Cheat Day Calories: Keto Edition

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that is popular for its weight loss effects. As this diet is very strict, you may find yourself tempted by the occasional high-carb food. This is where cheat days come in. A cheat day is a planned day where you can break the diet's rules and eat what you like.

However, cheat days can be detrimental to the keto diet as it relies on your body staying in ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbs. To stay in ketosis, you need to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. Eating more than 50 grams can kick your body out of ketosis.

If you do decide to have a cheat day, it's important to get back into ketosis. This process takes several days to a week, depending on your carb intake, metabolism, and activity levels. To get back into ketosis, you can try intermittent fasting, track your carb intake, try a short-term fat fast, and exercise more.

How many carbs can you eat on a keto cheat day?

A keto cheat day is a day when a person on a keto diet can eat foods that are not part of the diet. Cheat days are seen as a reward for following a strict diet and can help keep people motivated. However, cheat days can also have negative consequences, such as knocking the body out of ketosis, hindering weight loss, and causing digestive issues.

On a keto diet, it is recommended to limit carb consumption to 20-50 grams per day to stay in ketosis. Exceeding this amount during a cheat day can knock the body out of ketosis, which may cause digestive issues and increased cravings for sugary and carb-rich foods.

To stay in ketosis during a cheat day, it is important to carefully plan and track macronutrient intake. This may involve limiting carb intake to a slight increase from the usual amount, such as 50-55 grams, or choosing keto-friendly alternatives for treats.

The frequency of cheat days also matters. Spacing them out generously, such as once a month or every two weeks, can help maintain ketosis and reduce the negative impact on progress.

In conclusion, while it is possible to have a keto cheat day, careful planning is necessary to stay in ketosis and avoid negative consequences. The key is to find a balance between treating yourself and staying on track with your keto diet and weight loss goals.

What happens when you eat too many carbs on a keto cheat day?

A keto cheat day can be a reward for sticking to a strict diet. However, it can have some negative consequences. If you eat more than 50 grams of carbs in a day, you will be knocked out of ketosis. This means you will stop burning belly fat and converting it into energy. It can take up to a week or more to get back into ketosis. Eating too many carbs can also cause side effects like bloating and brain fog. It can also awaken your cravings for sugary and bread-like foods, causing you to indulge in snacks that will hinder your weight loss goals.

To avoid these issues, you can limit your carb intake on your cheat day to 50 grams or less. You can also minimize your carb intake for several days before your cheat day to give yourself some leeway. Another option is to increase your protein and healthy fat intake on the days leading up to your cheat day, so you can still stay within your macros.

It's important to plan your keto cheat day carefully and make sure you don't go out of ketosis. The key is to enjoy your cheat day without sabotaging your progress.

How to cheat on keto the right way

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that is popular for its weight loss effects. It encourages ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbs.

The keto diet can be tough to follow as it is very strict and requires adherents to eat a specific ratio of macros (protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates) every day. For people who spent their lives enjoying things like pasta and cookies, going without or sticking to very small amounts can be tough. This is where cheat days come in.

Pros of Cheat Days

Cheat days are seen as a reward after a grueling week of limiting carb intake and holding off on food you actually want to eat. They can also help you stay motivated and on track. Studies have shown that a cheat day now and then makes people more likely to stay on a strict diet.

Cons of Cheat Days

Cheat days can knock you out of ketosis, leaving you feeling sluggish, and hindering further weight loss. They can also lead to unhealthy eating habits and even addiction, as studies show that carbohydrates, specifically in the form of sugar, have a way of inducing reward and craving that is comparable to addictive drugs.

How to Cheat the Right Way

If you are going to cheat, it is important to do it right to stay in ketosis and on track with your weight loss goals. Here are some tips for cheating on keto the right way:

• Make your cheat meal keto-friendly: Opt for keto-friendly alternatives like pork rinds or zucchini noodles.
• Eat in small portions: The less you eat on your cheat day, the less likely you are to overindulge.
• Make cheat days rare: Space out your cheat days generously, whether a week or two weeks apart.
• Make it count: Be selective about what you eat during your cheat days. Don't waste it on junk food that doesn't benefit your body or your appetite.
• Avoid sugar: Sugar is your number one enemy on keto, cheat day or not. Avoid sugar entirely and opt for keto-friendly sweeteners instead.
• Exercise right after a cheat day: Studies show that exercise increases your body's ability to process carbs, helping you get back to ketosis faster.
• Get back to your keto diet quickly: Cheat days shouldn't last an entire week. Get back to your keto diet routine as quickly as possible so you don't fall off track.
• Keep your taste buds guessing: Try new keto recipes and prepare them in low-carb ways. For example, try keto pizza, keto fried chicken, or garlic parmesan pasta with zucchini noodles.
• Don't beat yourself up: If you do cheat, don't feel guilty. Enjoy your cheat day and get back to your keto diet soon after.

It depends on whether you plan to go out of ketosis or still limit your carbs on your cheat day. If you want to go all out and don't care about staying in ketosis, consider how long it will take to get back into that state and schedule your cheat days accordingly. If it takes you a week to get back into ketosis, schedule your cheat days for once a month or once every other month. If you plan to limit your carbs on your cheat day, you can have them more often, perhaps once a week.

The Bottom Line

It is possible to have a cheat day while staying in ketosis, as long as you plan your macros carefully. However, if you want to go all out, be ready for some of the side effects and the fact that you'll likely have to spend some time getting back into ketosis.

How to recover from a keto cheat day

So, you've had your cheat day and now you want to get back into ketosis. Here are some tips to help you recover and get back on track:

• Strictly follow the keto diet again: This may seem obvious, but it's important to emphasise. To get back into ketosis, you need to minimise your carb intake and focus on eating high-fat, low-carb foods. Track your macronutrients and calories to ensure you stay within the keto guidelines.
• Try intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting can help your body shift from using carbs for energy to using fat. Try implementing a fasting window of 16 hours or more after your cheat day to speed up the process of getting back into ketosis.
• Exercise more: Physical activity will deplete your glycogen stores, which are your body's stored form of carbohydrates. This, in turn, will promote ketosis.
• Try a fat fast: Consider trying a short-term fat fast, such as an egg fast, which involves eating a very high-fat, low-carb diet for a brief period. This may help expedite the process of getting back into ketosis.
• Try a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplement: MCTs are a rapidly absorbed form of fatty acid that can be easily converted into ketones, which may help you get back into ketosis faster.
• Test your ketone levels: Use tools such as ketone breath meters, blood ketone meters, or keto urine strips to measure your body's ketone levels. This will help you determine if you're back in ketosis.

In addition to the above strategies, here are some extra tips to keep in mind:

• Be mindful of your progress so far: Remind yourself of the reasons why you started the keto diet and the benefits you've experienced. Think about how you felt before starting keto and how your health has improved. This can help you stay motivated to get back on track.
• Plan your meals and snacks: Having a solid dietary plan can help you stay on track and avoid getting too hungry, reducing the likelihood of cheating again.
• Make your everyday keto diet enjoyable: Find keto-friendly meals that you enjoy and vary your diet to prevent boredom. This can make it easier to stick to the diet and reduce the urge to cheat.
• Keep tempting foods out of the house: Remove treats and other high-carb foods from your home to make cheating more inconvenient. Out of sight, out of mind!
• Find an accountability partner: Having a buddy or someone to hold you accountable can help you stay motivated and committed to the keto diet.

Remember, it may take a few days to a week to get back into ketosis, depending on your individual factors such as carb intake, metabolism, and activity levels. Be patient and consistent, and you'll be back on track in no time!

How to avoid cheating on keto

Cheating on the keto diet is common, and it's easy to understand why. The keto diet is strict, and it can be challenging to give up bread, pasta, and other high-carb foods. However, cheating on keto can have several negative consequences, including kicking your body out of ketosis, hindering weight loss, and causing side effects like bloating, stomach upset, and brain fog.

• Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness involves paying attention to your body, which may help you resist cravings and emotional eating.
• Plan your meals and snacks: Having a solid dietary plan makes it less likely that you'll get hungry during the day and give in to temptation.
• Make your everyday diet enjoyable: Incorporate a variety of keto-friendly meals into your diet to make it more enjoyable and reduce the urge to cheat.
• Keep tempting foods out of the house: Out of sight, out of mind! Keeping treats and other high-carb foods out of the house can make cheating more inconvenient.
• Get an accountability partner: Having a buddy or accountability partner can help you stay motivated and committed to your diet.
• Keep yourself busy: Find activities to distract yourself when cravings strike. Go for a walk, call a friend, or take up a hobby to keep your mind off cheating.
• Remind yourself of your goals: Remember why you started keto in the first place. Focus on the benefits you're experiencing, such as increased energy and mental clarity.
• Allow for flexibility: If you feel like you're missing out, try following a cyclical ketogenic diet. This involves eating a strict keto diet for five days and then allowing yourself to eat a higher-carb diet for the remaining two days of the week.
• Find keto-friendly alternatives: There are plenty of delicious keto-friendly recipes and alternatives available. Experiment with different ingredients and recipes to satisfy your cravings without kicking yourself out of ketosis.
• Indulge in non-food treats: Instead of turning to food as a reward, find other ways to treat yourself. For example, you could buy yourself a new outfit, book a spa day, or plan a fun activity.
• Visualize the consequences: When tempted to cheat, remind yourself of the negative consequences. Think about how you'll feel physically and mentally after cheating and how it will affect your progress.
• Stay hydrated: Thirst can sometimes be confused with hunger or cravings. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and reduce the urge to cheat.

Frequently asked questions