After a lifetime of eating high-carb foods, you may experience some sugar craving on keto, at least initially.

This is normal, but it’s no reason to quit.

With these tips, you can stop sugar cravings on keto in their tracks, produce ketones, and enjoy the many weight, health, metabolism, and brain benefits of Keto Zone eating.

You’ve got this.

10 Tips to Stop Sugar Cravings on Keto

#1. In The Beginning, You’ve Got To Go For It.

Sometimes, small changes are the best approach. When starting a Keto Zone diet, I recommend going for broke.

Prepare yourself that this will be a challenge. But, also know that you can do it and that it will get better quickly.

Why go for it?

The longer you cut carbs, but don’t get into ketosis and make ketones, the longer you will be in sort of a low-energy in-between state.

Instead, don’t make it your goal to cut carbs.

Make it your goal to cut them enough to make ketones. This means cutting carbs to just 20-25 gm net carbs per day.

How do you do this?

You eliminate almost all carb sources. If you’re unaware of the main sources of carbs, here’s a quick guide. All see #4 below. Carb foods include (1):

• All grains and products made with grains. This means breads, pastas, quinoa, rice and more. Everything made from wheat, rice, starches, oats, and other grains.
• All starchy vegetables. These are potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, winter squash, beans, and lentils. Remember, it’s not a matter of whether these foods have anything good to offer, it’s whether you need to eliminate them to get into ketosis. You do. Later in the lifestyle, you may be able to add a small amount back in, but initially, eliminate them.
• Fruits, fruit purees, fruit juices – everything that has fruit in it. Like starchy vegetables, there are valuable nutrients in fruits. However, they contain an average of 12-15 grams of net carbs per ¾ cup. There’s really no room for them when getting into ketosis. Of note, Dr. Colbert has created a wonderful powder to help you obtain all the goodness of fruits and vegetables without all the carbs. Try SupremeFood Powder. Not only is it loaded with nutrients from real foods, the vegetables are fermented which unlocks more nutrients than ever.
• Milk and yogurt. While some Keto Zone eaters avoid dairy overall anyway, some include it once they are settled into the lifestyle. Plain, real yogurt can be a healthy part of the lifestyle eventually, but initially, it’s 12 grams net carbs per 8 oz. is likely too much to stick to just 20-25 grams net carbs for the day.
• All sweets. Unless they are specialty or home-made Keto Zone recipes, any desserts or sweets have carbs including cakes, cookies, ice-cream, and more. Even natural ones like honey and maple. While initiating ketosis, avoid sweets.
• Packaged foods. While packaged foods are usually low-nutrient processed foods, they do give you a helping hand…they have a nutrition label. So, look at it. Find the total carbs and subtract any fiber or sugar alcohol to get net grams of carbs. But always beware of packaged foods, and always look at the label first.

It usually takes 24-48 hours or so to enter ketosis. But, you can get some help from exogenous ketones. These will give your body an external source of ketones that will help curb cravings, curb the ketone flu, and help you feel better quickly.

If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. Dr. Colbert has written an incredible book that will serve as your complete guide!

#2. Focus on What You Can Eat.

Sugar cravings on keto are not all in your head. They are physical.

But, they are perpetuated in your head, and you’ve got the control there.

Instead of thinking of what you can’t have, focus on what you CAN eat on Keto Zone.

Zero carb and low carb foods include:

• Coffee, Teas, Water, and bulletproof coffee using MCT Oil Powder
• Meats including fish (watch out for carbs in shellfish), chicken, pork, beef, venison, bison and more. Avoid liver.
• Vegetables (non-starchy) including greens, broccoli, bell peppers, asparagus and more
• Avocados
• Fats like olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, MCT Oil Powder, grass-fed butter, and more
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Specialty flours such as coconut flour, nut flours, and more.
• Specialty sweeteners such as Stevia, erythritol, and more.

Since some of these foods have a very small amount of carbs, it’s still important to be aware of how much, and keep track of them, at least initially.

For more delicious recipes, check out all of ours on this site: Keto Zone Recipes.

#3. When needed, Eat to Fullness using Low-Carb Keto Zone Foods

While it’s important to eat slowly and not overfill yourself, sometimes cravings are simply magnified hunger. If you have eliminated carbohydrate sources, and find that you are hungry all the time and experiencing cravings, you may simply not be eating enough.

In this case, eat more of Keto Zone low-carb foods.

When you eat enough, you will be more likely to get in all the nutrients you need, give yourself enough calories (units of energy) for daily activities, and reduce your cravings.

Many Keto Zone eaters only eat 2 meals or so per day. But, these two meals can be larger ones that provide many healthy fats, proteins, and vegetables.

#4. Beware of Hidden Carbs, They’re Everywhere.

Unfortunately, carbohydrates lurk everywhere. Sometimes in plain sight, sometimes hidden. If you’re keeping track and trying to get into ketosis, but not yet feeling the benefits of ketones such as great energy and focus, and suppressed hunger and cravings, carbs may be sneaking into your diet.

Hidden carbs are in:

• Condiments
• Spices
• Shellfish and Imitation Seafood
• Liver
• Packaged Foods
• Restaurant Foods
• More

For a full report on hidden carbs and how to avoid them, read our this post.

#5. Find Replacements like Pickles, Salsa, and Jerky

Some foods simply work well to replace carbs in the Keto Zone community.

Pickles are one such food. In fact, there are many reports of Keto Zone eater using pickles if they experience cravings.

Before you jump on the pickle bandwagon, first make sure you double check the label for carbs and ingredients list for any source of sugar.

Then, consider having whole pickles on them on hand when needed.

Other craving busting foods? Cucumber slices and salsa (keep an eye on the carbs and serving size of salsa). Soft cheese and mini-bell peppers. Natural beef, pork, and turkey jerky (again, look at the label and ingredients).

#6. Use Intermittent Fasting

While it may seem counter-intuitive, intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating actually reduce hunger and cravings.

Many Keto Zone eaters limit their “eating window” to about 8 hours per day. This typically means they don’t eat after 7 pm and until 10 or 11 am. Many do drink zero-carb coffee with MCT Oil powder in the morning.

Why is this helpful?

First, there are many health benefits to intermittent fasting including weight loss, fat loss, improved metabolism (2), anti-aging, reduced cancer risk (3), and more.

Next, it reduces appetite and hunger without low-energy or foggy-brain.

Lastly, it allows Keto Zone eaters to continue to lose weight without their bodies adjusting to low calories and plateauing (4).

For more about intermittent fasting and how to do it, read this post.

#7. Keep it Fun with Recipes

Part of the issue with cravings is feeling like you have very limited food options. But this simply isn’t true.

As you get used to Keto Zone eating, start adding in delicious recipes.

You’ll find recipes for stove-top pizza, cloud bread, waffles, and more in the Keto Zone Recipe Archives.

#8. Find Alternative for Stress and Emotions

There’s little doubt that many sugar cravings on keto are an emotional response to sadness, stress, anxiety, loneliness and more (5).

When you have a craving, stop, figure out why (Is it actual hunger? Are you dehydrated? Stressed?), and then find an alternative.

Try journaling, walking outside, drinking water or tea, or reading.

In fact, a recent study showed that taking a 15-minute walk can reduce the craving for sugary snacks in overweight people (6).

 #9. Stay Hydrated

Cravings and hunger can also simply be dehydration in disguise. Believe it or not, while it’s prevalent in all age groups, it’s estimated that about 50% of older adults are chronically dehydrated (7).

Dehydration can lead to headaches, lethargy, digestive issues, mood swings, more cognitive function (8) and cravings.

Consider drinking 32 ounces of water by noon, and 32 ounces by 6:00 pm each day.

#10. Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Why are you doing Keto?

Are you fed up with your current state of health, weight, energy, or lifestyle?

Do you know you can meet your goals if you stick to it?

No craving, no food, no sugar will ever compare to the sense of accomplishment and pride you’ll feel as you move toward your goal.

Write down your goal. If you have a picture that represents it, put it up along with your written goal.

Enlist a friend or someone you trust to “talk you down” when you feel like quitting. If they know how much your goals mean to you, they can help steer you back.

You can do it. Believe it.

Go get your goals.

Bottom Line

It’s not easy. But you can do it. Dive into Keto Zone with both feet. With the help of exogenous ketones, MCT Oil Powder, SupremeFood Powder and Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone Diet Book, stick to it through the first few tough days. Then, keep eliminating carb foods, learn to make Keto Zone ones, identify hidden carbs, and make this your lifestyle. It’s worth it. You can stop sugar cravings on keto and meet your goals.

Want the full Keto Zone Starter Kit? Buy your today here!