Getting started with low-carb or keto can be overwhelming. It can require a dramatic overhaul of your diet as well as your lifestyle.

The carb cravings are REAL, and there will be temptations at every turn.

But it will be worth it, you just need a little help…

That's why we have put together 17 Low-Carb & Keto Tips and Tricks to help you be successful in this new chapter of your life!

Golden Rule of Keto: Know your macros!

Before we get to our list, you need to know this: Knowing your macros, and exactly what amounts of carbs, fat, and protein you should be eating is crucial to being a success on the keto diet.

❗Fail to get your carbs low enough and you won't go into ketosis. 
❗Fail to eat enough fat and you will feel lethargic, making staying consistent impossible. 
❗Eat too much protein, and they might get converted into glucose.  

This is super important! Learn your macros!

💻 RELATED: So before we move on to the tips and tricks, if you're not already familiar with your macros you should read 👉 How to Start a Keto Diet?

Now, onto the Low-Carb and Keto tips and tricks...

17 Tips & Tricks for Success on the Keto Diet

Ready to get your fat-burning system revved up? 

Here are 17 Low-Carb & Keto Tips for you to memorise. Print this list off and stick it on to your carb-free fridge:

1. Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time

Make sure you have enough keto foods to easily get through the first week or two of the diet. This will stop you from giving in to the temptation that might arise if you don't have the right foods at hand. Getting one of our starter boxes will get you everything you need (plus and a nice little discount). Keep a list of recipes that you know will satisfy you and stop those dirty carb cravings!

2. Decrease Carbs

Duh! Some people say cut carbs slowly, some say be drastic. Whatever approach you take, they have to go!

3. Hydrate and Replenish Electrolytes

The keto diet can cause an initial loss of water weight. Drink plenty of water and ensure you're getting enough electrolytes, like sodium, potassium, and magnesium by loading up on those precious greens.

4. Monitor Your Macros

As we talked about above, keeping a close eye on your macronutrient intake is important to ensure you're sticking to the right proportions of fat, protein, and carbs. There are plenty of free apps that can help you with this. After a few weeks, you will probably not need to track as diligently, but it is important in the early stages!

5. Include Variety

To ensure you're getting a range of nutrients, including a variety of keto-friendly foods in your diet, such as different types of low-carb vegetables, meats, fish, nuts, seeds, and healthy oils. You don't have to feel deprived while on the ketogenic diet, use it as an opportunity to load up on healthy whole foods and change your approach to eating.

6. Get Regular Exercise

Exercise can help to deplete the body of its glycogen stores and help speed up the ketosis process. Weight training and HIIT will get through those stores quicker than steady-state cardio.

7. Sleep Well

Poor sleep can interfere with your body's ability to effectively use fat for fuel. Prioritize quality sleep. The first week can be quite brutal on your sleep quality, so expect some sweaty restless nights until your body adjusts.

8. Prepare for the 'Keto Flu'

Some people experience flu-like symptoms (headaches, fatigue, etc.) as their bodies adapt to using fat as a primary fuel source. This is often called the "keto flu". It's usually temporary and can be mitigated by staying hydrated and properly nourished. But be aware of it. 

💻 RELATED: Want to know more about the 'Keto Flu' and how to avoid it? This article tells you all you need to know 👉 How Keto Works

9. Read Food Labels

Yes, this is super important, especially in the first week when trying to reach ketosis. To keep carbs low, it's important to familiarise yourself with food labels. Pesky hidden carbs can be present in unexpected places.

10. Try Intermittent Fasting

Combining the ketogenic diet with intermittent fasting can accelerate the shift to burning fat and producing ketones. You will be surprised how quickly your body composition can improve when these two work in your favour.

11. Include Fibre

While limiting carbs, it's important not to neglect fibre. Eat plenty of low-carb, high-fibre foods like leafy greens and other non-starchy vegetables. This will keep you regular and will mitigate any stomach issues in the early stages of keto. Our low-carb bread is a very high fibre product, 1 - 2 sliced per day is ideal. 

12. Limit 'Sugar-Free' Diet Foods

While these foods are tempting, they can often lead to overeating or a stalled weight loss progress due to their sugar alcohol and extra carbs.

13. Manage Stress Levels

High-stress levels can prevent your body from entering ketosis. Incorporate stress-reducing practices such as meditation, yoga, or light exercise into your routine. Chill out!

14. Limit Alcohol

While some alcohols have fewer carbs, they can still hinder your progress, particularly if weight loss is your goal. We all know that our inhibitions go away after a few drinks and that dirty pizza shop will start looking like a 3-star Michelin restaurant if you don't control yourself.

15. Careful with Condiments

Carbs can hide in unassuming foods. Sauces, dressings, spice mixes, and other condiments can all contain sugars that can add up if you're not careful. Stick to vinaigrettes and mayo, to begin with. Eventually, you will be able to have a little bit of sauce when you are deep in ketosis. You can also check out our recipe library for some great keto and low-carb sauces and dressings like Low-Carb Tomato Ketchup, Low-Carb Green Pesto and Low-Carb Mayonnaise. 

16. Test Ketone Levels

For the best indicator of whether your body is in ketosis, consider investing in a device to test your ketone levels. This can be particularly useful at the start of your diet. Keto sticks are cheap and available in plenty of shops. No need to get a blood testing kit, although for the hardcore keto fiends, that may be useful. 

💡 If you want to go the ‘hardcore’ way, Neutrally.io is one of the companies that offers real-time tracking of your body's ketones, glucose levels and fat-burning. It will help you understand how your diet and lifestyle impack your body's blood sugar balance, and gives you personalised, actionable insights for your nutrition, exercise and wellbeing. 

17. Use MCT Oil

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) can be a wonderful addition to your new keto lifestyle. MCTs are fats found in foods like coconut oil. They can be converted rapidly into ketones. Using MCT oil can help increase your fat intake and potentially speed up the process of getting into ketosis. Just be careful when first using them or you will spend your first few days of the diet on the toilet. Really.

Follow these tips, and you should have no problem getting in, and staying in Ketosis.

Remember these tips and stick to your macros, that's all you need to do to have some level of success on the keto diet.

But how do you get the best results possible?…

How Do I Get the Best Results on Keto? 

Some people will be happy to get steady results on the keto diet, and that is great, go for it!

However, there will also be the group that wants fast results when going low-carb and high-fat.

If you are looking to get the very best results from the Keto Diet, at the quickest rate, there are a few important things that you might consider doing:

✅ Be extra strict with your macros: Don't allow yourself to go over 20g of carbs per day. Hit the required amount of fat, without fail. This is the very basics of getting any result from keto, but by staying super strict, you guarantee the best and quickest returns.

✅ Try Intermittent Fasting: Adhere to a fasting protocol, whether it be OMAD (One-Meal-A-Day), 20/4, 16/8, or any other. Fasting works hand in hand with keto. If you want to feel the full power of fat mobilisation and body composition improvements on keto, then try IF.

✅ Do Resistance Training: This type of training will get you into ketosis quicker by burning through your glucose stores, forcing your body into ketosis. It is also good for your heart health and your bone density, and will improve your body composition if weight loss is a goal. Not only that, but it burns through shed loads of energy, even after finishing your workout.

Finally On Keto Tips & Tricks For Success...

Starting the keto diet can be a little confusing, especially when getting a grip on what macros you need to consume, and which foods to avoid.

Hidden carbs are everywhere, and if you are not prepared, you will get kicked out of ketosis without even knowing about it!

But if you are prepared and determined, adopting the keto lifestyle could give you a new lease on life that you didn't know existed. 

Follow the tips above and give it a go!