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If the rule based method is working well for you (it has become habitual and is natural to you now), I would suggest continuing with it. If it isn’t broken then why fix it?
However if you would like a more relaxed variation of the diet then this may be for you. By now, you should have two things:
With the two above bits of knowledge, you can now operate within certain tolerances. However the general principles of the ketogenic diet still need to be adhered to:
From this you can create your own guidelines which fit in with you lifestyle. This is the 80% approach:
“80% is good enough in 80% of situations, 80% of the time.”
Unless you are competing in a sport, calorie counting will be excessive and unsustainable in everyday life. I recommend using the 80% Approach which states you can have a 20% margin of error with your nutrition:
The above must be used with your own judgement though. Eating 120% of everything (20% more calories, 20% from junk food, 20% more carbs) every day for a month is not recommended.
From a physical and psychological point of view, I recommend continuing to measure yourself every 2 – 4 weeks, in terms of body measurements, weight, and photos. Psychologically this retains a sense of accountability to yourself (e.g. you know the weigh-in is next week so you will maintain some discipline). It will also tell you whether your principles are working or not.
The Next Level – Creating Your Own Rules
You can then take this one step further and develop your own principles based on your knowledge of food and how your body works. This is only recommended once you have followed the diet for at least six months.
This will involve moving away from calories and toward food being units (which you get to make up!).
For example, my principles are on a daily basis:
