Cheat days on keto

[Lawrencepa]

I've made a similar thread before but hoping for more responses this time. If I had a weekly takeaway of say Indian mixed grill would that be ok? Is there a rule about cheat days on keto. Or does it not matter aslong as you don't have carbs. I think I've been addicted to MSG for way too long. I've successfully stopped pizzas on this diet but today I was craving one and decided to get mixed grill to shut my brain up. If I make up for the calories on other days does this make things better? I estimate a eat a lot of calories on my takeaway nights

 

[sally and james]

Is there a rule about cheat days on keto.

The only rules are the ones that you make yourself. I wonder what is in an Indian mixed grill. If it's meat with spices, perhaps marinaded in yoghurt, it should be fine, but if you are talking naans, rice, chapatis, cashews, dried fruits and other carby things, well, if you load your body up with it, not only will your body continue to expect and demand it, but, once a week, you will be doing a small amount of damage.
Try and lose the taste for such things, it will make life much easier in the long run. None of us can say, "fine, one Indian a week and you'll keep your feet", we all just have to do our best.
Sally

 

[AlexMagd]

The general view is that cheat days are a bad move on keto because they have the potential to kick you out of ketosis. Then you'll have to go through keto flu all over again, which isn't that pleasant. However you can probably get your takeaway craving without leaving keto - most actual met (e.g. shish) kebabs are probably OK provided you get them without sauce, for instance. After all it's just chargrilled meat! My local takeaway does a great shish and you can get halloumi or a salad etc on the side with minimal blood sugar impact.

In general I'm not sure cheat day thinking is helpful as you'll always be treating it as a diet instead of a lifestyle change. However, I guess that's down to individuals.

 

[Kristin251]

I've made a similar thread before but hoping for more responses this time. If I had a weekly takeaway of say Indian mixed grill would that be ok? Is there a rule about cheat days on keto. Or does it not matter aslong as you don't have carbs. I think I've been addicted to MSG for way too long. I've successfully stopped pizzas on this diet but today I was craving one and decided to get mixed grill to shut my brain up. If I make up for the calories on other days does this make things better? I estimate a eat a lot of calories on my takeaway nights

I believe once you're out of ketosis it can take a few days or longer to get back in.
There are things you can do to help get back faster like fasting or exercise, super low or no carbs the next day.

I think of it like this and I'm not entirely sure it's true but in keto our glycogen store are depleted. Once we fill them up we're out of keto again. So depleting glycogen stores is what will take you back to keto. For me it usually takes about 3-4 days as my bs runs higher then.

When I was learning about keto they would say the fastest way to deplete glycogen was to either fast or have a fat fast couple days and exercise.

I do think those Indian sauces are either sweetened or thickened with starches. All I know is I had some chicken tandoori and some goat curry with lettuce and I got a huge spike.

 

[Lawrencepa]

The only rules are the ones that you make yourself. I wonder what is in an Indian mixed grill. If it's meat with spices, perhaps marinaded in yoghurt, it should be fine, but if you are talking naans, rice, chapatis, cashews, dried fruits and other carby things, well, if you load your body up with it, not only will your body continue to expect and demand it, but, once a week, you will be doing a small amount of damage.
Try and lose the taste for such things, it will make life much easier in the long run. None of us can say, "fine, one Indian a week and you'll keep your feet", we all just have to do our best.
Sally

Thanks for this very helpful

 

[bulkbiker]

Thanks for this very helpful

Indian mixed grill shouldn't knock you out of ketosis just don't have the carby stuff like rice or naan.
My go to from the curry house is a chicken tikka main course with some non starchy veg dish like aubergine or spinach (or both). I might stick some yoghurt or creme fraiche on to give a bit of sauce and BG stays pretty stable.
And of course there is fathead pizza...

https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/fat-head-pizza/

 

[AM1874]

Not a problem for me .. I don't want to cheat ('cos I'd only be cheating myself) .. and I don't like curry
If you are going to go for this, though, you have plenty of good advice above .. enjoy

 

[AM1874]

The general view is that cheat days are a bad move on keto because they have the potential to kick you out of ketosis. Then you'll have to go through keto flu all over again, which isn't that pleasant. However you can probably get your takeaway craving without leaving keto - most actual met (e.g. shish) kebabs are probably OK provided you get them without sauce, for instance. After all it's just chargrilled meat! My local takeaway does a great shish and you can get halloumi or a salad etc on the side with minimal blood sugar impact.

In general I'm not sure cheat day thinking is helpful as you'll always be treating it as a diet instead of a lifestyle change. However, I guess that's down to individuals.

Hi @AlexMagd ..
I agree with you .. particularly your comment about keto (and LCHF) being a Lifestyle change NOT a Diet ..

 

[Kristin251]

Not a problem for me .. I don't want to cheat ('cos I'd only be cheating myself) .. and I don't like curry
If you are going to go for this, though, you have plenty of good advice above .. enjoy

I agree. And it takes me three days to get things back on track. Not worth it for me. It's just food!

 

[Bluetit1802]

and I don't like curry

So pleased to read that. I thought I was the only person in the world that doesn't like curry.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

So pleased to read that. I thought I was the only person in the world that doesn't like curry.

I like curry, but my intestines don't.

 

[Kristin251]

So pleased to read that. I thought I was the only person in the world that doesn't like curry.

Here's 3!!!

 

[Goonergal]

I like curry, but my intestines don't.

I don't like curry and neither do my intestines.

 

[Kailee56]

I agree with the others intellectually, but admit I cheat occasionally. The results of a cheat meal for me is a huge blood glucose spike that takes about 3 days to get down to normal levels and about 3-4 days to start producing ketones again. This is with keeping total carbs under 30 and usually throwing in a 24+ hr fast.

Since you are an adult, the decision is up to you. Do you follow your blood glucose levels? If so, check before and after your cheat to see the effect. I personally check before and hourly for 3 hrs since different foods spike my glucose at different times. Once you know what the consequences of a cheat are for you, then it is up to you.

There are those who say that if you must cheat it should be around exercise. Some say before and some say immediately after. Supposedly our bodies can better and more rapidly use the carbs for energy and not just raising blood glucose levels when combined with exercise.

 

[Bluetit1802]

The strange thing with me is I don't suffer after a cheat day. I am always back to normal within 3 hours.

I recently did a home OGTT that involved drinking 75g of pure glucose. I shot up to 13.6 and took 2 hours 45 minutes to come back to where I started. However, after that I dropped quite low (for me) and have been lower than normal at all my bedtimes, fastings, and pre and post-meals. Significantly lower in fact. The test was 10 days ago. It seems to have given my pancreas a kick start! I hope it lasts.

 

[Lawrencepa]

Indian mixed grill shouldn't knock you out of ketosis just don't have the carby stuff like rice or naan.
My go to from the curry house is a chicken tikka main course with some non starchy veg dish like aubergine or spinach (or both). I might stick some yoghurt or creme fraiche on to give a bit of sauce and BG stays pretty stable.
And of course there is fathead pizza...

https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/fat-head-pizza/

Any thoughts on mattar paneer? (Cheese peas and paneer)

 

[bulkbiker]

Any thoughts on mattar paneer? (Cheese peas and paneer)

Personally I wouldn't but to be honest compared to rice and naan it should be fine the cheese bit is fine just the peas might be more carbs than I want but as I say in the grand scheme of things prob much better.

 

[Lawrencepa]

Personally I wouldn't but to be honest compared to rice and naan it should be fine the cheese bit is fine just the peas might be more carbs than I want but as I say in the grand scheme of things prob much better.

Yeah I think I'll take this as a learning curve. I can't help takeaways though in general I crave it too much.

 

[Brunneria]

I love a good curry, and i now have a whole list of favourites that don't seem to have much impact - so long as i avoid all the rice, naans and sweet, fruity or potatoey dishes.

A typical curryhouse or takeawy for me would be a dry or non sweet dish like chicken shaslik, chicken tikka, butter chicken, skewers, or similar, with two veg dishes, usually brinjal bhaji and saag paneer (those are basically aubergine and tomato, and spinach with cheese).

Nowadays i much prefer it this way. Instead of a plate bulked out by bland rice and breads, i get a plate filled with more flavour, texture and variety.

Usually when i eat out with friends they are curious and surprised at how nice the veg side dishes are, and we get to swap, taste and sample everyone elses food, making it much more fun, and really, how a good meal should be.

 

[Lawrencepa]

I love a good curry, and i now have a whole list of favourites that don't seem to have much impact - so long as i avoid all the rice, naans and sweet, fruity or potatoey dishes.

A typical curryhouse or takeawy for me would be a dry or non sweet dish like chicken shaslik, chicken tikka, butter chicken, skewers, or similar, with two veg dishes, usually brinjal bhaji and saag paneer (those are basically aubergine and tomato, and spinach with cheese).

Nowadays i much prefer it this way. Instead of a plate bulked out by bland rice and breads, i get a plate filled with more flavour, texture and variety.

Usually when i eat out with friends they are curious and surprised at how nice the veg side dishes are, and we get to swap, taste and sample everyone elses food, making it much more fun, and really, how a good meal should be.

Are you trying to lose weight? If so how often do you eat out