Bad news, keto folks: One single cheat day can, in fact, throw your body out of ketosis. A quick Google search shows a lot of you assumed this—that jumping off the keto bandwagon for a day or a week could wreck all your efforts—and now you're wondering what happens next. Here's what you need to know about having cheat days while eating keto, how long it takes to rebound, and what you can do to make the process happen quicker.
Ps. The diet's strict, but you can still eat so many delicious foods while following it.
Will one day really make a difference?
Yep, it really will. "As soon as you introduce carbohydrates to your system, the body will use them preferentially for fuel," dietician Ginger Hultin told Men's Health. She also said the amount of carbs you eat doesn't matter at the end of the day—if that one bite of pizza pushes you over your dedicated carb grams, you may as well eat the whole slice. (Consider that bad news wrapped in a pizza hug.)
What happens to my body when I have those extra carbs?
Well, all that sugar you'd finally gotten used to living without does its brain-tricking magic and attempts to convince you that you can't live life without it. You're also likely to crash harder than you used to as your body isn't used to this kind of sugar invasion when in ketosis.
OK, fine—how do I get back into ketosis then?
Well, it depends who you ask. Some will tell you it's important to immediately get back into your minimal-carb routine. Others say a cleanse or intermittent fasting is a good way to start over. (Ed note: We recommend you speak to your doctor before attempting any of these methods.) Everyone agrees, though, that you should absolutely not feel guilty about having cheated. You are a human. You're doing great and everything is fine.
How long is regaining ketosis going to take?
It's not an overnight process, so don't expect it to be. "Getting back in is likely different for each person, and it depends on the level of carb restriction you choose to do,” Hultin told Men's Health. It's been reported it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get there.
Anything else I need to know before I go off on my merry cheat day way?
It's not uncommon to relapse with keto flu and all its lovely symptoms. Be careful out there.
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