Do you ever have a break off KETO?

sweetscreams

Hi All,

I've been attempting a keto diet and managed to remain strong for just 10 days (although i managed to lose half a stone in that time ... probably mainly water).

However today i have broken!!

Does anyone ever break from a keto diet for one day and then hop back on it?

Although today has tasted amazing ... Cookies and sarnies I am feeling really pants that i've given into my cravings and i'm hoping someone out there might have some advice on how to keep the cravings at bay? It doesnt help that my Husband eats pizza's/chocolates/pancakes/nutella/beers etc infront of me!!!

Lotsa love, Hannah xx

ElliieMental

We seem to be in the same boat!!! I also broke a little on my second weekend and mostly because of husband and son eating all the devil's food around me.

The sooner you get back to it the sooner you'll get back in to K. I managed not to gain anything but I hadn't lost on my second week either which is just pathetic really. Getting back on it this week and I can only recommend a break every 6 weeks - from my previous experience.

Eating LC is second nature to me now however I do find I go over on carbs just on healthy things alone, broccoli, avocado and my soya yoghurts all put me up to 50g each day. Because of this I am aiming for low carb rather than keto but not sure if that's why I am craving junk!

icrushit

No breaks really, but would preface that by saying I am not doing ultra-low carb, just about 50g net carbs a day. Also getting closer to my goal, or perhaps it may have been the duration of my dieting effort, carb refeeds have been useful on occasion (although terribly boring!) to get the movement on the scale going again.

If you're an athlete, or a quite an athletically active sort, something like cyclical low-carbing makes a lot of sense, eating low carb on your non-training days, and eating carbs on the days you then do train. Also, others restrict carbs for before and after workouts, and eat low carb all other times.

For the regular, non-athletes (myself included), I would say if you're having difficulty sticking to it (or any diet plan really), you may have jumped in too heavily, too fast, and just like an elastic band, the pressure of such changes result in an inevitable rebound or slippage. When I was starting low carb, I treated it like peeling an onion, removing the carbs in layers and over a few weeks, starting with the superfluous junky carbs (alcohol & added sugar), before getting down to the healthier carbs that I just needed to restrict a little (potatoes/ grains/ etc). This approach definitely helped me get from 150- 200g starting to the 50g I ended up at for quite some time, without any rebounds/ slips. Its all gone so well actually that I'm now working on reversing out of my diet slowly, both in terms of my calorie deficit, and my carb level, both of which I am focussing on, until I am out of my weight loss fully.

Hope some of this helps

Edited to add: by the way, if its just the one day, perhaps you can treat it as a refeed When your glycogen stores are so low from low-carbing, much of the carbs you eat on such a day go first to refill those glycogen stores first

Springfield1970

Yes I took a break from it about three years ago and funnily I now have a fantastic relationship with food, my body fat percentage has dropped by half (over 30% to 15-18) and I GET TO EAT WHAT I LIKE (just smaller portions).

Guess I'll be going back on it soon.












NOT.

Reel81

I am feeling really pants

i'm going to start using this phrase alot :laugh:

candyvader

I've been doing Keto for 6 months. It takes a good 2-3 weeks or more to really become keto-adapted so taking a break after a couple weeks is doing you no good. To really be in the fat burning mode you need to be eating high fat, moderate protein and very low carb. I was watching a Youtube video from Dr. Steve Phinney about his own keto diet and he said even if you have been in keto for some time, taking a cheat day will set you back and you will have to re-adapt for a week or two. See if you can't set house rules about them eating in front of you. This is your health and you have to take charge of it. They are eating a "fad" diet that is addictive, because it is addictive it is hard to break with.

parkscs

If you're the type of person that gets nasty "keto flu" symptoms when going into and out of ketosis, then taking a break is probably a bad idea because you're just setting yourself up to feel miserable for a few days. If you only managed to make it 10 days before dropping the hammer on some cookies, I'd probably reconsider whether you really want to do a ketogenic diet. You certainly don't have to do such a diet to lose weight, but it can be helpful for some people. That said, it's not helpful for everyone.

Yes I took a break from it about three years ago and funnily I now have a fantastic relationship with food, my body fat percentage has dropped by half (over 30% to 15-18) and I GET TO EAT WHAT I LIKE (just smaller portions).

Guess I'll be going back on it soon.

This is akin to me hopping into a thread about vegetarianism and saying "DAMN THAT STEAK I HAD LAST NIGHT WAS GOOD!" What's the point? You don't eat keto, that's great. Not sure what that really adds to the discussion though.

philwrightfitness

It takes at least three weeks to establish keto some can do it in two weeks some four or five .... Lyle macdonald recommends an occasional break however I would recommend that you wait until your weight loss has stalled then maybe a week ...remember keto doesn't work for everybody

myfitnesspale3

3 weeks, I don't think so. Just several days of very low carb, 30g or less per day, is enough for me to see increased ketones. It's only difficult to actually keep hidden carbs out of the intake. They sneak in with processed foods and dairy. Even protein bars are poorly suited to low carb.

LeonCX

I'm truly sorry you broke down. I know what that does to the psyche. Preach time: Restrictive diets like keto have dismal success rates. It is an indisputable fact, sorry. Lifestyle change diets are much more successful Wishing you the best.

parkscs

I'm truly sorry you broke down. I know what that does to the psyche. Preach time: Restrictive diets like keto have dismal success rates. It is an indisputable fact, sorry. Lifestyle change diets are much more successful Wishing you the best.

I'd recheck the facts. People who lose significant amounts of weight, regardless of how they lost that weight, have dismal rates of success. Calling it a nice warm, fluffy term like a lifestyle change diet – whatever that is – doesn't change that.

Sabine_Stroehm

I'm truly sorry you broke down. I know what that does to the psyche. Preach time: Restrictive diets like keto have dismal success rates. It is an indisputable fact, sorry. Lifestyle change diets are much more successful Wishing you the best.

What lifestyle change diets are you referring to?

baconslave

I'm truly sorry you broke down. I know what that does to the psyche. Preach time: Restrictive diets like keto have dismal success rates. It is an indisputable fact, sorry. Lifestyle change diets are much more successful Wishing you the best.

Ermmm....
I've lost almost 50lbs. That's dismal? Hmmmm.... I can do this the rest of my life easily. Keto isn't a diet; it's a lifestyle. A way of life. On maintenance, you eat like this, too, just a little more carbs. I don't cheat. I don't feel the need to. You know what was dismal? My success on other eating plans! I was a terrible carb addict. I had 90 pounds to lose after 16 years or trying plain CICO. Only 4 months of keto, and I've lost this much. Healthier than I've been in a long time. More fit. I get to eat lots of tasty food. Sounds like a win.

Keto....cuz BACON.

JustFindingMe

I am feeling really pants

i'm going to start using this phrase alot :laugh:

Is it a saying? I thought it was a auto-complete thingy lol

LeonCX

Ermmm....
I've lost almost 50lbs. That's dismal? Hmmmm.... I can do this the rest of my life easily. Keto isn't a diet; it's a lifestyle. A way of life.

I also lost around 50 pounds on low carb. About four different times. Not knocking it if you like it. Sure it works. I first tried Atkins in 1974, when most commenters here were in diapers.:laugh: I'm just referring to long term success RATE. Meaning, the ability to stick to a regimen of giving up so many food choices. Happy you could do it and happy it works for you!

Sabine_Stroehm

Ermmm....
I've lost almost 50lbs. That's dismal? Hmmmm.... I can do this the rest of my life easily. Keto isn't a diet; it's a lifestyle. A way of life.

Not knocking it if you like it. Sure it works. I first tried Atkins in 1974, when most commenters here were in diapers.:laugh: I'm just referring to long term success RATE. Meaning, the ability to stick to a regimen of giving up so many food choices. Happy you could do it and happy it works for you!

Many people here have been dieting as long as you...(off and on). and yet they're still trying too... including the many many who return each day saying they "fell of the [MFP lifestyle] wagon" and regained all the weight when they stopped logging. Those weren't Keto or low carb folks, by and large (this time, anyway).
90+ % of people who lose weight regain it REGARDLESS of the approach. Why cherry pick Keto? Because YOU didn't like it?

parkscs

Ermmm....
I've lost almost 50lbs. That's dismal? Hmmmm.... I can do this the rest of my life easily. Keto isn't a diet; it's a lifestyle. A way of life.

I also lost around 50 pounds on low carb. About four different times. Not knocking it if you like it. Sure it works. I first tried Atkins in 1974, when most commenters here were in diapers.:laugh: I'm just referring to long term success RATE. Meaning, the ability to stick to a regimen of giving up so many food choices. Happy you could do it and happy it works for you!

Please don't take this the wrong way, as I'm just being straight with my answer, but that you've failed in the long term and regain the weight is on you, not the diet. Blaming the diet rather than yourself, and thinking some double "lifestyle change diet" is going to fix all your problems is just nonsense. How do you not eaten a caloric surplus after stopping at kittens, you simply would not regain any fat. Plenty of people cut using low-carb diets and still control their weight after they're done.

chrisdavey

keto diet for the rest of my life.




UMMM...NO!

philwrightfitness

Yes but on Average , in most scientific studies two to three weeks, however, if you've been on keto before you can establish keto quite quickly, remember some people find it difficult to establish keto at all, you're one of the lucky ones ????

_Zardoz_

Hi All,

I've been attempting a keto diet and managed to remain strong for just 10 days (although i managed to lose half a stone in that time ... probably mainly water).

However today i have broken!!

Does anyone ever break from a keto diet for one day and then hop back on it?

Although today has tasted amazing ... Cookies and sarnies I am feeling really pants that i've given into my cravings and i'm hoping someone out there might have some advice on how to keep the cravings at bay? It doesnt help that my Husband eats pizza's/chocolates/pancakes/nutella/beers etc infront of me!!!

Lotsa love, Hannah xx

Why do something that is obviously un sustainable for you. How about just eating normal foods at a calorie deficit? Just an off the wall idea

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=guide+to+sexypants&page=1#posts-18361594

Hatchetqueen

If you're the type of person that gets nasty "keto flu" symptoms when going into and out of ketosis, then taking a break is probably a bad idea because you're just setting yourself up to feel miserable for a few days. If you only managed to make it 10 days before dropping the hammer on some cookies, I'd probably reconsider whether you really want to do a ketogenic diet. You certainly don't have to do such a diet to lose weight, but it can be helpful for some people. That said, it's not helpful for everyone.

This is exactly what should be paid attention to because when it comes to dieting not everyone can work with set diets, I loved doing keto when I did but my entire life has revolved around my diet including certain things with like every meal that I couldn't have on a Keto diet and while I found ways to get around it and deal with it, I just couldn't keep up with it because I missed foods that were just normal everyday things in latin foods.
When you're dieting you just need to find the balance that works for you, the key is always moderation, and like he said if you were only able to make it for 10 days you might want to try to see what other balance of foods might work best for you. If you're not satisfied with your diet you likely wont be able to achieve your goals.

aeb09

You can't really cheat on keto and be successful. You also didn't give yourself a fair chance at it before you cheated. The first two weeks are the hardest - for most people, cravings for carbs are still there and your energy levels usually decrease while your glycogen stores are depleted. I promise if you stick with it beyond those two weeks, you will begin feeling the results. You will have high energy all day long and you will stop craving carbs. Time and again every person I've come in contact with who live keto say the same thing.

parkscs

You can't really cheat on keto and be successful. You also didn't give yourself a fair chance at it before you cheated. The first two weeks are the hardest - for most people, cravings for carbs are still there and your energy levels usually decrease while your glycogen stores are depleted. I promise if you stick with it beyond those two weeks, you will begin feeling the results. You will have high energy all day long and you will stop craving carbs. Time and again every person I've come in contact with who live keto say the same thing.

Sure you can. It's called maintaining a caloric deficit through your carb up. There are people that stay in keto and aren't successful, because they overeat even without a significant amount of carbs in their diet.

What some people call carb cycling is what others calling "cheating on keto", and you can't tell me that no one is successful with carb cycling. Keto is good for appetite suppression, but the notion that you can never leave ketosis and be successful is just nonsense. That said, not everyone does well going in and out of keto on a regular basis, so that doesn't mean "cheating" is a good idea.

Don't confuse success and ketosis - they're not at all the same thing.

aeb09

You can't really cheat on keto and be successful. You also didn't give yourself a fair chance at it before you cheated. The first two weeks are the hardest - for most people, cravings for carbs are still there and your energy levels usually decrease while your glycogen stores are depleted. I promise if you stick with it beyond those two weeks, you will begin feeling the results. You will have high energy all day long and you will stop craving carbs. Time and again every person I've come in contact with who live keto say the same thing.

Sure you can. It's called maintaining a caloric deficit through your carb up. There are people that stay in keto and aren't successful, because they overeat even without a significant amount of carbs in their diet.

What some people call carb cycling is what others calling "cheating on keto", and you can't tell me that no one is successful with carb cycling. Keto is good for appetite suppression, but the notion that you can never leave ketosis and be successful is just nonsense. That said, not everyone does well going in and out of keto on a regular basis, so that doesn't mean "cheating" is a good idea.

Don't confuse success and ketosis - they're not at all the same thing.

Please don't preach at me about this. There are different versions of keto - traditional, targeted, restricted and cyclic. I'm speaking solely on traditional where no, you cannot cheat frequently and be successful.

Yes, as with anything, you do need a calorie deficit and cannot eat 10,000 calories a day on keto and think you'll lose weight. I don't believe I ever said you can never leave ketosis and be successful. I am saying you cannot regularly cheat on traditional keto or you'll likely feel sick from constantly depleting and replenishing your glycogen. Do people carb cycle with success? Yes, but most likely they are hard-training physically fit athletes and can use their carb-cycling to their fitness benefits.

Honestly so tired of hearing CICO is the only thing that matters for 100% of people to be successful. That is not always the case. Can the majority of people get away with it? Yes. For medicinal reasons, success and ketosis are the same thing for me, period.

parkscs

Perhaps it's not what you meant, but "You can't really cheat on keto and be successful" is what you said and such a blanket statement is simply not true. And I'm not really advocating cheating, but like with anything, it comes down to the extent and frequency of the "cheat". If you have some carbs for a special occasion but otherwise maintain your caloric deficit (or even if you don't), that alone is not going to prevent your long-term success - and I'd say that's true even for someone with PCOS/insulin resistance. Even if you go over on your calories on occasion, that alone is not going to impact your long-term success. Of course, if you're "cheating" several days a week you may struggle with weight loss, but that's true of any diet and exercise routine and not just keto.

If deviating from your nutrition and fitness plan even once precluded long term success, no one in this world would ever be successful. Luckily though, that's not the case.

willhoft

MFP has GOT to stop telling use in 5 weeks you will weight "X". Who the heck cares??? What we want to know if overall what we are eating and how that is mathematically affecting problem where our weight is. The app needs to encourage a person to log everything we eat and encourage daily weigh in's. The app has so much potential...they need to take it to the next level.

Leonidas_meets_Spartacus

I don't break but some times I do take it easy when celebrating with family etc.

sluggishtwitch

I don't break but some times I do take it easy when celebrating with family etc.

I'm about to take a day off for my Birthday. Those types of times are the only breaks I plan on taking. Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas...I think while others may not agree, I feel like it is fine with me, and my plan.


You never know how it'll affect you until you try it, so if you want to take a day off, take one day off, go back on, see how you feel. From what I've gathered from other people who are on the ketogenic diet, on their days off they feel pretty icky in comparison to how awesome they feel while in ketosis. It's your body, your plan, your health...You are in charge and responsible for your decisions,

As for the cravings...I've found that the longer I stay in, the less cravings I personally have. It's hard at first, but once you get into it, and your body adjusts, it does get easier...at least in my experience.

sljohnson1207

I'd say the first thing you need to be quite sure of is that you were doing it correctly in the first place.

So, what were your macros set to, and was your goal to just eat "lower carb" or go into full-on ketosis and stay there?

As another poster stated, there are varying degrees of low carb diets, with variable amounts of allowed carbs. And since everyone seems to have different goals, what works for one of us may not work for another.

I, for instance, prefer to eat more net carbs than some of my MFP fellow low carb friends. I don't go super low, but I do know that my level of net carbs for losing is pretty low, and for maintenance, also pretty low.

There are plenty of people on here that aren't strict at all, and don't want to be in ketosis all the time, that lose weight at a good rate, and I say if that works for them, they should do what works for their goals and lifestyles.

I have had planned days "off plan". I have also worked in some treats here and there. I did not do this in the first 10 days. In fact, I waited nearly 3 months before having my first off plan meal. And I knew it would take days to get back into ketosis after doing it. And since my goal is to stay there, I don't stray very often.

silentKayak

If you're on a keto diet where you're counting on staying in ketosis so that you can eat higher calories and still lose, then you must not cheat. You'll get out of ketosis, then calories will matter again, and you'll regain what you've lost. (Ketosis happens when you're eating almost no carbs, and it means that half-burned fat is literally excreted out of your body as a waste product - a metabolic "cheat" to CICO, because your burn rate goes up even though the effort is the same).

If you're on a keto diet where you are eating lowcarb as a way of controlling hunger, but your primary weightloss mechanism is a calorie deficit, then it's fine to eat what you like (cheat day) and go back to it the next day. The more you control your carbs, the more you'll find that the "cheat" isn't worth it because you'll realize how tired and hungry the sugar and starch makes you.

PM me if you have questions, as I've done it both ways. I lost more weight faster the first way, but I really didn't find it sustainable. It's a hard way to live. Since you clearly can't sustain it either, the second way may work better for you.

parkscs

If you're on a keto diet where you're counting on staying in ketosis so that you can eat higher calories and still lose, then you must not cheat.

Given that there's no significant metabolic advantage to a ketogenic diet, I'm not sure where you're getting the notion that you can eat more calories on a low carb diet and still lose, relative to a non-ketogenic diet. Some older studies (with poor controls) suggested that a low carb diet may produce a 200-300 calorie advantage over standard hypocaloric diets, but more recent studies demonstrate this is not the case. There's no metabolic cheat beyond appetite suppression.