Quick tips for a healthy start

August 21, 9:30 AMSt. Louis Low-Carb ExaminerAmy Dungan

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For anyone new to the low-carb lifestyle, learning the ropes can seem a bit intimidating.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve answered questions from panicked dieters who feared they were doomed to a life of cheese and bacon. “Am I even allowed to smell vegetables?” “Does Crystal Lite count as water?” “ Do I have to exercise?” Let’s put some of these questions to rest.

 Here are five quick tips for getting started on the right foot.

 1. Read your plan book. This isn’t optional. You can not possibly expect to understand what to eat, when you don’t even know why you are eating it, or why you are avoiding it. You don’t have to be a doctor or nutritionist to learn the inner workings of your program.  If you aren’t sure which plan to get started on, the fantastic book “Living the Low-Carb Life: Choosing the Diet that's Right for You from Atkins to Zone” by Dr. Jonny Bowden is a must read.

 2.  Don’t tweak your plan. Not in the beginning. Go by the book for a minimum of a couple of months to learn how your body reacts to the method you’ve chosen. Then if your weight loss doesn’t seem to be moving along at a realistic rate, look at making some minor changes.

 3.  Eat your veggies! Vegetables are allowed, dare I say even encouraged, on almost all low-carb plans. You just have to learn which vegetables are best for your plan. Again, a reason to read your plan book from cover to cover.

 4. Drink water. Ugh. I just heard all the moans and groans. Really, water is important. It keeps your body hydrated, which helps keep your skins elasticity intact. It helps flush toxins and fat. It also helps with the only low-carb complaint in the media that actually has some truth to it - bad breath, which is caused by ketosis. Please don't confuse this with ketoacidosis, which is a dangerous condition sometimes seen in Type 1 diabetics. It's not the same. Ketosis is simply the state your body is in while burning fat for fuel. It's harmless and quickly suppresses the appetite. This is part of the beauty of a ketogenic diet - your appetite is naturally suppressed (better than any pill works!) and you burn fat as your preferred choice of fuel!

 5.Exercise. Sure, you can skip it - but you'll be happier if you do some sort of workout. Even if it's just going for a walk. When you first start losing it may be difficult to exert yourself. But as you slim down you'll find that it gets easier to move about, and soon you actually feel like moving! Any kind of exercise is helpful and will speed along your weight loss efforts. Even something as simple as walking.

 Remember that losing weight isn’t easy. And anyone that tells you that you’ll never want to give up is lying. We all have those days where we want to throw in the towel. Weight-loss is work, no matter which modus operandi you choose. While I believe low-carb has certainly made it easier, healthy living still requires dedication and determination. There is no magic remedy.