People tend to gain weight after following the keto diet for several reasons: They don't exercise enough. They return to eating high-sugar, ultra-processed foods [1] They don't eat enough fiber.
Eating high-carb foods will cause your body to retain more water than it does while eating keto. This can increase the weight on the scale by several pounds. It's surprisingly easy to consume enough calories on a cheat day to gain more fat than you lost throughout the week.
More often than not, it's not sustainable. Oftentimes weight gain may come back, and you'll gain more than what you lost. The keto diet could cause low blood pressure, kidney stones, constipation, nutrient deficiencies, and an increased risk of heart disease.
Weight gain. Bloating and other bathroom issues. Blood sugar spikes, which could cause fatigue and irritability. Increased hunger and sugar addiction.
Going keto can accelerate weight loss for some, but others may gain weight on the diet. The keto diet isn't for everyone — your genetics and lifestyle may get in the way of results. Following the diet correctly, with no cheat days or hidden carbs, can be challenging.
It is suggested that metabolic rate is slowing over time due to an inadequate intake of carbohydrate. The other reason you may find that you are gaining weight on a low carb diet is if you are simply compensating by eating extra fats and proteins.
Keto cycling doesn't have a strict definition. Some people choose to have five or six days on keto followed by a day or two off. 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.
“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.
Because it's not a forever diet, there will be life after keto. But even when you go off it, you can expect that your taste preferences will have changed. “You likely won't want as many carbs, and things will taste extremely sweet,” she says.
Ketone production will stop. A majority of the sugars you eat will likely be used to replenish glycogen stores. This may cause a temporary gain in water weight. Your body will continue to use up available glucose and glycogen stores until you run out.
"When transitioning off keto, one should slowly add carbohydrates," Franco said, advising that you should only add one serving of carbohydrates per day the first week, then two servings of carbs per day on week two. "The body needs to slowly adjust," said Franco.
Keto bloat usually occurs during the initial stage of your keto diet, known as the infamous “keto flu.”2 The keto flu kicks in a few days into cutting carbs and can last around two weeks, until your body fully adjusts to ketosis. Some keto flu symptoms are: Bloating. Nausea.
Bloating could happen.
"The most common issue that people deal with is bloating and intestinal issues because of the re-introduction of fibrous foods," says Taylor Engelke, R.D.N. Even though foods like beans and sprouted bread are good for you, your body may need to get used to digesting them again.
Switching back and forth makes it even more difficult to retrain your body to start burning fat again for fuel. Eating too many carbs blocks your body's ability to burn fat, so as long as you eat this way, you rarely tap into your body's fat stores.
The 2000 calorie keto diet is an efficient diet to follow. This is due to the fact that 2000 calories are enough to sustain you throughout the day. You should, however, consult a dietitian before you start this meal plan.
According to a recent survey of doctors by Readers Digest, dieters shouldn't stay on the high-fat, low-carb Keto diet for longer than six months, although one local dietitian said adults shouldn't be on the diet at all.
What Happens When You Eat Too Many Carbs While on Keto? It's common to reach for the carbs when you decide it's time for your keto cheat day. However, that isn't always the best option. If you eat more than 50 grams of carbs in a day, you'll throw your body out of ketosis.
Yes, even just one carb-rich meal can quickly get you out of ketosis. The carbs eaten on a cheat day will halt the production of ketones immediately until they are all metabolized by the body.
Exercising while in ketosis accelerates weight loss. This is because glycogen stores run out the longer and harder you work out. Combined with a very low-carb diet, which also reduces glycogen, you'll take your weight loss to the next level.
As you lose weight your fat cells become more efficient at utilizing energy from the food you eat which can lead to gaining weight as fat stores, even though your energy intake may remain the same.