Transitioning Off Keto - How to properly transition, reintroduce carbs and phase out of the low carb keto diet (2024)

FAQs

Transitioning Off Keto - How to properly transition, reintroduce carbs and phase out of the low carb keto diet? ›

"Start with adding carbs in at one meal per day. Try this for a few weeks and see how your body responds. If things are going well, add carbs into another meal or snack." Continue adding carbs one meal or snack at a time until you're comfortable eating them throughout the day.

To reverse carbohydrate intolerance, it's important to add carbs back in slowly, starting with small servings and low-GI foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods have “good carbs,” which are higher in fiber, which can help prevent large blood sugar spikes.

Instead, concentrate on a diet that is rich in lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbs. A good model to follow is the Mediterranean diet. Call on the same discipline that allowed you to stick to keto, and choose high-quality carbs, lean proteins and healthy fat.

On the other hand, many people do seem to benefit from staying consistently keto or alternating keto with low carb (around 30-60 grams of net carbs per day),” she explains. Whether you add in those higher carb days or not, your keto diet should focus on other principles of healthy eating.

“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.

When you transition off keto and start reintroducing carbs into your diet, your body is naturally going to need time to adjust to the change. Even if you reintroduce carbs slowly, you may still experiences weight fluctuations, bloating, blood sugar spikes, and increased feelings of hunger for the first few weeks.

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.

Cyclical ketogenic dieting involves adhering to a standard ketogenic diet protocol 5–6 days per week, followed by 1–2 days of higher carb consumption. These higher-carb days are often referred to as “refeeding days,” as they're meant to replenish your body's depleted glucose reserves.

It is normal to gain back some weight after stopping a particular diet – sometimes as much as 5-10 pounds, immediately. You should not worry too much about this, as it is not fat that you are regaining that quickly. In the case of the Keto diet, this will be primarily due to water weight.

How to wean off keto without gaining weight? ›

Foods to Add Back to Your Plate After the Keto Diet

When you begin transitioning off the keto diet, consider gradually adding these foods to your plate: Whole fruits and vegetables. Whole grains. Beans and legumes.

While it's up to you whether you decide to take a break from the keto diet, many experienced individuals do keto cycling, also called the cyclical keto diet, in which they stay keto for 5-6 days followed by 1-2 days of higher carbs. Others stick to keto for 2 weeks or more, then take a 3-day break.

In essence, dirty keto is a variation of the keto diet (a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet) that allows you to consume whatever you want as long as it meets your macro goals. While it still reduces carb intake, it does not pay attention to the nutritional value of the fats and protein consumed.

You should know, however, that most medical professionals discourage following the keto diet for longer than six months [1], so you will eventually have to transition to a less-restrictive form of healthy eating. Unfortunately, because keto is such a restrictive diet, many people gain weight once they stop it.

Severe carb limits can cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy. This is called ketosis. Ketosis can cause side effects such as bad breath, headache, fatigue and weakness.

While the ultra-restrictive keto diet may have helped you lose some weight, chances are you'll gain some of the weight back that you lost.

“When you reintroduce carbohydrates back into your diet — and this is more about refined carbs, I'm not talking about eating an apple — you don't feel very good.” She says some people experience a so-called carb hangover — the body feels kind of bloated and inflamed, and you may develop headaches.

The best way to keep tabs on how your body responds to carbohydrates, according to diet expert Dr. Kellyann, is to reintroduce them very slowly, making sure to key in on how they make you feel. Start with 50 grams of carbohydrates per day and work up to 75 or 100 per day.

As you move away from keto restrictions, steer clear of simple carbs. This includes sugar, soda, candy and other sweets, and highly processed foods. Instead, concentrate on a diet that is rich in lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbs. A good model to follow is the Mediterranean diet.

How Long Does the Keto Flu Last? Symptoms of the keto flu generally begin within the first day or two of removing carbs. For an average person, the keto flu can last a week or less but in extreme cases the keto flu can last up to a month.