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After keto diet: How to Keep the Weight off After the Keto Diet

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How to Keep the Weight off After the Keto Diet

Transitioning out of the keto diet has its benefits. One, the keto diet generally advises eating 20 to 50 grams (g) of net carbohydrates per day. (Net carbs are total carbs with fiber subtracted.) To meet that goal, people have to cut out even healthy sources of carbs, like whole grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, fruit, and most dairy (such as yogurt and milk). Because of this restriction, many people will find that they can’t stay on keto for long anyway. What’s more, because there is such a long list of banned foods on keto, “long-term ketogenic diets can result in nutritional deficiencies,” says Keene. (Fiber is one that many followers fall short on.)

It will be an adjustment period, but you can approach it in a smart way. If you get to your health or weight goal on keto then jump right back into the way you were eating (for instance: a standard American diet, which is high in sugar and saturated fat), you will snap back right to where you started, says Alyssa Tucci, RDN, nutrition manager at Virtual Health Partners in New York City. “As you transition off the ketogenic diet, start to slowly decrease your fat intake while upping your intake of lean proteins, vegetables, and wholesome carbohydrates, like fresh fruit, whole grains, and beans,” she says. White refined grains and sugars should still be limited.

While you should still eat the healthy fats you’ve become accustomed to (like avocado and olive oil), decreasing the amount is key, otherwise you may wind up eating an excess of calories. You’ll no longer be imperiling your cholesterol by covering a chicken breast in butter just to meet your fat quota, for instance.

RELATED: The 10 Best and Worst Fats to Eat on the Keto Diet

Then there’s the fear about if you’ll gain weight when you go off keto. It’s no secret that the tough part about weight loss is keeping it off, says Keatley. “The key to keeping weight off post-keto is to adopt some of the healthy behaviors you developed on the diet,” he says.

3 Expert Tips for Easing off of the Keto Diet

For guidance in weaning yourself off the keto diet, follow this expert advice for a successful transition into keto result maintenance:

1. Gradually Increase How Many Carbs You Eat

You’ve been counting carbs like crazy, and you’re probably an expert in it by now. This is not the time to completely stop counting. Add in an additional 10 g of carbohydrates per day for the first week, says Keene. Grab a pad of paper, and track your weight and how you feel. Increase that number weekly or every other week depending on your goals, she says.

2. Find Your Desired Carb Range

The number of carbs recommended is different for everyone, and differs depending on things like your goals and activity levels. Since there’s no one-size-fits-all amount, aim to get back to a number of carbohydrates that allow you to eat a greater range of foods so that you “don’t feel restricted but can maintain your weight and feel good,” says Keene. If you’re not sure what range is right for you, find a registered dietitian in your area who will be able to help you meet your personal goals.

RELATED: Keto Made Me Thinner — Here’s Why I Quit the Diet

3. Add More Protein to Your Plate

Consider increasing lean proteins (think: skinless chicken, fish, lean cuts of red meat), says Keatley. “This will help you take the advantage of the thermic effect of food, [which is the number of calories it takes to digest food],” Keatley says. It takes about 20 to 30 percent of the calories in protein to digest a food, compared with about 5 to 10 percent of the calories in carbs.

10 Foods to Add Back to Your Plate After the Keto Diet

Next, you get to plan what you’ll add back in. Here are 10 healthy foods to begin adding in again on your keto maintenance plan:

1. Strawberries

You may have been able to get away with eating a very small amount (we’re talking ¼ cup) of berries, such as strawberries, to get your fruit fix on keto. Now you can eat enough to make it an actual snack. One cup of strawberry halves contains 12 g of carbs, along with 3 g of fiber (12 percent of the daily value) and 89. 4 mg of vitamin C (149 percent DV).

2. Baby Carrots (or Any Carrots, for That Matter!)

This vitamin A–rich finger food is great for dipping into hummus. Ten baby carrots contain 12 g of carbohydrates.

3. Black Bean Soup

A ½-cup serving has 10 g of carbohydrates. Top with diced avocado. Not a fan of soup? Plain, cooked black beans will also do!

RELATED: The 10 Best Sources of Fiber on the Keto Diet

4. Edamame

Next time you grab sushi, don’t be shy about ordering these soybeans as an app. Two-thirds of a cup of shelled edamame has 11 g of carbohydrates. Not to mention, edamame is also an excellent source of fiber, protein, iron, and vitamin C.

5. Kiwi

One vitamin C–packed kiwi contains just 12 g of carbohydrates, making kiwi a perfect snack to nosh on post-keto.

6. Butternut Squash

When you started on the keto journey, you may not have realized that many types of squash were likely off the menu. But with portion control it can be back on. In fact, ½ cup of baked butternut squash — rich in eyesight-friendly vitamin A — supplies 11 g of carbohydrates.

7. Watermelon

A super hydrating fruit (it’s mostly water), 1 cup of melon has about 12 g of carbs and just 46 calories.

RELATED: A Complete Guide to Watermelon: Benefits, Risks, How to Eat, and More

8. Lentils

For the most part, on keto it’s likely you gave up all legumes, an unfortunate reality since they’re packed with fiber. Top a salad with ¼ cup of lentils for 57 calories, 4 g of protein, 10 g of carbs, and 4 g of fiber.

9. Oatmeal

On keto, you may have dabbled in “noatmeal” (it’s made with hemp seeds, flaxseed, and chia seeds) but now it’s time to bring back the real deal. A ½-cup serving of cooked oatmeal has 14 grams of carbs. Choose old-fashioned or steel-cut oats for the healthiest varieties. Top with a dollop of nut butter or sliced nuts and blueberries.

10. Sweet Potatoes

Some of the last things you should add back into your post-keto diet are carb-rich whole-grain bread, brown rice, and potatoes (including sweet potatoes), says Keene, because it’s easy to pack in a lot of carbs at once with these foods. One-half of a medium sweet spud has just 57 calories, but 13 g of carbs. So when you add them back, remember to keep portion size in mind.

RELATED: How the Keto Diet Changed the Way I Think About Fat and Weight Loss

How to Smoothly Transition Off the Keto Diet – Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

So you’ve followed the ketogenic diet for a few months now. You’ve achieved ketosis, lost some weight and (hopefully) experienced the intense mental clarity that keto-fanatics rave about.

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But after months of eating high fat, high protein and very little carbs, how do you reset your body to eat normally again?

“It probably took you a few days to get into ketosis when starting off on the keto diet,” says registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick. “So a sudden influx of carbs and sugar could wreak havoc on your body if you go wild with your diet.”

If you don’t transition properly off the ketogenic diet, you
could be setting yourself up for some not-so-pretty symptoms:

  • Weight gain.
  • Bloating and other bathroom issues.
  • Blood sugar spikes, which could cause fatigue
    and irritability.
  • Increased hunger and sugar addiction.

Instead, follow these three tips on how to effectively come
off the keto diet.

1. Focus on hard to digest carbs

When looking to incorporate carbs back into your diet after severe restriction, Kirkpatrick recommends focusing on eating carbs that are high in protein and fiber.

“Bean based pasta, crackers with seeds or sprouted breads are all great options when looking to bring carbs back into your diet,” she says. “Even starting to add in cashews or more avocados are great additions.”

There’s a reason carbs stand for CarboHYDRATES. You’re naturally going to gain a few pounds when you reintroduce them back into your diet because they contain water. The key is to pick healthy, whole carbs that won’t cause gigantic spikes in your blood sugar. The worst thing you can do is go hog wild and start eating donuts and cookies. Instead, focus on the quality of the carbs and pick kinds that take more time to digest.

Transitioning off the keto diet should take a few weeks. About 14 days is pretty reasonable for your body to adjust to the change. Some people find it helpful to increase their carb intake each day by about 10 percent, while others use an app to help keep track. Kirkpatrick suggests that the easiest way is to look at serving size and aim for two extra servings of carbs per day.

2. Be aware of the sugar pitfall

Don’t trade keto fat bombs for sugar bombs! One of the benefits of the ketogenic diet is the low sugar intake and eliminating added sugar in your diet.

“If you followed keto for a couple months, you probably noticed decreased sugar cravings,” says Kirkpatrick. “There’s research proving that sugar is addicting – so why would you want to go back to that?”

A good rule of thumb is to avoid anything with more than 4 grams of added sugar. Also be aware of too much naturally occurring sugar, which can hide in things like honey and certain fruits.

“If you have a bar that has 22 grams of sugar but it’s all from dates, that’s still not good and you’re going to spike your blood sugar,” she says.

3. Good habits help

When you first started keto, it probably took some time to educate yourself and learn about the diet. So coming off keto should be a similar and slow process.

“Weight loss isn’t just about the food – your environment, support system and lifestyle all play a factor in it,” explains Kirkpatrick. “So when keto is over and those things aren’t aligned correctly, it’s going to be easy to fall back into old habits and regain the weight.”

Staying hydrated is another important factor when working on healthy habits post keto. Being dehydrated causes irritability and can make you feel hungry when you’re actually just thirsty.

It all goes back to choosing healthy, balanced meals and snacks. Regaining the weight can be scary, but eating healthy fats, lean protein and quality carbs can still lead to weight loss.

Reintroducing Carbs Without Canceling Out Your Results

One of the key features, dare I say ‘pitfalls’ of the ketogenic diet is its highly restrictive nature. Given that the keto diet carb limit can be as little as 20 grams a day, it takes a whole lot of willpower and determination to go through with this low-carb diet. You may have been faithful in following the diet (and congratulations, by the way), but for some reason or another, feel like it’s time to get off the low-carb wagon. Maybe you have been wondering if falling off the rails of ketosis might affect your well-deserved weight loss progress. Here is a foolproof guide on how to maintain weight loss after keto. 

Anyone who has been on any weight loss program can attest to this fact – losing weight is easier when compared to maintaining the new weight. While there are many weight loss programs out there, none offers its users one thing – the guarantee that they will maintain their new weight even if they sway from their new lifestyle.

Granted, you cannot turn back to your old habits and expect to lose weight. But, can you abandon a diet and avoid gaining the lost weight back? More specifically, is there a way that you can stop keto dieting and maintain your weight?

How Does The Keto Diet Work?

The keto diet is a high-fat low carb diet that restricts the amount of carbs you can consume to as little as 20 grams a day (2). This way, you get most of your calories from fat, forcing your body to use different energy pathways. Instead of using carbs for energy, your body burns fat, thus entering a state of ketosis (3).

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How To Maintain Weight After Keto?

There are many reasons why experts advise against following keto long-term, one of them being the fact that the low-carb, high-fat diet limits the consumption of nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, and grains, which poses a concern for long term health.

With this knowledge, you might want to get off the keto diet after a while. But if you do, will you gain all the weight back? Indeed, if you fall into the same unhealthy eating habits you were accustomed to before beginning the keto diet, you will gain all the weight (and even more) back. However, there are some methods that you can use to ensure that your transition from keto does not have adverse effects on your weight loss journey.

  • Gradually increase how many carbs you take

The ketogenic diet drastically limits the amount of carbs you should consume a day – 20 to 50 grams to be precise (12). 

When transitioning away from keto, one thing you can do is gradually increase your carb intake. You can begin by increasing the daily amount by 10 grams each week. While doing so, track your weight and how you generally feel.

Increase the intake each week or every other week, depending on your personal goals.

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  • How to maintain weight after keto: try a more flexible keto plan

In this approach, you do not phase out the keto plan entirely. Instead, you add a little more food into your diet. However, you have to ensure that you maintain a calorie deficit.

Weight loss is only possible through maintaining a calorie deficit. So, even if you decide to add more food into your diet, you are advised to do so without raising your carb intake too high, so that your body gets out of ketosis.

You just need to eat a little bit more fat and protein than you have been eating.

Read More: Calorie Deficit But Not Losing Weight: What’s The Culprit Behind It?

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  • Add more protein to your plate

Lean protein such as skinless chicken, fish, and lean cuts of red meat have a high thermic effect. This means that they contain elements that either boost your metabolism naturally or are high in fat or protein; which requires more energy to digest and therefore, raise your metabolism. 

Foods with low thermic effects, such as carbohydrates, cost the body relatively little energy to digest and metabolize. 

  • How to maintain weight after keto: switch your focus from fat loss to muscle gain

While fat loss may be your primary goal while going on the keto diet, you may want to switch things up a little bit.

This approach, however, is not necessarily geared towards weight maintenance. By focusing on muscle gain, you maintain a low body fat percentage while adding more muscle mass.

A high muscle mass:

  • Improves metabolic flexibility
  • Strengthens bones
  • Reduces the long term risk of type 2 diabetes
  • Makes it harder to regain fat

To increase your muscle mass, focus on resistance training. As you will be building mass, you will need to add more calories and protein in your diet but keep carbs low.

You should only add more carbs around workouts alone.

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  • Transition to a low-carb non-keto diet, such as Paleo

You could also opt for a less restrictive diet that allows you the flexibility to eat extra vegetables that the keto diet does not ‘allow’. However, avoid taking junk food and stick to Paleo foods only.

This change adds variety to meals, which is always a welcome addition to any diet.

While transitioning to a low-carb diet, start by raising your carb limit by 10-20 grams, and maintain it for one to two weeks before reassessing again.

However, once you begin transitioning, you might gain a pound or two. Don’t worry, though, as this is mainly water weight.

  • How to maintain weight after keto: try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting involves entirely or partially abstaining from eating for a set amount of time before regularly eating again (19).

The main idea behind intermittent fasting is that you have an “eating window,” during which you do not limit your food intake, and periods of fasting when you refrain from eating. 

Intermittent fasting offers a wide array of benefits, such as fat loss, lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood sugar, better health in general, and increased longevity.

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There are various methods of doing intermittent fasting. You could try:

Intermittent fasting also has its downsides. For one, people on this kind of diet may not eat enough nutrients, such as fibre. This can increase the risk of cancer and have an adverse effect on digestive and immune health.

Read More: The Warrior Diet: Benefits, Side Effects, And Weight Loss

To maintain your keto diet weight loss, adopt a more active lifestyle. This will not only help keep the weight off, but it will also improve your general well being. 

Practise regular movement throughout the day by taking frequent breaks, going on walks often, and stretching or doing yoga during the day (10).

The benefits of regular movement cannot be overlooked. In fact, maintaining regular activity throughout the day has proven to have a much more significant impact on your overall health than one heavy exercise session.

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Summary on how to go back to eating normal after keto and maintain weight loss:

  • Do it gradually
  • Add more protein to your diet
  • Adopt a more flexible keto plan by adding more food – as long as you remain in a calorie deficit
  • Switch your focus from fat loss to muscle gain
  • Transition to a low carb non-keto diet, such as Paleo
  • Try intermittent fasting.
  • Be active throughout the day

FAQs

  • How Much Weight Can You Lose On Keto?

In the first week, you may lose 2 to 10 pounds of water weights. The first month could see you losing 4 to 10 pounds (about 1 to 2 pounds a week).

Although the results vary from person to person, you might expect to lose at least one pound of fat per week.

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To determine whether a diet is safe or effective, you must look at four things:

  • How it changes your body’s composition. The best diet is one that reduces your body fat. Many fad diets are known to help in the loss of water weight and not fat loss, which is counter-productive, as it is so easy to gain water weight back.
  • How it affects your overall health and wellbeing. Any diet that causes you stress, anxiety, and generally has a negative effect on how you feel about yourself should be abandoned. Avoid diets that have a negative impact on your mental health.
  • If it has long-term benefits or if you can follow the diet long term. Generally, if you cannot follow a diet for its long-term benefits, ditch it. A good diet is one whose benefits can be enjoyed months (even years) to come. If you cannot keep up with a diet, then maybe it is not for you. Pick a plan that is feasible for you.
  • If it meets your nutrient needs or goals. Your diet should not have a negative impact on your health. The diet should not negatively impact your body’s ability to ward off diseases.

So, does the keto diet fulfil all these requirements? To demystify this, we first have to look at how the keto diet works.The keto diet is a low carb diet that limits carbs, such as those in grains, starchy vegetables, and fruit. The diet puts emphasis on the consumption of foods high in protein and fat.

Keto restricts the type and amount of carbs you eat and focuses more on fats and proteins, such as:

  • Poultry
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Non-starchy vegetables, and
  • Meat.
  • Fats and oils

It excludes and limits most grains, legumes, fruits, bread, sweets, pasta, starchy vegetables, and some nuts and seeds.

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  • How Many Carbs To Stay In Ketosis?

The keto carb limit for most people is 20 grams. The diet suggests that a person consume less than 20 grams of carbs a day so that you can enter ketosis.

Ketosis occurs when you do not have enough glucose (sugar) for energy, so your body breaks down the stored fat, converting it to ketone bodies which can be used for energy.

The carb limit for keto is miles ways from what is generally recommended. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbs make up 45-65 percent of your daily calorie intake.

Ergo, if your daily calorie intake is 2000 calories, then carbs should make up 900 to 1300 calories, which would be 225 to 325 grams. 

For this reason, following the keto diet has potential side effects, such as:

  • Headaches
  • General malaise
  • Bad breath
  • Skin rashes
  • Constipation or diarrhoea
  • Weakness
  • Muscle cramps.

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Mayo Clinic states that this high-fat, very low carb diet is thought to have brain-protecting benefits (21). As many as half of young people with epilepsy had fewer seizures after following the diet (5).

Some early research also suggests that it may have benefits for blood sugar control among people with diabetes. 

However, there is very little evidence to show if the keto diet is efficient or even safe over the long term for anything other than epilepsy. Furthermore, the diet cuts out many healthy foods, which may make it difficult for you to meet your daily micronutrient needs.

All in all, the diet may be recommended for some people with uncontrolled epilepsy. However, its high-fat content plus the limits on nutrient-rich foods may pose a concern for long term health.

Also, eating large amounts of fat and protein from animal sources increases your risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

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  • Why Are You Not Losing Weight On Keto?

Very few things are as unmotivating as putting in all your effort into something and not seeing the results. As the keto diet is highly restrictive, it takes a lot of determination. It is no shock, therefore, when one gets frustrated when their input does not give them the desired results.

Have you been on the keto diet yet you have nothing to show of it? (18) You may be making these mistakes:

You are consuming too many carbs

For your body to enter ketosis, a metabolic state in which your body burns fat for energy and not glucose, your carb intake must be drastically reduced. 

Your carb intake should be at most 5 to 10% of your daily calorie intake. Unless this happens, your body will not enter ketosis, and you will not lose weight.

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You are consuming too many calories

There is only one secret behind weight loss – creating a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit is a shortage in the number of calories consumed relative to the number of calories required for maintenance of current body weight.

There are two ways to create a calorie deficit. :

  • Reducing the number of calories consumed
  • Expending more calories through physical activity

You still need to watch your calorie intake while on the diet because keto-friendly foods, such as avocado, nuts, and nut butter, are high in calories. This is despite the fact that you feel satisfied after eating ketogenic meals and snacks because of the filling effect of fat and protein.

You can still consume too many calories on the keto diet by eating large portions and snacking throughout the day (13).

To ensure that this does not happen, pay attention to portion sizes, increase physical activity, and snack in moderation in between meals. 

You are not eating nutritious foods

To trigger weight loss, cut out processed foods from your diet, as they provide extra calories and are nutrient-deficient (22). They are high in calories and low in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Instead, focus on nutritious, whole foods.

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You have an undiagnosed medical condition

Medical conditions such as depression, PCOS, Cushing’s Syndrome, hypothyroidism, and hyperinsulinemia cause weight gain and make it difficult to lose weight (4, 8, 16, 23).

As such, it is advisable that you seek professional advice from a licensed professional before going on any diet.

You have unrealistic weight-loss expectations

Losing 1 to 2 pounds or 0.5 to 1 kg a week (depending on starting weight) is recommended. Anything more drastic than this may not be easy to maintain in the long run (17).

You are stressed out or haven’t been having enough sleep

Chronic stress and lack of quality sleep have proven to have a negative impact on weight loss (6). 

When you are stressed out, your body produces excess amounts of a hormone called cortisol – also known as the stress hormone (20). 

Elevated levels of cortisol in your body can encourage your body to store fat, especially in your midsection.  

Furthermore, chronic stress also leads to sleep deprivation, eventually causing weight gain. Lack of sleep negatively impacts hunger-regulating hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, causing an increase in appetite (14). 

To reduce stress and get better sleep, practise meditation, yoga, and spend less time on electronic devices, especially before bed (15).

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You are actually not achieving ketosis

Unless your body goes into ketosis, you cannot lose weight. To achieve ketosis, carbs should represent 5 to 10 percent of your calorie intake. 

You are not getting enough physical activity

Your sedentary job may just be the reason why you are not losing weight. Physical activity stimulates fat loss and helps build muscle. This can eventually boost your metabolism by increasing the amount of energy burnt at rest.

Conclusion

As you can see, the journey towards a healthier body does not stop at just losing weight. It would be best if you still worked hard to maintain your new weight, or all your hard work may be lost. Follow our helpful tips on how to maintain weight after keto and enjoy your journey (plus some of the foods restricted before).

Supplement your diet with some exercise to double your results. Check out this 20-min Full Body Workout at Home.

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!

SOURCES:

  1. 4 Options Once You Reach Your Goal Weight With Keto (paleoleap. com)
  2. Beyond Weight Loss: A Review Of The Therapeutic Uses Of Very-low-carbohydrate (Ketogenic) Diets (2013, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  3. Carbohydrates (2014, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  4. Cushing’s Syndrome: Update On Signs, Symptoms And Biochemical Screening (2015, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  5. Effects of Ketogenic Diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies (2017, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  6. Effects of Chronic Social Stress on Obesity (2012, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  7. How To Maintain Long-term Keto Weight Loss Results For Life (2020, ruled.me)
  8. Hypothyroidism And Obesity: An Intriguing Link (2016, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  9. If I Stop Keto, Will I Gain the Weight I Lost? (2019, keto-mojo.com)
  10. Incidental Movement, Lifestyle-embedded Activity And Sleep: New Frontiers In Physical Activity Assessment (2007, cdnsciencepub.com)
  11. Is A Keto Diet The Best Way To Lose Weight? (bbc.co.uk)
  12. Ketogenic Diet (2020, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  13. Ketogenic Diet for Obesity: Friend or Foe? (2014, ncbi. nlm.nih.gov)
  14. Lose Sleep, Gain Weight: Another Piece of the Obesity Puzzle (2010, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  15. Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults – a prospective cohort study (2011, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  16. Obesity and Weight Gain in Relation to Depression: Findings from the Stirling County Study (2009, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  17. Rate of weight loss can be predicted by patient characteristics and intervention strategies (2011, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  18. Reasons for not losing weight on a keto diet (2019, medicalnewstoday.com)
  19. Seven Ways to do Intermittent Fasting (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
  20. Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity (2016, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
  21. The truth behind the most popular diet trends of the moment (2019, mayoclinic.org)
  22. Ultra-processed food consumption and excess weight among US adults (2018, cambridge. org)
  23. Weight Management Interventions in Women with and without PCOS: A Systematic Review (2017, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What Comes “After” Keto? | Mark’s Daily Apple

Google searches for this question are growing. I’m not surprised. An unprecedented number of people have gone keto, many of them interested in the diet as a temporary weight loss hack rather than sustainable tool for health. And now these folks may be looking to transition off of “this weird diet.”

I’d suggest that asking “what happens after keto?” is the wrong question to ask. And here’s my answer to all those folks who are wondering.

Keto is a reset (a Keto Reset, even). It’s a return to the ancestral metabolic state, the metabolic state we were born into (newborns are filthy with ketones, even on their relatively sweet mother’s milk diet). Keto happens really easily in humans compared to other animals. You go 12 hours without eating and then wake up in the morning? You’ll have detectable ketones on your breath. It’s almost like we’re made for it.

Then we enter the “real world.” We start sitting in chairs for half the day. We never go more than a couple hours without snacking on something. We eat carbs we don’t need in order to fuel athletic pursuits we don’t actually pursue. We eat right up until bedtime, which is later than ever because we have multiple social media statuses to update. After our 6 hours of sleep, we grab a pastry and Frappucino on the way to work or school. We’re not just well-fed. We exist in a permanent fed state. Since ketosis naturally occurs when we don’t eat, ketosis comes fewer and farther between for the majority of people living and eating this way.

When you fully commit to the ketogenic diet, you’re committing to rebuild your fat-burning metabolic machinery. The stuff you were born with but squandered. The stuff that’d fuel you for ten hours straight without any exogenous input on those long summer break days. It’s pretty enviable metabolic machinery to have. And while it takes at least four weeks and maybe as long as several months to really establish a solid fat-burning infrastructure, once you build it, you have more flexibility.

This is where “after keto” comes in.

You can stay keto indefinitely. This could be necessary for certain people with certain conditions that really respond to keto, like epilepsy or neurodegenerative diseases. Or if keto just works for you, it might be the easiest, most sustainable way forward. Studies as long as five years show no negative side effects of long-term ketogenic dieting, so, provided you do it right (no salami and cream cheese keto diets), I see no reason not to continue.

If you’re done losing weight and happy with your body comp, you can shift toward a more moderate carb intake. Maybe 100-150 grams a day, depending on activity levels. Just be sure to reduce your fat intake commensurately. The weight loss will have cleared out most of the insulin resistance that naturally results from carrying extra body fat and improve your ability to handle a few more carbs.

If you have weight to lose, and keto was working, I’d just stick with it. Stay the course until you’re where you like.

If you have weight to lose, and keto wasn’t working—and you gave it an honest 2-3 month try—try something else. Nothing works for everyone. Some people just do better on moderate carb, lower fat diets. Most people eating these diets for weight loss probably shouldn’t be and would do better on a keto approach, but this is a viable option if you’ve tried keto and it just hasn’t worked.

What you definitely don’t want to do is return to the dietary habits that led you to keto. Yet I see people do this, time and time again: Keto went well, but they want out, so they start adding carbs on top of their high-fat intake. That’s a recipe for disaster. Not only will you consume an incredible number of calories without even knowing it—butter just disappears into a baked potato—you’ll be consuming the most obesogenic combination of macronutrients around. Consider what the Standard American Diet consists of:

  • Salty snacks like chips and crackers (pulverized carbs fried in refined seed oils)
  • Sweet baked goods (fructose inside pulverized carbs baked in refined seed oils)
  • Fast food meals (meager meat sandwiched between pulverized carbs served with pulverized carbs fried in refined seed oils)
  • Pizza (huge discs of pulverized carbs topped with cheese)

Notice a theme? Sound familiar?

Not even choosing the cleanest, most Primal sources of fats and carbs together makes it much better. That combo doesn’t work unless you erect an ultra-intense, high-volume training habit just to keep the junk at bay—and even then, you’ll only maybe stave off some of the weight gain and create a whole host of other problems. If you’re getting paid to do it, sure. But if you’re a weekend warrior destroying his or her social life just to out-train a bad diet, what’s the point?

Here’s what I like most—and what seems to work best for folks: the keto zone.

That’s where your diet is fluid. You’re regularly slipping in and out of ketosis. You’re a bit higher (not high) carb one day to help with an intense training session and go right back to lower carb the next. And throughout it all, because you’ve put in the work necessary to build up that fat-burning machinery, you’re always great at burning fat, and you retain your ability to burn glucose/glycogen when needed.

It’s actually not that far off from how I ate before the keto reset. Same basic foods promoted and eliminated. Similar macronutrient ratios. But with my newfound metabolic flexibility and the improvements in mitochondrial function, it feels different. I eat a little less. I’m a little more efficient with my calories. And I’m not getting any of the negative effects usually seen in diehard adherents to calorie restriction. I’m still killing it in the gym, on the board, and on the Ultimate field. I’m sleeping great. My cortisol levels are in a good place because my body isn’t perceiving this way of eating as a stressor. I’m handling the work load of a growing business and the stress of a cross-country move without issues.

If I had to sum up what ideally happens “after keto,” it’s that ketosis becomes a well-worn tool in your kit—one you’re able to call upon when the job requires it. These jobs just… happen. You realize you skipped lunch because you just weren’t hungry, and you barely noticed. You spend all day bouncing around airports and never even think to eat the terrible food being offered, and it’s no issue at all. It doesn’t even register because, underneath the hood, your mitochondria are dialed in and producing all the energy you need from your own body fat. Ultimately, what keto allows you to do is stop thinking about food so much and get on with your life.

That’s what I’ve seen, at least in myself, my tribe, and the thousands of people who write in to tell me about it. That’s our “after keto.”

What Happens “After Keto”? | Mark’s Daily Apple

Google searches for this question have shot up in recent weeks. I’m not surprised. An unprecedented number of people went keto in January purely as a quick weight loss hack, and now they’re looking to transition off of “this weird diet.” Tortillas and bagels beckon, after all. This is the wrong way to approach keto—obviously. It’s not a quick hack. It isn’t magic, and if it were magic, the magic takes awhile to happen.

And asking “what happens after keto?” is the wrong question to ask. And here’s my answer to all those folks who are wondering.

Keto is a reset (a Keto Reset, even). It’s a return to the ancestral metabolic state, the metabolic state we were born into (newborns are filthy with ketones, even on their relatively sweet mother’s milk diet). Keto happens really easily in humans compared to other animals. You go 12 hours without eating and then wake up in the morning? You’ll have detectable ketones on your breath. It’s almost like we’re made for it.

Then we enter the “real world.” We start sitting in chairs for half the day. We never go more than a couple hours without snacking on something. We eat carbs we don’t need in order to fuel athletic pursuits we don’t actually pursue. We eat right up until bedtime, which is later than ever because we have multiple social media statuses to update. After our 6 hours of sleep, we grab a pastry and Frappucino on the way to work or school. We’re not just well-fed. We exist in a permanent fed state. Since ketosis naturally occurs when we don’t eat, ketosis comes fewer and farther between for the majority of people living and eating this way.

When you fully commit to the ketogenic diet, you’re committing to rebuild your fat-burning metabolic machinery. The stuff you were born with but squandered. The stuff that’d fuel you for ten hours straight without any exogenous input on those long summer break days. It’s pretty enviable metabolic machinery to have. And while it takes at least four weeks and maybe as long as several months to really establish a solid fat-burning infrastructure, once you build it, you have more flexibility.

This is where “after keto” comes in.

You can stay keto indefinitely. This could be necessary for certain people with certain conditions that really respond to keto, like epilepsy or neurodegenerative diseases. Or if keto just works for you, it might be the easiest, most sustainable way forward. Studies as long as five years show no negative side effects of long-term ketogenic dieting, so, provided you do it right (no salami and cream cheese keto diets), I see no reason not to continue.

If you’re done losing weight and happy with your body comp, you can shift toward a more moderate carb intake. Maybe 100-150 grams a day, depending on activity levels. Just be sure to reduce your fat intake commensurately. The weight loss will have cleared out most of the insulin resistance that naturally results from carrying extra body fat and improve your ability to handle a few more carbs.

If you have weight to lose, and keto was working, I’d just stick with it. Stay the course until you’re where you like.

If you have weight to lose, and keto wasn’t working—and you gave it an honest 2-3 month try—try something else. Nothing works for everyone. Some people just do better on moderate carb, lower fat diets. Most people eating these diets for weight loss probably shouldn’t be and would do better on a keto approach, but this is a viable option if you’ve tried keto and it just hasn’t worked.

What you definitely don’t want to do is return to the dietary habits that led you to keto. Yet I see people do this, time and time again: Keto went well, but they want out, so they start adding carbs on top of their high-fat intake. That’s a recipe for disaster. Not only will you consume an incredible number of calories without even knowing it—butter just disappears into a baked potato—you’ll be consuming the most obesogenic combination of macronutrients around. Consider what the Standard American Diet consists of:

  • Salty snacks like chips and crackers (pulverized carbs fried in refined seed oils)
  • Sweet baked goods (fructose inside pulverized carbs baked in refined seed oils)
  • Fast food meals (meager meat sandwiched between pulverized carbs served with pulverized carbs fried in refined seed oils)
  • Pizza (huge discs of pulverized carbs topped with cheese)

Notice a theme? Sound familiar?

Not even choosing the cleanest, most Primal sources of fats and carbs together makes it much better. That combo doesn’t work unless you erect an ultra-intense, high-volume training habit just to keep the junk at bay—and even then, you’ll only maybe stave off some of the weight gain and create a whole host of other problems. If you’re getting paid to do it, sure. But if you’re a weekend warrior destroying his or her social life just to out-train a bad diet, what’s the point?

Here’s what I like most—and what seems to work best for folks: the keto zone.

That’s where your diet is fluid. You’re regularly slipping in and out of ketosis. You’re a bit higher (not high) carb one day to help with an intense training session and go right back to lower carb the next. And throughout it all, because you’ve put in the work necessary to build up that fat-burning machinery, you’re always great at burning fat, and you retain your ability to burn glucose/glycogen when needed.

It’s actually not that far off from how I ate before the keto reset. Same basic foods promoted and eliminated. Similar macronutrient ratios. But with my newfound metabolic flexibility and the improvements in mitochondrial function, it feels different. I eat a little less. I’m a little more efficient with my calories. And I’m not getting any of the negative effects usually seen in diehard adherents to calorie restriction. I’m still killing it in the gym, on the board, and on the Ultimate field. I’m sleeping great. My cortisol levels are in a good place because my body isn’t perceiving this way of eating as a stressor. I’m handling the work load of a growing business and the stress of a cross-country move without issues.

If I had to sum up what ideally happens “after keto,” it’s that ketosis becomes a well-worn tool in your kit—one you’re able to call upon when the job requires it. These jobs just… happen. You realize you skipped lunch because you just weren’t hungry, and you barely noticed. You spend all day bouncing around airports and never even think to eat the terrible food being offered, and it’s no issue at all. It doesn’t even register because, underneath the hood, your mitochondria are dialed in and producing all the energy you need from your own body fat. Ultimately, what keto allows you to do is stop thinking about food so much and get on with your life.

That’s what I’ve seen, at least in myself, my tribe, and the thousands of people who write in to tell me about it. That’s our “after keto.”

What’s yours?

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care, be well.

About the Author

Mark Sisson is the founder of Mark’s Daily Apple, godfather to the Primal food and lifestyle movement, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Keto Reset Diet. His latest book is Keto for Life, where he discusses how he combines the keto diet with a Primal lifestyle for optimal health and longevity. Mark is the author of numerous other books as well, including The Primal Blueprint, which was credited with turbocharging the growth of the primal/paleo movement back in 2009. After spending three decades researching and educating folks on why food is the key component to achieving and maintaining optimal wellness, Mark launched Primal Kitchen, a real-food company that creates Primal/paleo, keto, and Whole30-friendly kitchen staples.

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4 Options Once you Reach your Goal Weight With Keto

Unpleasant fact about weight loss: maintaining your goal weight is actually harder than getting there. It’s hard to lose weight, but lots of people manage that part. Where they stumble is keeping it off: they slowly slide back into their old eating habits after they hit their goal weight and all their hard work gets undone. There’s also the very real problem of metabolic slowdown, which is your body’s way of fighting back against weight loss.

Don’t let this happen to you! Make a plan in advance for weight maintenance as an ongoing commitment: this should be something you think about as you lose weight, not something you suddenly start considering once the scale finally shows you the number you’ve been waiting for. You don’t necessarily have to keep eating keto in exactly the same way during maintenance: your best weight-maintenance diet might be a little different from your best weight-loss diet. On the other hand, if you go back to eating what you used to eat, sooner or later you’ll weigh just as much as you used to weigh!

The good news is that keto is probably a good choice for kicking off a successful weight maintenance period. At least one meta-analysis has found that low-carb or high-protein diets were associated with better weight maintenance in the long run, even after the study diet ended and people were allowed to go back to their normal eating patterns. So to kick off your planning for life after weight loss, take a look at 4 options for long-term goal weight maintenance.

1. Keep on with keto, but eat a little more food.

Keto is perfectly safe for the long term and there’s no real need to come out of ketosis if you don’t want to. If you feel great on keto and never want to quit – don’t!

Weight loss, keto or otherwise, is all about a calorie deficit. If you want to stay keto but don’t want to lose any more weight, the solution is just to eat a little bit more fat and protein than you had been eating, without raising carbs enough to get out of ketosis. There’s no magical property of ketosis that will cause you to lose weight while you’re taking in as many calories as you use; the trick is just to find that perfect amount of food for your height/weight/activity level. It’s different for everyone and not something that a generic online calculator can predict: we all have to learn it for ourselves based on experience.

The big benefit of this approach is that there’s no risk of extra carbs causing new/more cravings. A lot of people find that if they start eating more carbs, all the blood sugar highs and lows come right back and the sugar cravings suddenly reappear – then it’s a constant willpower battle again, just what you were trying to avoid with keto. You can completely prevent this entire problem by just staying on keto to begin with.

2. Switch from fat loss to muscle gain.

This isn’t technically weight maintenance, since you’ll be (slowly and intentionally) gaining weight. It’s more like “fat maintenance:” you’ll be maintaining a low body fat percentage while adding more muscle. Muscle mass improves metabolic flexibility, strengthens your bones, reduces long-term risk of type 2 diabetes, and makes it harder to regain fat. If you want a body-change “project” to keep improving your health after weight loss, muscle gain might be just the ticket!

To do this option, you’ll need to be doing some kind of resistance training (powerlifting, weightlifting, bodypump classes, bodyweight conditioning, whatever you like). That will give your muscles the signal to grow; the next step is giving them the fuel they need. Two popular choices:

  • Add more calories and protein; keep carbs low.
  • Add more carbs around workouts only.

Protein should be relatively high for building muscle regardless of which approach you take.

1-2 pounds a week is about as much muscle as most people can realistically gain (unless they’re absolute beginners who have never even touched a weight before), so if you’re gaining much more than that, it’s probably partly fat. You can either gain lean mass slowly, gain a lot of mass quickly and then diet to lose the fat while keeping the muscle, or strike a balance between the two. Adjust your calorie surplus to the amount of fat you’re willing to gain in the interest of putting on muscle and getting stronger.

3. Transition to low-carb (but not keto) Paleo.

Your carb limit for active weight loss might be much stricter than the carb limit you need just to maintain. There’s a difference between “low-carb” and “ketogenic:” some people don’t have to be actively in ketosis to stay at a healthy weight, as long as they stick with low-carb eating.

Winter squash is delicious and nutrient-dense. It doesn’t fit into a keto diet, but that doesn’t make it junk food!

Why would you want to increase carbs if keto has been working out for you? The advantage of raising carbs is that you get more flexibility to eat extra vegetables, which can help you get a more micronutrient-dense diet and add more variety to your meals. Parsnips, carrots, and butternut squash are pretty tasty, especially once you’ve cured yourself of butter-phobia! If you’re going to stick with this for the long haul, having as many options as possible is helpful.

One potential approach is to raise your daily carb limit by 10-20 grams, hold that for a week or two, and then reassess: you can keep stepping up slowly until you stop feeling good and/or start re-gaining weight (bear in mind that you will inevitably gain a pound or two of WATER weight with more carbs in your diet, but 5 pounds or more is a sign that you’re regaining real weight, not just water).

If you want to experiment with some extra carbs, but you’re scared of falling down a slippery slope into a typical junk food diet, sticking with Paleo foods is one way to put some more objective, specific limits on your diet so it doesn’t totally go off the rails. Paleo carbs are generally nutrient-dense and fiber-rich (with the exception of pure sweeteners like honey or maple syrup), which makes them less tempting to overeat. It’s not necessarily impossible to gain weight on sweet potatoes and plantains, but it’s a lot harder than gaining weight on animal crackers and bagel chips.

4. Experiment with intermittent fasting

This is a strategy for dealing with that feeling of “I’ve worked so hard! Now I deserve to relax!”

If you want to feel a little more laid-back about eating during weight maintenance, intermittent fasting is a good way to turn up the “cruise control” feeling. Basically, you’re only allowed to eat during a specific window, but you have a lot more freedom with your meals during that window. For most people, the compression of the eating window naturally limits the amount of food that they eat, so instead of weighing or measuring food to restrict portions, they can just follow the clock. This is psychologically easier for some people, since when you do eat, you get to feast.

Options for intermittent fasting include:

  • Eating normally 5-6 days a week with 1-2 days of total fasting
  • Eating in a 6-10 hour window every day (for example, noon to 8 pm), but not at any other time of day. Your eating window can be early in the day (breakfast and lunch, but no dinner) or late in the day (lunch and dinner, but no breakfast), whatever you prefer.

Combine intermittent fasting with maintenance keto, muscle-gaining keto, or low-carb Paleo, whatever works well for you.

What’s your favorite maintenance tip after losing weight with keto?

Keto veterans, lay down some wisdom for the newbs on Facebook or Twitter!

Have a look at Paleo Restart, our interactive Paleo 30-day program. Learn more and get started here.

+ #PaleoIRL, our new cookbook all about making Paleo work for a busy life is now available! Get it now here.

What Actually Happens to Your Body When You Stop the Keto Diet?

Regardless of the reasons you stop the ketogenic diet, there will be consequences to reintroducing carbs. Maybe you’ve decided you’re anti-diet, or perhaps you just want to enjoy meals without counting every macro. The key to transitioning off the low-carb, high-fat keto diet is to do it slowly. Reintroduce carbs to one meal a day gradually.

By transitioning in a slow and steady way, you might avoid uncomfortable side effects and reap benefits like these:

Better cholesterol levels — The absence of fiber-rich fruits and the abundance of meats high in saturated fat may have spiked your blood cholesterol. Slowly decrease fat and increase antioxidant-rich carbs by way of dairy, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Try adding about 10 to 15 grams of carbs per day to the same meal for the first seven days. For example, if you have been consuming only 20 grams of total carbs each day, try adding 10 grams more of carbs to dinner each night for a week. Seven days later you’ll be up to 90 grams a day, and you may even sleep better, because eating carbs at night usually leads to more restful sleep. Stay at this carb level for a few days and see how you feel before introducing more.

More muscle — Proteins are the building blocks of muscle. Researchers have found that it generally takes 20 to 30 grams of protein consumed in one meal to turn on muscle synthesis. Usually, around 65 to 110 grams of protein are allowed on an 1,800-calorie keto diet. But you may not have gotten that, as most keto dieters focus mainly on fat. Going off keto may lead to gains in muscle mass. And that’s especially good news if you’re over 30 years; as we age, muscle synthesis begins to decrease. Less overall muscle mass means we burn fewer calories at rest and can eventually lose strength and mobility. To help the keto transition, gradually replace the higher-fat proteins you’ve been consuming with lean proteins.

Better energy — Claims of keto “turbo-charged energy” may have proven true for your short workouts, but for longer, more intense workouts, muscles need carbs. Without carbohydrates to build up glycogen stores, or muscle fuel, muscles will run out of gas. And when you don’t have the energy to work out, muscle loss can occur. This is especially true since carbs are necessary to renew and repair muscles. Ditching keto means you can enjoy having energy during workouts, especially if you fuel up with some of the best workout recovery snacks, like chocolate milk, fruit smoothies with protein powder and banana-egg pancakes.

More anti-inflammatory foods — One of the biggest benefits of going keto is the focus on eating lots of low-carb vegetables to help fill your plate. So hopefully you’ve gotten into a daily habit of eating cucumbers, red peppers, cabbage, cauliflower and other veggies. When you stop keto, you can eat a whole rainbow of veggies like antioxidant-rich sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots and squash. Eating more vegetables and fruits can reduce inflammatory markers in the body, and reducing inflammation is key for reducing disease risk. So it’s a big deal to again be able to eat mangoes, oranges, grapes, bananas, cherries and other fruits that weren’t allowed on keto.

Better gut health — More higher-carb, anti-inflammatory foods, like beans, lentils, whole grains and fruits, also means more fiber. The Dietary Guidelines recommend consuming whole grains daily, and beans and legumes should be eaten twice a week. To avoid constipation, introduce these foods slowly as part of the gradual increase in carbs.

Weight stability — Due to the slashing of calories and the lack of hunger that comes from a high-fat diet, a keto diet can end up being very low in calories. A very low-calorie diet equals weight loss — sometimes in a short amount of time. But when weight comes off quickly, it can go back on quickly. Realize that some water weight will naturally come back on. And to help maintain healthy weight loss, seek the advice of a local registered dietitian.

90,000 What will happen after keto. How not to dial? Video experience of losing weight by 30 kg.

2. There is a need for more frequent eating. On keto, you are already used to the fact that you can easily eat once a day. This trick will be more difficult here. Blood sugar spikes from carbohydrate intake lead to increased eating habits. Less fatty foods give a shorter saturation time.

3. Deterioration of performance. I felt this almost immediately. Keto mode is an energetic mode.By switching to carbohydrates, Energy is lost. After a carbohydrate lunch, you want to take a nap. After a keto lunch, I want to go for a run. Do not believe the ads, a sweet bar with sugar takes away your energy, stupefying your brain with sugar.

4. There is a need to observe the coloration, as well as a significant reduction in fat consumption. The point is, fats are good for keto, but! Without a keto regimen, eating fatty foods is harmful. Eating fat with sugar and fast carbohydrates is definitely harmful. In order to stay in the form that you have achieved on keto, you need to think about the consumed colonies.There is no rapid weight gain after quitting keto. But when you return to old eating habits, you will slowly but surely regain lost pounds and old health problems.

Total – got out of keto, more activity, less fat, we monitor the calorie intake, we think why we got out.
How to get out of the keto regime?

It’s simple. Eat carbs and get out of keto. It will not be stressful for the body. This is a common thing and so laid down by nature. There is no right way out of keto.Any way out of keto is an increase in the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Harsh or not, it doesn’t matter. But everything should have a measure.

How to return to keto regime?

Just as you did before. Start following a keto regimen and that’s it. Re-keto is easier and more comfortable. Of course, if before that you have already had a lot of experience in the keto business. If you are a beginner, read my article “How to Enter Ketosis?” – link at the beginning of this article.

Should I get out of keto?

It’s up to you to decide.I have not found any reliable information on the dangers of long keto. There are people who have been in hard ketosis for many years. Basically, this is done for health reasons and the recommendations of doctors.

You yourself must decide what is comfortable for you. For some, keto is more suitable, for some it is LCHF. And there are people who enter keto for a couple of months a year. They do it so that they dry out and restore the body after six months of wild life. Indeed, in the keto mode, the damaged functions of the body are reset and restored.

For myself, I decided that I would alternate between keto and light keto – LCHF. I plan to do this depending on the circumstances. Being on a business trip, trip or vacation, observing keto is inconvenient, and even uncomfortable. Moreover, giving up watermelons forever is sad :)) I decided to be in keto always, when there is an opportunity and desire for it. Now I’m back in keto mode. I plan to quit keto for the New Year holidays. But not a fact.

What is the best food after the end of the keto diet and avoids gaining weight?

I think the healthiest, most natural long-term diet after the keto diet is following the LCHF principles.If you do not know what it is, read the series of articles on the site.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER KETO? – KETOPOWER.RU

For those who are interested: “what will happen if I get off keto?”

Although this question usually becomes irrelevant for many reasons: on keto, your taste buds change so much that you naturally stop wanting to eat as before. Many, having experienced ketosis and the sensations in it (lack of hunger, more energy, better sleep, restoration of hormonal levels, etc.)and prefer to stay in it for a long time.
But suddenly … Well, you need to know what is there? On the other side of keto …

First, what is ketosis and what is it for? Keto is metabolic flexibility restored. In ketosis, you build up the necessary “tools” to effectively use fat as an additional source of energy – what our bodies were originally programmed to do and what we lose from our high-carbohydrate and frequent diets. These are new mitochondria in cells.These are enzymes (enzymes). Etc. It takes a while, but all of these things don’t disappear once you stop being in ketosis. This is only lost if you go back to old habits for a long time.

The question is, why do you need to stay in ketosis?
Let’s not talk about those who are being treated. In such cases, you need to sit in ketosis a little longer and, of course, under the supervision of a doctor (research shows that this can be done completely harmlessly for at least 5 years).

For most of those reading these lines, the goal is one – to lose weight.
And then what? Do you think that you will return to your old habits? Unlikely. You have 3 prospects:

1) If you are still losing weight and are comfortable on keto, continue like this until you reach your desired weight.
2) If you are losing weight and you have honestly been on strict keto for at least 2-3 months (without breakdowns and refeeds) and you are NOT comfortable, try something else, low-carb (OU), paleo, this also happens.Keto isn’t for everyone.
3) When you lose weight to the level you need, you can raise carbohydrates to 100-150g – you must find this bar for yourself. Some people feel comfortable staying at 30g … some want more. Of course – there is no guarantee that you will remain in ketosis, but a low-carb diet is also very beneficial and some people are much more comfortable on it. After fat adaptation, your insulin sensitivity will increase and this will allow you to comfortably consume that amount of carbohydrates without consequences.Remember that outside of ketosis, the brain requires about 100-150 grams of glucose per day. This means that these carbohydrates will be used as intended and not stored in fat.

What should I avoid? If you think you’re ditching keto, you should not add carbs on top of your usual amount of fat. This will lead to weight gain. If you’re adding carbs, cut back on fat. And complex carbohydrates are desirable. Don’t go back to old habits! Save what you gained in ketosis for yourself.

How to get out of ketosis?
Very simple – boost your carbs and goodbye to ketosis.And no, leaving quickly is not harmful.

Many will be able to just smoothly transition from periods in ketosis to periods on NU and back. And that’s okay! There are no rules for the length of these periods. This is how our ancestors lived – they either starved or feasted and did not always eat only fat. Holidays, holidays, weekends – all this takes place, but after adaptation! You won’t be counting calories and bju. You will listen to yourself: am I hungry? If not, then I’ll go hungry. If so, what do I want most of all? Fatty meat? Vegetables? Fruit? Ice cream? ? Nothing will happen to you if you eat this.But the most important thing is that you relax. And your body won’t perceive diet as a stressor (if that’s how you perceive keto food). Well, you will gain a myriad of positive things arising from a lowered cortisol level. You will stop thinking about food all the time and start living!

The ketogenic diet brings you back a long-forgotten tool of nutritional flexibility. I would recommend staying in ketosis a couple of times a year for at least a couple of weeks. To keep everything that you “built up” the first time in optimal condition.But this is just my opinion and it is not scientifically substantiated by anything.

Zozhnik | How to recover from the

keto diet

Written by Jason Helmes. He is the creator of anymanfitness.com, retired math teacher, successful online coach, writes articles for Men’s Health, Bodybuilding.com, GQ and many more. Despite the graphomaniac hilarity of presentation, Jason takes a scientific approach. We give the floor to the author.

What is “keto” and how does it work

The ketogenic diet (very high in fat, low in protein and low in carbohydrates) was developed in the 1920s to help children suffering from epileptic seizures.

Usually, we get energy from carbohydrates, but when they are excluded from the diet, the body is forced to use another source – fat (from food). When the body begins to burn the eaten fats for fuel, it goes into a state of “ketosis”. Doctors have found that with ketosis, the frequency (and intensity) of epileptic seizures is significantly reduced – in some cases, even by 50%.Also, ancient researchers observed one side effect: weight loss. Fast forward almost a hundred years. Today, we are told from everywhere that the key to a long, healthy and happy life is to give up carbohydrates (i.e. in eternal ketosis).

Calorie denial

Many followers of the keto diet say the most about this: on a miracle diet, you don’t need to count calories. The weight disappears by magic. Eat anything (if you don’t want carbohydrates, of course), you will still lose weight. Your body will turn into a fat burning plant, all the fat will be burned for fuel.Who would refuse?

However, not everything is so easy and simple. The main mistake keto dieters make is that they do not study the sources of fuel fat – yes, the body burns it in a state of ketosis, but mainly from food. And not the wealth accumulated under the skin. The only way to force the body to empty its stores is through a calorie deficit. Whether with or without carbohydrates.

There are also a couple of ketoproblems.

Problem 1: Carb-free parties

To stay in ketosis, you can allow yourself up to 20-30 grams of carbs per day.For example, a medium-sized apple contains about 25. Thus, you will have to forget about apples, not to mention wine, kvass, bananas, bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, etc. etc. Have you ever tried to attend a festival and find exclusively carbohydrate-free treats there? From now on, you can calmly revel only at events organized by diet brothers.

Problem 2: unhealthy obesity

Although fats are not as harmful as dietitians of the 90s claimed, their amount in the diet is still better to control.In the keto diet, it is proposed to bring the fat content to 70%. If, for example, the maintenance diet of an ordinary person contains 2,000 calories and 44-78 grams of fat, then the kettle’s diet (with the same calorie intake) already includes 155 grams of fat. Lipid levels in ketofans are on average 60% higher, cholesterol levels by 30%.

Of course, the situation can be improved a little by reducing the amount of saturated fat, but still such an overestimate is far from optimal for health.

Issue 3: Compliance Difficulty

Even the most dedicated fans have a hard time sticking to keto in the long run.It is possible to hold out for several weeks or even months, but then … is it really possible not to taste carbohydrates anymore? Never never? The complete elimination of one of the three macronutrients is not very common for a sensible, healthy, long-term diet. This is usually the fault of fashionable and harmful blitzkriegs. “Throw away such and such a product (or a whole group) – you will lose weight in a matter of hours!” – this is the standard slogan of an unhealthy one-day diet.

Problem 4: Keto Flu

When the body becomes “fat burning”, many people experience ketone discomfort, the symptoms of which include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, muscle aches and irritability.If you courageously hold on and force the body to adapt further, then in a week these manifestations disappear. Recall, however, that 20-30 grams is your carbohydrate ceiling; just a little too much and you’re out of ketosis. Then, with agony, you get into it again and again and again suffer from the keto flu. This is how regularly breaking keto proteins run in the wheel of disgusting health. Thanks to the simplest and healthiest diet ever.

Why do they like keto so much?

Yes, although all of the above cons are not fiction, the keto idea is very attractive – on paper (now mostly on screen):

  • Lightness – no need to count calories
  • Simplicity – just turn down the coals

And yes, in the very first days the weight actually goes away.Although this does not at all mean that it is fat that burns, for some, the numbers on the scales are the main indicator of success.

A bit of math to unmask focus:

  1. Most people today eat a “civilized” (sarcasm) diet
  2. It can be safely assumed that at least 300 grams of carbohydrates are recruited daily, and some have more than
  3. Each carbon gram retains about 3 grams of water
  4. 300 grams of carbohydrates X 3 = 900 grams of water

Thus, ketones lose almost a kilogram per day due to the lack of carbohydrates.
This is incredibly (but false) motivating, which is why many say, “Only keto worked for me, everything else did not work.” After the initial draining of the fluid, weight loss slows down dramatically. Further weight can only be lost – guess what? – on a calorie deficit of . Since most ket worshipers deny the heresy of calorie intake and eat uncontrollably, then they do not succeed. After a few weeks, they get frustrated, break down, eat sugar with spoons, and then go back to the simple and healthy keto diet.And further down the cycle.

How to cure keto dietosis?

Several criteria are desirable for true healing. Check if you are ready to return to the dark side (we still have cookies)?

Criterion 1: After Trying Keto, You Didn’t Like Something

You believed the rumors about a fashionable miracle diet, sat on it a little and realized that such restrictions are not for you. Not a necessary condition, but it helps a lot to tie, because doubts have already arisen about the magic and versatility.It may be that everyone around you continues to praise her, but you do not want to continue to suffer without carbohydrates.

Criterion 2: You are able to believe in Almighty Calorie

In general, you know, it is strange that we are no longer schoolchildren and are familiar with the law of conservation of energy, but we still believe that it can appear from nowhere and disappear into nowhere. To renounce keto, you must admit that:

  1. food calories (energy),
  2. the excess calories that we haven’t used up is stored (including in our wonderful fat stores),
  3. to reduce stocks, you will have to temporarily limit the supply of energy (sit on a deficit).

Seemingly basic things, but it is amazing how many adults do not recognize this.

Criterion 3: You are willing to faithfully count macronutrients for a whole month

Why is it taking so long? Because with the return of carbohydrates to your plate, you will get some water. Rest assured, it is not fat that is deposited at lightning speed in the vacated warehouses, but the fluid balance is restored. As you continue to control all macronutrients over the following weeks, you will notice that the weight gain has stopped and even – if the deficit is maintained – the weight loss has begun.A month is enough for the process to go as it should: you will start to feel better, train more energetically, lose kilograms and centimeters.

So are you ready to go back to carbs?

Diet (and the whole healthy lifestyle) is a deeply personal thing. Our nutritional and exercise beliefs are comparable to those of religion. More often than we should, we rely on them, rather than make rational decisions with our minds. Yes, following a traditional diet isn’t as fun as flying off to magical Ketoland … but it’s time to grow up.It’s time to start thinking about food calories, portion sizes, training wisely, developing healthy habits, and changing your lifestyle. Not right away, but you will learn to eat right and regulate your weight. And then you will have nothing to be afraid of! Parties, anniversaries, picnics, food courts – everything is within reach when you know the basics of healthy eating. And if another fashionable diet appears, it will no longer be able to seduce, since you know how to maintain a normal weight without stupid and harmful restrictions.

Source: anymanfitness.com

Translation: Alexey Republicommando

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90,000 What Happens After The Keto Diet? How not to gain weight after a diet.| investlifestyle.ru

What will happen after the keto diet? Today is an interesting topic, especially for those who have lost and regained weight before. What happens when you lose weight on the keto diet and get out? Will the old weight return in a month? Year? How do you prevent him from coming back? What is important to know for those looking to end the keto diet?

I will tell you about everything in my video:

Thank you for supporting my efforts –

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The video turned out to be interesting and informative, but for your convenience I will write excerpts from it in the text.Especially for those who cannot watch now.

There are actually two principal options for ending the keto diet.

The first option is a breakdown and subsequent rapid weight gain. This negative variant is typical for those who have not gone through adaptation and psychologically have not got rid of their cravings for sweets. What do you need to prevent this from happening? Listen, learn, take your time and follow my recommendations for a complete and healthy ketogenic regimen.

The second option is a conscious exit from keto after reaching your goals and subsequent healthy and balanced nutrition.What kind of food is really healthy and allows you not to gain weight? Answers, argumentation and details in my video and further in the text.

Important points to get out of keto:

1. When you quit the keto diet, digestive problems are possible.

2. May increase the supply frequency.

3. Problems with efficiency and quick wits are felt, but only with medium-term adherence to keto.

4. Calorie control and restriction of fat intake may be required to control weight gain if you have not found your own way of a balanced diet.

What I especially noted for myself at the end of keto is a change in food preferences and taste perception.

When I quit keto, I basically switched to LCHF. If you are wondering what kind of food it is, read on my website in a series of LCHF articles.

ATTENTION! Question. Do you think the keto diet is a constant principle of nutrition or a way to get yourself in order and prepare for a healthy life, without health problems?

What Nutritionists Are Hiding / Reviews / Basket

The ketogenic diet is one of the trendy weight loss methods.Those who want to lose weight quickly have high hopes for a low-carb, high-fat diet. The experts shared their opinion with RIAMO about how effective the technique is, and told how the keto diet can affect our body.

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History

The keto diet is a low-carb diet with more fat and less protein.

Initially, to this day, such a diet is used to treat epilepsy – the diet helps to reduce the number of seizures in drug-resistant patients.

“Carbohydrate restriction can indeed be attributed to a therapeutic diet. Within the framework of keto nutrition, special protocols have been developed and used, which are used to treat children with autoimmune diseases, epilepsy and autism, ”comments nutritionist-consultant Ekaterina Wunder.

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Why weight is reduced

Against the background of a deficiency of carbohydrates, certain metabolic changes occur: in order to obtain energy for life, the body begins to actively break down fat reserves and goes into ketosis, when ketone bodies become “fuel” for the body instead of glucose.A similar mechanism can be observed in the practice of fasting.

“With the usual proportion of BJU supplied with food, the acid-base balance of the blood is 7.41 – 7.43 pH. In a state of ketosis, it deviates towards acidity, ”explains Ekaterina Wunder.

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Contraindications

Dietitian and nutritionist Marina Linkeviciene warns that the keto diet has direct contraindications.For example, for diabetics, the transition to such a diet can turn out to be dangerous and end up in disruptions, leading to sugar “gag” with all the ensuing problems.

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Side Effects

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Ekaterina Wunder notes that in her practice she does not transfer patients to a keto diet, because she knows what this can turn out to be: after achieving the result, people return to sweets and fast food – they gorge on extra pounds – they start dieting again.Such a permanent “weight swing” is stress for the body.

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“When we remove and re-add carbohydrates to the diet, the body needs time to rebuild. We take it away from him. I have an example of one girl: she jumps on low-carb diets every few months. Bottom line: skin rashes. Alas, the liver does not always cope, ”the expert comments.

Nutritionist Marina Linkeviciene believes that the majority of people enter ketosis incorrectly, as well as exit from it.Because of this, there are more side effects than benefits after the diet:

“Recently I was approached by a girl who was on a keto diet twice with a break for several months. What we have: hair loss, neglected acne, periodic loss of consciousness, dizziness and constipation. ”

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Nutritional Advice

For the use of the keto diet to be justified – it must become a way of life.Therefore, if you do decide to try a low-carb diet with a high fat content, you will have to radically revise your grocery basket. Catherine cites Japan as an example, where the percentage of acidic and alkaline foods in the diet of residents is 20 to 80 (we have exactly the opposite).

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“The Japanese do not consume as much meat as we do. As a source of protein, they have a lot of algae on the menu. We eat a lot of baked goods.If we turn to statistics, in Japan the average life expectancy is about 85 years, and this, in my opinion, is the first position. They have many long-livers – up to 120 years. While Russia occupies 140th place in this rating ”.

The expert also warns that ketogenic nutrition is a diet that cannot be applied without medical supervision:

“At a certain moment, a critical condition may come. This needs to be carefully controlled, which is quite problematic to do on your own. “

The Keto Diet: Losing Weight Experience

Blogger Irina Kovaleva calls herself a “ketaholic” and shares her experience:

“Last time I started keto after pregnancy. At first I decided to use a diet for weight loss, but now I just can’t eat differently – I don’t feel very well right away: heaviness in my stomach, drowsiness, swelling, heartburn. The body has changed. ”

Irina dealt with all aspects of the ketogenic diet herself. The main thing is to learn to filter what is needed from the entire huge flow of information, and not to listen to pseudo-gurus and coaches – this may turn out to be more expensive for your own health.You also need to be able to listen to your body, otherwise there will be breakdowns, explains Irina and adds:

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“I am not a sweet tooth in life, I managed to quickly come to terms with gastronomic hardships. The only thing I love very much is beer, which is not allowed on keto. In general, the diet suited me. ”

For six months, Irina has lost 23 kilograms. She is now just maintaining her weight with a keto diet.

“Sometimes I relax in terms of food, as a result – a couple of kilograms stick.But overall, I manage to maintain weight, ”the blogger comments.

Keto vs proper nutrition

Both experts noted that the latest research in nutritional science confirms that the ketogenic diet does not help you burn more fat than the transition to a healthy diet, avoiding sweets, starchy foods and fast food.

“I did everything as it should be, and as a result I got excess weight and health problems”

We continue to publish true stories of real people who changed by adopting a low-carb diet.Christine Kronau is an Australian dietitian and author of The Fat Revolution, a book that fights the “common truths” about healthy eating. Christine told her story at the first international LCHF Banting Summit held in Cape Town, South Africa in February.

– At 20 with a ponytail, I weighed 20 kg more than now. I was a slim teenager, but when I turned 18, I started gaining weight. I grew up in a poor family, so we didn’t have a lot of protein or fat in our diet – in fact, our diet was very low in fat, and while growing up, I – according to conventional wisdom – did everything right.

Despite this, I began to gain weight without knowing where it came from. I struggled, tried different diets, and at some point decided to lead a super healthy lifestyle: I became – in addition to a low-fat diet – a vegetarian. After that, I really lost some kilograms, but after a while my health worsened. Later, I found out that I had lost weight due to the fact that I damaged the digestive system, and the nutrients began to be absorbed very poorly.

My health continued to deteriorate.I completely reduced the amount of fat consumed, threw out all the oil and did everything as it should be: I ate a lot of whole grains, lentils. My day began with whole grain cereals, soy milk, and a banana. But I had to eat very often: such food does not give a long-term effect, and I have to refresh myself every couple of hours. And although I did everything according to the “common truth”, I got chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome and low blood sugar. That is, you care so much about your health, and people who do not even think about it turn out to be healthier than you.I was shocked.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to study the issue and find the information I needed. I have drastically changed my diet to a low carb / high fat diet. That was 14 years ago. Since my health was very poor, it took about two years to recover. I got rid of chronic fatigue (although the doctors will tell you that there is no cure for it), healed the intestines and all the other problems that I had. It all went away after switching to LCHF and, amazingly, I didn’t have to worry about my weight.Now I no longer need to count calories, I don’t need to feel deprived or starving.

Nutritionists say that women need carbohydrates to feel good. In fact, fat is needed to maintain high serotonin levels. Our brain itself is 60% fat, and about half of that is saturated. If we talk about a source of energy for the brain, then it rather needs a mixture of glucose and ketones. And we get ketones when we burn fat. If a person is completely dependent on glucose for fuel for the brain – and there are most of them in developed countries – when blood glucose levels fall, his brain cells begin to starve and even die.Ketones are an important fuel for the brain.

Moreover, there are surprising results from studies conducted with people with early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. When these people followed LCHF diets, especially ketone diets, and received coconut oil (which helps the body produce ketones), their brain cells began to revive (if the disease was not far off).

Now my usual breakfast consists of three eggs with a slice of lamb or a real sausage made without any fillers.It can also be bacon or pork, provided that it is not grown on cereals, but on green forage. And we always cook in butter and add butter to ready meals. Oil is the key to everything, it makes you feel like you’re full. Well, it also makes food tastier.

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90,000 New research: the keto diet burns fat significantly more efficiently than exercise

Which is better for your health and weight loss – reducing carbohydrate intake or vigorous exercise in combination with a regular high-carbohydrate diet?

To answer this question, scientists at the University of Bethel in Minnesota conducted a study published in the latest issue of Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews .The study involved 30 people – men and women aged 18 to 65 years. All of them were overweight and had health problems – metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes.

Scientists randomly divided the participants into three groups. One group followed a keto diet for 10 weeks: its participants ate no more than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day, without playing sports all this time. The participants in the second group followed the so-called “standard American diet”, i.That is, they ate their usual high-carbohydrate food, also without playing sports. And in the third group, the participants ate regular high-carbohydrate food, exercising for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week.

Researchers measured a number of participants’ indicators at the beginning and end of the study, incl. body mass index, blood trigleceride level, body fat percentage, glycated hemoglobin (HgA1c) level, and blood ketone level.

The members of the ketogenic, low-carb diet were in dietetic ketosis.That is, in a state when the main source of energy for the body is not glucose, but special molecules – ketones, produced by the liver from fats.

The results of the analyzes showed that, as one would expect, sports activities, although useful, are not enough to neutralize the negative effects of malnutrition and reverse metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, following a ketogenic diet has led to the most significant improvements in almost all metabolic health indicators and weight loss.In addition, the members of the keto group significantly increased their basal metabolic rate, that is, the rate at which the body “burns” fat at rest – more than 10 times compared to the two groups of “standard” food.

As the study authors write, “Physiological ketosis has clinical potential to prevent, alleviate and heal metabolic syndrome and the associated obesity, prediabetes and diabetes, and is therefore a worthwhile alternative treatment.”

It is worth noting, of course, that the scope of the study was rather limited – both in the number of participants and in duration. However, his findings fit well with the body of research on low-carb diets.

In recent years, the keto diet and LCHF have become increasingly popular – not least because these nutritional methods are followed by many stars, incl. Kim Kardashian, Matthew McConaughey and Rihanna, and the tabloids are eagerly picking up on this topic.But it is hoped that research such as this will help the method gain popularity among medical professionals as well. The authors of the paper refer to an analysis published in 2015, the authors of which – 26 doctors and scientists – list facts that, in their opinion, are not sufficiently familiar to practitioners:

1. Restricting carbohydrates is the most effective way to lower blood sugar levels.
2. Restricting carbohydrates brings health benefits without losing weight.
3. Consumption of both all fat and saturated fat does not correlate with cardiovascular risk.
4. Restricting carbohydrate intake is the most effective way (other than fasting) to lower triglycerides and increase high-density lipoprotein (so-called “good cholesterol” – HDL).

So far, the standard protocol for metabolic syndrome and diabetes is a low-fat diet with lots of “good carbs” and regular exercise. While there is no denying the benefits of exercise, scientific evidence suggests that eating habits are the first priority to improve metabolic health.

PS. The keto diet is a fairly strict version of LCHF, which involves consuming no more than 20-30 g of carbohydrates per day and maintaining a state of dietary ketosis. A more liberal version of LCHF allows you to consume 50-60 g of carbohydrates per day. The main source of energy in both cases is fats.

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