Strategies To Reset After A Keto Cheat Day

Cheat days are common on strict diets, and the keto diet is no exception. However, because the keto diet is so strict, a single cheat meal can easily disrupt ketosis, the metabolic state that's the hallmark of this diet. So, what's the best way to recover from a keto cheat day? Well, it's important to remember that it's not the end of the world and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. Getting back into ketosis can take anywhere from 2 to 7 days, depending on your individual circumstances. To speed up the process, you can try intermittent fasting, exercise, and eating keto-friendly snacks. It's also a good idea to drink plenty of water, especially if you consumed alcohol during your cheat day. And don't forget to be patient and give your body time to adjust!

Accept you cheated and move on

It's important to remember that a keto cheat day is not the end of the world. In fact, it is entirely possible to include cheat meals on your keto diet and still lose weight. If your primary goal is to lose weight, an occasional cheat meal will not destroy your progress. This is because ketosis is likely not the main reason you are losing weight—calorie control is. As long as you are maintaining calorie control overall, all those carbs are not going to destroy all of your hard work.

That being said, if you are cheating on your keto diet too often, it may be time to revisit whether or not this diet is right for you. At the end of the day, the best diet for you is one that you can stick to.

• Don't beat yourself up about it. Many of us suffer from emotional eating, and if you dwell on your keto cheat day, feeling guilty or ashamed, then you might be setting yourself up for failure. Your cheat day is over—it's time to move on and restart your keto diet.
• Don't give up on your keto diet just because you cheated. It is important to get back on track as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to restart your keto diet.
• Remember that it is normal to have a keto cheat day. Everyone is occasionally tempted, and it is okay to give in to that temptation once in a while.
• Be patient with yourself. It can take a few days to get back into ketosis, but it will happen if you stick with it.
• Focus on the progress you have made so far and don't let a cheat day derail all your hard work.
• Make a meal plan to help you stay on track. Having a solid meal plan will help you avoid another keto cheat day.

Fasting

Types of Fasting

• Intermittent Fasting: This involves eating within a restricted time window, such as an 8-hour, 6-hour, or 4-hour window, or having one meal a day (OMAD). This can be combined with the keto diet to help your body shift its fuel source from carbs to fat.
• Extended Fasting: This involves fasting for a longer duration, such as a 24-hour water and coffee-only fast. While this can be effective, it is important to listen to your body and not fast for too long or punish yourself excessively for cheating.

Benefits of Fasting

• Reduced Insulin Levels: Fasting helps lower insulin levels, which is crucial for getting back into ketosis. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar and promotes the storage of excess energy as body fat. Lowering insulin levels encourages your body to use fat as its primary fuel source.
• Glycogen Depletion: When you fast, your body depletes its glycogen stores, which are stored carbohydrates. This leads your body to naturally choose fat as its fuel source since glucose (from carbohydrates) is not readily available.
• Accelerated Ketosis: Combining keto with intermittent fasting can accelerate the process of reaching ketosis. This is because fasting limits calorie intake, forcing your body to use energy from fat instead of glucose or glycogen.

Tips for Fasting Effectively

• Listen to Your Body: It is important to listen to your body's signals and not fast for too long. Extended fasting can be challenging, so it is recommended to seek medical advice before attempting it.
• Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water during your fast to stay hydrated. You can also include coffee and plain green tea.
• Exercise with Caution: Light exercise can help deplete glycogen stores and speed up the process of getting back into ketosis. However, it is important not to overdo it, especially if you are new to fasting or have any health concerns.
• Measure Ketone Levels: If you want to be certain that you are back in ketosis, you can measure your ketone levels using a breath analyzer or urine strips. A breath analyzer is more reliable but more expensive, while urine strips are cheaper and more convenient.
• Break Your Fast Mindfully: When breaking your fast, focus on high-fat, keto-friendly foods. Nuts and seeds can be great options, but be mindful of added sugars and carbs in flavored products.
• Avoid Dairy, Nuts, and Sweeteners: Consider avoiding dairy, nuts, and foods with sweeteners for a few days after your cheat day. These foods can stall weight loss and cause inflammation, making it harder to get back into ketosis.

Remember, fasting is just one tool to help you get back on track after a keto cheat day. It should be combined with a return to a strict keto diet, adequate hydration, and light exercise to support your body's transition back into ketosis.

Drink lots of water

Drinking lots of water is an important step in recovering from a keto cheat day. Staying hydrated will help flush the carbs and excess glucose out of your system. The recommended water intake is 72 ounces for an adult woman and 104 ounces for an adult man. Staying hydrated will also help if you consumed too much alcohol during your cheat day.

Drinking lots of water is just one of the ways to recover from a keto cheat day. It is important to remember that a cheat day will likely kick you out of ketosis, and it will take several days to a week to get back into it. In the meantime, your weight loss may be disrupted. However, if your primary goal is to lose weight, an occasional cheat meal is not going to destroy your progress, as long as you are maintaining calorie control overall.

To get back into ketosis, you can try intermittent fasting, fat fasting, and exercise, which may help you reach ketosis faster. It is also important to strictly follow the keto diet, which involves eating healthy fats, a moderate amount of protein, and low carbs. Additionally, you can try a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplement, which is a rapidly absorbed fatty acid that is easily converted into ketones.

To avoid another keto cheat day, it is helpful to have a solid meal plan and to practice mindfulness. Keeping tempting foods out of the house and having an accountability partner can also help.

Plan your meals

Planning your meals is a crucial step in recovering from a keto cheat day. Here are some detailed tips to help you plan your meals effectively:

Get Back to Your Keto Routine :

It's important to resume your standard keto eating pattern as soon as possible. This means focusing on healthy fats, moderate protein intake, and low carbs. The quicker you return to this routine, the faster your body will transition back into ketosis.

Opt for Keto-Friendly Snacks:

When hunger strikes, make sure you have keto-friendly snack options readily available. Nuts and seeds are excellent choices as they provide healthy omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Beef jerky is another good option, but be sure to check the nutrition label to avoid sweeter flavours with added sugar and carbs.

Meal Planning:

Sit down and chart out a detailed meal plan for the next few days. Stick to this plan to stay on track. There are many keto-friendly recipes available online, such as keto parmigiana, keto breakfast classics, and hearty keto soups. You can also find cookbooks specifically designed for keto meal planning.

Count Your Macros:

Start tracking and counting your net carbs, fats, and proteins. Use a free app like Carb Manager to calculate your macros. While calculating net carbs can be tricky, there are calculators and apps available to help.

Plan for Future Cheats:

If you know you'll be attending a social event or have a favourite food you can't resist, plan for a controlled cheat. Pick specific meals or budget your calories and carbs in advance. This way, you can enjoy your favourite foods without completely derailing your progress.

Measure ketone levels

Measuring ketone levels is an important step in recovering from a keto cheat day. Ketone levels can be measured in three ways: through blood, breath, or urine.

Blood Testing

Blood testing is the most accurate way to measure ketone levels. Blood ketone meters work similarly to blood sugar meters. You use a lancet and a blood testing strip to collect a small blood sample from your fingertip, which the device then reads. The optimal ketone range for weight loss is 0.5–3 millimoles per liter. Blood testing is more expensive than other methods, but it is the most reliable.

Breath Testing

Breath testing measures the amount of the ketone acetone in your breath in parts per million (ppm). Breath acetone levels ranging from 2–40 ppm, and even higher in some instances, may indicate nutritional ketosis. Breath testing is a fairly expensive and slightly less accurate method than blood testing, but it is painless and does not require additional supplies like lancets or strips.

Urine Testing

Urine testing uses test strips that change colour based on the presence of the ketone acetoacetate. The darkness of the strip is an indicator of the extent to which you are in ketosis. Urine testing is the cheapest and easiest method, but it is also the least accurate.

General Tips

There is some disagreement among researchers about the best time of day to test ketone levels. When you last ate appears to be a major contributing factor to your ketone levels, so you may want to test your ketone levels 3 hours after eating a meal. You do not need to test your ketone levels at all to be successful on the keto diet. However, testing can be a source of encouragement or motivation to stick to the diet.

Frequently asked questions