Fellow KETOers - how often do you carb/break ketosis?
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socalprincess1
Posts: 52 Member
Hey keto friends! For those of you that are still in weight-loss mode and on long term keto, I'm curious how often within your regimen you intentionally plan allowance to have extra carbs and break your ketosis? And how does it affect your results? I know there are plenty of you that never break it, but I'm more so wondering about those that do.
I'm on week 6 of extreme keto (15g net carbs), and I am not really having any trouble sticking to it, outside of missing the occasional social outing. I'm also eating at a deficit and exercising, so I'm netting about a 1000 cal deficit daily. I have lost 12 lbs and have another 30 or so to lose. I think I'm pretty well fat-adapted now, all the side affects of the transition seem to be well over. Is it true that someone who is fat-adapted will go back into ketosis more quickly after a high-carb meal/day, than someone who is not? I am considering budgeting in a carb day once every 2-3 weeks to allow myself my fav cadillac margarita and pizza, but don't want it to set me back too much...
I'm on week 6 of extreme keto (15g net carbs), and I am not really having any trouble sticking to it, outside of missing the occasional social outing. I'm also eating at a deficit and exercising, so I'm netting about a 1000 cal deficit daily. I have lost 12 lbs and have another 30 or so to lose. I think I'm pretty well fat-adapted now, all the side affects of the transition seem to be well over. Is it true that someone who is fat-adapted will go back into ketosis more quickly after a high-carb meal/day, than someone who is not? I am considering budgeting in a carb day once every 2-3 weeks to allow myself my fav cadillac margarita and pizza, but don't want it to set me back too much...
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I have no idea how it affects my physical Weight loss progress because my progress is not so regimented it can be monitored like that. I think it helps my mental progress tho.
I allow for one or two breaks a month, usually around birthday dinners, anniversary dates, special functions or holidays. My key is to only "cheat" for one hour. Off and "right back on next meal". I don't impose any limits for that hour. If I go to a Mexican restaurant I have everything I want from chips and salsa through the meal. Actually. I will often limit my drinking calories cause I hate drinking calories. Like I have unsweet tea instead of a Mexican coke (even tho they are so good if I really want it I will have it).
Once I'm keto-adapted (after being low carb several months), I have been right back in ketosis the next day often! Which is terrific. If I go off for a full day I find it often takes me 2-3 days to get back in ketosis. I use sticks to measure, not blood, but I find them very reliable for me.
The next ones I have planned are hubby's bday Aug 3rd, and our 24th wedding anniversary Aug 26th. I should add, it doesn't mean I WILL cheat on those meals. Sometimes we go to a steak restaurant and I just want a big fat steak and broccoli, and I can pass on the bread and potatoes. What I'm saying is, on those days, I allow for cheating if I want it.0 -
I go in and out of ketosis frequently. Not so much intentionally -- it's just that it doesn't matter to me that much.
If you've put in 6 solid weeks, I think you're probably about as adapted as you're going to get.
If your goals are weight loss, you might be surprised how little ketosis matters. As long as your hunger and cravings are in check, you'll benefit from being low carb.
In terms of other benefits, you may want to stay in ketosis. For example, a lot of people love the brain effects, and you can't get those with carbs.
In terms of the impact of an occasional carb day, the biggest danger is psychological. Did you gain weight due to carbs? If so, then watch out for the slippery slope of carb cravings/addiction.
To get back into ketosis, it's the same for everybody. As soon as you deplete glycogen while carb restricted, you MUST make ketones to feed your brain. It only takes a couple days once glycogen stores have been refilled.
You may have an easier time at avoiding the keto flu on re-entry. That seems to be a function of kidney adaptation. You'll also keep your other adaptations for a while. I don't think anybody has studied how quickly you lose them, and frankly, nobody has even enumerated them as far as I can tell.
TL;DR: go for it, but watch out for the slippery slope.0 -
I've been breaking ketosis quite a bit, probably once a week for a meal or two. I do not measure my ketones so it is just by knowing what I am eating. Maybe I am staying in ketosis? I just started dating someone and we were initially going out to eat a lot at Italian restaurants and then I cooked a high carb meal for us. Last weekend was my son's birthday and I made him Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. I do not eat a lot, I am usually under 1000 calories but I gain 2-3 lbs overnight each time I do it and then take almost a week to lose the gain. My net loss was 13 lbs even eating this way. My usual diet is 80% fat, 15% protein, 5% carbs and the carbs are from nut butters. I water fasted 2 days per week in July.
I say try and see how you do.0 -
I budget for 'higher' carb days, but I stay well in ketosis under 50 grams based on how I feel and the smell of my breathe(hello there acetone). So I have one or two days per month where I get close to 50 because of oatmeal and berries but I never really kick myself out with a cheat day. 0
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I stay under 15 total carbs. I never budget for a carb day.0
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I haven't budgeted a cheat day. I'm afraid of that wabmester mentioned and don't want to have a keto flu again.
Maybe in the future when I am more confident with my diet. Cadillac margarita and pizza does sound good though! 0 -
After about 10 weeks I found it really easy to go in and out. I now do it once or twice a week for eating with friends and family but I don't go wild and I only let it last for one meal.0
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I went 6 months before I had my first cheat meal. The momentum of the solid habits I had formed made it easy to hop right back on the wagon the next day. For awhile after, I did once a month. Now that my weight loss has slowed to a standstill 8.4lb from goal, I do it once a week to jolt my system. I wasn't losing any anyway. i had stalled for over a month. So I tried something different. It seems the only way to get me to even drop fractions of a pound now.
My cheats are one evening, from supper till bed. Right back on the next morning. I usually fast with only BPC that morning. Back to biz as usual for the rest of the week.
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I went off my usual eating on Wednesday, and I felt awful. I get an awful headache and foggy and sluggish feeling. Thursday and today I've been suffering some intestinal distress. So, it's not even worth the "treat" if you feel awful the next several days.0
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Did you go off all day or just one meal? I feel awful if I go off more than one meal.0
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jessicatroberts wrote: »Did you go off all day or just one meal? I feel awful if I go off more than one meal.
I went off at lunch and felt awful all afternoon and then after dinner I had ice cream.
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Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm going to relax a little and have my cheat every two weeks or so. I guess the overall key is that my total calorie deficit for the week will reflect and account for this...and I will just not weigh myself for 3 days after the carb day for fear of making myself insane. Pretty sure my past weight gain was from a combo of portion size and carbs, but I have generally pretty strong willpower and self-control so I'm not worried about slipping off the deep end. 0
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I'm almost 90 days in and go out of ketosis abpit every 2 weeks. And usually only for ONE meal. Recently I had a high carb day where my entire day was high carb meals and Ive never felt so horrible before. Stomach ache, whole body felt like I'd been ran over, horrible headache. I usually don't have an issue with one high carb meal but apparently a day is not good!0
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It's been a while now, since trying to lower carbs to heal inflammation. But last fall I did the following for whoosh: 6 days/week low carb calorie cycling including 2 semi fasts/week. 1 refeed with both bump up in carbs and calories on the day of hardest workout to offset carb intake. This was surefire scale movement for me. BUT...It needs discipline to follow through and planning ahead. The day following the refeed, scale went down. More potassium rich foods on day after helps too
YMMV.
If there's a celebration or I feel I wanna have more carbs, I do it. FYI: I think the type of carbs and volume matter too. I don't restrict vegs anymore. But sweet stuff or wheat, have to have very small portions, cause get hungrier and snacky.0 -
I can't speak for this time around (no cheats so far and none planned) but I know that in the past I would have careful cheats - so I might skip the bun and fries with my burger but have cake. I'd focus on satisfying the desire with something I really wanted rather than a nice to have. It helped me satisfy a desire but still feel like I was sticking with the woe.0
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I don't schedule in cheat days. I normally keep to about 20 net carbs per day but don't freak if I go a little higher (still less than 50). At this point, I'm only 6 weeks in, and I feel that having a cheat day would be a slippery slope into my prior eating habits - right now the only "cheat" day I'm planning is in Sept for my birthday, when I will have cake. I like Jessica's concept of only cheating for 1 meal then getting right back into plan.0
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Once a week I have a high carb day and this doesn't seem to impact my results. I do this for a few reasons. One is so I can have a couple of meals that I love so I won't go crazy! Also to get all the potential vitamins I may be lacking from my high fibre diet and also to assist my body in refuelling my glycogen stores (energy) as I do a lot of strength training. I also like to confuse my body a little as I seem to plateau very easily when I eat the same way for too long. My high carb days are all sweet potato and Oates etc. I am
Also eating a flow burning carb one a day after training now which seems to not effecting me0 -
I have never felt the need for a cheat day in 5 months of solid LCHF, even on holiday. I'm usually under 20gm a day net carbs. I have heard about having a carb loading day to rejig my bodies memory bank but never understood how to do it! Maybe because I don't miss any sweet things any more, cook LC alternatives from the trillions of recipes out there and am happy with my variety I just haven't needed one! In the past eating anything with a grain would ensure at least 2 lbs up the next day and take a week to get rid of. It's slow enough as without deliberately putting my weight up for just a taste.0
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jumanajane wrote: »I have never felt the need for a cheat day in 5 months of solid LCHF, even on holiday. I'm usually under 20gm a day net carbs. I have heard about having a carb loading day to rejig my bodies memory bank but never understood how to do it! Maybe because I don't miss any sweet things any more, cook LC alternatives from the trillions of recipes out there and am happy with my variety I just haven't needed one! In the past eating anything with a grain would ensure at least 2 lbs up the next day and take a week to get rid of. It's slow enough as without deliberately putting my weight up for just a taste.
Exactly what you said!! I don't need a cheat day and don't miss anything or crave anything any more. I am about ten weeks keto I think. Might be 11, but it's now a WOL.0 -
Carb-loaded days, for me, turn into carb-loaded months. I feel far more satisfied and content when I keep my carb levels very low (35 total grams on a "loaded" day).0
