keto

Join

Having a cheat day

Amanda082206
Amanda082206 Posts: 3
in Social Groups
Hi,

If I do keto for 2 weeks and take a cheat day, how far does it set me back? I know everyone is different. How long does it usually take for you to get back into keto? Thanks!

Replies

  • mccandlessmom
    mccandlessmom Posts: 21 Member
    I think it's 2-3 days to get back into ketosis. If you eat enough carbs, your body will store approx. 3 days worth of glycogen in your muscles. You will have to burn through that before you can get into ketosis again. That being said, if you only overeat carbs a little, you can take a walk after your meal and hopefully burn most of them off before your body can convert them. There is an app that will tell you exactly how much exercise you need to do to burn those carbs off. I'm not sure the name of it, though.

    On a personal note, I had a cheat night last week because it was my son's birthday. The next day I felt horrible. It was seriously like a hangover. I find it ironic that my body's reaction to the carbs (sugar and flour from the cake) was exactly the same as putting poison into it. I hope you don't experience the same thing!
  • 195to135
    195to135 Posts: 33 Member
    Hi,

    If I do keto for 2 weeks and take a cheat day, how far does it set me back? I know everyone is different. How long does it usually take for you to get back into keto? Thanks!

    If you're just starting Keto I'd wait longer than 2 weeks before a cheat day...

    But for getting back into Keto after a cheat most people seem to be around the 3 day mark....( I wouldn't do a full cheat day unless you're at least a few months in or you'll just feel crappy the next day and it will be harder to find the will power not to eat every yummy carb in your house, start with just a cheat meal and don't overdue it)

    I started Keto a year ago this month and I bounce back by the end of my first day back to low carbing, the first few months it took me anywhere between 3-5 days to get back in.
  • LovePBandJ
    LovePBandJ Posts: 288 Member
    I don't understand the benefit of a cheat day; of course there is the meal or treat in itself, but I thought the biggest benefit to a ketogenic diet was achieving that fully fat-adapted state which takes at least three weeks to reach. In the interim, your body is not performing at its ultimate best. It makes the treat or meal seem not very worth it.

    Please don't read my response as a judgement, it is a general curiosity. Many well informed people do a cyclical or targeted ketogenic diet, and I don't understand why. I have read they need the carbs for physical performance, but doesn't that physical performance issue straighten itself out following the fat-adapted stage? Actually, in some types of sports (like endurance) isn't the fat adapted athlete at an advantage over a sugar burner?

    I like this topic. I have followed a ketogenic program for a couple of months and had an indulgent weekend, so just restarting. I felt bad because I felt like I lost my fat-adapted card. :( Which brings me to another curiosity. Say you've been in ketosis for several months. You over indulge one night on a special occasion meal, will it take you another three weeks or more for your body to become fat-adapted again? Is there really even an answer out there for that question.?

    My other curiosity is for those who have followed a ketogenic diet for extended periods, like a year or so. Don't you get bored with the food? I mean, in life there are enchiladas and refried beans to be had. Also, do you always reach your fat goal? I have read that the carb limit is important and reaching your protein macro is also important. The fat goal seems to be the one to hit or miss, depending on your hunger. I almost never reach my fat goal- and my favorite snack is crispy pepperoni chips with cream cheese.

    So, I suppose I should label this post "More Questions than Answers"
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    I don't understand the benefit of a cheat day; of course there is the meal or treat in itself, but I thought the biggest benefit to a ketogenic diet was achieving that fully fat-adapted state which takes at least three weeks to reach. In the interim, your body is not performing at its ultimate best. It makes the treat or meal seem not very worth it.

    Please don't read my response as a judgement, it is a general curiosity. Many well informed people do a cyclical or targeted ketogenic diet, and I don't understand why. I have read they need the carbs for physical performance, but doesn't that physical performance issue straighten itself out following the fat-adapted stage? Actually, in some types of sports (like endurance) isn't the fat adapted athlete at an advantage over a sugar burner?

    I had the same thought.

    Wouldn't going in and out of keto not be as helpful as staying keto until the weight is lost?
  • Leonidas_meets_Spartacus
    Leonidas_meets_Spartacus Posts: 6,198 Member
    I personally don't cheat nor felt the need to cheat. I get my fats first and work around getting proteins and carbs.
  • FXOjafar
    FXOjafar Posts: 173 Member
    I had a cheat day once and vowed never again. It was 4 days of hell.
  • blablues
    blablues Posts: 37 Member
    I wouldn't have a cheat day for at least a month because you will be more keto adapted then. 2 weeks is way too soon. I went on keto in July 2013 and I didn't cheat until November 2013, and only then because I had a stomach flu and couldn't keep anything but crackers down. Once you're in it for longer, you can cheat a little bit more. Depending on how much I cheat, now it only takes me a couple days to recover. Longer if its a lot of carbs, less if its just like a small bag of potato chips.
  • snoopyjet
    snoopyjet Posts: 82 Member
    I am also a firm believer to no-cheat because keto is more lifestyle than a diet. But if or when I slip or decide to cheet - it's never woth it, I have to remember that! :)
  • Leonidas_meets_Spartacus
    Leonidas_meets_Spartacus Posts: 6,198 Member


    Please don't read my response as a judgement, it is a general curiosity. Many well informed people do a cyclical or targeted ketogenic diet, and I don't understand why. I have read they need the carbs for physical performance, but doesn't that physical performance issue straighten itself out following the fat-adapted stage? Actually, in some types of sports (like endurance) isn't the fat adapted athlete at an advantage over a sugar burner?
    > You need carbs when exercising at a higher intensity. Fat can't fuel your body at higher intensity. Going in to ketosis reduces your performance in sports which need sudden bursts or movements. Ketosis is great for endurance athletes, I ran a half marathon with out any gels/gatorade and almost an empty stomach. If speed is the goal, the carbs will improve the performance.

    I like this topic. I have followed a ketogenic program for a couple of months and had an indulgent weekend, so just restarting. I felt bad because I felt like I lost my fat-adapted card. :( Which brings me to another curiosity. Say you've been in ketosis for several months. You over indulge one night on a special occasion meal, will it take you another three weeks or more for your body to become fat-adapted again? Is there really even an answer out there for that question.?
    > Usually it shouldn't take more than three weeks because you have indulged in one night of occasional meal. The body takes 1-3 weeks to get in to nutritional ketosis because your cells are used to carbs and the liver still is trying to produce glucose with insulin. Once the liver starts producing ketones, you start getting in to ketosis.

    My other curiosity is for those who have followed a ketogenic diet for extended periods, like a year or so. Don't you get bored with the food? I mean, in life there are enchiladas and refried beans to be had. Also, do you always reach your fat goal? I have read that the carb limit is important and reaching your protein macro is also important. The fat goal seems to be the one to hit or miss, depending on your hunger. I almost never reach my fat goal- and my favorite snack is crispy pepperoni chips with cream cheese.
    >I change my meals regularly, I hardly eat bacon and steak every day. Eat lots of veggies (not the starchy ones), a protein and lots of fat. I don't snack and I always make sure I get fat every meal. If you are stuck with a salad, have a salad with a fat bomb. The fat bomb I use often is heavy cream.

    So, I suppose I should label this post "More Questions than Answers"

    Added my comments after --->
  • erraticvisitor
    erraticvisitor Posts: 8 Member
    I guess Carb cycling would help after your cheat meal. I go to temple on every sunday to provide my services, and they serve food which is more in carb. I would have in little amount and then hit the gym for cardio afterwards. However this used to take away my sunday :( so i started to pretend that I am fasting or already had my meal in order to politely decline the food.

    I guess what I am trying to make a point is, carb cycling and then coming down to low net carb for the next meal or just eating cheese (babybel cheese snacks have 0net carbs and high fats) . Again, I am only speaking from my experience; I may be wrong

    To reach my fat %, I make keto chocolate mousse or keto cheesecake which are amazingly low in net carb and calories plus high in fat.


    I had one question: Is there any other natural way (w/o using blood test thing/ketostix) to determine if you are still in ketosis. I usually do by tracking my macros and calories which is based on keto-calculator. And, (this may be funny), but I check my pee's color - if it's yellow, then I am glad that I'm still in ketosis. Again, I may be wrong, so please correct me :)

Categories