Keto cheating
suestack23
Posts: 4 Member
I started keto on Monday. I love it!! I haven't cheated at all. I can't help but think that in the future I will have a social situation where I may have to eat something not keto friendly. What happens to your body? Will you get sick? Will you have to start over to get your body into ketosis?
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Sounds like a keto pre-nuptial agreement lol. Unless someone holds a knife to your neck you don't HAVE TO eat something not keto friendly. You can always bring a pepperoni stick or a handful of nuts with you.
If you do plan to eat a little something non keto-ish, have a real proper serving portion (not a pigout) then go back to keto-ing. But don't do it too often when you are first starting or you'll find the carb cravings will never end. 3 -
Once your body has made the adjustment from burning sugar to burning fat (i.e. become fat-adapted) then whether you are in or out of ketosis is not as big a deal, unless you're doing ketosis for strict medical reasons of course.
The effects of going off-plan vary from person to person, some feel bloated / uncomfortable / unwell while others don't really notice anything. For some, it triggers cravings, for others, nothing.
Here is a link to a series of articles that discusses the difference between being 'in ketosis' and being fat-adapted. The author's style isn't for everyone, but I think she makes her point well.
pt 1 - http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/01/dont-be-a-ketard1.html
pt 2 - http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/01/dont-be-a-ketard2.html
pt 3 - http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/02/dont-be-a-ketard3.html
Cheers!
p.s. it's a good idea not to 'cheat' during that initial adaptation phase, which can take 2 to 6 weeks.4 -
I usually bloat up and gain 5lbs. Usually takes me a week to get back on track a day feeling well. But that's a major cheat day.
With a cheatmeal I usually bounce back quickly.2 -
Macadamia nuts will take the edge off for me every time. I always have 10-20 of them in my Keto-First Aid Kit.
It's not really "cheating" since your only victim is you, and you're getting no advantage from it.
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The bloating and gaining weight if you introduce a good portion of carbs back into your diet, is due to the water retention. You dont gain 5 pounds of fat weight overnight, just like we dont lose 5 pounds of fat weight on a LCHF. The more I learn about the science of how the body treats/acts with eating food its amazing. So a few things happen when you go off the LCHF diet (yes even one day), you will spike your insulin levels higher than they spike from Fat and Protein (maybe not an issue if you are not insulin resistant), the spiked insulin stops the fat burning process for awhile (again the amount of time is person to person), the storing of the carbs/sugars into the cells comes with the holding of water (thus the bloated/weight gain). Some report that the cheat/high carb days makes them feel sick (again I think this applies to some and not others). To get your insulin levels low, get back into Ketosis (if thats your goal) could be delayed significantly (days to week - depending how strict you are on getting back on the horse).
For all of the above - I simply refrain from introducing carbs when they are present in social situations and always opt for the lowest carb option(s). If they arent present I dont put anything in my mouth. I wont die and no one pressures me ever to eat something.5 -
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Some tend to feel not well, but others notice no difference. Some get bloated, others do not. Some find their appetite returns and it is harder to return to the way they had been eating but others don't.
I tend to experience all three but the worst for me is getting back to eating normal (LCHF). I find it easy to eat low carb if I am eating low carb, but it gets hard as soon as I deviate from my path.
But I agree with the others, no need to eat off plan unless you are choosing to do so.2 -
I ate a piece of cake, after 3 months keto. I didnt feel sick, but I had a serious craving for more cake, or to eat everything in sight. I made sure I didn't. Absolutely nothing else happened. This was last Sunday, and I've since lost 7lbs. A normal portion of something non keto will not ruin your life, but it should be a conscious decision and you should make sure it doesn't lead to destruction.9
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hmikkola92 wrote: »I ate a piece of cake, after 3 months keto. I didnt feel sick, but I had a serious craving for more cake, or to eat everything in sight. I made sure I didn't. Absolutely nothing else happened. This was last Sunday, and I've since lost 7lbs. A normal portion of something non keto will not ruin your life, but it should be a conscious decision and you should make sure it doesn't lead to destruction.
Whoa. You're doing great!1 -
Thank you @RalfLott! I'm at 37lbs gone forever. Can't deny I have a sweet tooth, so I made some fat bombs last night.1
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How you react is often related to how much you are fat adapted. When I first started, I couldn't cheat at all. After almost a year, I can have 40-50 carbs and just get on with my life. I can't do that every day.
I would suggest that if you indulge, make it some whole foods in small portions like a whole grain cracker with lots of cheese or a small piece of fruit, not carbage foods full of sugar. If you must say something when not eating cake or something similar, just say it gives you stomach issues, that will shut them up fast. And it does, your stomach will expand, even it if is temporary, which you don't want.
If it is drinks, opt for wine or hard alcohol with diet soda or straight up. Be forewarned, after eating LCHF for a while you will not be able to drink nearly as much, it hits you fast and hard.
If all else fails, envision yourself in that wonderful new outfit you want to fit into, builds willpower. 1 -
hmikkola92 wrote: »I ate a piece of cake, after 3 months keto. I didnt feel sick, but I had a serious craving for more cake, or to eat everything in sight. I made sure I didn't. Absolutely nothing else happened. This was last Sunday, and I've since lost 7lbs. A normal portion of something non keto will not ruin your life, but it should be a conscious decision and you should make sure it doesn't lead to destruction.
I concur with the bolded (nicely stated IMO) and for the OP, my experiences of not getting sick have been the same.2 -
I know that I couldn't sustain this forever without having occasional splurges on things like Mexican food (basket of chips, you're ALL mine), or the occasional Belgium waffle. But they are very occasional, like once a month. I know my weight will be up for a few days after Mexican, because that's an all out binge, so I don't freak out. I never get any gastro issues, but man, I won't lie, one foray into bread or chips and I KNOW I will have to fight cravings for a couple of days after. I know that and accept that and, as said above, make it a conscious decision with a plan.2
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The first time I went on keto, a few months in thanksgiving happened. I cheated a bit. I got what I now dub as a carb high, and when I came down from it I crashed pretty hard. I had an awful migraine, and I felt generally crappy and sluggish. A lesson was learned that day for me.1
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hmikkola92 wrote: »I ate a piece of cake, after 3 months keto. I didnt feel sick, but I had a serious craving for more cake, or to eat everything in sight. I made sure I didn't. Absolutely nothing else happened. This was last Sunday, and I've since lost 7lbs. A normal portion of something non keto will not ruin your life, but it should be a conscious decision and you should make sure it doesn't lead to destruction.
I concur with the bolded (nicely stated IMO) and for the OP, my experiences of not getting sick have been the same.
I agree very much with this as well. Even being someone that hasn't decided to eat non keto foods even at special occasions, I think the only time it's really a big problem is if you are approaching it from a mentality where you either feel like you 'need' it to enjoy yourself or you feel so guilty or bad because you made the choice that you are down on yourself about it afterward.
If you can have off plan foods in such a way that you aren't elevating them as some kind of amazing and super special food that makes or breaks being able to enjoy an occasion and you can do it without derailing yourself from your goals and without negative emotions about it afterward then I think you have the kind of control needed to safely enjoy them at your choosing.
I don't choose to not because of negative feelings or thinking they are so special but because I think they would make me have to battle cravings and mental hunger for at least a day or 2 afterward and I don't like that feeling. I even get that when I decide to have keto faux foods and sweets especially. I think it would be even worse with actual sugar. So I even limit use of keto desserts personally.
My birthday was this past Sunday and I didn't even consider making a birthday treat. My family never thought twice about it either. I ate a nice seafood dinner since we're on vacation at the beach.
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hmikkola92 wrote: »Thank you @RalfLott! I'm at 37lbs gone forever. Can't deny I have a sweet tooth, so I made some fat bombs last night.
If you're 37 lbs. into it, you're a keto pro.
I know you're motivated but also have a lot on your, er, plate. I'm totally impressed.
PS Nice profile shot!2 -
I'm positively KNOW I am addicted to sugar and especially when it is mixed with wheat flour, I go crazy!. There is no eat a little. There is only eat everything in sight and my brain begins planning for a private megabinge. So I guess you could say that for me, eating off keto (especially when sugar and flour are involved), causes me cravings...2
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Happy Belated Birthday @Sunny_Bunny_ !1
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Happy Belated Birthday @Sunny_Bunny_ !
Thank you!1 -
I've noticed no difference. It took me a couple of weeks before I felt normal running after I cut my carbs below 60 (net carbs in the 30s), and I was worried after I went way off plan over Memorial Day weekend that I'd have to start over, but no, I went back to low carb and my running felt good, no problems.1
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