5 Tips to Make Eating Low Carb Easier

In my opinion there is a lot more to losing weight than eating less and exercising more. It isn’t all about calories in and calories out. Maybe this was true 50 years ago when our food wasn’t full of chemically processed ingredients but definitely not in today’s world. These chemically designed foods affect our hormones differently and cause inflammation and food cravings. Diets and restrictions don’t work. Hunger eventually always wins. In my opinion (and experience) you can drastically change your life by eating clean lower carb foods. Below are 5 tips that have worked for me.

1. Eat Real Food

The majority of the food you find in the grocery store is not made of real food. Instead they are full of chemicals that are designed to make you want to eat more. Food companies purposely add ingredients to increase your cravings. These ingredients are also very inflammatory so you will feel bloated, have brain fog, often stomach issues such as IBS and unwanted extra weight. Learn to read food labels. Often we only look at the front of a label, which usually very misleading, or at the nutrition facts. Instead, start looking at the actual list of ingredients. For the most part, if you don’t recognize what something is neither does your body. Don’t let natural flavors fool you. All that means is it has to at least have one ingredient that comes from nature, the rest can all be chemically engineered. Many foods are marketed with “low carb”,  “keto” or “sugar free” on the label but I advise avoiding almost all of them. Most are full of inflammatory ingredients and often upset your stomach. Check out my list of Better Brands for the few that are made with clean ingredients. I know reading labels can be difficult and confusing. For more information on how to read labels check out my blog post here.

2. Stay Hydrated

This one is a big one and often overlooked. We all know we need to drink a lot of water but it’s more than that. I have found that drinking electrolytes makes a huge difference. Consuming a clean electrolyte, without sugar and chemicals, and one that contains magnesium, potassium and sodium keeps you better hydrated and reduces hunger pains.  Often when we are dehydrated we mistake it for hunger. Drink your electrolytes everyday and be sure to choose a clean brand! I have several listed on my list of Better Brands. I am always updating it and adding new brands as I find them.

3. Eat More Protein

I have found that increasing my protein intake to at least 100 grams a day has made a big difference for me. It keeps me full and satisfied. I find that I don’t feel the need to snack all the time. Make sure you choose proteins that are sourced from whole nutrient dense foods. I eat a lot of eggs, grass fed beef, chicken, wild caught fish, pork and full fat cottage cheese. A good clean protein powder can also help you meet protein goals. Need help coming up with more ideas? Check out my free High Protein Cheat Sheet here. Want to learn more about protein and how it helps? Click here to read my blog post all about protein.

4. Fasting

Fasting is one of my favorite tools to use for both losing and maintaining weight. It is easy and it is free. It took me a long time to figure out how to do it correctly. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of doing it correctly because if you don’t it can do more harm than good. Fasting incorrectly can harm your hormones and can actually cause weight gain or weight loss resistance. From what I have learned everyone can fast for 12-13 hours safely but if you extend your fasting for longer you need to make sure you do it correctly. Men can fast more than women. Females need to be mindful of their cycle (if you are still having one) but even postmenopausal women need to vary their fasts and take a break once in a while. And there are sometimes when you shouldn’t fast for more that 12 or 13 hours. If you are in a stressful season of life you need to work on reducing your stress before you fast. Also if you do frequent high intensity cardio fasting may not be a good fit for you. I encourage you to start learning more about fasting, check in with your doctor and give it a try. I truly find it the best way for me to feel great and maintain my weight loss. I found fasting made losing weight much easier. Click here to read more about why I love fasting. There is also a great book called Fast Like a Girl by Mindy Pelz that is a great resource. She also has a podcast called The Resetter Podcast and a great library of videos on YouTube that are full of great information. Definitely take the time to check them out. Remember, it is so important to do it correctly. Please feel free to reach out to me for more information on how I can help guide you.

5. Consume Healthy Fats

Consuming healthy fats makes eating low carb so much easier, especially in the beginning. Most of my clients have found that making fat bombs along with eating fats like avocados, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and grass fed butter or ghee help when they first start their low carb journey. Fat, like protein, brings you satiety which helps get rid of your sugar and carb cravings. Most people find that after a couple weeks your fat intake will intuitively reduce and weight starts to come off faster. This is because you have lost your cravings and you no longer need to eat as much fat. In the beginning I eat however much fat I need to feel full and I don’t focus on a certain amount. I recommend making some fat bombs to have on hand when a craving hits. They are simple to make and there are many different recipes if you google, just make sure they have clean ingredients. I just added a fat bomb to my Better Brands list if you want to buy them. 

I hope these tips help you regardless of where you are on your low carb journey. Never tried to go low carb? I highly recommend you give it a try. Give yourself 30 days and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how much better you feel. 

I have a lot of free resources to help you on your journey. Are you ready to invest in yourself and would like to see how I can help? Click below to schedule a free call with me to discuss. I have been studying, learning and practicing these tips for years now and feel like I finally figured it out. I now know how to eat sustainably and keep the weight off. I am still a work in progress but I feel good about myself, my clothes fit better and I no longer cringe when I look in the mirror or see a picture of myself. I would love to help you get there also. It is a great place to be. Just know that if I can do it you can too. There is never an easy time to start, so just jump right in and start. Don’t give up, as you don’t have to be perfect but instead be consistent. Know that you deserve to be great, so expect great things!