I think planning my meals in advance has been crucial to my success at sticking to my diet. It’s surprising to me how powerful this habit is. Tracking in the moment as I went about my day was time consuming and frustrating, especially on my previous attempts at 20 net carbs. Some programs like South Beach don’t require tracking, and while this “freedom” was nice, it ultimately did not get me to a place where I felt…great on any level.
A few years ago I experimented with the 800 calorie meal plan from my app Reversing Diabetes for 30 days. I knew there was no way I could stick to 800 calories without advanced planning, so each day I’d plan out the next day’s meals to make sure I’d be right around 800 calories. Then, the day of, I’d simply execute my plan. Any thought or urge I had to deviate significantly or eat more I treated as a “junk” thought and I disregarded it and moved on with my life. I knew what my plan was. I didn’t need to think about it beyond that.
So, I decided to use that same approach for keto pescatarian (KP). Each morning I plan out the next day’s meals. I know what foods I need to have or what I’ll need to make or defrost, etc. I know that when I follow my food plan, I’ll be at the right amount of carbs. There’s no stress or anxiety about this. At the same time, my food plan is flexible. If I eat 2.3 oz of broccoli instead of 2 oz, no big deal, I’ll still be right around 20 net carbs. If I’ve planned walnuts but I’d prefer some almonds actually, I’ll make a simple swap as long as I’m right around my target net carbs. Sometimes due to unplanned circumstances I need to make bigger changes, and I allow myself the flexibility to do that as long as I remain right around my target net carbs.
So, my biggest tips: know what you are going to eat in advance, then don’t think about it much beyond that. If you need to make minor changes during the day that’s ok because you’ve already got the bulk of your eating plan framework taken care of. If you stick to 20 net carbs of a KP diet without tons of protein or being excessive with added fat, you WILL lose weight.
For me, tracking in advance IS freedom. It takes just a few minutes in the morning which helps me start my day feeling productive. The rest of the day I get my work done and live my life without any food thoughts/noise. I know what works for me. I know what to eat. KP makes me feel full, satiated, and greatly enhances my wellbeing in a way a “less restrictive” eating plan never did.