Cheating On Keto: Smart Strategies For Indulgent Meals

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that encourages ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat as its primary energy source instead of carbohydrates. While the keto diet can be effective for weight loss, it is very restrictive, and it is natural to crave carb-heavy foods. This has led to the concept of cheat days or cheat meals on the keto diet, where dieters intentionally break the diet's rules for a day or a single meal. However, cheat days can have negative consequences for keto dieters, as they can kick the body out of ketosis and potentially undo progress. This article will explore the pros and cons of cheat days on the keto diet and provide tips for minimising negative impacts.

Cheat meals can kick you out of ketosis

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that encourages ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. As the keto diet is very strict, you may be tempted to have a cheat meal or cheat day. A cheat meal typically involves a single meal that breaks the diet's rules, while a cheat day allows you to break the rules throughout the day.

While cheat meals or days can be a common strategy for strict diets, they are not ideal for the keto diet. This is because the keto diet relies on your body staying in ketosis. To stay in ketosis, you need to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Eating more than this can kick your body out of ketosis. As carbohydrates are your body's preferred energy source, your body will use them over ketone bodies (derived from fats) as soon as a sufficient number of carbs are available.

A single cheat meal can easily exceed your daily carb allowance and take your body out of ketosis. A cheat day is almost certain to surpass 50 grams of carbohydrates. In addition, some research suggests that suddenly reintroducing a high-carb meal to a ketogenic diet may damage your blood vessels.

Cheat meals or days are discouraged on the keto diet because they can easily break ketosis, the metabolic state that is the hallmark of this diet. If you do indulge in a cheat meal or day, you will need to strictly follow the keto diet to re-enter ketosis, which can take several days to a week.

Tips to Recover from Cheat Meals

• Try intermittent fasting: Combining intermittent fasting with the keto diet may help your body shift its fuel source from carbs to fat.
• Track your carb intake: Taking note of your daily carb intake ensures that you don't underestimate it.
• Try a short-term fat fast: Fat fasts, like egg fasts, are very high-fat, low-carb diets meant to expedite ketosis.
• Exercise more: Physical activity depletes your glycogen stores, promoting ketosis.
• Try a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplement: MCTs are a rapidly absorbed fatty acid that is easily converted into ketones.

Tips to Avoid Cheating

• Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness involves paying attention to your body, which may help you resist cravings and emotional eating.
• Plan your meals and snacks: A solid dietary plan makes it less likely that you'll get hungry during the day.
• Make your everyday diet enjoyable: Incorporate different keto-friendly meals to vary your diet and make it enjoyable.
• Keep tempting foods out of the house: Keeping treats and other tempting, high-carb foods out of sight can make cheating inconvenient.
• Have an accountability partner: An accountability partner can help you stay motivated to stick to your diet.

It can take a while to get back into ketosis

If you have been following a strict ketogenic diet for a while, it may be easier to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal as your body is likely fat-adapted and has developed efficient fat-burning mechanisms. In this case, it could take anywhere from two days to a week to get back into ketosis.

On the other hand, if you are new to keto, it can take several weeks for your body to fully adapt to burning fat, even without cheat days. This is because it takes time for your body to become fat-adapted, which means it has adjusted to using fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates. During this time, it is important to closely monitor your carbohydrate intake and avoid cheat days that can destroy your progress.

To get back into ketosis after a cheat meal or day, it is crucial to return to a low-carb, high-fat diet right away and reduce your carbohydrate intake as much as possible to kickstart fat-burning and ketosis. Incorporating fat-burning exercises, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can also help deplete glycogen stores accumulated during the cheat day and accelerate your return to ketosis.

In addition, staying hydrated and replenishing essential minerals through electrolyte supplements or bone broth are critical to maintaining the body's fluid balance, nerve function, and energy-making processes during the transition back into ketosis. Implementing an intermittent fasting plan can also speed up your body's return to ketosis by helping to stabilize blood sugar levels and deplete glycogen stores.

Overall, the time it takes to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal or day on the keto diet can vary from 12-16 hours to a week or more, depending on individual factors and the strategies used to return to ketosis.

Cheat meals can cause an intense sugar crash

Cheat meals on a keto diet can cause an intense sugar crash. This is because when you consume a high-carb meal, your blood sugar spikes, leading to an abundance of quick energy. However, this is followed by a sudden drop in energy levels as your blood glucose decreases, resulting in a sugar crash or hypoglycemia.

The body's drastic drop in energy can lead to undesired symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, confusion, abnormal behaviour, and the inability to complete routine tasks. For people with diabetes, the symptoms may be more severe and include loss of consciousness, seizures, or even coma.

To avoid a sugar crash after a cheat meal, it is important to incorporate balance into your diet. This involves keeping blood glucose levels consistent by balancing meals with appropriate amounts of protein sources, fibre, and healthy fats. Additionally, if you're consuming simple sugars, it's best to eat them with or after other meals to ensure you're also getting fat, fibre, and protein.

It's also recommended to eat smaller portions every two to three hours and to not restrict any foods entirely. Instead, practice moderation and ensure you're consuming a variety of foods throughout the day. Planning your meals ahead of time can help you maintain this balance.

Cheat meals can lead to unhealthy eating habits

Cheat meals can be a double-edged sword when it comes to dieting. While they can provide a sense of reward and flexibility, they can also lead to unhealthy eating habits and potentially derail your progress. Here's how cheat meals can negatively impact your diet:

Breaking Ketosis:

The keto diet is a strict, low-carb, high-fat diet that aims for ketosis, a metabolic state where your body burns fat instead of carbs for energy. Cheat meals that are high in carbs can easily kick you out of ketosis. Even a single meal with more than 50 grams of carbs can disrupt this process, and it takes several days to a week to get back into ketosis. As a result, your weight loss efforts may be hindered.

Overeating and Weight Gain:

Cheat meals can lead to overeating, especially when they become a justification for binge eating. This can sabotage your weight loss efforts and promote unhealthy eating habits. A study on 248 young adults found a positive correlation between cheat meal frequency and overeating episodes, indicating that the more we cheat, the more we tend to overeat.

Blood Sugar Spikes and Crashes:

Indulging in high-carb, high-sugar cheat meals can cause a spike in your blood sugar levels, followed by an energy-draining crash. This blood sugar rollercoaster can affect your energy levels and overall well-being. Additionally, the reintroduction of carbs can lead to a temporary gain in water weight.

Cravings and Addiction:

Carb and sugar cravings are not just in your head. Research has compared sugar addiction to cocaine addiction, and cheating can strengthen these pathways, making it harder to resist sugary treats in the future. Cheat meals can fuel sugar addiction and drive future cravings, making it challenging to maintain a healthy diet.

Guilt and Negative Emotions:

The term "cheat meal" itself carries a negative connotation, implying that you are doing something wrong. This can lead to feelings of guilt and self-judgment, especially if you associate cheat meals with being a "good" or "bad" person. Such negative emotions can impact your relationship with food and make it harder to maintain a healthy diet.

Unhealthy Behaviors:

The concept of cheat meals can encourage unhealthy behaviors, especially in individuals with emotional eating, food addiction, or disordered eating tendencies. It may trigger binge-style eating and exacerbate eating-related issues. The focus on physical appearance and the "all or nothing" mindset associated with cheat meals can be detrimental to mental health, particularly in vulnerable populations.

To maintain a healthy relationship with food, it's important to view your diet as a balanced and flexible lifestyle rather than a restrictive plan. Instead of labeling foods as "good" or "bad," focus on portion control and mindful eating. Remember, the best diet is one that you can stick to and that supports your overall health and well-being.

Cheat meals can cause digestive issues

Cheat meals on the keto diet can lead to digestive issues. The keto diet is a very strict, low-carb, high-fat diet that encourages ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat as its primary energy source instead of carbohydrates. This diet requires careful planning and monitoring of macronutrient intake to stay within a strict limit of 20-50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

The concept of cheat meals or cheat days is common in strict diets. It involves allowing yourself to indulge in cravings for foods that are typically restricted by the diet. While this may be beneficial for mental health and motivation for some dieters, it can have physical drawbacks, particularly concerning digestion.

Cheat meals on the keto diet can cause digestive issues for several reasons:

Disrupting Ketosis

Cheat meals that are high in carbohydrates can easily exceed the strict daily carb limit allowed on the keto diet, kicking your body out of ketosis. Ketosis is a delicate metabolic state, and even a single cheat meal can disrupt it. When you reintroduce carbohydrates, your body will prioritise using them as fuel instead of burning fat. This disruption can impact your digestive system, particularly if you are in the initial adaptation phase of the keto diet, where your body is adjusting to using fat for energy.

Overindulgence

The nature of cheat meals often leads to overindulgence. Not only are you eating something your body isn't accustomed to, but you may also be consuming a large quantity of it. This sudden change in diet can be challenging for your digestive system to process, leading to discomfort.

Food Intolerances and Insensitivities

Cheat meals may introduce foods that you have an intolerance or insensitivity to, such as lactose in dairy products. These food intolerances can lead to digestive issues like gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort.

Microbiome Imbalance

Your gut microbiome is an essential component of your digestive system. A cheat meal can throw this delicate balance into disarray, leading to digestive issues. This disruption may be more pronounced if you are in the adaptation phase, as your body is still adjusting to the keto diet.

Weight Gain and Water Retention

Cheat meals can lead to weight gain and increased water retention, which can impact your digestive system. This is particularly true if you overeat during your cheat meal or consume a large amount of refined carbohydrates and sugar.

While cheat meals can provide a mental health boost and help with motivation for some dieters, it is important to be aware of the potential digestive issues that may arise. These issues are usually temporary and will subside within a few days of returning to the keto diet. However, it is important to listen to your body and consult a doctor if you have any concerns or prolonged symptoms.

Frequently asked questions