Cheating on Keto: Does the Keto Diet Allow Cheat Days?

Is it possible to indulge on the keto diet? How will having a keto cheat day effect your weight-loss plan if the diet places a strong emphasis on burning fat instead of carbs?

The idea behind the keto diet is that you can safely reach a state of ketosis by reducing the amount of carbohydrates you consume and replacing them with fats. At that point, the body turns stored and ingested fat into compounds called ketones. In this condition, your body's fat-burning system mostly uses fat as fuel rather than sugar.

What Is the Keto Diet?

According to Kaylee Jacks, a registered dietitian with Texas Health Sports Medicine in Dallas, followers of the keto diet follow a food plan that details the kinds of calories they take in each day.

The keto diet calls for:

-60% of your daily calories should come from fat.
-consuming between 30% and 35% of your calories as protein.
-5% to 10% of your daily caloric intake should come from carbohydrates.

According to Betsy Fears, a registered dietitian nutritionist who works at RET Physical Therapy Group in Lake Stevens, Washington, about 40 miles north of Seattle claims ,"the keto diet promotes an intake of very low carbohydrates, high fat, and moderate protein."

You are only allowed to eat 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day while following the ketogenic diet. Remember that a medium bagel has roughly 50 grams of carbohydrates, advises Fears.

Can You Have a Cheat Day on Keto?

Having a cheat day while following the ketogenic diet will knock you out of ketosis, according to Fears. Having a cheat meal every week or two weeks will prevent you from being in ketosis the bulk of the time because it can take the body several days to reach this state, according to the expert.

According to her, there is no set time limit on how long it will take to return to a state of ketosis. According to research published in the 2018 issue of PeerJ, it can take two to ten days to enter ketosis.

According to Jacks, a cheat day will inadvertently put the diet on hold.

"Even if they immediately resume the food restrictions after the cheat day, (a keto dieter) will not technically be on the diet for that day, or even the next two or three days," adds Jacks. This is due to the fact that it will take some time for their systems to utilize up the glycogen that was consumed on the cheat day.

According to Lisa Jones, a registered dietitian with a practice in Philadelphia, your body enters a state known as ketosis when it burns fat to produce molecules known as ketones. "This occurs when there isn't enough available sugar for your body to consume as fuel. Your body will exhaust its glycogen reserves for energy if you consume fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates each day. When there aren't enough carbohydrates available, the body can utilise ketone energy."

Each person experiences this condition differently and at a different pace. This state can be attained in two to four days if a person consumes 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates each day.

The Cleveland Clinic's Center for Human Nutrition registered dietitian Kate Patton adds, "I do not advocate people have cheat days on the keto diet. "I found that it can be more difficult to return to ketosis when people cheat and come out of it."

What Disrupts Ketosis?

A keto dieter might indulge on a cheat day in a variety of ways. Again, 50 grams of carbs maximum per day are normally the limit for staying in ketosis, according to Jacks. "For most people, this is probably less. Therefore, anything as simple as two slices of toast with 15 grams of carbs each and a banana with 30 grams of carbs could be considered cheating on the keto diet. The individual would exit ketosis as a result."

On a strict ketogenic diet, you cannot consume the following foods:

-anything that increases your daily carb intake by more than 50.
-a baked good.
-Breads.
-Cereals.
-Fruit (aside from berries).
-Pastas.
-veggies high in starch
-beverage sweetened with sugar.
-yogurt with added sugar.
-Sweeteners like sugar, honey, maple syrup, and others.

Best Foods to Eat on the Keto Diet

However, the following items are acceptable on the keto diet:

-Animal fats.
-Avocados.
-Avocado butter.
-Berries.
-Butter.
-Cheese.
-Coconut oil.
-Cottage cheese.
-Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, kale).
-Dark chocolate.
-Eggs.
-Fish.
-Nuts and nut butters.
-Olives and olive oil.
-Plain Greek yogurt.
-Pork.
-Poultry.
-Red meat.
-Seeds and seed butters.

Patton advises patients to "consider sampling a taste of something they might be yearning" rather than straying from keto-friendly foods and having a cheat meal or day. While holidays and other special events can be challenging, I often tell my patients that weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.

If keto dieters have gotten used to the eating plan, which is a part of a lifestyle shift, Jones believes they shouldn't need or want cheat days. After sticking to the keto diet for a while, "you probably won't crave the same high-carb, sweet items that you used to," she advises. "Make keto-friendly pizza, desserts, and other comfort foods instead of having a cheat day to maintain your new way of living. The cyclical ketogenic diet is another option; it's a style of eating where you only consume ketones for five days out of every seven. A common practice is to follow a ketogenic diet throughout the workweek and indulge in a high-carb dinner on the weekends." For some people, adhering to a cyclical ketogenic diet may be easier for some people over than the classic keto diet.

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