by Lynn Jordan

Created on: January 09, 2008

There are several reasons why people have trouble starting or staying on a low carb diet. Here are some of the problems that people have.

Not studying their chosen diet plan
People think they know what a low carb diet is and jump into an eating plan unprepared. Whichever diet your choose, read about it from a book or on the web. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and the diets do differ, especially in the first few weeks.

Not getting a checkup before starting
Go to your doctor to see if you have any major health problems. Find out your before numbers-weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, so you'll be able to see your progress. Your doctor may not endorse your diet plan, since even doctors have misconceptions about low carb diets.

Not drinking enough water
You need to drink plenty of water in order to flush out your system. The trips to the bathroom will also increase your daily exercise.

Letting yourself get hungry
One benefit of the plan is that you are allowed to eat "good" fats. These fats signal your body that you are full. Eat enough that you don't feel hungry. There are lots of approved foods to choose from. Your plan should include snacks in addition to meals.

Not having the right food on hand
Make sure that you have lots of approved food on hand. If low carb food isn't handy and easy to have, you'll go back to your old food habits. Hard boil some eggs, prepackage nuts in the proper portions. It's easy to start with a few and find you've eaten way more than you intended. Keep a tray of fresh vegetables and dressing in the refrigerator. (Make sure the dressing isn't low fat with lots of sugar added.)

Not taking advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables taste much better than canned or frozen. Enjoy each season's produce and look forward to trying new foods.

Not reading labels
Reading food labels is very important. Most of the low-fat products have substituted sugar to provide the favor that is missing along with the fats. Sugar and corn products have crept into nearly all of our processed foods.

Not paying attention to your trigger foods
Trigger foods are different for everyone. They are those foods that make you start eating foods you shouldn't or make your weight loss stall. Some people can eat all the cheese they want with no problems. Others find that cheese stops their weight loss immediately. For others, it may be caffeine, alcohol, nuts or something else. If you find a trigger food that makes your weight plateau, avoid it as much as possible.

Giving up too soon
You may get the "induction flu" when you first start on a low carb diet. This is your body's reaction to withdrawal of sugars. You should also have a noticeable weight loss during the first week or two. Don't quit then. Your weight loss will slow, but will still continue. Your energy will return higher than ever.

Avoiding these mistakes can make your low carb way of life more enjoyable and more permanent.

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