Keto Cheat Day: What Foods Are Allowed?

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that emphasises weight loss by burning fat. While the keto diet is ranked No. 1 of 24 diets in the 2023 U.S. News Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets rankings, it is also ranked No. 21 in the Best Weight-Loss Diets and No. 20 in the Best Diets Overall. The keto diet is restrictive, and it is natural to crave forbidden, carby foods. A cheat day on the keto diet can mean indulging in actual pasta, pizza, and other high-carb meals. However, cheat days can have negative consequences, such as kicking you out of ketosis and hindering weight loss. So, should you include a cheat day in your keto diet plan?

Opt for keto-friendly substitutes

Opting for keto-friendly substitutes is a great way to satisfy your cravings without completely derailing your ketosis progress. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your cheat day while staying true to the keto diet:

Choose keto-friendly alternatives: Instead of reaching for high-carb foods, opt for keto-friendly substitutes. For example, try cauliflower crust pizza, keto breads, or low-carb tortillas. You can find keto-friendly versions of your favourite meals, including keto desserts and snacks.

Indulge in cheat meals, not cheat days: It is easier to manage your nutrition and calories by having a single cheat meal rather than a full cheat day. A large cheat meal can add 1000 or more calories, while a whole cheat day will likely add much more. Plan your cheat meals ahead of time and prioritise certain events or favourite foods.

Keep portions small: Opt for small portions of your favourite high-carb foods during cheat meals. This will help you avoid overindulging and make it easier to stay within your keto limits.

Make them rare: Space out your cheat meals or days generously. The less you cheat, the less likely you are to form bad eating habits and the easier it will be to stay on track with your keto diet.

Make them count: Be selective about what you eat during your cheat meals or days. Choose foods that you truly miss or crave, such as a special dessert or a favourite comfort food.

Exercise after cheating: Exercise increases your body's ability to process carbs, helping you get back into ketosis faster. So, if you do indulge in a cheat meal or day, make sure to get some physical activity afterward.

Remember, the key to a successful keto cheat day is moderation and planning. By opting for keto-friendly substitutes and following these tips, you can enjoy your favourite foods without sacrificing your keto progress.

Keep portions small

Portion control is an important aspect of a keto cheat day. Here are some tips to keep portions small and prevent overeating:

• Plan your meals: Decide in advance which meals you will cheat on and budget your calories and carbs accordingly. This will help you stay on top of your overall nutrition and prevent you from going overboard.
• Make it rare: Cheat days should be occasional, not a daily occurrence. Space them out generously, whether it's once every week or two weeks. The less frequently you cheat, the less likely you are to form bad eating habits.
• Prioritize: Choose your cheat meals wisely. Don't waste them on random temptations that are always available. Instead, save them for special events or your favourite foods. For example, if you know there's a social gathering coming up, plan ahead and enjoy a controlled cheat meal without going overboard.
• Keep seconds out of reach: When you do indulge in a cheat meal, make sure seconds aren't within easy reach. This will help prevent overeating and reduce the temptation to rely solely on willpower.
• Exercise portion control: Even on a cheat day, be mindful of your portions. Instead of eating a whole box of pizza or a tray of cookies, limit yourself to a small portion of high-carb foods. This will help you stay on track and prevent you from consuming too many extra calories.

Make cheat days rare

If you're on the keto diet, you might be looking forward to a cheat day to indulge in some of your favourite foods. Cheat days can be a reward for sticking to a restrictive diet, but they can also have negative consequences. So, if you're going to have a cheat day, it's best to make them rare.

The Pros and Cons of Cheat Days

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that can be challenging to stick to. Cheat days can be a way to give yourself some flexibility and keep yourself motivated. However, they can also interfere with your state of ketosis and hinder your weight loss goals.

The main advantage of cheat days is that they can help with your mindset and determination to continue with the keto diet. If you allow yourself to indulge in some of your favourite foods, you may be more likely to stick with the diet in the long term.

On the other hand, cheat days can have several drawbacks. Firstly, they can knock you out of ketosis, which is the state your body goes into when it uses fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Secondly, cheat days can increase your cravings for carbohydrates, making it harder to avoid them in the future. Finally, cheat days can increase your hunger and appetite by spiking your blood sugar and hunger hormone levels.

Tips for a Successful Cheat Day

If you decide to have a cheat day on the keto diet, there are a few things you can do to make it a positive experience:

• Make it rare: Space out your cheat days generously, whether they are a week or two weeks apart. This will help you stay on track with your diet and avoid forming bad habits.
• Make it keto-friendly: Opt for keto-friendly alternatives to your favourite high-carb foods, such as zucchini pasta instead of wheat pasta.
• Keep portions small: Eating smaller portions on your cheat day will help you avoid overindulging and make it easier to get back to your keto diet.
• Make it count: Choose your cheat day foods wisely and indulge in something you really love, like a special holiday dessert.
• Avoid sugar: Sugar is your enemy on the keto diet, so avoid it on your cheat day and opt for keto-friendly sweeteners instead.
• Exercise: Exercise increases your body's ability to process carbs, so working out after your cheat day can help you get back into ketosis faster.
• Get back to keto quickly: Don't let your cheat day turn into a cheat week. Get back to your keto diet as soon as possible to stay on track with your weight loss goals.

Prioritise certain events or favourite foods

If you're on the keto diet, it's important to remember that it's okay to treat yourself now and then. The key is to be mindful about when and how you do it. Ask yourself whether the food and the experience are worth it. For example, a slice of homemade apple pie from your grandmother? That might be worth it. A store-bought candy bar over your lunch hour? Maybe not.

If you know there is a social event coming up on the weekend, plan how you will treat yourself and enjoy it without going overboard. For example, if you know there will be a birthday celebration with cake, be sure to stock up on plenty of leafy greens and high-quality protein throughout the day. This will help you stay within your overall carb intake for the day.

You might also want to plan smaller treats around exercise to help keep you in ketosis since you will be using up the extra carbs quickly.

If you're new to keto, wait at least a few weeks before introducing treats. It's important to get some progress going before considering cheats.

If your goal is calorie control, aim to treat yourself no more than once or twice a week. But if ketosis is important for your progress, consider treating yourself much less often, like once a month.

Exercise after cheating

So, you've had a cheat meal or day on your keto diet. Now what?

Exercise is a great way to get back into ketosis and is one of the top tips for returning to this metabolic state. However, it is important to note that over-exercising is not recommended. Instead, appropriate exercise will help you get back into ketosis by sending stored glucose to your muscles. This means you will use up your glucose stores quicker, bringing you one step closer to burning ketones and fat for fuel instead of glucose.

Low-intensity steady-state cardio is a great option, but if you are trying to get back into ketosis as quickly as possible, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is the way to go. HIIT will help deplete glycogen stores more rapidly and burn some extra calories.

If you are looking for other ways to get back into ketosis, here are some additional tips:

• Don't dwell on any negative feelings. A positive mindset will help you plan for the week ahead and get ready to go keto again.
• Stay hydrated. The keto diet can cause you to rapidly shed water stores, so make sure you are drinking plenty of water to prevent dehydration and have a smoother transition back into ketosis.
• Increase your electrolyte intake. Switching to ketosis can deplete electrolytes like sodium, magnesium, and potassium, which can cause symptoms like fatigue, nausea, and headaches. Avocados and dark chocolate are great ways to replenish magnesium levels.
• Get enough fibre. If you experience constipation and certain digestive issues when transitioning to the ketogenic diet, it could be due to a lack of fibre.
• Try intermittent fasting. With intermittent fasting, your body uses glycogen stores, which helps you enter ketosis.
• Take exogenous ketones. Exogenous ketones can supplement your body with ketones and significantly decrease blood glucose.

Remember, it might take more than one day to get back into ketosis, and the longer you are out of ketosis, the higher the risk of developing keto flu symptoms. So, get moving and use these other tips to help you get back on track!

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