The benefits of a keto diet are countless, from weight loss to improving your health and boosting your immunity. However, following the same routine can get tiring for the human body. You might find yourself stuck and unable to continue on your weight loss journey due to being unable to follow a keto diet all the time. 

Well, don’t worry, because we have listed for you five simple and easy-to-follow mindset hacks that you can incorporate into your life to not only continue your keto streak but also get amazing transformative results. 

The keto environment 

The first hack on this list is related to your environment. Your mind reacts to what it sees, and if there are sweets and carbohydrate-laden snacks lying around near you or in your fridge, chances are that you will get tempted to eat them. 

So here’s what you have got to do. Your home and your workplace shouldn’t contain any such items that are carbohydrate and sugar-rich. Especially focus on what’s in your fridge since we usually check our fridge whenever we’re hungry or need a drink and a candy bar can easily distract you from your goal. Instead, try veggies and hummus or a grass-fed beef stick.

Now, you might ask, what should I do if you aren’t the only person living at your home and other people in your family don’t follow a keto diet, or your colleagues at work might not follow a keto diet? Well, in such a case, you should try having a separate fridge or food reserve from other members of your family or work. Or even better, you should convince them to join you in your keto streak as well!

Keto mindset while dining out

The next hack that you should follow is taking the right steps when dining out. This means that when you’re going out for food, you should always try to go to restaurants that serve keto-friendly food. 

But what should one do if you’re going out to a restaurant that does not specialize in keto dishes? These days most restaurants have their menus available online so you can simply scan through it to find items that will complement your keto diet. 

Try avoiding items that are rich in carbs including sauces and add-ons. Also, remember to keep track of what you’ve eaten and how many calories you have consumed so that you can adjust your future schedule accordingly. 

For example, let’s say you are going for some wings at Wingstop. You should completely avoid items like boneless tenders (they have breading), chicken sandwich (bread – again), Jalapeno cheese sauce (too much sweet and dairy), etc. Instead, opt for classic bone-in wings, some veggies/salad and Ranch or Blue cheese for dressings.

Do however limit your outside food since they contain more calories than homemade food since it can get quite difficult to maintain the calorie deficit necessary for your weight loss. 

Switch up your diet

If you’re consuming the same food every single day, it can get quite exhausting and your body will start craving something different. It is very common for people to give up on their keto diet at this point and have a sugar-filled dish instead, and as you start having one, your body craves more and more, eventually leading to an incomplete end of your weight loss journey. 

The best way to counteract this is to switch up your diet yourself before your body starts demanding a change. For example, you should have a different meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you should change what you’re having at each time every couple of days. Remember, there are countless keto dishes and snacks to choose from and you should make full use of your choices to make the most out of your keto diet. 

You should also supplement this with intermittent fasting. Fasting is not only healthy and beneficial but it is a great way for your body to adapt and limit any sugar urges that you may get. 

Setting an achievable goal

One mistake that we often make while trying to lose weight and follow a keto diet is to set the goal too high. While trying to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time and following the most strict and tiresome diet, we often lose our way during the middle of the journey and end up making no progress at all. 

Remember, change takes time and it is not feasible for your body to follow an excessively strict diet for a long time. To prevent burning out and leaving your journey mid-way, set a goal that is sustainable and achievable, and make sure you enjoy the journey rather than considering it cumbersome. 

Try maintaining a rate of about 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week rather than something extravagant. This can be done by maintaining a calorie deficit of about 500 to 1000 kCal which is not only easier to do but is also healthy. 

Trying to lose excessive weight in a short span of time can also be unhealthy for your body and may result in you losing excessive amounts of muscle proteins and other essential nutrients from your body. 

Keeping track

The last hack that you should follow in order to never get de-tracked from your keto diet is to make sure that you keep a record of your progress. While this might seem tough and insignificant, it does play a big role in your journey. 

By keeping track of how much weight you’re losing, what you’re eating, the amount of calories you’re taking, and the amount of exercise you’re doing, you can understand the metabolism and requirements of your body much better. This allows you to make adjustments to your schedule and make the necessary changes that are required for you to further enhance the efficiency of your weight loss journey.

Furthermore, by recording your weight changes, you can see your progress which might not appear physically and it will show you that you’re going in the right direction. This will give you a sense of achievement and this will provide you with the motivation to keep going and continue your keto diet. 

By following these five simple hacks, you can continue with your keto diet streak and enjoy the physical and medical benefits of a keto diet.

Ellen Diamond, a psychology graduate from the University of Hertfordshire, has a keen interest in the fields of mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.