Thinking about trying a low carb diet, or more specifically the keto diet? Going on a high fat, low carb diet can be life-changing. However, before starting on this diet, it’s not only wise to learn as much as possible about it from the Body Reboot book, but also consider going on it long-term. Now, why on earth would we recommend going on a diet for the long term? Some believe one should only go on a diet to lose weight, and after reaching weight loss goals, they should return their a “normal” diet. However, sometimes staying on a healthy diet long-term is the way to go. Not only does it help one keep the weight off, but it instills positive habits that will stick around after the weight is gone. Experts recommend the keto diet as a long-term diet, and you may be wondering what steps you can take to make that happen. Keep reading to find out how you can start and maintain your weight loss goals long after you’ve achieved all of your health goals.

Ruled.me recommends considering four variables. Carefully consider these elements and use them to stay consistent with your diet. They offer some invaluable tips to apply so that you can make the keto diet a successful diet for you now and in the future.

To develop a lifestyle that helps you maintain your weight loss results and optimize your health, you must take these 4 variables into consideration:

Your food environment

Your current lifestyle

Your social circle

The underlying purpose behind your goals

Let’s take a closer look at each one and what you can do to harness their power for optimal long-term results.

Flipping Your Food Environment to Foster Better Long-Term Results

We are emotionally driven creatures, and food is one of our most potent emotional drivers. What we smell and see can trigger cravings and desires that would have never occurred to us if it weren’t for that deviously placed cookie in the break room.

Your food environment, from your kitchen to your work place and everything in between, is always nudging you toward certain food decisions. Unfortunately, most of our food environments are influencing us to make many more unhealthy choices than choices that help us stay healthy.

The key to avoiding these poor food decisions is not to rely on willpower alone. There will be times when that donut, cookie, milkshake, etc. is so tantalizing that it will end up in your mouth.

Instead, we must use the power of our food environment to nudge us toward making healthier decisions. In other words, you will be influencing both the subconscious and conscious aspects of your mind to help you make healthy choices and sustain your weight loss results for life.

Here are some examples of how you can flip your food environment to feed your results instead of your fat cells:

Remove all unhealthy, processed foods from your home.

If you can’t remove all unhealthy foods from your home, put them in a place that is hard to see and access easily.

Put all fresh produce and other healthy food choices in easy-to-see places.

Reduce your portion sizes and/or plate sizes.

Bring healthy snacks with you on the road in case you need a quick meal when you are in a rush. (Not sure what you can have as a snack on keto? Check out our keto snack list.)

Make most of your meals at home. (Use our keto recipes to help you plan ahead.)

Plan your meals ahead of time and stick to your shopping list.

Research restaurants for healthy options and plan your order before you go.

Bring your own to-go container to restaurants so you can wrap up a portion of your meal for leftovers before you eat it.

Bring healthy snacks/meals with you to work. (That free donut is never worth it.)

Prep to-go meals ahead of time so you don’t have to rely on what’s available at work or on your road trip.

These may seem like silly little tasks at first, but simple changes like these will have a HUGE impact on your results as your healthy choices accumulate. They are also the easiest changes you can make to transform your current lifestyle into a healthy lifestyle.

Making your health a priority is vital during any stage of your life, which is why Ketovale reminds us never to forget that. If you forget that your health is a priority, you may find bad habits creeping back up and preventing you from reaching your health goals. Define your priorities and consistently follow them.

If you don’t define your priorities, life will always get in the way.

Let your family know that you’re working towards a new goal, and ask them for their support and encouragement. Plan ahead and ask them for help whenever needed, for example, to help you do some chores so that you have time to go to the gym, or to go shopping for keto foods with you, or anything else you might struggle with.

If you’re a busy parent and struggle finding time for yourself, consider this – your health is extremely important to the well-being of your family. It’s not only about you, it’s about everyone around you, too. Keto doesn’t have to be expensive, either, so if you’re on a tight budget you can still make it work. And remember – being unhealthy is much more expensive in the long run than making a few sacrifices now.

Ruled.me mentioned this earlier in the article, but Web MD reminds us yet again just how important it is to control your environment. Keeping track of what is in each space, you spend the most time at will help you avoid temptation and follow through.

Willpower alone won't cut it. To be a successful loser, you need to create a diet-friendly environment at home, work, and socially.

“It is hard to continually push away from the wings at happy hour, candy on your desk, or a house full of temptations. If you want to succeed, you need to make changes in your environment so you are not constantly dealing with or resisting temptations,” says Wyatt.

When you can't eat the same things as your friends, or your family doesn't support your weight-loss efforts, this makes dieting more difficult, says Champagne.

Diet Success Tip: Seek support from your family, friends, and co-workers. And, Wyatt suggests, remove temptations wherever you can. Stock your kitchen with nutritious foods so you have ingredients on hand for healthy meals and snacks. Take nutritious snacks and meals with you when you're on the go so you'll be prepared when hunger strikes. Remove the candy dish from your desk, skip happy hour with your friends — do whatever it takes to set yourself up for success, even if it means hanging around with different friends.

A diet doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, you should try to keep it simple as Ketovale recommends. No, a diet isn’t always going to be a “blast,” but you shouldn’t overcomplicate it.

Don’t overcomplicate everything – you don’t need every keto-friendly ingredient on the market in order to start doing keto and be successful. Stick to the basics and switch things a little whenever you start getting bored.

What are the basics, you might be wondering? Here they are:

Concentrate on whole foods: choose a protein source of your liking, add fat while cooking, and have a side of low-carb veggies with it.

Stick to a caloric deficit.

Track your macros.

Stay hydrated and keep your electrolytes in check.

Perhaps emotional eating is challenging for you to control. You’re not alone, but Help Guide says controlling this reaction from creeping back into your life will help you follow through with your diet instead of giving up. Many of us may overeat to cope with whatever may be happening in life at the time and to conquer that you should learn your emotional triggers.

We don’t always eat simply to satisfy hunger. All too often, we turn to food when we’re stressed or anxious, which can wreck any diet and pack on the pounds. Do you eat when you’re worried, bored, or lonely? Do you snack in front of the TV at the end of a stressful day? Recognizing your emotional eating triggers can make all the difference in your weight-loss efforts. If you eat when you’re:

Stressed – find healthier ways to calm yourself. Try yoga, meditation, or soaking in a hot bath.

Low on energy – find other mid-afternoon pick-me-ups. Try walking around the block, listening to energizing music, or taking a short nap.

Lonely or bored – reach out to others instead of reaching for the refrigerator. Call a friend who makes you laugh, take your dog for a walk, or go to the library, mall, or park—anywhere there’s people.

Is Keto the right lifestyle for you? It just may be now and long-term as well! Learn everything you need to know about the ketogenic diet by helping us cover shipping and receive the Body Reboot book for free.

Sources: Ruled.me, Ketovale, WebMD, HelpGuide.org