Cheat Meals On Keto: What You Need To Know

The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that is popular for its weight loss effects. It is a very strict diet that can be hard to stick to, and it's natural to wonder if you can have a cheat meal or cheat day. A cheat meal can be a tasty reward for your hard work, but it's important to consider the consequences. Cheat meals disrupt ketosis, the metabolic state that is the hallmark of the keto diet. Eating more than 50 grams of carbs can kick your body out of ketosis, and it can take several days to a week to get back into it. In the meantime, your weight loss may be disrupted. There are also health consequences to consider, such as blood sugar spikes, stopped ketone production, and temporary water weight gain. However, some people find that allowing themselves the flexibility to cheat occasionally makes it easier to stick to the keto diet in the long run. Ultimately, the decision to cheat on the keto diet depends on your individual goals and how your body responds to cheating.

How to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal

A single cheat meal can easily kick your body out of ketosis, so it's important to know how to get back into it. Here are some tips to help you get back into ketosis after a cheat meal:

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a way to help your body shift its fuel source from carbs to fat. This can be done by extending the fasting window from dinnertime to breakfast, or skipping a meal such as breakfast or dinner. Most fasts last for 13-18 hours, but some people try a full 24- or 48-hour fast.

Track Your Carb Intake

Take note of your daily carb intake to ensure you don't underestimate it. This will help you stay within your carb limit and get back into ketosis.

Try a Short-Term Fat Fast

Fat fasts like egg fasts are very high-fat, low-carb diets meant to be followed for a brief period. They may help expedite ketosis.

Exercise More

Physical activity depletes your glycogen stores, which are your body's stored form of carbs. This promotes ketosis. You can also try increasing your exercise regimen to get back into ketosis faster.

Try a Medium-Chain Triglyceride (MCT) Supplement

MCTs are a rapidly absorbed fatty acid that is easily converted into ketones. This may help you reach ketosis faster.

Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking water can help you feel more full, reducing hunger cravings. It can also help flush out glycogen, which is stored glucose, from your body.

Increase Your Fat Intake

Stick to high-fat meals and snacks to prevent sugar and carb cravings. Eating plenty of fats can also help decrease sugar and carb cravings when trying to enter ketosis. Some great sources of fat include avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil powder, and nuts and seeds.

Get Enough Sleep

A good night's sleep gives your body a chance to reset and repair itself. When adults sleep less than eight hours a night, hunger and appetite increase, cravings for high-carb foods rise, and cells become less efficient at using insulin.

Take Exogenous Ketones

Your body may take some time to start producing ketones on its own again after a cheat meal. You can use exogenous ketone supplements to supply your body with energy as it works its way back into a ketogenic state.

It's important to note that it may take anywhere from 12-16 hours to a week to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal, depending on various factors such as your previous ketosis duration, carb intake, exercise levels, and metabolism.

The benefits of a cheat meal

A break from the diet

The keto diet is a highly restrictive diet that can be tough to follow. A cheat meal can be a welcomed break from the diet, allowing you to indulge in some of your favourite foods and giving you a tasty reward for all your hard work.

Psychological benefits

Experts claim that including a strategic cheat meal into a diet may have psychological benefits such as reduced cravings and the resolve to stick to your meal plan overall. Knowing that you can cheat occasionally reduces the feeling of deprivation and makes it easier to stick to the keto diet in the long run.

Social benefits

Avoiding all cheat meals may be socially isolating. A planned cheat meal can help you fit in with friends and family and be polite in certain situations, such as when you are offered food by a relative.

Physical benefits

If you do decide to have a cheat meal, it is better to do this before or after vigorous activity. If you eat carbs before a workout, your activity will burn off some of them so they don't make it to your fat stores. If you cheat immediately after a workout, your glycogen stores are depleted, so some of the carbs you eat will replenish glycogen rather than convert to fat.

The drawbacks of a cheat meal

A cheat meal on the keto diet can have several negative consequences, and it is important to be aware of these before deciding whether to indulge. Firstly, a cheat meal can easily cause you to exceed your daily carb allowance and take your body out of ketosis. This is because the keto diet is very strict, and a single high-carb meal can contain more than the recommended daily carb limit. For example, a medium bagel contains about 50 grams of carbs, which is the daily limit for someone on the keto diet.

Secondly, research suggests that suddenly reintroducing a high-carb meal to a ketogenic diet may damage your blood vessels. Additionally, cheating on the keto diet can lead to a blood sugar spike, causing your body to switch back to burning glucose for fuel instead of fat. This can result in a temporary water weight gain and an intense sugar crash, leaving you feeling sluggish and irritable.

Furthermore, cheating on the keto diet can promote unhealthy eating habits and make it harder to resist cravings in the future. It can also lead to overeating, which may sabotage your weight loss efforts. Finally, it can take several days to a week to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal, which can disrupt your weight loss progress.

Therefore, while a cheat meal on the keto diet may provide a short period of indulgence, it is important to be aware of the potential drawbacks and negative consequences it may have on your body and your progress.

How to avoid cheating on keto

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 carbohydrates. As this diet is very strict, you may find yourself tempted by the occasional high-carb food.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves paying attention to your body, which may help you resist cravings and emotional eating. It can help you make better decisions about food and curb the urge to cheat.

Plan Your Meals and Snacks

Creating a solid dietary plan makes it less likely that you will get hungry during the day and be tempted to cheat. Planning your meals and snacks can help you stay on track and avoid cheating.

Make Your Everyday Diet Enjoyable

Incorporate a variety of keto-friendly meals into your diet to make it enjoyable and reduce the temptation to cheat.

Keep Tempting Foods Out of the House

Keeping treats and other tempting, high-carb foods out of sight can make cheating inconvenient and less likely to occur.

Have an Accountability Partner

Having a buddy or accountability partner can help you stay motivated and committed to your diet. They can provide support and encouragement to stick to your diet and avoid cheating.

Understand the Consequences of Cheating

Cheating on the keto diet can have negative consequences, such as kicking your body out of ketosis, disrupting weight loss, and promoting unhealthy eating habits. Reminding yourself of these consequences can help you avoid cheating.

Be Kind to Yourself

If you do cheat, don't be too hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay to give in to temptation occasionally. Learn from your mistake and use it as motivation to stick to your diet in the future.

What to eat on a cheat meal

Cheat meals are common strategies for strict diets like the keto diet, where a single meal that breaks the rules is consumed. While cheating may be helpful, it is not ideal for the keto diet as it relies on the body staying in ketosis, a metabolic state in which the body burns fat as its primary source of energy instead of carbohydrates.

If you do choose to have a cheat meal, it is important to be mindful of the consequences, both good and bad, and how to minimise the negative impacts.

The Pros and Cons of Cheat Meals on the Keto Diet

The main argument for cheat meals is the long-term benefit. The idea is that by allowing yourself the flexibility to cheat occasionally, you are more likely to stick to the keto diet for longer. However, there is little data to support this claim, and it largely depends on the individual. Some people can take breaks from keto and return to the diet with ease, while others may fall off the wagon and struggle to get back on track.

The main consequence of a cheat meal on the keto diet is that it can kick your body out of ketosis. This is because a cheat meal will usually be high in carbohydrates, which cause a spike in blood sugar levels, leading to an intense sugar crash. This can interfere with weight loss goals and promote unhealthy eating habits. Additionally, cheating can strengthen addiction pathways in the brain, making it harder to avoid sugary treats in the future.

Tips for Cheating on the Keto Diet

If you are planning a cheat meal, there are some strategies you can use to minimise the negative impacts:

• Keto-friendly foods: Opt for keto-approved cheat meals by choosing low-carb substitutes to curb your cravings. For example, instead of regular pasta, choose zucchini pasta.
• Small portions: Keep portions small to prevent overeating.
• Rarity: Space out your cheat meals generously. The less you cheat, the less likely you are to form bad eating habits.
• Make it count: Don't waste your cheat meal on something you don't really want. Eat the foods you miss most.
• Avoid sugar: Sugary cheat meals will fuel sugar addiction and drive future cravings. Opt for keto-friendly sweeteners instead.
• Exercise: Cheat close to when you plan to exercise. Exercise increases insulin sensitivity, so you can get back into ketosis faster.
• Quick return to keto: The longer you avoid your low-carb routine, the harder it will be to get back on track.

How to Recover from a Cheat Meal

If you do indulge in a cheat meal, there are several things you can do to recover and get back into ketosis:

• Intermittent fasting: Combine intermittent fasting with the keto diet to help your body shift its fuel source from carbs to fat.
• Track your carb intake: Keep note of your daily carb intake to ensure you don't underestimate it.
• Fat fast: Try a short-term fat fast like an egg fast, which is a very high-fat, low-carb diet meant to last only a brief period.
• Exercise: Physical activity depletes your glycogen stores, promoting ketosis.
• Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplement: MCTs are rapidly absorbed fatty acids that are easily converted into ketones.

Tips to Avoid Cheating

To help curb the urge to cheat on the keto diet, you can try the following strategies:

• Mindfulness: Pay attention to your body, which may help you resist cravings and emotional eating.
• Meal planning: Plan out your meals and snacks to make it less likely that you'll get hungry during the day.
• Enjoyable diet: Incorporate a variety of keto-friendly meals to make your diet enjoyable.
• Avoid temptation: Keep tempting, high-carb foods out of the house to make cheating inconvenient.
• Accountability partner: Having a buddy or accountability partner can help you stay motivated and stick to your diet.

Frequently asked questions