Can you have a cheat day on keto? Here’s what you need to know!
0:00 Introduction: Can you take breaks on keto?
0:40 When you can cheat on keto
2:28 How to tell if someone is cheating on their diet
2:54 What is an A1C test?
6:18 How to know if you’re in ketosis
7:47 Understanding blood sugar problems
11:40 How to support healthy blood sugar
12:27 Learn more about blood sugar!
Let's talk about cheat days on keto. Some weight loss plans have cheat days built into the program. But this isn’t a good idea because it can severely affect your results. Once you go off of a diet plan, it’s really hard to get back on it.
That said, sometimes it can be encouraging to go off keto just to see how much better you feel when you’re on keto and doing it correctly.
The goal is to create enough health and discipline that you can go off of the keto plan very temporarily and then go right back on.
The best way to tell if someone is cheating on keto or staying healthy is to look at their A1C. An A1C test measures how much glucose is stuck to the protein in your blood.
The more sugar in your body, the higher percentage of your hemoglobin is affected by glucose. You would want your A1C percentage to be below 5.7.
The best way to know that the keto program is working and you’re in ketosis is a loss of appetite. But, all it takes is a very small amount of carbohydrates to take you out of ketosis for a couple of days—even half a glass of wine will have this effect.
This means a cheat day will knock you out of the program for a good amount of time. If someone is cheating every other day or every third day, they're not going to make very good progress.
How to support healthy blood sugar:
1. Consume nutrient-dense foods on keto (Healthy Keto®)
2. Consume apple cider vinegar in water
3. Consume berberine
Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 58, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals®. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.
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Disclaimer:
Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full-time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
#keto #ketodiet #weightloss #ketolifestyle
Thanks for watching! Going off keto temporarily can help you see how much better you feel when you're on keto. But keep in mind that having a cheat day on keto will slow your progress. I'll see you in the next video.
39 responses to “How to Know if Someone Is Cheating on Their Diet”
Another great summary touching on so many points. I suggest that when people do suffer a moment of madness that causes a break in their Keto journey just accept the event, review what was the cause (often an emotion reaction to something) forgive yourself and if possible take extra exercise or see it as an opportunity to add a 24/48 hour fast to get back on track. Don’t let a bad-hour become a bad-day or a bad-day become a bad-week. Thank you Dr Berg and team. 👍
My problem isn’t getting into the ketonic way of life …. it’s the staying , sugar to me is worse of addiction than smoking ever was for me. It is my nemesis!!!
I don’t know if this will help, but I got some atkins bar to help with sugar cravings, later I found other things that were stevia or monk fruit sweetened. I try not to eat too much of them – just enough to get by. Good luck to you on your journey!
I get it. I quit smoking and all alcohol over 7 years ago and that was a piece of cake compared to sugar and grains for me!
Satisfy your sugar cravings w/ a bowl of plain Greek yogurt, mix in fresh blueberries (any fresh fruit) and a sprinkle of granola clusters. It’s delicious 👍
I missed ice cream and cereal..I gave in and ate both the same day. Neither tasted as good as I remembered and I spent 3 days cramping and passing embarrasing explosive gas 😮😅. Lesson learned.
I ate pizza with my wife on 4th of July and woke up sore and had the shakes.
They have Keto versions of both. Not the healthiest but at least it’s not super high in carbs.
There are basically 2 ways I go ‘off the program’.
Firstly, social events such as birthdays… what can you do? (I take the hit, yum, then get back into it. No guilt.)
Otherwise it’s over snacking (nuts, kim chi, cheese, … no carbs as such).
When my weight loss hits a ‘sticking point’… *no excuses…* it’s the snacking.
After hearing Dr Berg say that ketosis can be knocked off for days after a carb binge, I think I’ll change my weekly fasting day (ie. 48-hour fast) from Tuesdays to Mondays, as most social events happen over the weekends.
I do easy keto, OMAD, 48-hour weekly and 72-hour monthly fast.
(‘Easy keto’ being – I try doing ‘healthy keto’ but mostly fail. I’m not the cook.)
Anyway… so far, ~50 lbs over 18 months, and bmi is _just_ ‘overweight’ (was in the ‘obese’), so I keep chugging along. 😃
Target is somewhere around the middle of ‘normal’ bmi. So ~25 lbs more.
No rush… I need to establish this as a lifestyle choice.
Big Thanks to Dr Berg.
Good morning Dr Berg.Thank you so much Doctor Berg ❤
My temper! I know because I lose my temper when I go off Keto. I’ve been off Keto for the past year and I have harmed my kidneys and eyesight in that time, so I’m back on Keto for the past month now, and am down twenty pounds as of this morning. What has changed since the last time I was eating Keto: it took longer for weight loss to start, and edema in my feet and lower legs has not improved very much. I record my edema from 1 to 5, 5 being very swollen and 1 being little to no swelling. I’m still between 3 and 4. I had been doing Keto for most of the month, but ordering fast food two or three times a month. No weight loss and increased edema, despite my ordering as close to Keto as I could. But you never know exactly what is in fast food. So this past month I have been on clean Keto. I’ve been able to do intermittent fasting with zero hunger, zero cravings and I’m feeling much better, more energy, more motivation, and better mood.
I’m 55, and it’s been almost 1 and 1/2 years now on your healthy version of your keto diet and I haven’t even cheated 1 time. I would’ve never thought in 1000 years that I could do something that’s almost nearly impossible for a lot of people to do, but I achieved the impossible and hopefully will continue for the rest of my living years on this planet! Thank you, Dr. Berg, thank you for helping me through this amazing journey!!
Well done. 👍
@Spam Mouse Thank you!
I did keto for 1 year no cheating then fell off the wagon and can not get back on. Gained all of the 65 lbs back. 😢 It’s so disappointing. I’m still trying to get back on track. Whatever you do don’t start back eating sugar it’s like once you add it back into your diet your body craves it even more than b4.
What are impossible things you have done?
@GA Peach Anything you did once, you can do again easier. If your finding comfort in certain foods, then find a substitute that has health benefits for starters. You don’t have to have perfect adherence to the diet leading back into it. You already know that cravings go away over time after being on the diet. It all starts with what you’re buying at the store. There is not much I can tell you that you don’t already know.
I’m 60 and have lost 160lbs by eating LCHF keto and fasting. I have absolutely NO desire to cheat and go back to being addicted like I was. I’m so satisfied with my fasting lifestyle and love what I eat. Just isn’t worth it to me 😊🙏👍
We as Muslim fasting is rewarded by the almighty Allah and also healthful
great job!
Jesus ❤ u
Im 60 and have been on keto for 2 years now, have lost almost 30lbs, i was stuck at 25lbs weight loss and found it easier to lose fat if i have a cheat day once a week, i feel like if i stay on keto consistently my body gets use to it and plateaus.. since i started a cheat day im able to slowly lose the fat again
That brownie sample story made me laugh though, it’s right out of a comedy show. Of all people to lock eyes with, it’s your weight loss doctor! Busted! What terrible timing for a cheat 😂😂
😂😂😂
I never sample. You are so right with the cheating. I go down a dark path and feel horrible.
I call it falling off the wagon. I struggle and every time I fall off I get back on and most of all I do my best not to beat myself up about it. When I think to much about it I feel bad because of my health and my cravings get worse. I’m so glad you admit to it taking time for you too! To me it’s insane because my gut pain and heath is very bad but does improve when I’m all Keto!
I don’t like to use the “wagon” analogy, because it suggest dwelling on failures to me. I’d rather count successes, and focus on them, and seeing mistakes as learning experiences. Negative thinking is a trap that we all are challenged with.
I’m finding that there are healthy alternatives to everything that are just as enjoyable, but without negative health consequences. The biggest problem I have is that healthy options are not convenient, nor readily available. Grocery stores are filled with toxic junk, and restaurants are worse. That’s a real problem for anyone who is on a busy schedule. Secondly, we have been taught bad habits all of our lives, and that has been the case over generations, so that is what we default back to. It really feels like the cards are stacked against good health.
I dropped 25 lbs in 2 weeks and maintained that weight because I found food I liked that didn’t affect my insulin and only ate that. The problem is that people never have that realization that sugar is poison because it’s culturally normalized and it feels like you’re being left out of the good things in life. People have to think more independently if they want positive results which is really hard for most of them
That’s why we need to fight so hard to find good substitutes for sugar that are not poison. Nobody wants to leave the good food behind, the deserts like ice cream, cheesecake, brownies, etc etc. And people want to have normal food like sandwiches, pasta, burgers and fries. The goal is to find healthy ways of doing all of that, not to live in misery eating the same boring thing every day.
@Remy Lebeau I actually really like eating ground beef onions jalapeños with brown rice fried with beef tallow. I get my dopamine from my workouts. Sometimes I wish I could have carbs and alcohol but I also remember what it was like to wish I could workout when I was too burned out because of carbs and alcohol. It’s just a bit of a trade-off. I chose being able to workout because I look and feel good. I don’t need drugs or sugar after going for a run or lifting weights
I went zero sugars and very low carb 1 1/2 years ago. No seed oils, or processed foods, etc. My roommate enjoys toast, and that is the one smell that gives me cravings. So, last week I had a bagel with lots of good butter, and a schmear of strawberry jam. And paid for that with 4 days of pain, stiffness and exhaustion. It just confirmed to me that these foods are POISON, especially mass-produced bread products. Thanks, Dr. Berg, for your encouraging and detailed videos on the ‘why’ of food science. Love & light to you and yours, from Nova Scotia.
Thanks dr. Berg… I am 57 and have been in keto in the last 7 years. I was diagnosed as Dyslipidemia. Now, my lipid test is a LOT better than that when I was 17. Now my triglecerides is 34 and fasting blood sugar is 43 and feeling GREAT!
I’ve found in 20 years of dieting failures, the first time I cheat is the last day of my diet. It’s amazing how fast you can pack back on the pounds eating absolute crap too, it’s like your body consciously tells your brain to eat eat eat and get right back to your starting weight. I feel so much better on Keto, but after awhile it just gets boring and old habits die hard. Still, I’m dieting now, following the plan, and really trying this time to eat less, haven’t made it to “One Meal a Day”, but definitely am skipping meals every day.
I agree, a cheat day derailed me for 4 months and felt exhausted, slow thinking, etc.
The food industry poisons us, the pharmaceutical industry ‘treats’ us.
What a lucrative partnership.
Im 60 and have been on keto for 2 years now, have lost almost 30lbs, i was stuck at 25lbs loss and found it easier to lose fat if i have a cheat day once a week, i feel like if i stay on keto consistently my body gets use to it and plateaus.. since i started a cheat day im able to slowly lose the fat again
Thank you for your patience. I did have a cheat period, recently, and my liver hated me for it. I was surrounded by food at one point recently and found myself caught in a loop of eating the kinds of junk food I wanted. Even if they were high quality they were still loaded with sugar. It effected my mood after a while. I truly appreciate your patience with me/us.
Glad to help!
Guilty, I’m definitely a cheater. I just had my blood work done and was expecting to be berated by my doctor but to my surprise I’m no longer considered diabetic 😮. I think intermittent fasting really saves me which is the easiest thing for me to do on keto. I also recently started taking Berberine.