Cheating on Keto: Effects and Recovery (2024)

FAQs

Cheating on Keto: Effects and Recovery? ›

The bottom line

Yes, even just one carb-rich meal can quickly get you out of ketosis. The carbs eaten on a cheat day will halt the production of ketones immediately until they are all metabolized by the body. It's not that complicated to achieve ketosis, but it does take time and effort.

Overall, you can get back into ketosis as soon as 12-16 hours after your last cheat meal (with the help of fasting and exercise) or it can take as long as it did when you first started keto.

A significant cheat, even for one meal, can stall your weight loss, make you feel sluggish, experience significant brain fog, and if you're somewhat new to keto, perhaps cause you go through keto flu symptoms all over again. More than that, you will need to work your way into ketosis again.

Transitioning off the keto diet should take a few weeks. About 14 days is pretty reasonable for your body to adjust to the change. Some people find it helpful to increase their carb intake each day by about 10 percent, while others use an app to help keep track.

Chips, crackers, cookies and snack foods are all off-limits on the keto diet. Low in fiber and high in carbs, these items do not support the goal of keto eating, aka reducing carbs enough to stay in ketosis and burn stored fat.

While your metabolism may go up in the immediate aftermath of a splurge, it doesn't stay that way for long enough to make a significant difference. “Cheat day calories can add up fast and bring your weight loss progress to a screeching halt — or even reverse it,” Taylor warns.

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.

The uncomfortable symptoms of the keto flu are usually temporary. For some people, symptoms resolve after only a few days ( 5 ). However, others may have a more difficult time adapting to this high-fat, low-carb diet. For these individuals, symptoms may last up a month ( 5 ).

Research shows that after a cheat meal, the body increases its metabolism, causing you to burn calories faster. This is caused by increased levels of leptin, a hormone secreted by fat cells and responsible for maintaining energy balance in the body.

What happens if you eat a lot of carbs after being on keto? ›

“When you reintroduce carbohydrates back into your diet — and this is more about refined carbs, I'm not talking about eating an apple — you don't feel very good.” She says some people experience a so-called carb hangover — the body feels kind of bloated and inflamed, and you may develop headaches.

Regular Crust

This type of pizza crust can have up to 33g of carbs without any added sauce or cheese. If you're limiting your carbs to 20-50 grams per day, one slice of this type of crust will likely kick you out of ketosis.

It will take time for your metabolism and your body to recalibrate after stopping the keto diet (up to two weeks, according to some experts) [1]. The second essential tip: Don't go it alone. Talk with a healthcare provider, dietitian, or nutritionist to develop a personalized, sustainable post-keto plan.

Not following accepted ketogenic diet guidelines can disrupt ketosis because carbs are the body's preferred energy source. If your carb intake is too high, carbs may be used for fuel instead of ketone bodies, which is the main source of fuel during ketosis.

Your weight might spike because carbs cause you to retain water, but as long as you limit carbs after the cheat day and get back into a state of ketosis quickly, your cheat day probably won't have any long-term negative effects on your weight loss goals.

To stay in ketosis, a person requires up to 50 grams (g) of carbs per day. A person following a keto diet eats foods with high levels of fats and very low levels of carbohydrates.