The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that can be effective for quick weight loss. However, it is not recommended as a long-term solution, and people often gain weight after stopping the diet. To keep the weight off after keto, it is important to transition to a less restrictive, balanced diet gradually. This involves slowly increasing carbohydrate intake, focusing on complex carbs and fibre, and adding more protein and plant-based foods to your diet. Maintaining an active lifestyle and managing stress are also crucial for keeping the weight off. Consulting a healthcare professional for a personalised plan can help ensure a successful transition and weight maintenance post-keto.
How to Keep Keto Weight Off
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Gradually increase carbohydrate intake | Increase daily amount of carbs by 10 grams each week |
Add more protein to your diet | Skinless chicken, fish, lean cuts of red meat, tofu, legumes |
Add resistance training to your routine | Resistance training helps with muscle growth and increases resting metabolic rate |
Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet | Fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and high in antioxidants and other nutrients |
Try intermittent fasting | Fasting for 12 hours a day, 16 hours, alternate day fasting, or a weekly 24-hour fast |
Adopt a more active lifestyle | Regular movement throughout the day, frequent breaks, regular walks, stretching or yoga |
What You'll Learn
Gradually increase your carb intake
Transitioning off the keto diet can be challenging, but there are ways to do it without gaining all the weight back. One of the most important things to remember is to take it slow and gradual. Here are some tips on how to gradually increase your carb intake after keto:
Start with complex carbohydrates
When reintroducing carbs, focus on complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. These include foods like oats, rice, quinoa, beans, and fruits like berries. Avoid unhealthy carbs such as white bread, cookies, and donuts, as they are less nutritious and can lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes.
Increase your carb intake gradually
Instead of drastically increasing your carb intake, add them back into your diet slowly. Start by increasing your daily carb intake by approximately 10 grams each week. This gradual approach will help your body adjust and prevent shocking your system, which has been carbohydrate-deprived during keto.
Monitor your weight and well-being
As you increase your carb intake, pay close attention to your weight and how your body feels. Track your weight and take note of any changes in your energy levels, digestion, and overall well-being. This will help you identify any sensitivities or reactions to the increased carb intake and make adjustments as needed.
Opt for high-fibre carbs
When choosing which carbs to reintroduce, prioritise high-fibre options. Fibre helps promote a feeling of fullness, aids in digestion, and supports a healthy gut. Include plenty of fibre-rich whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes in your diet.
Be mindful of portion sizes
Even when choosing healthy carbs, it's important to be mindful of your portion sizes. The key is moderation. While carbs are an important source of energy and nutrients, overeating can lead to weight gain. Listen to your body's hunger cues and adjust your portions accordingly.
Combine with physical activity
Increasing your physical activity can help you maintain your weight as you reintroduce carbs. Exercise helps burn calories and promotes a healthy balance between energy intake and expenditure. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as walking or swimming, most days of the week.
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Add more protein to your diet
Adding more protein to your diet is an important strategy for keeping keto weight off. According to Scott Keatley, RDN, of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy in New York City, increasing your intake of lean protein can help you take advantage of the thermic effect of food. The thermic effect refers to the number of calories it takes to digest food. It takes about 20 to 30 percent of the calories in protein to digest it, compared with about 5 to 10 percent of the calories in carbs. This means that eating more protein can help you burn more calories during digestion.
So, which protein-rich foods should you eat? Consider increasing your intake of lean proteins such as beans, tofu, chicken, fish, and lean cuts of red meat. You can also get protein from eggs, dairy products like Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, nuts, seeds, and protein supplements. Aim for a range of 1.2 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of target body weight. For example, if your target weight is 68 kg, you should consume between 81 and 136 grams of protein per day.
However, be cautious of protein sources that also contain carbohydrates, as these can add up quickly. For example, nuts, some processed meats, tofu, and vegetarian/vegan meat substitutes can be high in carbs. Always check nutrition labels to make an informed choice.
It's also important to space out your protein intake throughout the day. Proteins are constantly being remodeled, so ensure you're spreading out your consumption instead of eating it all at once. Additionally, make sure to add fat to your meals to stay satiated and prevent overeating.
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Add resistance training to your routine
Resistance training, also known as strength training, is a type of workout routine designed to improve muscle strength and endurance. Research shows that this type of workout is highly effective for weight loss, especially for obese or overweight people.
Maintain Weight Loss
Resistance training is a form of exercise, and we all know that when you work out, you're able to maintain your weight. By working out as you transition out of the keto diet, you're able to expend a greater number of calories each day, which will help you maintain your weight loss.
Improve Muscle Growth
Increasing your muscle mass has a host of benefits, including improving balance and flexibility, strengthening bones, and reducing the risk of chronic illnesses. Having more muscle also increases your resting metabolic rate, which means you'll burn more calories even when at rest.
How to Get Started
If you haven't been working out before, now is the time to consider it. You can start by incorporating resistance training into your routine a few times a week. Some examples of resistance training include powerlifting, weightlifting, bodypump classes, and bodyweight conditioning.
As you begin resistance training, you'll want to ensure you're giving your muscles the fuel they need. You can do this by adding more calories and protein while keeping carbs low, or by adding more carbs around your workouts only.
It's important to note that muscle gain takes time, and you may not see results overnight. A safe rate of muscle gain is about 1-2 pounds per week, so be patient and consistent with your training.
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Add more fruits and vegetables
Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet is an important step in transitioning away from keto while still maintaining your health and weight loss results. While keto is a high-fat, very-low-carb diet, it is not meant to be followed forever. In fact, long-term ketogenic diets can result in nutritional deficiencies, especially when it comes to fiber.
When increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, it is important to be mindful of the types of produce you are consuming. Above-ground vegetables, such as leafy greens, spinach, kale, lettuce, cucumbers, cabbage, asparagus, and zucchini, are generally lower in carbs and are better options for a keto diet. On the other hand, below-ground vegetables, or root vegetables, like potatoes and sweet potatoes, tend to contain more carbs and should be consumed in moderation.
When it comes to fruit, berries are a great option as they are lower in carbs and high in fiber. Examples include raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Avocados are another fruit that is suitable for a keto diet due to its high healthy fat content.
It is also important to note that while increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, you should still be mindful of your overall carb intake. Gradually increase your carb consumption and monitor your weight and how you feel. This will help you find the right balance and avoid weight gain.
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Try intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is a strategy that can help you maintain your weight after the keto diet. It is a way to deal with the feeling of "I've worked so hard! Now I deserve to relax!"
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that includes hours or days with no or minimal food consumption (fasting) interspersed with hours or days of regular eating. There are several ways to do it:
- Eating normally for 5-6 days a week and fasting for 1-2 days
- Eating in a 6-10 hour window every day and fasting for the remaining time
- Time-restricted eating, such as eating for 8 hours and fasting for 16 each day
This strategy can be psychologically easier for some people, as when you do eat, you get to feast. It can also be a natural progression from a keto diet, as you may feel satiated from eating so much fat, and the transition into a fasted state becomes seamless after eating low-carb for a few weeks.
However, it is important to note that there is a lack of rigorous research on the combination of keto and intermittent fasting, and it hasn't been proven to work for weight loss. It is also extremely restrictive, so it may be difficult to stick to the low-carb count and confined eating window.
Before starting intermittent fasting, be sure to consult your healthcare team, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have certain health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
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Frequently asked questions
It's normal to gain some weight back after keto, but there are ways to minimise this. Firstly, don't suddenly increase your carbohydrate intake. Instead, add around 10g of carbohydrates per day for the first week, choosing complex carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes. You should also increase your protein intake, as this will help you feel fuller for longer and boost your metabolism.
Focus on eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as lean proteins such as beans, lentils, tofu, edamame and skinless chicken. Avoid highly processed foods, sugary drinks and desserts, and limit your consumption of red meat.
It's normal to gain back some of the weight you lost while on the keto diet. This is partly because the keto diet is so restrictive that it's hard to stick to long-term. However, if you gain weight after transitioning to a less restrictive diet, this could be a sign that you need to make further adjustments to your diet and exercise routine.
As well as making healthy food choices, it's important to stay active. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, and try to incorporate resistance training into your routine to build muscle and boost your metabolism. You could also try intermittent fasting, which involves restricting your food intake to a set window of time each day.