Keto Means
Photo by Leah Kelley Pexels Logo Photo: Leah Kelley

Will a cheat day hurt my keto diet?

The bottom line You should avoid cheat meals and days on the keto diet. Consuming too many carbs can kick your body out of ketosis — and it takes several days to 1 week to get back into it. In the meantime, your weight loss may be disrupted.

What is the healthiest fruit for weight loss?
What is the healthiest fruit for weight loss?

Stone Fruits They include peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, and apricots. Stone fruits are low-GI, low-calorie, and rich in nutrients like...

Read More »
How do I transition off keto without gaining weight?
How do I transition off keto without gaining weight?

“As you transition off the ketogenic diet, start to slowly decrease your fat intake while upping your intake of lean proteins, vegetables, and...

Read More »

The keto diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that’s 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 carbs ( 1 ). As this diet is very strict, you may find yourself tempted by the occasional high carb food. As such, it’s natural to wonder whether you’re allowed to have cheat meals or cheat days on keto — or whether this will kick you out of ketosis. This article explains whether you can cheat on the keto diet. Share on Pinterest Cheat meals or days disrupt ketosis Cheat days and cheat meals are common strategies for strict diets. The former allows you to break the diet’s rules throughout the day, while the latter lets you have a single meal that breaks the rules. The idea of planned cheating is that by allowing yourself short periods of indulgence, you’re more likely to stick to the diet over the long term. While cheating may be helpful for some eating patterns, it’s far from ideal for the keto diet. That’s because this diet relies on your body staying in ketosis. To do so, you need to eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. Eating more than 50 grams can kick your body out of ketosis ( 2 ). As carbs are your body’s preferred energy source, your body will use them over ketone bodies — the main source of fuel during ketosis, which are derived from fats — as soon as a sufficient number of carbs are available ( 2 ). Because 50 grams of carbs is relatively few, a single cheat meal can easily exceed your daily carb allowance and take your body out of ketosis — while a cheat day is almost certain to surpass 50 grams of carbs. In addition, some research suggests that suddenly reintroducing a high carb meal to a ketogenic diet may damage your blood vessels ( 3 ). It’s also worth noting that it’s easy to overeat while cheating, which may sabotage your weight loss efforts and promote unhealthy eating habits ( 4 , 5 ). Summary Cheat meals or days are discouraged on the keto diet because they can easily break ketosis — the metabolic state that’s the hallmark of this diet. How to recover from cheat meals If you’ve cheated on keto, you’re likely out of ketosis. Once out, you’ll need to strictly follow the keto diet to reenter ketosis. This process takes several days to 1 week, depending on your carb intake, metabolism, and activity levels ( 6 , 7 , 8 ). Here are a few tips to help you get back into ketosis: Try intermittent fasting. Combining intermittent fasting with the keto diet may help your body shift its fuel source from carbs to fat ( 9 ).

Can I throw frozen fish in air fryer?
Can I throw frozen fish in air fryer?

Place the frozen fish fillets into the air fryer basket in a single layer directly from the freezer. No thawing is needed. Air Fry the fish fillets...

Read More »
How much weight can you lose on the 3 day egg diet?
How much weight can you lose on the 3 day egg diet?

That said, most people claim they lose 5–10 pounds (1.4–2.7 kg) in 3–5 days. An egg fast can help you lose weight by restricting calories and...

Read More »

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. 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, which may help expedite ketosis, are very high fat, low carb diets meant to last only a brief period. Fat fasts like egg fasts, which may help expedite ketosis, are very high fat, low carb diets meant to last only a brief period. Exercise more. Physical activity depletes your glycogen stores, which are your body’s stored form of carbs. In turn, this promotes ketosis. Physical activity depletes your glycogen stores, which are your body’s stored form of carbs. In turn, this promotes ketosis. Try a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplement. MCTs are a rapidly absorbed fatty acid that’s easily converted into ketones ( 6 ). The best way to know if you’ve reached ketosis is to test your ketone levels. You can use tools that measure your body’s ketone levels, such as ketone breath meters, blood ketone meters, and keto urine strips — which tend to be the cheapest and easiest method. Summary If you’ve cheated on keto, you’ll need to strictly adhere to the diet to reenter ketosis. A few techniques, such as intermittent fasting, fat fasting, and exercise, may help you reach ketosis faster. Tips to avoid cheating You can implement several simple strategies to help curb the urge to cheat on the keto diet. Some tips include: Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness involves paying attention to your body, which may help you resist cravings and emotional eating ( 10 , 11 ).

Can I have onions on keto?
Can I have onions on keto?

Luckily, onions can fit into any diet because of their nutrients, low calories, fiber and flavor – even Keto. Sep 1, 2020

Read More »
Can I eat burger cheese on keto?
Can I eat burger cheese on keto?

Yes, cheese is acceptable on the keto diet, but you do still need to be careful about what you choose. You want to use cheeses that are lower in...

Read More »

Mindfulness involves paying attention to your body, which may help you resist cravings and emotional eating ( , ). Plan out your meals and snacks. A solid dietary plan makes it less likely that you’ll get hungry during the day. A solid dietary plan makes it less likely that you’ll get hungry during the day. Make your everyday diet enjoyable. Try incorporating different keto-friendly meals to vary up your diet and make it enjoyable. Try incorporating different keto-friendly meals to vary up 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. Keeping treats and other tempting, high carb foods out of sight can make cheating inconvenient. Have an accountability partner. A buddy or accountability partner can help you stay motivated to stick to your diet. Summary To resist the urge to cheat on keto, try keeping carbs out of the house, planning out your meals and snacks, and practicing mindfulness.

Do cucumbers have to be refrigerated?
Do cucumbers have to be refrigerated?

Do cucumbers need to be refrigerated? No. However, while room temperature is best for them, you can still keep them in the fridge if you fancy a...

Read More »
Will a cheat day on keto make me gain weight?
Will a cheat day on keto make me gain weight?

Going off a keto diet is likely not detrimental. Just because you start eating carbs again, especially just for one day, doesn't mean you will...

Read More »
How can I lose weight fast without exercise?
How can I lose weight fast without exercise?

10 Tips to Lose Weight Fast Without Exercise Don't Drink Your Calories. ... Control Your Portion Sizes. ... Increase Your Fiber Intake. ... Get...

Read More »
Why am I gaining weight on keto and intermittent fasting?
Why am I gaining weight on keto and intermittent fasting?

People who consume too many calories may gain weight, even if they are in a state of ketosis. High fat foods tend to contain many more calories...

Read More »