How to Boost Your Low Carb Diet

Cutting carbohydrate intake can be a successful way to lose weight and reduce body fat. It's even been shown to have beneficial effects on your risk of heart disease. But even the best diet can lose steam after a while. Have a plan for keeping on track and some tips and tricks in your back pocket for when things get tough. The key to any successful diet is consistency. Starting a new diet is easy -- like starting a relationship -- but keeping up with it is much harder.

Instructions

Declare War

• 1

  Clean out your kitchen and pantry. Eliminate any high-carb foods: cereal, bread, ice cream, rice, sugar, potatoes, cookies, candy, chocolate, alcohol and beer. Also get rid of any high-carb starchy vegetables such as corn. Beware of "creeping carbs," foods you might not initially suspect of containing high levels of carbs, such as salad dressings. If you don't have high-carb foods around the house, you are less likely to eat them. Donate foods you can't eat to friends or family who can, or even a local food pantry or shelter.

• 2

  Don't be afraid to have steak for breakfast.

  Start every morning with a "meat and nuts" breakfast. It doesn't sound like your typical breakfast, but it is low in carbs, high in protein, and the fat content will give you energy for hours. Pick a fatty meat and low-carb nuts. This can be some steak and macadamia nuts, or a Mexican omelet with salsa and guacamole, or salmon and a fresh young coconut.

• 3

  Drink one low-carb protein shake per day. Increasing protein intake boosts your metabolism and will help you lose fat and, with proper exercise, build muscle. Beware of protein shakes or smoothies from groceries or stores -- they often contain added sugar or fruit.

• 4

  Keep a low-carb option close at hand for when you get hungry. Avoid peanuts, as they can be somewhat high in carbs compared with other nuts. Also make sure that there are no creeping carbs, such as honey roasted glazes.

• 5

  Healthy fats are present in fish and steak.

  Add foods rich in healthy fats to your diet. Fat gives you energy and helps you stay fuller longer. Good fats can be found in salmon, avocados, coconut oil, olive oil and well-marbled steaks.

• 6

  Lunch!

  Eat more vegetables. Fruits tend to be high in carbs, but many vegetables are not. Get at least four servings of cooked or raw green vegetables per day; that's 1 cup uncooked or 1/2 cup cooked. Throw in one to two servings of colored vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes and peppers per day.

• 7

  Avoid fruits, beans and dairy. These foods all tend to be high in carbs.The milk or cream in your coffee or tea is allowable, though.

Hit the Ground Running

• 8

  Get up, get active.

  Do at least half an hour of physical activity every morning before you eat. This can be a long walk, a brisk jog, running, weightlifting or the use of a cardio machine. This will fire up your metabolism and wake you up.

• 9

  Start recording your food intake. Keep your food journal with you all the time and write down everything you eat.

• 10

  Analyze your food journal. After a week, review your notes and pick out any times that you may have fallen off the wagon. Try to determine the reason: was it a moment of weakness or a slice of cake to be polite at an office birthday party.

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