10 Ways To Maintain A Low Carb Diet Plan

September 1, 2009

Maintaining your weight loss from your low carb diet plan can be difficult for the long term. It is easy to lose the weight, but keeping it off year after year is the measure of true success from your diet. Here are some tips on how to maintain your low carb diet plan to keep the weight off:

Tip #1: Reduce Portion Size

By creating meals composed of healthy portions of protein, fruits and vegetables, you will reduce the number of carbs you eat and maintain the proper level of calories daily.

Tip #2: Eat Four or Five Meals Daily

Eating more frequently will help increase your metabolism, and in turn, help you burn more calories. Also, you won’t be as hungry each time you eat, so you will eat less and avoid overeating.

Tip #3: Avoid Eating Late

If you eat a snack after 7pm, eat a low carb food such as yogurt, fruits, or vegetables.

Tip #4: Plan Ahead

One of the best ways to stick with your low carb diet is to plan ahead. Make a meal plan, shop ahead of time, and prepare your meals without being rushed.

Tip #5: Broil and Grill Meats

Trim off excess fat from the meat before cooking, and remove the skin when possible. Use natural spices to enhance the flavor.

Tip #6: Drink Plenty of Water

By staying hydrated, you will keep your body healthy and cleansed. It is recommended that you drink 64 oz of water daily, preferably filtered or bottled.

Tip #7: Eat Unsaturated Fats

Use olive oil and eat plenty of nuts and fish so that you get healthy fats, and not the less healthy saturated and trans fats. These fats help with natural disease prevention, and they give you essential oils and other nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.

Tip #8: Drink Alcohol in Moderation

If you are actively trying to lose weight, you should avoid alcohol altogether. However, if you have reached your weight loss goal and are just trying to keep the weight off, you can enjoy alcohol in moderation.

Tip #9: Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables

Although many fruits and vegetables are restricted in the initial phase of most low carb diets, they are then allowed back in limited amounts. The nutrients from these foods decrease blood pressure and protect against many other diseases. You should include these everyday into your diet for continued health. They can be easily incorporated throughout your day in the form of snacks, salads, and juice.

Tip #10: Eat Whole Foods

Most Americans tend to be overweight because of all the convenient snack foods readily available. When you start a low carbohydrate diet, many of these things are eliminated immediately from your diet, but as you start to incorporate more foods back into your diet, you may see “low net carb” foods on the market. Though these may have low total carbohydrates, they are high in trans and saturated fats. This will resume in unhealthy snack habits and a high caloric intake from unhealthy fats. Instead, try to cut out all unprocessed snack foods, and replace them with whole foods.

Follow these tips, and stay on track to maintain a healthy (and well earned) weight!