The Best Keto Christmas Recipes | Staying Keto Through Christmas - KetoConnect (2024)

FAQs

How to do Christmas on keto? ›

Foods that will knock you out of ketosis pretty quickly are: Grains. Sugar/sugar-sweetened beverages. Too much fruit.

Taking Breaks from Keto

You can take breaks. You can have carbs and re-enter ketosis later. You might, for instance, consider a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) over the holidays. To practice cyclical Keto, simply eat high-carb one to two days per week and stay Keto the other five days.

Choose inexpensive meat cuts and produce.

Make sure your cheap keto grocery list includes affordable meat cuts and seafood such as ground beef, ground chicken, pork chops, chicken thighs, pork loin, tilapia, and sardines. For produce, options include broccoli, bagged spinach, green cabbage, and celery.

The basic rules of keto are eating few carbohydrates and emphasizing fat with a moderate intake of protein. In order to be in a state of ketosis, you will likely have to track the amount of carbohydrates you eat by weighing out your food.

Following a ketogenic diet is the most effective way to enter ketosis. Generally, this involves limiting carb consumption to around 20 to 50 grams per day and filling up on fats, such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils ( 6 ). It's also important to moderate your protein consumption.

The bottom line. You should avoid cheat meals and days on the keto diet. Consuming too many carbs can kick your body out of ketosis — and it takes several days to 1 week to get back into it. In the meantime, your weight loss may be disrupted.

All types of cheese are allowed on the keto diet, as cheese is relatively low in carbohydrate, which complies with the key principle of the keto diet. The Ketogenic diet or “keto” diet is a low carbohydrate and high fat eating plan.

But in general, eating carbs after keto can make you sick if you're not used to it. This is because your body will most likely go out of ketosis mode and start storing the carbs as fat. Returning to carbs after keto may cause digestive discomfort due to changes in enzyme production.

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.

How long does it take to stick to a ketogenic diet? ›

Following the keto diet for an extended period of time can be difficult, and even some of its top proponents warn against sticking to its strict guidelines. This includes cutting back carbohydrates to 50 grams a day or less, for at least two to three weeks up to six to 12 months, per the National Library of Medicine.

Others will do keto for 10 to 12 days followed by three to four days off. Devine typically doesn't recommend taking more than two days off keto. “Several higher carb days in a row almost always lead to 'falling off the wagon' and the return of intense carb and sugar cravings for most people,” she says.

Opt for cheaper proteins.

You can also save money by buying cooked whole chickens and using or freezing all parts, and getting cheaper cuts of meat like pork, beef sirloin, ground chuck, and chicken thighs.

You do not have to limit vegetables if you are on the keto diet or are considering it. Plenty of low-carb vegetable options include arugula, asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, spinach, and tomatoes.

If your primary goal of following a keto diet is to lose weight, the occasional cheat day or cheat meal is not going to completely wreck your progress even if it disrupts ketosis. Ketosis has potential health benefits, one of which is calorie control.

If you want to limit the number of carbs you eat on your cheat day, you can schedule those days more often. Once a week will work just fine for those who plan to stay under the 50 grams of carbs limit in order to remain in ketosis while still eating some additional treats that day.

Make sure you are eating enough fat. Being much more energy-dense than carbohydrates, fats are also more satiating. They will also ensure that you stay in ketosis. Increase the size of your meals with nutrient-dense foods.

How to Enjoy a Cheat Meal on the Keto Diet. A full cheat day of consuming sugar, bread and pasta will take your body out of ketosis, which may take days to recover from. That's why Carrico suggests a cheat meal every now and then instead. You'll likely consume a lower number of carbs than you would on a full cheat day.