A ketogenic diet, popularly known as the keto diet, is a calorie-deficit diet plan that helps you lose weight and stay healthy. Reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing fat consumption is the central idea behind the diet. However, there are certain common mistakes that you might make and not get the desired results. To help you prevent making these mistakes, here is a list of common keto mistakes that keep you from losing weight.

• Not drinking enough water

It’s quite common for people to forget about drinking sufficient water while being on a keto diet. Considering most of the body constitutes water, drinking water and staying hydrated is essential. Moreover, drinking the right amount of water further speeds the weight loss process. Carbohydrates and water are stored together in the body. As keto diet emphasizes replacing carbs with fat, the body loses water along with it. Not drinking enough water can cause dehydration and open possibilities of various health problems.

Hence, stay hydrated and drink at least half of your body weight (in ounces) or 64 ounces of water daily.

• Eating the wrong fats

Although increasing fat consumption is important on a keto diet, it doesn’t mean eating just about any source of fats available in the market. Trans fats, for instance, comes under fats as well, but they’re incredibly harmful to the body. Cookies, pizzas, and fast foods contain trans fats, which, instead of reducing weight, cause obesity over time.

On a keto diet, focus on including sources of polyunsaturated fats like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Foods such as nuts, sardines, and soybean are considered valuable sources of these healthy fats.

• Limiting veggies

Eating a lot of vegetables can, without a doubt, defeat the whole purpose of a keto diet. They contain considerable amounts of carbohydrates, making it part of the unwanted list on such a diet plan. However, vegetables are also high in fiber, which reduces the risk of certain cancers, maintains bone health, and even assists in reducing weight. Fiber also combats constipation, a possible side effect of keto diet.

The key lies in finding the right balance and planning your meal accordingly. Include portions of broccoli, cauliflower, and cucumber in your diet and count the amount of carbs you consume.

• Focusing too much on proteins

Another common mistake that people make on a keto diet is adding too much protein to their diet. The nutrient is, indeed, important, but its amount shouldn’t be more than 30-35% of the whole meal. Too much consumption of lean protein foods such as cottage cheese and beef prevents the body from going into ketosis, which doesn’t yield the desired results. Instead, include high-fat foods and moderate protein sources in every meal.