There are two parts to how to follow the ketogenic diet; having a meal plan as well as both discipline and motivation. A meal plan gives you all the tools you need to follow a ketogenic diet. Motivation gives you understanding of your personal goals and reasons behind wanting to follow a ketogenic diet whereas discipline will allow you to succeed.

The role of discipline and motivation

Motivation is the desire and drive to accomplish a goal. It is the reason why you’re trying out a ketogenic diet. Having solid reasons why you’re interested in the keto diet and what you hope to achieve will give you the willpower to stay on track.

It is challenging to stay motivated all the time. This is when discipline kicks in; it’s when you continue despite having no energy or motivation. Discipline allows you to stay consistent and ultimately to succeed; it is the real driving force behind doing a ketogenic diet. Discipline is the ‘how and what’ you need to do to reach a goal. It’s the methods, routines and control you have over your actions.

Your environment helps you stay disciplined

Your home and workplace are often the places where you spend the most time. You will have built habits and routines in these places which you may need to change in order to succeed with your keto goals. It’s easier being disciplined when you’ve taken steps to modify your environment.

One easy way to do the keto diet is to make it hard for yourself to snack or consume non-keto food impulsively. It will take a lot more willpower and motivation to stay focussed on a keto diet if your environment is filled with easily accessible sugary snacks compared to if there are none.

Start by donating or throwing away the non-keto snacks in your home. Furthermore don’t buy food and snacks which don’t align with your health goals. If you have kids don’t buy them snacks which might tempt you. Eliminate temptation completely. You don’t have to throw away everything you own that isn’t keto. Place other food items such as flour, sugar and condiments in a box and store somewhere away from your other foods.

Out of sight out of mind

You might have to be more creative at work to eliminate unwanted snacks. In common areas instead of having biscuits and other goods on the table you might want to suggest a box or a snack cupboard. The chances are that you are not the only one who gets tempted and would benefit from this change.

Appreciate the Past and Future You

Giving yourself credit when credit is due is highly motivating. One way to do the keto diet is to be mindful of all your eating decisions because what you do now will impact you later on. If you’re tempted by a sugary treat and you’ve rationalized to yourself that it’s OK to have just one bite, think about how you’ll feel 10 minutes/1 hour or 1 day later. Pause for a second to evaluate what would the Future You will think of this choice. Make the Future You proud of the decisions and choices you’ve made. Respect and value the Future you.

Equally appreciate the Past You. Create some positivity towards yourself by acknowledging the good decisions you’ve made in the past. Give yourself gratitude when you’ve done something that took will power and effort. Positive encouragement and feedback is important to any diet change.

Simple steps to increase your motivation

There are steps you can take to feel more motivated and disciplined. As mentioned earlier, modifying your environment will make it easier to stick to a goal. You can also alter your everyday routines and behaviours that will increase the chances that you’ll succeed with doing the keto diet.

1) Have good nutrition
Nutrition shouldn’t be an issue if you’re following our meal plans. If you’re not, take steps to eat more healthy during your keto diet and pay attention to nutritional deficiencies.

2) Get more good quality sleep
Creating and sticking to sleep routines takes real discipline but is also highly rewarding. Stop using your phone an hour before going to bed, use blue-light blocking glasses, sleep in a cold, dark room and most importantly go to bed and wake up at the same time. These are some of the easy things you can do to increase your sleep quality which will result in more energy.

3) Exercise & sunshine
Exercising is beneficial to both your body and mind. It can improve your mood, energy levels, increase brain function and happiness. It can be as simple as going for a walk or doing a small workout. Getting adequate sunshine can be challenging in many parts of the world which is why it’s good to get your vitamin D levels tested and to supplement accordingly.

4) Decrease stress
While it can be hard to eliminate stress, you can still find and do activities and hobbies that allow you to de-stress, such as meditation or a warm relaxing bath.

We’ll help you reach your 2020 health goals

We’ll help you follow the keto diet. We’ll provide you meal plans that are designed to be easy and simple to use as well as give you unlimited personal support to keep you motivated. A diet and lifestyle change is challenging and these powerful tools will help you succeed and stay disciplined.