Breaking Keto: What Happens After One Emergency Cheat?

The ketogenic diet is a weight-loss plan that involves eating a very high-fat diet, reducing carbohydrate intake, moderating protein, and increasing fat consumption. While it can be challenging to stick to, it is possible to have a cheat meal or day without undoing progress. However, there may be some side effects, such as gastrointestinal distress, blood sugar spikes, fatigue, and weight gain. For those who are new to the keto diet, it is recommended to wait a few weeks before considering cheat meals, and for those who are pregnant, nursing, or have certain medical conditions, it is important to consult a healthcare professional before starting this diet.

Cheat meals won't ruin your progress as long as you're maintaining calorie control

Cheat Meals Won't Ruin Your Progress (as long as you're maintaining calorie control)

Cheat Meals: Friend or Foe?

The idea of a "cheat meal" is common across many diets, and it can be a helpful strategy to stick to a strict diet over the long term. Cheat meals are a planned indulgence, a break from the monotony of a restricted diet, and a reward for hard work.

The Impact of Cheat Meals on Keto

However, cheat meals are not ideal for the keto diet, as this diet relies on the body staying in ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat as its primary energy source. A single cheat meal can easily exceed the daily carb allowance and take the body out of ketosis.

Calorie Control

But, if your primary goal is weight loss, a cheat meal on keto will not destroy your progress as long as you are maintaining overall calorie control. Carbs do not cause weight gain; only eating too many calories can do this. So, as long as you are not going overboard with cheat days and are mindful of your overall calorie intake, your hard work will not be undone.

Tips for Cheating on Keto

• Opt for keto-approved cheat meals with keto-friendly substitutes.
• Have cheat meals, not cheat days. It's easier to control your overall nutrition and calories with a single cheat meal.
• Plan your cheat meals in advance and budget your calories and carbs.
• Prioritize certain events or favourite foods over random temptations.
• If your goal is calorie control, aim for no more than one or two cheat meals a week.
• Track your daily intake to ensure your cheats are not blowing your weekly nutrition goals.

In conclusion, cheat meals can be a part of a healthy diet, but they should be approached with caution on keto. As long as you are mindful of your calorie intake and do not go overboard, a cheat meal will not ruin your progress.

A keto cheat day can cause a temporary gain in water weight

When you're on a keto diet, your body is in a state of ketosis, which means it's burning fat for energy instead of glucose. Ketosis happens when there isn't much sugar available for your body to use as energy, so it starts burning fat instead. This can lead to weight loss, but it's a highly restrictive diet that can be tough to follow.

Cheat days on the keto diet can be tempting because of the restrictive nature of the diet. However, a cheat day can interfere with your state of ketosis. If you eat more than 50 grams of carbs in a day, you will likely be kicked out of ketosis. This can be hard to recover from, and it may take a few days to get back into ketosis.

If you're craving carbs, there are some keto-friendly alternatives that can help you stay on track. For example, you can make keto-friendly pizza or desserts, or reach for nuts, seeds, or dried cheese snacks. Having a cheat meal every now and then is less likely to affect your progress than a full cheat day, and it can be a good way to stay sane while on a restrictive diet.

If you're struggling with the restrictions of the keto diet, consider seeking guidance from a registered dietitian. Ultimately, it's important to find a balanced diet that you can stick to in the long run.

It's easier to get back into ketosis if you've been on keto for more than 3-6 weeks

If you've been on the keto diet for more than three to six weeks, it will be much easier to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal than if you were not fully fat-adapted. This is because your body has had time to adjust to burning fat for energy, and it will be able to more quickly shift back into fat-burning mode after a brief period of using carbohydrates for fuel.

The time it takes to get back into ketosis after a cheat day depends on several factors, including your metabolic flexibility, age, activity level, and the amount of carbs you consumed during your cheat meal. While some individuals can re-enter fat-burning mode within two days, others may need more than a week to get back into ketosis.

If you've been on the keto diet for an extended period, your body is likely fat-adapted and has developed efficient fat-burning mechanisms. As a result, you may find it easier to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal. Additionally, if you were in ketosis for around a month or longer before your cheat day, you will probably be back in ketosis within 24 to 48 hours.

To get back into ketosis quickly after a cheat day, it is recommended to return to a low-carb, high-fat diet right away and aim to reduce your carbohydrate intake as much as possible. Incorporating fat-burning exercises, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can also help deplete glycogen stores accumulated during your cheat day and accelerate your return to ketosis. Staying hydrated and maintaining proper electrolyte balance are also crucial for a smooth transition back into ketosis.

In summary, if you've been on the keto diet for more than three to six weeks, it will generally be easier to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal. This is because your body has had time to adapt to burning fat for fuel, and it will be more efficient at shifting back into fat-burning mode. However, the time it takes to get back into ketosis can vary depending on individual factors, and it's important to take proactive steps to support your body in returning to this state.

Keto cycling involves following the keto diet and then taking a day or more off

Keto cycling is a less restrictive and more sustainable approach to the ketogenic diet. It involves following a strict keto diet for a few days and then taking a day or more off. The idea is to make the keto diet easier to follow. Knowing that there's a day in the near future when you'll be allowed to eat carbs again might help you stick to the diet for longer.

There is no strict definition of keto cycling. Some people choose to have five or six days on keto followed by a day or two off. Others will do keto for 10 to 12 days followed by three to four days off. It's recommended to start with just one day off so you can see how your body responds and how quickly you return to ketosis afterward.

On those higher-carb days, it's best to stick to whole foods with low amounts of sugar, such as fruit, sweet potatoes, and whole grains. It's also recommended to eat carbs during the daytime when you're most active, rather than at night.

Keto cycling can be helpful for people who crave higher-carb items from time to time. However, it's not for everyone. It can be challenging to avoid overindulging on those days off the diet, especially for people who were carb addicts or sugar addicts before starting keto. It can also be difficult to get back into ketosis after a day or more of eating carbs.

Keto cycling might be a good option for people who are interested in the keto diet but are looking for a more flexible and easier-to-follow approach. It's important to note that keto cycling won't be as effective as traditional keto for weight loss, as you won't be burning fat on those days off.

If you're new to keto, wait a few weeks before considering cheats

If you're new to keto, it's recommended to wait a few weeks before considering cheat meals or days. This is because it can take anywhere from one day to a week to get into ketosis in the first place, and the process is much quicker the second time around. If you're not fully fat-adapted, it will be harder to get back into ketosis after a cheat meal.

When you eat a high-carb meal, your blood sugar will spike, and your body will switch back to using glucose as its main source of fuel. Ketone production will stop, and your body will use up the available glucose and glycogen stores. Eventually, your body will resume ketone production, but in the meantime, you may experience some negative side effects.

After a cheat meal, you might notice an intense sugar crash, as well as a repeat of the "keto flu" symptoms you may have experienced when you first started the diet. These symptoms can include stomach pains, brain fog, dizziness, nausea, irritability, constipation, muscle soreness, lack of concentration, sugar cravings, and heart palpitations.

The number of carbs needed to kick you out of ketosis depends on the individual, but any high-carb meal over your recommended daily carb limit will likely do the trick. For example, if your daily limit is 20 grams of carbs, a cheat meal with 20 or more grams will probably cause you to fall out of ketosis.

If your primary goal is to lose weight, an occasional cheat meal or day likely won't destroy your progress, as long as you're maintaining overall calorie control. However, if your goal is to stay in ketosis for reasons other than weight loss, cheating on the keto diet may not be advisable. For example, one small study found that keto cheat days could increase heart health risks among diabetics following the keto diet to manage blood sugar levels.

In addition, cheating on the keto diet can have some negative consequences for your health and well-being. Eating high-carb, high-sugar foods can kick you out of ketosis, interfering with weight loss and other keto-related goals. It can also lead to a blood sugar rollercoaster, with spikes followed by crashes that leave you feeling low on energy. Cheat meals can also bring back feelings of hunger and intensify sugar cravings, as sugar can be addictive. Finally, cheating on the keto diet can lead to feelings of guilt, especially if you end up binging or overeating.

Frequently asked questions