When you have a solid keto plan, some discipline, and some motivation it’s easy to stay on track most of the time. You enjoy the foods you’re eating, you’re feeling the benefits of being in ketosis like more energy, mental clarity, and not feeling hungry all the time. But let’s not create some grand illusion that it’s easy ALL the time. There may be times when you choose to eat carbs at a family gathering. Or maybe you’ve gone through an incredibly stressful event in your life and fell into some carb-filled emotional eating. Or maybe it’s just a crazy busy, overbooked week and you say “screw it, let’s just order the damn pizza”.
The next thing you know you’ve eaten a week’s worth of carbs, and wonder if you’ve totally blown your progress, and question if you’ll ever be in ketosis again. Whether you went off your keto plan intentionally for a special occasion or holiday, or you had an unplanned, accidental run-in with some high carb foods - follow these tips and tricks to get you back on track, back into ketosis, and back to achieving your keto lifestyle goals!
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Okay, so you had some carbs and “cheated” on your keto diet. NOW WHAT? Here are some tips to shift your mindset back towards your goals, and your body back into ketosis:
CHOOSE YOUR LANGUAGE MINDFULLY
First of all, let’s swap out that lingo for something more accurate. The language we use is SO important on our journey! Using the term “Cheat Meal” implies that you’re doing something wrong that you should feel guilty about. Even worse, is using the term “Cheat Day” which implies you can eat anything you want within a 24-hour period with total abandon. A more accurate term would be an “off-plan meal” which implies a slight detour from your usual routine. Or even a “carb refeed” which again is often planned in advance, and intentional.
DON’T STRESS
Don’t stress out or get super anxious that you’ve ruined your progress. You will get back on track. You will get back into ketosis. One carby meal will not destroy all of your keto dedication up until this point. And in fact, the longer you’ve been in ketosis the more resilient your body will be to allow for some fluctuations in carb consumption here or there. In fact, stressing about eating a higher carb meal can increase cortisol levels in the body, and cause you to hold onto excess weight!
SET YOUR INTENTIONS
Pick a day to get back on track with your keto diet, and STICK TO IT. Don’t let one carby meal turn into a full weekend/week/weeks/month of carb binges. Try to get right back on track the very next meal. Build trust with yourself that you will make good choices to feel your best, and move towards your goals. You can even try tracking macros or keeping a food journal if that helps you stay accountable. Share your intentions with a friend, family member, or on social media if it helps you move forward.
MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT PUNISHMENT
Just go right back to your regular keto meals and routine. Don’t dwell on what happened, beat yourself up, or feel guilty. Don’t waste time and mental energy living with regrets. Don’t try to compensate by starving yourself, or doing any extreme measures such as extended fasts, egg fasts, etc to try and “fix it”. What’s done is done, and trying to punish yourself is not only a total bummer, it may end up backfiring into a full-on carb binge (like a self fulfilling prophecy). No one feels great and motivated by beating themselves up - so don’t go there! Just take it one meal at a time, one day at a time, and keep moving forward.
GRAB YOUR FREE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO KETO MEAL PLANNING ON A BUDGET
DRINK ALL THE WATER (& ELECTROLYTES)
When you consume more carbohydrates, your body retains more water. When you go back to restricting carbs to get back into ketosis, you will excrete more water once again. Just like at the beginning of your keto journey, it is important to supplement your electrolytes to avoid any symptoms of electrolyte imbalance, or “keto flu”. Increasing your water after consuming carbs helps to suppress appetite and curb cravings. Water also helps metabolize fat faster, so drink up all the water and you’ll be feeling better in no time!
STAY OFF THE SCALE or EXPECT FLUCTUATIONS
Just as we mentioned above, carbohydrates are responsible for holding onto water and sodium in the body. Therefore, once we’ve consumed carbs we will automatically retain more water. This means the number on the scale may dramatically increase. Hopping on the scale right after you’ve had carbs is not only an inaccurate representation of your weight, it may be extremely discouraging! If you are able to look at the number on the scale objectively, and simply observe it as data - then absolutely go for it!
But that can be really tough, so if you attach ANY sort of emotion (internal negative dialogue, beating yourself up, thoughts of punishment, etc) just lay off the scale for a few days. Chances are you already feel a bit bloated anyway, so what’s hopping on the scale going to do? Give yourself a few days of being back on track with keto and save yourself the unnecessary, emotional sticker shock.
NOTICE YOUR HUNGER CUES
After indulging in some carbs, it’s important to acknowledge that your hunger cues may change for a few days. Some people may still feel full from whatever they ate the previous day. Just listen to your body, and eat when you feel true hunger again. There’s no need to force yourself to eat if you’re simply not hungry, even if it differs from your usual meal times.
Alternatively, you may feel an increase in hunger after eating carbs for a few days. This is often a result of dehydration, and it doesn’t hurt for your first step to be to drink a big glass of water. Be prepared for this increase in appetite by having some keto-friendly snacks and simple meals on standby. If you’re used to intermittent fasting in the morning, but wake up feeling ravenous after having some carbs - just know it’s ok to eat something! Always listen to your body, listen to your hunger cues, and know that you will be back to your usual keto routine in no time!
GRAB YOUR FREE STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO KETO MEAL PLANNING ON A BUDGET
GO BACK TO BASIC MEALS
Choose simple, satisfying meals to get your right back on keto track. This is not the time to try some new elaborate keto recipe for the first time that could cause you to feel totally overwhelmed. Pick a few easy meals, that you’ve eaten time and time again, that you know you enjoy. Focus on whole foods that are more nutrient dense, and avoid any keto treats for a few days until any potential cravings subside.
GET IN SOME PHYSICAL MOVEMENT
It doesn’t have to be anything extreme, but getting some physical activity in after having carbs can help burn stored glycogen. Once your body burns through glycogen, it starts producing ketones for fuel. So, getting in some exercise may help you get back into ketosis faster. Weight resistance training is a great way to use those carbs as fuel to build muscle. Or even just a brisk walk may not only help you feel better, it may help you get back on keto track.
It’s tough to say how long it takes to get back into ketosis after having a higher carb meal. It depends on many variables such as how long you were keto beforehand, your insulin sensitivity, and how many carbs you were accustomed to eating regularly. Just know that it can take anywhere from a few days to a week or so. Follow these tips to make the transition as simple and easy as possible! If you are struggling to stay consistent on keto, or you’re new to keto and feeling totally overwhelmed, click here to learn how I can support you to achieve your weight loss goals! You can also join the FREE Facebook community Keto Weight Loss for Women, full of supportive ladies to help you along your keto journey.
