. If you’re out with your friends and pizza is on the menu – feel free to indulge! It may just be a good idea to keep track of what you eat and when so you’re not overdoing it.
3. Substitution is Key
If you find yourself tempted to cheat more often than not, try finding substitutions for your favorite foods. You can replace rice with cauliflower in most recipes, and it actually cooks much faster. Cauliflower is also a great ingredient for a low carb-friendly pizza crust. You can still cover it in all of the ingredients you love, but this one little switch will keep you on target.
4. Snack on Healthy Foods
One of the concerns with a low carb diet is that it may keep you feeling hungrier throughout the day, making it even more tempting to give up or cheat. So it is critical to make sure you not only eat the right foods, but eat frequently enough as well. Eat filling meats and vegetables for your main meals, and look for healthy snacks to keep you going in-between. Healthy snacks include low carb fruits and vegetables and snack bars.
Choosing the Right Snack Bar
When you’re following a low carb lifestyle, a lot of snack bars are going to become cheat foods. Be sure to read the ingredients before you buy so you know what you’ll be putting in your body. An excellent snack solution that will help you reach your health and fitness goals is the MCTbar Collagen Bar. The MCTbar Collagen Bar is filled with healthy low carb ingredients, healthy fats and MCT oil that will help keep you both full and energized throughout your day.