1. You skip rice and opt for white bread.
It’s a well-known fact that white rice is one of the quickest ways to stock on carbs. In fact, this is usually the first to go when you start on a low-carb diet. Unfortunately, people looking for an alternative usually turn to bread—the wrong kind only. Similar to white rice, white bread is also high in carbohydrates, and eating a lot of it doesn’t do anything to help your cause. Although the best way to go is to eliminate bread all together, it may be very hard for Filipinas to give up this alternative to the staple kanin, so if you can’t go for brown or red rice, opt for whole wheat bread instead. It’s low in carbs, high in fiber, and is very filling.

2. You eat too much meat.
Low-carb diets usually focus on an increased intake of protein, which is found in meat. However, too much meat, especially those that aren’t lean, can leave you feeling bloated and even heavier than before. WebMD recommends lean meats like chicken breasts and lean beef including tenderloin and sirloin. If you want to skip meat all together, fish is also a great source of protein.

3. You’re not eating vegetables.
Vegetables are an integral part of a low carb diet as they help balance things out. Green leafy veggies such as spinach and kale are great options. Cucumbers, broccoli, and cauliflower are also good when you’re getting bored with your usual greens. You may want to avoid starchy root crops such as potatoes, though, as these are high in carbohydrates.

4. You’re too scared of fat.
Not all kinds of fat are bad. According to Harvard.edu, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, corn oil, and sunflower oil are needed by the body and can help lower cholesterol levels.

5. You don’t read food labels.
Don’t rely on those low-carb tags stamped on your food products. Make sure to always read the nutritional value of everything that you grab during grocery weekend. Avoid anything with refined sugars which usually go by names like glucose, sucrose, and fructose. It may be tedious, but you’ll benefit from the habit of screening what you buy in the long run.