KETO

How to transition off keto

So you've reached your weight loss goal using a ketogenic diet, now what?

You're asking yourself how to transition off keto and not balloon back to your old weight right?

And you'd be right in doing so because it's not the fat loss that's hard…

It's keeping the weight off.

6 out of 7 overweight individuals can successfully shed weight during their lifetime.

However, around 90% of those individuals will fail and keeping the weight off over the long term. What's even worse is up to 2/3 of those individuals will gain back MORE weight than they lost.

How to transition off keto? The transition from keto, regardless of which diet you choose afterward, should be made alongside sustainable habits and lifestyle changes.

How to properly come off a keto diet

There are many reasons why people choose to end their ketogenic diet.

You've reached your goal
You miss carbohydrates
You don't feel as good as people said you would
You just want to switch it up

Whichever the reason, I'll cover how you can transition to some other popular “diets” while not ballooning back to your old weight.

Transitioning from keto to paleo

Transitioning from keto to paleo may be one of the most effortless transitions.

If your diet was filled with whole and unprocessed foods, you're basically eating 90% “paleo friendly” foods.

If this is the case, the only difference now is adding in whole and unprocessed carbohydrates.

This includes any and all fruits along with starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potato, butternut squash, beets, etc.

It's not that you could not eat these foods before, but you would probably only be able to eat so little of them before going over your carb allotment for the day.

Transition from keto to a “normal diet.”

When someone says they want to transition from keto to a regular diet, you need to realize that “normal” means different things to different people.

Take my girlfriend; for example, she grew up eating home-cooked meals full of lean proteins and vegetables. On the other hand, I grew up eating Costco frozen snacks and fast food.

So when I say “normal,” I'll assume you want to be able to eat any and everything.
You basically don't want to have any food restriction. If that's the case, you'll have to be more mindful of your food choices.

Reason being, this can open up the flood gates to what landed you in the predicament of trying to lose weight in the first place.

You might find yourself justifying little things here and there until you're eventually back with your old eating habits.

Some simple tips for transitioning to a more “normal” diet include:

Focusing on protein and vegetables first
Not letting one bad meal de-rail you
Planning ahead, especially if eating out
Meal prepping
Exercise, if you're not already doing so.

Switching from keto to weight watchers

If you're looking at switching from keto to weight watchers, you will be introduced into a point system.

Based on your age, weight, height, gender, etc. weight watchers will determine your daily point allowance, similar to how many calories you can eat in a day.

Although, Instead of tracking calories, different foods are assigned a certain amount of points.

Much like a “normal” diet, there are no foods off limits. Every food has a certain amount of points attached to it that you can find on their website or app.

There is no particular way to transition to weight watchers except to follow their plan and make adjustments when necessary.

Switching from keto to vegetarian

Maybe you're doing a complete overhaul and switching from keto to a vegetarian diet.

You could potentially still remain on a keto diet, but you would need to be mindful of your food choices, especially when it comes to protein.

Only protein from animals contain all essential amino acids in the proper amounts needed to thrive, but you can combine things like nuts and seeds or include foods such as Greek yogurt and eggs and make do.

Aside from that, if you choose not to stay keto, then simply start incorporating plant-based carbs like potatoes, and even grains if you wish to include them.

Reintroducing carbs after ketosis

No matter which diet you choose to transition to after keto, it's likely to contain a lot more carbs than you've been used to.

Relatively speaking.

I'd recommend introducing carbohydrates slowly and gradually over a month.

Reason being, your body doesn't contain the same digestive enzymes in once had before you going keto.

BUT, that's nothing to worry about.

Once you start reintroducing carbohydrates, the body will up-regulate the enzymes required to digest carbohydrates, similar to the way your body increased enzymes needed to use fats and ketones when switching to a ketogenic diet.

What this looks like in practice:

Week 1: 75g of carbs per day
Week 2: 100g of carbs per day
Week 3: 125g of carbs per day
Week 4: 160g of carbs per day

Of course, this number will vary based on your overall intake and your specific needs.

Realize, that when you do reintroduce carbohydrates after keto, you WILL gain weight.

Again, not to worry, because most… if not all of that weight gain is increased glycogen (stored carbohydrates) and water weight.

Assuming you're not going off the rails with your diet.

For every gram of carbohydrate stored, you will store around 3 grams of water along with it. If your tank is empty and you start filling it up, you can expect to gain anywhere from one to five pounds in just water alone.

Taking a break from keto for vacation

Wanting to take a break from keto for an upcoming vacation?

It may be a good idea to start reintroducing a small number of carbs a week or two before your vacation. We're not talking about massive amounts of carbs, but 50-100 grams may be a good starting point.

For the same reason laid out above, your body simply doesn't have the digestive enzymes to handle a lot of carbohydrates if you've been on a ketogenic diet for some time now.

Introducing a small number of carbohydrates before the vacation should better equip you to handle a less rigid diet.

You may also want to give my other article can you have a cheat day on keto a read.

What happens if you go off keto on weekends or have a keto cheat day once a week

First, if you are going to incorporate days of higher carbohydrates, I would at least spend a minimum of 3 weeks on a strict ketogenic diet before doing so.

In theory, this should allow you to become fat-adapted and make for a smoother transition when you jump back onto a keto diet.

How to get back into ketosis quickly after cheating or vacation

If you're wondering how to get back into ketosis quickly after cheat or a vacation then simply just cut out your carbohydrates.

If you're looking for the absolute quickest way to get into ketosis, then you would simply fast.

I find that regardless of what you do, you'll generally be back into ketosis with 48-72 hours if you're limiting your carbohydrates after a cheat or vacation.

Coming out of ketosis without gaining weight

Sometimes the scale can play tricks on us. Just realize that the scale can't differentiate between muscle, water, fat, or food sitting in your gut.

If you're looking to switch from a ketogenic diet to a diet with more carbohydrates without gaining weight, then you have two ways to go about it.

You don't

Sorry, some weight is inevitable. Remember that for every gram of carbohydrate your body stores you will store an additional three grams of water.

You can expect on average one to five pounds of weight gain, but realize it's not fat and only water, glycogen, and even food in your gut (assuming you're not going crazy eating everything in sight).

Slowly reintroduce carbs

If you want to forego the shock of gaining five pounds overnight, then the best method is to reintroduce carbohydrates SLOWLY.

Again, scroll up for an example of what you can do in terms of reintroducing carbohydrates over 4 weeks.

How to transition off keto wrap up

For many, keto is a lifestyle, and for others, it's just a tool to achieve a certain weight or health outcome.

If you're looking to transition off keto, your best bet is to reintroduce carbohydrates over a month slowly.

I'd suggest adding in 25 to 50 grams of carbohydrates to your daily intake per week.

Realize that some weight gain is inevitable, but it's likely just water weight.

Have you transitioned off keto or still need some pointers? Let me know down in the comments below.

Why am I exhausted on keto diet?

You might have seen success stories or heard from a friend how amazing they feel on a ketogenic diet.

And they weren’t lying.

One of the reasons I love a ketogenic lifestyle is that I feel great.

Steady energy
Clear focus
No dips or crashes
Appetite suppression

So now you’re wondering why YOU are exhausted on a ketogenic diet, and it usually boils down to a few key reasons I will be outlining below.

Why am I exhausted on a keto diet? The usual culprits leading you to be so tired on a ketogenic diet include a lack of electrolytes, eating too few calories, and not being keto-adapted (fat adapted).

Are you tired and hungry on keto?

Look, I get it… you’re tired and hungry.

While you should expect at least some tiredness or hunger during a fat loss diet, you shouldn’t have to slog throughout the day or daydream about food every waking second.

Unless you’ve dieted down to ultra-low levels of body fat like a bodybuilder that is.

The truth is, if you give it enough time and fix what I’ll cover below you should feel satiated and have plenty of energy.

Burning fat for fuel

Your body can only store upwards of about 2,000 calories of carbohydrates. Compare THAT to even a lean individual who carries at least 30,000 calories of fat on their body available for energy.

Compared to a carbohydrate-based diet, you are teaching your body to use this fat (both from your food AND your body) for fuel while on a ketogenic diet.

Steady energy levels

You should have steady energy levels on a ketogenic diet because there are no sugar spikes and dips compared to your Standard American Diet (SAD).

If your body needs fuel on a ketogenic diet, it can easily convert stored body fat (the fat on your body) into ketones and provide that energy.

Compare that to a carbohydrate based diet… once you’re out of energy, you will have to eat some more carbs to bring yourself back to life.

Talk about being hangry.

Increased Satiety

A ketogenic diet is appetite suppressing by nature.

A diet high in healthy fats helps delay gastric emptying (basically helps slow digestion of food).

This slowing helps you stay full longer.

Ketones themselves might also promote feelings of satiety, but through what mechanism exactly is still unknown.

Why you may be In ketosis but still have no energy

So let’s get down to it.

Why aren’t you experiencing all this energy you’re supposed to have?

Keto flu

The dreaded “keto flu” is just how it sounds.

You literally feel like you’ve come down with the flu and have no idea what’s going on.

… even during the blazing summer months.

When does keto flu start?

You may notice that this flu like symptoms within 2-3 days after starting a ketogenic diet.

Keto flu symptoms

Symptoms of the keto flu include:

Fatigue
Irritability
Headache
Nausea
Dizziness
Brain fog

How long does keto flu last

The symptoms of keto flu last anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks, but we can generally avoid or shorten that with the tips below.

Keto flu quick tips

A few tips to help minimize or erase the keto flu symptoms you may be experiencing.

Salt everything

Liberally salt ALL of your foods. Salt isn’t the devil here, and may even be more important to be mindful of while on a ketogenic diet.

A good read on salt is the book The Salt Fix.

I recommend using:

Keep your fats and calories high

When switching to a ketogenic diet, people naturally start to eat even less (which is a good thing).

The problem here is that dieting is stress that your body doesn’t want. Compound this with making your body switch from burning carbs to burning fat for fuel, and that can be a recipe for disaster.

Keep your calories up, at least in the beginning (1-3 weeks), before dropping them back down for further fat loss.

Keto diet is too low in calories

To expand on the above point, your rate of weight loss is too high.

This is the part where you need to exercise patience and not fall for what you’re seeing on social media or expecting results like Bobby or Sally.

You do you.

I always recommend a weight loss of 0.5% – 1.5% per week. The more fat you have to lose the higher you can generally go, but when you’re down to the last few pounds, you should expect to lose slower as to minimize any muscle loss.

For a 200 pound individual aiming for 1% of weight loss per week, that would translate to a 2 pounds per week weight loss MAX.

Keto-adaptation period

Regardless of what you do, the body AND the brain have to go through an adaptation period.

This period is usually referred to as keno-adaptation or fat-adaptation.

Again, this period will last between 1 to 3 weeks for most individuals regardless of whatever preventive measures you may take.

However, some people may feel fine, and some may feel low in energy during this time. The best thing you can do is follow the above tips and remain patient.

Keto and adrenal fatigue

First off, there really is no such thing as “adrenal fatigue.”

It merely is not a real medical condition.

Those who feel they suffer from this condition report one or more of the following:

Persistent fatigue
Depression
Anxiety
Difficulty concentrating and remembering
Insomnia or disturbed sleep

If you’re experiencing any of the following, I find it usually is a result of high stress, excessive exercise, lack of sleep or food, possibly a combination of two or all the above.

The chances keto has anything to do with these symptoms isn’t likely.

Of course, you can also be experiencing the keto flu, and increasing your water and electrolyte intake will help with that.

How much water should I be drinking on keto?

Are you feeling nauseous while on Keto?

Maybe you’re not tired, but you feel a little “off,” possibly a bit nauseous?

This usually is the case for individuals who have a hard time digesting the increased fat from a ketogenic diet.

The body isn’t used to processing high fat

Our gallbladders are responsible for storing and concentrating bile from the liver. This bile is what helps our bodies digest and absorb fats from the food.

For more info about the gallbladder give this a read.

If you’re experiencing problems with digestion, I would recommend one of the following.

Smaller but more frequent meals

A lot of people are on the intermittent fasting and keto bandwagon or even limiting themselves to one meal a day (OMAD)

Instead, try eating smaller but more frequent meals.

This will allow your body sufficient time to process the smaller bolus of fat before you hit it with another one.

Bile salts

You can also try supplementing with bile salts which are digestive enzymes that help with fat digestion.

Here is a couple I recommend:

Eat less fat

Ok, I said 2…

But the truth is, you don’t NEED to eat tons of fat to be in ketosis.

You might be thinking that you need X percent of fat, but the truth is the only requirement to be in a state of ketosis Is not going over your carbohydrate threshold.

Wrapping up what to do if you’re in ketosis but have no energy.

One of the benefits of a ketogenic diet is high and steady energy.

However, there may be reasons why you haven’t experienced this benefit just yet.

First, resolve any electrolyte deficiencies that may lead to the keto flu.

Secondly, maintain a reasonable level of weight loss of 0.5 – 1.5% (with 1.5% reserved for those who are really overweight).

Third, exercise patience and allow for keto-adaptation before you throw in the towel. This usually takes upwards of 3 to 4 weeks.

Lastly, look at how your stress, sleep, and other lifestyle factors are before assuming it’s your diet.

Did a lightbulb go off for you? Let me know in the comments down below.

How much water should I drink on keto?

I got a question the other day on Instagram. The person asked me “how much water should I drink on keto.”

At first, the old adage of how many cups to drink per day came to mind. How many of you remember the old saying of drink 8 cups of water a day anyhow?

I mean really… what does that even mean?

How big of a cup are you supposed to use?

Lol.

I won’t lie… I still don’t know what “8 cups” is supposed to translate to.

So just how much water should you drink on keto? You should drink enough water that you have at least 5 clear urinations throughout the day, not 5 total urinations, but 5 clear urinations.

This will have most individuals drinking between 0.5 to 1 gallon of water per day.

Why the importance of water intake on a keto diet is enhanced

Often times, many of the unwanted side effects of someone first starting a ketogenic diet is due to dehydration, being deficient in electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium), or both.

Having said that, let’s get into why it may be of more importance to be mindful of your water intake on a ketogenic diet.

Reduced glycogen

Glycogen is just another fancy word for stored carbohydrates both in our liver and our muscles.

On a standard ketogenic diet, you’re usually limiting your carbohydrate intake to no more than 10% of your total calories, and thus, less glycogen is being stored in general.

For every gram of carbohydrate aka glycogen that your body stores, you will also store 3 grams of water along with it.

On average, your body (muscle and liver) can store 600g of glycogen. This means that along with the glycogen comes close to 1,800g of water or close to 4lbs for us U.S. based folk.

This explains why you might experience a sudden loss of weight and increased urination during the first week of transitioning to a ketogenic diet.

While some of that weight is fat, I hate to burst your bubble… but a lot of it was likely water weight.

Ketones appear to have a diuretic effect

While not conclusive, it does appear that the presence of ketones may also play a role in water and sodium excretion.

Additionally, ketones appear to have a diuretic effect themselves causing the excretion of water and electrolytes. This includes the excretion of sodium, which itself causes water retention.
– Lyle McDonald

Less processed foods

Those switching to a ketogenic diet, at least MOST people, often times start to make healthier choices when it comes to food selection. Many people make the switch from sodium filled packaged foods to eating unprocessed whole foods.

A switch from pre-packaged foods to unprocessed foods often leads to a substantial drop in sodium intake, and less sodium means less water is retained.

Not drinking enough water on keto may lead to

Now that we’ve gone over why you should be a little more mindful of your sodium AND water intake let’s go over a few things you may experience if you’re lacking.

Mild dehydration

Goes without saying, but insufficient water intake can lead to mild dehydration.

Signs of mild dehydration include:

– Thirst
– Dry or sticky mouth
– Not peeing very much
– Dark yellow pee
– Dry, cool skin
– Headache
– Muscle cramps

Keto flu

Ever heard of (or maybe experienced) the dreaded keto flu?

A lot of the signs and symptoms associated with the keto flu stem from the loss of fluids and electrolytes.

Decrease in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension)

Have you experienced lightheadedness going from seated to a standing position?

Then you may be experiencing bouts of low blood pressure, which is another symptom you may not be drinking enough water on keto.

Ways of staying hydrated on keto

Here are 3 useful ways of increasing your water and/or electrolyte intake on a ketogenic diet.

Keto lemon water

Keto lemon water is what you think it is. For those that just can’t stand drinking plain water, I find that lemon water is an excellent alternative for these individuals.

Lemon water is the most simple thing in the world to make. All you need is a jug of water and 2 to 3 lemon slices, and you’re good to go.

Preferably leave the lemons soaking in the water overnight and enjoy your lemon water the next day. You may also substitute limes for the lemon.

Sole water aka salt water is popular on a keto diet

I was first introduced to sole (pronounced solay) water a couple years ago.

Much like lemon water, instead of lemons, you’re saturating the water with a natural salt which is rich in minerals.

Remember, salt is not as evil as it has been made out to be… and we actually want to be adding salt in most cases when switching to a ketogenic diet.

For a good read on salt intake and why it’s so important, I would recommend giving the book The Salt Fix a read.

Making sole water is easy.

Fill a jar about 1/4 of the way with salt.
Add filtered water to the jar, leaving about an inch at the top.
Put on a plastic lid (any non-metal lid will do) and shake gently.
Let sit out to let the salt dissolve Step 5: If all of the salt is absorbed, add MORE salt a bit each day until just a bit doesn’t get absorbed. This is how you know the water is fully saturated.
Simply add 1 tsp or amount of your choosing to a glass of water or other sugar-free beverage.

As far as salt choices, I prefer to use one of the following or a combination of the following salts:

– Himalayan pink sea salt
– Redmond real salt
– Celtic sea salt

Sparkling water

I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s the carbonation… but when I’m tired of drinking plain water, I simply reach for sparkling water (non-sweetened of course).

And perhaps the occasional diet soda.

A little about water intake, body weight, and weight loss.

Earlier above, I mentioned that a lot of the initial weight loss on a ketogenic diet within the first week or two is due to a rapid loss of water.

What most people mean when they want to lose weight is that they want to lose fat.

But aren’t the two the same thing?

Actually, they’re not.

Your weight is made up of both lean mass (muscle, bones, organs, etc.) and fat mass. In reality, you’re after maintaining as much lean mass while losing as much fat mass as possible.

So while the scale may play tricks on you from day to day, just remember as long as the scale is trending in the right direction, and you’re looking better in the mirror or progress photos, then you’re on the right track.

Can you drink too much water?

While it’s rare to do so, it is possible to drink too much water.

There is usually no need to drink anything upwards of 2+ gallons per day. Personally, I fall somewhere between 1 – 2 gallons per day, but I am also highly active and sweat a lot.

Here are a few drawbacks to drinking “too much” water.

Reduced ketones in the urine

While not really a drawback per se. If you’re using keto urine strips to test for ketones, you may notice very little or no ketones at all showing up.

This is likely due to the ketones being diluted to the point where it is not being picked up by the pee strips.

First, if testing your ketones is essential, I would probably opt for a blood ketone meter instead.

Second, ask yourself if you’re more interested in seeing results or seeing a high ketone reading.

Electrolyte imbalance

Much like drinking too much water can dilute ketones in the urine, it also can dilute and flush out electrolytes and potentially be fatal.

Over-hydration can lead to salt and other vital keto electrolytes becoming diluted and unbalanced, resulting in feelings of sickness and possibly death.

The only cases I’ve heard of people dying from over-hydration were people who over hydrated and didn’t take in enough electrolytes during extreme events such as a marathon or ultra marathon.

Summing up how much water to drink on keto

Increasing your water and electrolytes is vital on keto. As you remove carbohydrates from your diet, you will begin to excrete water and electrolytes more rapidly.

How much water YOU should drink depends on your body and lifestyle factors, such as how much you exercise, whether you’re a heavy sweater, etc.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for 5 clear urinations throughout the day, not just 5 urinations total.

This usually leaves most people with drinking somewhere in the ballpark of 0.5 to 1 gallon of water per day.

According to the Mayoclinc they recommend about 4 liters of fluid for men and 3 liters of fluid for women.

Other beverages such as coffee and tea can be included in this total.

This may sound like a lot of water, especially if you don’t drink that much currently. You would be surprised and how easily you will get used to drinking this amount in no time.

Drink up.

CAN YOU EAT CHEESE ON KETO?

Asking can you eat cheese on keto is like asking if the sky is blue.

Ok, so maybe it’s dark and gloomy when you look out your window (whenever you happen to be reading this) but you get the picture.

Cheese is a staple in mine and many others keto diets. Not only is cheese tasty on its own, but you can practically top anything with cheese to enhance the flavor. The way I like to use cheese is slathering it on my keto pizza, cauliflower nachos, or even as a side dish on its own.

And that’s not all, not only does cheese just taste good, it’s a nutrient powerhouse with many benefits, few drawbacks, and easily accessible. So sit back and let’s go over how cheese can benefit your diet, some things you want to be mindful of, and the best cheeses to consume.

Can you eat cheese on keto?

Cheese is perfectly acceptable on a keto diet. Not only are most cheeses low carbohydrate, but they are packed with the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2. Cheese is also rich in calcium and protein making it a great fit for those living a ketogenic lifestyle.

Time to go over the good and the bad to finally settle the question of can you eat cheese on keto or not.

What is cheese?

If you don’t know what cheese is, you’re living under a rock!

But I imagine you know since you’ve found your way here and wondering if you can eat cheese on keto. That said, cheese is made by curdling milk, much like the process of producing yogurt where the solid (fat and protein) is split from the liquid (whey and water).

Soft cheeses have not been aged as long as hard cheeses, and for the most part hard cheeses will contain fewer carbohydrates than soft cheeses.

Benefits of cheese on keto

Besides being super tasty by itself or on top of anything, cheese has health benefits.

Rich in calcium

Cheese is rich in calcium, a one ounce serving on average will provide you with nearly 200 milligrams. We often forget calcium with keto electrolytes that people concern themselves with.

A diet rich in calcium helps ensure you’ll have strong, healthy bones. This is very important, especially for females, who are more susceptible to osteoporosis 1 as we age.

Great source of protein

On average, per one ounce of cheese will net you with ~7 grams of protein. This is the equivalent to what you would find in any other protein source such as chicken, fish, beef, etc.

Be mindful of cheeses fat content since most are also high in fat and calories unless opting for a lower fat cheese.

Packed with nutrients

Cheese is packed with many nutrients including the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2.

Not only that, but they contain “healthy fats” such as EPA and DHA, even more in cheese that came from grass-fed milk

Contain probiotics

Most people associate yogurt with having a good dose of probiotics, but cheese to contains a good dose of these “good” bacteria.

While still being researched and a relatively new field of study, maintaining gut health is paramount for better overall health. It’s not just about what you eat, but what you eat AND can absorb.

The top 3 drawbacks to cheese on keto

While there are tons of benefits to eating cheese on your keto diet, there can be some drawbacks. Here are three things you want to watch out for when including cheese on your keto journey.

Highly processed

Not all cheeses are created equal. Many kinds of cheese that you might be used to growing up are full of additives and starches. I’m talking about the cheese you might find wrapped perfectly in individual little squares or shredded in a bag.

I’m not saying you can’t eat these, but be mindful of any extra ingredients thrown in. The most important aspect for remaining in ketosis is that you keep carbs low.

While you can still enjoy these cheeses, make sure the cheese you choose isn’t high in carbs because of added sugars or they can quickly add up and knock you out ketosis.

Easy to overeat

While you may have heard some mumbo jumbo about calories not mattering on a ketogenic diet, that is false, because they absolutely matter. So, if you are eating copious amounts of cheese you might end up wondering why you’re not losing weight on keto.

Cheese is one of those foods like nuts that are calorie dense. Super tasty calorie-dense foods like cheese and nuts are easy to over-consume, so be cautious when including these types of foods in your diet.

Possible allergy

Sometimes we expose ourselves to things we know aren’t good for us. I’m sure we all have that friend who is lactose intolerant but loves ice cream. While cheese isn’t high in lactose, certain individuals don’t respond well to casein protein, the protein found in cheese.

And like I said, cheese isn’t “high” in lactose, so there is some. Usually, the more aged cheese is the less lactose and carbohydrates there is.

The best cheese on keto

Certain cheeses are better than others in terms of health benefits and even carb count. Here are two categories of cheeses to steer towards for additional nutrition and fewer carbohydrates per serving.

Grass-fed

Grass-fed cheeses are richer in many vitamins including B and fat-soluble vitamins. Grass-fed cheese is also high in “healthy fats” like omega-3’s and CLA. I’m sure you know that omega-3’s is good for you, but few people have heard about CLA.

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a fat that has been shown to have a wide variety of health benefits, improved blood sugar regulation, and reduced body fat are two of the key ones you might be interested in.

Aged cheeses

If you look at the nutrition facts on cheese and navigate to the carbohydrate line, you’ll see many kinds of cheese contain carbohydrates in the form of sugar. Basically, all the sugar that’s in the cheese is in the form of lactose, so if it says 2g it has 2 grams of lactose per serving.

Natural and aged cheeses, such as cheddar or parmesan, will contain less lactose and thus less carbohydrates. If you’re looking to keep it as low carb as possible, then stick to aged cheeses, the more aged the better.

Keto cheese cheat sheet

There are few carbs in cheese making it a perfect fit for your keto diet. However, some cheeses contain a lower carb content than others.

The carb content in the below cheeses is per 1 oz serving.

The lowest carb keto-friendly cheeses are:

Cheese	Amount	Carbs
Goat cheese	1 oz.	0.1g
Brie	1 oz.	0.1g
Blue cheese	1 oz.	0.7g
Cheddar	1 oz.	0.8g
Parmesan	1 oz.	0.9g
Provolone	1 oz.	0.6g
Mozzarella	1 oz.	0.6g

Some of my favorite keto cheese snacks

Bunker hill cheese crisps
Cello whisps *I've seen these at Costco too
Just the cheese bars

How to make keto cheese chips

If you’re a DIY person and rather make things from scratch wondering how to make keto cheese chips, then here are my top 3 favorite cheese crisp recipes I’ve tried.

How much cheese on keto

Since there is no general rule of thumb on how much cheese on keto is acceptable, it comes down to how much you want to fit in your daily intake. Everyone is different and some people like more cheese than others.

If you can fit it within your daily caloric allotment and macros, then go right ahead.

Don’t know how to calculate your calories or macros? Try using my keto macro calculator to get a starting point based on your body and lifestyle factors.

Just remember, you can’t have an unlimited amount of cheese just because it’s “keto-friendly.” Cheese is caloric dense, and a little goes a long way. If you eat too much and weight loss is your goal, you may find yourself in a plateau or even worse… gaining weight.

Can you eat cheese on keto closing thoughts

Whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain, you can most certainly fit cheese into a well-balanced ketogenic diet. Not only is cheese tasty, but it’s packed with nutrition.

Think of cheese as a flavor enhancer rather than the main part of a meal. Or perhaps… enjoy a few small slices of cheese with a glass of wine to stay keto while out a cocktail party.

Either way, you may have cheese on keto as long as you’re mindful of not eating so much cheese you sabotage your weight loss efforts.

What’s your favorite kind of cheese?

CAN YOU HAVE A CHEAT DAY ON KETO?

With almost any weight-loss diet, the inevitable question of whether you can have a cheat day comes up. A ketogenic diet makes it more complicated as it eliminates most of the foods that people would find themselves “cheating” with.

Which I guess is a good thing since they are typically calorie rich, but nutrient poor food choices that led to the extra weight in the first place.

Which still begs the question…

Can you have a cheat day on keto?

The answer is yes and no. It‘s not such a black and white subject no matter what diet you‘re on, keto or not. In fact, there are certain things at play even more so on a ketogenic diet you should be mindful of.

As with most answers, it usually depends…

Context is everything.

I‘ll preface this by saying I’m not a fan of cheat days on keto.

Let me rephrase that, I’m not a fan of cheat days on any “diet“ so I may be a little biased.

What‘s wrong with a keto cheat day you ask?

Personally, I think having a designated “cheat day” sets you up in the wrong mental space. Every day is inevitably spent looking forward to the infamous “cheat day.” Instead, live in the present and worry about what you should do THAT day to ensure you hit your goals.

Second, it leads down a rabbit hole of re-enforcing bad habits, possibly old ones that led you to gain weight in the first place, and binge cycles.

Can you have a cheat day on the keto diet?

There are certain named diets that allow for a “cheat day,” typically one day per week in which you‘re allowed to eat anything and everything. The thinking being, if you eat well on your diet six out of seven days a week, you‘re still ahead.

At first, this MAY sound like a good idea, but if you‘re like me and have fallen prey to this, then you know the truth.

Let me paint a picture for you.

Steven decides he wants to lose weight and goes on a diet. He sticks to the plan Monday thru Saturday and on Sunday he allows himself to eat whatever he‘s been craving all week.

Each cheat day he eats all the food he‘s been “missing out on,” and ends up eating himself sick and leading him to hating himself afterward. Eventually, he willingly abstains from cheating at all because he realized he didn‘t need it.

Yes, the Steven in the story is me, and yes… this is actually what I used to do.

Talk about insanity right? but I know many other people do this too, and it’s definitely not healthy. Not only is it not healthy physically, but mentally and emotionally it takes a toll.

But maybe you‘re not like me and can exercise a little restraint. For myself, and MANY others, once the floodgates have opened it’s game over.

You can undo a whole week of dieting, possibly even more, in a single day.

BELIEVE ME

This leads me to how I typically like to characterize different individuals, You are an abstainer (like me) or a moderator.

Abstainer Vs. Moderator

The Abstainer

The classic abstainer will usually have an all-or-nothing mentality. It’s far easier for these individuals to give something up altogether than to indulge moderately.

Trying to moderate for these individuals becomes an internal struggle of:

Should I?

How much?

When can I?

It requires no self-control if you already know it‘s not a choice, whereas if you can do it sometimes… well that requires ENORMOUS self-control.

It might sound crazy on the surface, but it would surprise you how many individuals fit this mold…

You may be one.

ESPECIALLY since many of them resort to ketogenic diets.

The Moderator

Moderators do better when they avoid absolutes or strict rules. Having these black and white lines makes them feel trapped inside a box (metaphorically speaking).

These are your individuals that can take out a pint of ice cream and have one or two spoons before putting it back in. Those crazy guys and girls that can open a bag of Oreos and take out just one cookie instead of eating the whole sleeve.

Crazy right?!

3 things I recommend instead of having a cheat day on keto

While I wouldn’t recommend “cheat days” for the majority of people, I suggest some of the following instead:

Free meals (special occasions)

As the name implies, a free meal is a SINGLE meal of whatever you want, NOT an entire day. I would normally opt to save these for special occasions, 2 but you can also use it on your weekly date with the significant other.

Even better if you can keep it keto or save all those “keto friendly ketofied junk food” treats for your free meal.

I almost guarantee you’ll feel better both physically and mentally by using this versus an all-out cheat day.

Refeed (cyclical ketogenic diet)

For the athletically inclined, a keto carb cycling approach or cyclical ketogenic diet may suit you both physically and mentally. This cyclical approach typically has you alternating between periods of strict keto days and days with a higher amount of carbs “refeed” days to help maximize performance.

Example: 5 – 6 days in ketosis alternated by 1 – 2 of higher carbs

I would reserve this method for those of you who are highly active and also are keto-adapted. 2

Remember, this isn’t a protocol to be used as an excuse to eat everything you want. There is still a strategic component to implementing a cyclical ketogenic diet, but it sure helps with carb cravings.

Diet break (1-2 week break periodically)

This is where I differ from the crowd, but sometimes I think it‘s good to actually take a break from dieting and/or being in ketosis.

Recent research suggests that alternating periods of dieting (calorie restriction) with periods of maintenance (eating enough to maintain weight) has been shown to benefit fat loss both physically and psychologically.

As we diet, our body begins to downregulate certain hormones in an attempt to preserve itself. Taking a diet break allows these hormones to recoup, making subsequent dieting weeks more fruitful.

How often and for how long you should take a break will largely depend on how much fat you have to lose and how long you’ve been dieting. The above is typically how often I would recommend taking diet breaks based on your body fat percentage. 3

For most people looking to lose weight, a cheat day sounds alluring, but the benefits are small if any.

Reasons you SHOULDN’T have a keto cheat day

Can easy sabotage your efforts, 1 step forward 1 step backward.

If keto weight loss is your goal, you might set yourself up to undo all the progress you made throughout the week, even if you were good 6 out of 7 days.

Just remember weight gain and weight loss results from how many calories you do or don‘t eat over time. You can easily eat so much in one day you erase all the progress from the previous 6 days.

Just have a look at the graphic below to get a visual of what might happen

You’ll feel horrible afterward

If you have a carb heavy cheat meal or day, you might set yourself up to those dreaded feelings you had when first starting a ketogenic diet, AKA the keto flu.

After being on a ketogenic diet for some time, it dampens your ability to process sugar. It’s like when you first started a ketogenic diet, it required your body to get used to burning ketones.

If your cheat day consists of high carb foods, it’ll likely kick you out of ketosis, raise your blood sugar, and possibly lead to sugar cravings.

Does nothing physically

There really is no benefit to a cheat meal or cheat day besides the psychological break it gives you from dieting. You might have heard cheat days kickstart your metabolism or trick your body into burning fat, but there is literally no scientific evidence to support a single meal or day is enough to do anything.

*Don’t get me wrong… a psychological break is needed as much as a physical one.

This is also why I recommend longer breaks above of 1-2 weeks. One day is not long enough to do anything besides give yourself a mental break and maybe enough energy to hit another workout.

Instead, I would suggest strategic refeeds almost like keto carb cycling (cyclical ketogenic diet) or better yet, complete diet breaks where your goal is to simply maintain your weight for a period of time by raising calories back up to a level that is appropriate to maintain your weight.

Bad relationship with food

By having “cheat” days or meals you‘re reinforcing a bad relationship with food. There are no foods inherently good or bad (unless you have an allergy).

And if you feel the need to cheat, maybe it‘s time to rethink whether a ketogenic lifestyle is for you.

The best diet will be the one you‘re satisfied on and can adhere to over the long term.

Pigging out “just because”

Maybe you would have been fine continuing your fat loss journey, but instead of staying on track you decided to have a cheat day just because it’s Sunday (or whatever day you make it). Again, sometimes it’s best to just go about your routine and save those “cheats” for special occasions instead of reoccurring scheduled days.

So if all of that above wasn’t enough to stop you then keep on reading for why you may want to incorporate them and what to do if you decide to…

Reasons you SHOULD have a keto cheat day

Psychological break

Again, a cheat “meal” can be a good psychological break from dieting.

Let’s face it, dieting is stressful and can take a mental toll. Allowing oneself to mentally clock out for a meal without thinking about it can be liberating and undo some stress.

Therefore, sometimes people drop a pound or two after going off plan, not because of some magical fat burning that happens after a cheat day… but rather the mental break was enough to stimulate the release of some of the water weight masking weight loss on the scale from being too stressed.

Can “temporarily” increase performance

Sometimes a day with extra calories is enough to give you a little pep in your step for the next training session. Having enough energy to hit the gym hard can go a long way in helping preserve or even gain muscle.

Our goal when we lose weight is not to simply lose weight, but maintain our muscle and lose fat. If you‘re not doing any resistance training, I would highly reconsider.

What to do if you have a cheat day on keto

So you have a free meal, a “cheat meal,” or at worst go off the rail for an entire day what should you do?

Jump back to what you were doing

Nothing. Just move on and continue your diet and training like normal. Don‘t feel the need to starve yourself or add in an “extra” cardio session.

Believe me, I used to do that all the time.

Exercising yourself to death to burn fat and calories is just another form of purging.4

Fast/Intermittent Fast (if jumping back into ketosis is a priority)

I know I said not to starve yourself the next day, but sometimes fasting or intermittent fasting is a good idea if you feel less than optimal. Doing so may allow you to enter back into ketosis and reap the benefits of reduced hunger and mental clarity once again.

How to best incorporate a cheat day on keto

Don‘t make it a day, make it a meal

Don’t have a keto cheat day, instead have a cheat meal, or what I commonly refer to as a “free” meal.

I don’t know about you, but a whole day of reckless eating is asking for trouble. Try to limit yourself to one meal where you let yourself have whatever you want.

Preferably have this meal at dinner so it can’t easily turn into a whole day of bingeing.

Don’t stress

Don‘t feel the need to “pre-compensate” cheat days/meals.

What do I mean by pre-compensate? Don‘t starve yourself or run yourself into the ground with exercise (before or after) to offset the meal.

One of the main reasons traditional exercise doesn’t always translate to what we would hope for in terms of weight loss can be explained by this theory of calorie compensation.

Somehow, if we add in exercise or overly restrict ourselves we gain this mindset we can eat more. While this is true, how much more we eat vs how much we ACTUALLY eat are two entirely different things.

This might explain why you would normally never eat a pint of ice cream, but now that it‘s “lower calorie” you might find yourself eating the whole pint… maybe even two.

Before you might have had a scoop and put the ice cream away, but since it’s low calories you justify eating more.

Create a calorie buffer

Going off the previous tip, while I don’t recommend starving yourself or fasting before your free meal, you could potentially make those meals smaller than usual.

If I ever want to create a “buffer” I’ll stick to protein and veggies with minimal carbs or fat throughout the day.

If you usually combine keto and intermittent fasting, then you‘ve already created your “buffer.”

Have a plan / plan ahead

“Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”

Sometimes the best strategy is to get ahead of it. If you plan to dine out for your free meal, try looking up the menu on their website and choosing what you will eat beforehand.

… and stick to it.

If no website exists, try looking up the menu photos on Yelp.

Prioritize protein

The way I like to think about a cheat meal is protein first, carbs and fat for taste. Focus on protein, fat, and veggie intake first to maximize satiety and reduce the chance of going of the rails.

This is a great strategy to use at a buffet or even those holiday potlucks where you tend to indulge a bit much.

Limit choices, not amounts

When people are presented with too many choices, like a buffet, they tend to eat more. Not only do more choices lead to eating more, but it also lends itself to less satisfaction overall.

FOMO is real.

Think about it… if you were to limit yourself to prime rib and chocolate cake, you would eat only so much of it before being full and satisfied.

But if I now offer you potatoes and ice cream, you’ll end up eating a lot more than had you stuck to only a couple items.

Remember, you don’t have to sample EVERYTHING on the menu.

It’ll be there the next time you visit, trust me.

Pick your favorite thing on the menu or the food you‘ve been craving most and stay the course.

Keep them “keto-friendly”

With the myriad of “keto treats” and recipes floating around on Pinterest, you can literally recreate your old favorites and have them as your keto cheat.

Not only will you not feel as guilty, but you‘ll avoid the possibility of re going through the keto flu from knocking yourself out of ketosis.

Try not to have them too frequently

If you‘re going to indulge, definitely try not to do it too often. I usually suggest people save these for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or a vacation.

Having them too often may lead you on a roller coaster of highs and lows.

Even worse is if you let a cheat meal turn into a cheat week.

Final thoughts about if you can you have cheat days on keto

There is no need to beat yourself up or feel bad if you accidentally fall off track because it happens to EVERYONE. It’s when you fall off for one day and that day turns into days or longer where you’ll run into problems.

Progress isn‘t dictated by what you do once in a while, it’s dictated by what you do MOST of the time.

First, ask yourself why you “need” a cheat day. Do you need one because you need a mental break from dieting? Do you feel TOO restricted on a ketogenic diet?

While I wouldn’t recommend an entire day, a meal once in a while can definitely provide a nice psychological break. If having a “cheat meal” once a week or however often is what it takes to keep you adherent (consistent) with your diet, then I’m all for it.

Or perhaps it’s time to take a break from dieting altogether for a period, usually a week or two before continuing your fat loss efforts.

Just don’t be fooled or fool yourself into thinking that having a cheat day is “stoking” your metabolism.