Keto is all the craze today. Essentially almost everyone is doing it. Not surprising, given how effective it is with losing weight FAST.

But not because everyone’s doing it means you also should. More importantly, how some people do it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re doing it right.

It could get really tricky, yes.

So if you’re not sure whether you’re doing keto properly, here’s a list of 7 things people get wrong about the diet.

Doing keto diet for the long haul.

Keto diet could really work effectively. And some people get hooked to its results that they tend to do the diet continuously.

But apparently, doing it for a long time can lead to muscle soreness, insomnia, fatigue and nausea.

So unless there’s a clear reason why you should do it for the long-term, i.e. medical condition, avoid doing the diet for a prolonged period and not going on carbs.

Treating keto diet as their go-to “quick fix”

In relation to the first mistake, some people also think of keto diet as their hero solution. Weight tends to go down pretty quickly with this diet, that many consider it as a quick fix.

But keto diet is more than that – it’s a lifestyle change. And it requires a high level of commitment to the things you eat and drink. This means ditching those meals you once loved to eat on a daily and weekly basis, just because they could mess up your ketosis. This means weaning off alcohol and going through certain effects in your body as it adjusts to a fat-fueled diet.

Before starting the keto diet, decide whether it’s the lifestyle you’ll be able to keep up.

Using “fat bombs” to keep up with macronutrient ratios.

If you hear about keto dieters putting butter into coffee or extra fat on their meals, they’re likely to be trying to keep up with their macros. While experts say that this is a great way to hack the system and transition from glucose-rich to fat-fueled diet, it may not be totally necessary once you’ve already been doing keto for a while. Especially when your body may have already adapted to a fat-based diet. To know when’s the best time to stop taking fat bombs, check when you start to get hungry. Getting hungry immediately after a meal means you may not be having enough fat or protein yet. But if you feel full shortly after eating, then that means loading up on more fat isn’t really needed.

Having too much protein

Protein is a key macronutrient of the keto diet. Its role? It helps us burn fat, build muscle, and makes us feel full.

But having too much of it in a keto diet is actually counterproductive. The reason being gluconeogenesis, the process where your body turns non-carbohydrates into glucose.

Apparently, eating lots of protein can slow down your weight loss journey. And getting protein from processed meats gives way to more “bad cholesterol” and increase its levels, also known as low-density lipoprotein. [1]

If you’re wondering how much protein you should be consuming, here’s a helpful guidepost: [1]

If you are sedentary — consume 0.6 – 0.8g of protein per pound of lean body mass.
If you are regularly active — have 0.8 – 1.0g of protein per pound of lean body mass.
If you lift weights — eat 1.0 – 1.2g of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Not having enough water

Many who have gone through a keto diet may have lost weight, even more than 20 pounds… some even within the first month! But much of this lost weight comes from water weight. (Did you know your body’s composed of more than half water?)

During a keto diet where carb intake goes down, glycogen stores in the muscles go down with it. Because glycogen serves to retain water, having lower glycogen levels would mean water loss.

This may lead to dehydration, constipation, and decrease in lean muscle.

To avoid this, do more strength training, which can negate the effects and help you gain more glycogen and water over time.

You can also avoid water loss and dehydration by drinking more water than you’ve gotten used to.

Loading up on carbs

There are many keto-friendly food and beverages in restaurants and markets. Things like nuts, coffee with cream, and black beans are everywhere, sometimes even marked as keto-friendly in menus.

But these might also be pitfalls. Together with processed vegetable oils, starchy vegetables, legumes, and beans, these foods contain a high carbohydrate content and can mess up your keto diet.

To be sure about your carbohydrate intake (and lack thereof), you can always at fish, eggs, bone broth, above-ground vegetables, unprocessed meats, and unsweetened tea. [1]

Having too much unhealthy fats

Keto diet is a fat-fueled one. You need to eat loads of fats as your body uses them as fuel for your body.

But you need to watch your fats carefully. Having too much of it can make you prone to the unhealthy ones a bit too quickly. In fact, all fats are NOT created equal. Some are good for you; many aren’t.

Avocado is good. Bacon is NOT.

The second is part of what’s commonly known as the “dirty keto,” where most fats consumed are processed and unhealthy. These unhealthy fats are called saturated fats.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting your saturated fats intake to only 5-6 percent of your daily calories. They can come from red meat, eggs, coconut oil and butter. [2]

Learn to distinguish which is which, so you avoid that ONE big mistake people make with their keto diet – the dirty keto.