The keto diet has become one of the most popular diets for weight loss in recent years. It involves dramatically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This low-carb, high-fat diet puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Many people find that the keto diet leads to quick weight loss and other health benefits. However, it does require following a very restrictive diet. This leads many keto dieters to wonder if it’s okay to cheat and eat non-keto foods occasionally. Here is a detailed look at whether you can cheat on keto for a day.
What is the Keto Diet?
The keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. It typically limits carbs to less than 50 grams per day. Some variations even restrict carbs to as little as 20 grams per day. The keto diet also emphasizes eating moderate amounts of protein and high amounts of beneficial fats. On the keto diet, up to 80% of daily calories come from fat. This is a dramatic shift from the typical Western diet where most calories come from carbs.
When carb intake is severely restricted, the body enters a metabolic state called ketosis. This is when the body starts burning fat for fuel instead of carbs. Ketosis leads to rapid weight loss and other health benefits for many people.
The keto diet was originally developed in the 1920s to treat epilepsy. More recently it has gained popularity as a weight loss diet. Research shows the keto diet can lead to impressive reductions in weight, body fat percentage, waist circumference, triglycerides, blood sugar and blood pressure.
Why Cheating Can Be an Issue on Keto
The main reason that cheating can be problematic on keto is that it takes time for the body to go into ketosis. It typically requires 3 to 7 days of very low carb intake before the body fully shifts into using ketones and fat for fuel. Even 50 grams of extra carbs per day can prevent ketosis in some people.
Once the body is in ketosis, any carbohydrates eaten will immediately take the body out of ketosis. It then takes another 3 to 7 days of restriction to re-enter ketosis. This on-off switching can be physically and mentally draining. Each time carbs are reintroduced, the body has to readjust. This may result in symptoms commonly known as the “keto flu.” Symptoms include headache, fatigue, nausea, constipation, irritability and trouble focusing.
Cheating may also trigger cravings and hunger. The body is used to running on carbs for fuel. When you suddenly eat a bunch of carbs after a period of restriction, it can lead to intense food cravings later on. This makes it harder to stick to the diet going forward.
It can also simply be hard mentally to get back on track after cheating. Cheating may reduce motivation and make it easier to cheat again.
In addition, cheating can easily become a habit if done frequently. This could prevent you from ever truly getting into ketosis and reaping the full weight loss benefits of the diet.
Impact on Weight Loss
One of the main goals for many people on the keto diet is to lose weight. Will cheating impact weight loss?
Unfortunately, research to date on how cheating impacts weight loss on keto is limited. However, there are some logical reasons to believe that cheating can slow or stall weight loss.
When the body is in ketosis, it is burning fat for fuel. As soon as carbs are added back in, the body starts burning those carbs for fuel instead of fats. This puts a halt to fat burning and ketosis until carbs are restricted again.
In addition, cheating with high carb foods often means taking in extra calories. Even if it’s just for one day, these extra calories can easily erase an entire week’s worth of calorie deficit on the keto diet. Just a single cheat day could have a noticeable impact on the scale.
Anecdotally, many keto dieters report that cheating leads to rapid water weight gain of 5 or more pounds. While this is often mostly water, it can still be disheartening and mentally challenging. Some people also experience metabolic slowdown after cheating, stalling weight loss for several weeks.
However, cheating occasionally on keto does not necessarily mean all progress is lost. Weight loss may just slow down significantly. As long as you get right back on track with under 50 grams of carbs daily, you can get back into ketosis within several days in most cases.
Effects on Ketosis
Cheating on keto pauses ketosis until carbs are restricted again. But just how much does an occasional cheat impact ketosis?
Studies looking specifically at the effects of cheating on ketosis are limited. But there are some estimates on how cheating impacts ketosis:
– Consuming under 50 grams of carbs maintains ketosis for most people
– 50-100 grams of carbs will likely pause ketosis temporarily
– Over 100 grams of carbs almost certainly kicks you out of ketosis
Based on this, a single cheat meal with 100+ grams of carbs would definitely interrupt ketosis. But if carbs are restricted again the next day, ketosis could potentially resume within 2 to 3 days.
After a week or more of keto, the body becomes adapted to burning fat. So it may be able to switch back faster after a single day of cheating. However, everyone is different in terms of how quickly their body adapts to using ketones for fuel.
For most people following a strict keto diet, one day of cheating would require 3 or more days to get back into full ketosis. So if weight loss is the goal, it would likely be better to avoid cheating and stay in continuous ketosis.
Impact on Energy and Focus
Many people report feeling increased energy, mental clarity and focus after adapting to the keto diet. This is the result of the body using ketones for fuel instead of glucose. However, cheating can negatively impact energy and focus until you get back into ketosis.
When you eat a lot of carbs after following keto, the body stops burning ketones and starts burning carbs for fuel again. This transition alone can make you feel tired, unfocused and moody. Many people experience brain fog, irritability and low motivation in the few days after cheating on keto.
In addition, there is often a “sugar crash” after eating high carb foods due to spiking and crashing blood sugar levels. This can leave you feeling drained and sleepy.
It typically takes 2 to 4 days to feel fully back in ketosis with high energy and focus again after one day of cheating. Some people report it took them up to a week to get back to that peak keto feeling.
So while one cheat day won’t completely undo the energy and mental clarity benefits of keto, it will likely make you feel subpar until you restrict carbs again.
Potential Impact on Keto Flu
When transitioning into keto, many people experience symptoms known as the “keto flu.” This includes things like headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea and difficulty focusing. The keto flu is a reaction to the body switching from carbs to ketones for fuel.
Cheating could potentially trigger some keto flu symptoms again as your body readjusts from burning carbs back to ketones. However, since you are already fat adapted, the symptoms may be less severe than the original transition into keto.
Some potential keto flu symptoms after cheating include:
– Headaches
– Fatigue and low energy
– Brain fog
– Nausea
– Constipation or diarrhea
– Muscle soreness
– Sugar cravings
– Poor mood
– Trouble concentrating
For most people these symptoms pass within 3 to 5 days once carbs are cut again. Drinking plenty of water, getting extra electrolytes, and cutting carbs below 20 grams per day can help minimize keto flu symptoms when re-entering ketosis.
Are There Any Benefits to Cheating?
Given the potential negatives, are there any benefits at all to cheating on keto?
There are a few potential benefits:
– It gives you a break from the highly restrictive keto diet. This may boost motivation to stick with keto in the long run.
– One cheat meal can help satisfy food cravings and urges for your favorite high carb foods. This may help you stay on track the rest of the time.
– Cheating can replenish muscle glycogen stores. Some very active individuals feel this may improve their energy and athletic performance.
– There is some speculation that having a “carb refeed” helps reset certain hormones related to weight loss, like leptin. However, research in this area is limited.
– Anecdotally, some people report that having a cheat meal from time to time helps “reset” their weight loss. However, there are also plenty of stories of cheating stalling weight loss, especially if done frequently.
Overall there seem to be far more potential downsides rather than benefits. A single cheat day is unlikely to help most people reach their health and weight loss goals faster.
How to Minimize the Impact of Cheating
If you do choose to cheat, there are some strategies to help minimize the impact:
– Have the cheat meal at the very end of the day. This gives less time for carb cravings to set in before you get back on track with keto the next day.
– Try to keep total carbs under 100 grams and ideally under 50 grams if possible. The lower the carbs, the less it will impact ketosis.
– Avoid sugar and overly processed high carb foods. Focus on unprocessed carbs like potatoes, bread, rice or fruit instead.
– Get right back into ketosis the next day by restricting carbs to 20 grams or less. This will help resume ketosis faster.
– Drink plenty of water after cheating to help flush out excess carbs and reduce keto flu symptoms.
– Supplement electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium to prevent keto flu.
– Expect that you may feel subpar both physically and mentally for a few days. But know that you will bounce back.
– Be prepared to see a larger number on the scale due to water weight gain. Stay motivated knowing it’s mostly water.
– Avoid letting one cheat meal turn into a cheat day, weekend or week. The longer you cheat, the harder it will be to recover.
Who Should Avoid Cheating?
While an occasional, planned cheat meal may be fine for some keto dieters, there are some instances where cheating should be avoided:
– People who have trouble getting back on track with keto after cheating. Some may get stuck in a “yo-yo” cycle.
– Those who experience intense carb cravings and sugar withdrawal symptoms after cheating.
– People who are using keto to manage seizures or certain other medical conditions. They need to maintain continuous ketosis.
– Individuals who get very discouraged by seeing a large jump on the scale from water weight after cheating.
– Anyone who knows they will binge or go way overboard if having “just a taste” of carbs or sugar.
– People who always feel very physically or mentally unwell for many days after cheating.
– Those who are just starting keto and have not adapted to burning fat yet. Stick to under 20 grams of carbs per day.
– People who have stalled on weight loss and fat adaptation. Consistency is key.
– Competitive keto dieters or athletes who want to maintain ketosis for performance
Conclusion
Based on the research available and anecdotal reports, having a cheat meal is unlikely to speed up fat loss or make the keto diet more sustainable. For many people it has the opposite effect. It often leads to cravings, stalled weight loss, and feeling unwell until ketosis is achieved again.
However, an occasional and planned cheat meal is unlikely to completely undo all of the progress or benefits of the keto diet. Most people can get back into ketosis within 3 to 7 days after a single cheat meal if carbs are restricted again. But avoiding cheating altogether is ideal, especially during the initial adaptation phase.
If you do choose to incorporate cheat meals, do so sparingly. Limit carbs, get right back on track with under 20 grams of carbs the next day, and accept that you may feel a bit subpar physically and mentally. Pay close attention to how cheating impacts your motivation, cravings, energy, weight loss and sense of wellbeing to decide if it works for you.
Being consistent with carb restriction is key to succeeding with the ketogenic diet long term. But an occasional planned cheat meal may be fine for some people once they are adapted to keto. Experiment mindfully and see how your body responds. The most important thing is to get right back on track with the keto diet if you do cheat. Consistency over the long term will lead to the best results.
| Pros of Cheating on Keto | Cons of Cheating on Keto |
|---|---|
| Gives you a break from the restrictive diet | May trigger cravings and sugar withdrawal |
| Satisfies food cravings temporarily | Often leads to binging and getting off track |
| May help replenish muscle glycogen for athletes | Immediately kicks you out of ketosis |
| Some speculate it helps reset certain hormones | Causes rapid water weight gain |
| Anecdotally may help reset weight loss | Stalls fat loss until back in ketosis |
| May trigger keto flu symptoms again | |
| Often leads to reduced energy, focus and motivation |
