The ketogenic diet is a proven way to lose weight, build muscle, and burn pesky belly fat. But what happens after? Here’s how to keep the weight off after keto.
The keto diet is a low-carb and high-fat diet with excellent weight loss results.
However, one con is that some people might find it too restrictive.
This means people return to their eating habits whenever they reach their goal weight.
While this can be possible after keto, you might risk jeopardizing your goals if you don’t do it the right way, you might risk jeopardizing your goals.
That is why the keto diet often gets a bad rep.
But what if I tell you that you can do the keto diet to lose weight and still maintain your results after keto?
Amazing! Right?
In this article, I will give you a detailed list of steps to follow when transitioning from keto to a higher carb intake to prevent you from regaining all your weight.
Let’s get started!
The Keto Diet – Overview
A keto diet is a low-carb and high-fat approach.
You reduce your carb intake to 5-10% of your total calories while you increase your fats to 70-80% of your total calories.
This produces a metabolic adaptation in your body. Glucose is the primary energy source in your body.
When you no longer have a good glucose supply when you drastically reduce your carbs.
Your body needs to come up with a new way to provide you with energy. Hence, ketones are created from your fat stores.
By increasing the number of ketones in your body, you enter ketosis.
There are several benefits of being in a state of ketosis.
- Reduced cravings1.
- Weight loss2.
- Improved glucose control3.
- Reduction in high blood pressure4.
- Improved blood work, including cholesterol and triglycerides5.
The Keto Diet – Overview
A keto diet is a low-carb and high-fat approach.
You reduce your carb intake to 5-10% of your total calories while you increase your fats to 70-80% of your total calories.
This produces a metabolic adaptation in your body.
Glucose is the primary energy source in your body.
When you no longer have a good glucose supply when you drastically reduce your carbs.
Your body needs to come up with a new way to provide you with energy. Hence, ketones are created from your fat stores.
By increasing the number of ketones in your body, you become in a state of ketosis.
There are several benefits of being in a state of ketosis:
- Reduced cravings1.
- Weight loss2.
- Improved glucose control3.
- Reduction in high blood pressure4.
- Improved blood work (cholesterol and triglycerides(5.
The Dreaded Post-Keto Weight Gain
One of the biggest concerns regarding a keto diet is why you regain weight when you transition back to your “normal” diet.
While this might not happen to everyone, if you are not careful, you might gain back all the weight you lost.
So, why is there an increased risk of regaining weight after keto?
? Carbs retain water
When you start a keto diet, your glycogen stores are depleted from your muscles.
Once you start adding carbs again, your body will start storing muscle glycogen back (1).
When this happens, you store glycogen in your muscles and water.
You retain four grams of water for every gram of carb you consume.
That is why, at the beginning of following a keto diet, you experience a sudden weight loss which is water loss.
? Indulging in processed foods
Another common reason you might be experiencing weight gain after doing keto is that you have started adding processed foods into your diet.
Whenever people feel restricted, they tend to indulge or even binge instead of having one small piece.
Processed foods are high in carbs (which, as we saw before, make you retain more water), and they are also very high in calories, leading to a caloric surplus (making you gain weight).
?♂️ Not keeping an active lifestyle
Finally, one of the reasons people start regaining their weight after keto is because they stop doing everything that leads them to that place.
Especially exercise.
Once you reach your goal weight, it is common for people to go to their previous habits and stop exercising.
If you start eating more and move less, you will eat more calories than your body needs.
How to Keep the Weight Off After Keto
So now that you know why are the possible reasons you might be experiencing weight gain after your keto diet, what can you do about it?
Here are some tips to help you maintain all that hard work you’ve put in during these past months.
? Gradually increase your carbs
You reached your weight, and now you are excited to start adding carbs.
You’ve been tracking your carb intake for a long time, now is not the time to go cold turkey with it.
It is the most crucial time for you to continue carb tracking.
To avoid gaining weight, make sure to increase your carb intake slowly.
This means you can increase your carb intake by 5 to 10 grams daily during the first week.
Depending on how your body reacts, you can start adding more.
Make sure to track your weight every day to see how your body reacts with every extra 5-10 grams of carbs.
If you start adding 10 grams but your weight spikes, I recommend adding only 5 grams per day.
? Transition into a paleo or Mediterranean diet
Another way to avoid weight gain is to transition from a keto diet into a paleo or Mediterranean diet.
In a paleo diet, you are not allowed to eat processed foods, which helps you stay on track. You still consume healthy fats and protein, which makes the transition easier.
Another diet you can try is the Mediterranean diet. Even though you can eat grains and legumes (unlike paleo), they are foods high in fiber which prevents you from eating too much.
They are going to make you feel fuller for longer and will avoid adding other foods allowing you to stay within your calorie budget.
See also: Keto vs. Paleo: Pros, Cons and Differences
? Be careful with processed foods
When you start adding processed foods back in, make sure to do it slowly.
One of the most common mistakes (as seen before) is that people tend to add them in very large amounts.
Instead, make sure to add one different processed food each week.
Now, this doesn’t mean adding it every day. But make sure you add only one and focus on eating it mindfully to prevent overeating.
? Increase your protein
When you start reducing your fats and carbs, make sure you also increase your protein.
Protein helps support your muscle mass, slightly increases your metabolism (since it’s harder to digest), and it helps you feel fuller.
Adding more protein it can help prevent getting hungry throughout the day and avoid snacking on high-carb foods which can lead to weight gain.
? Go into muscle gain mode
Finally, if you are thinking of switching from a keto diet to a high-carb diet it’s a good idea to go into weight gain mode.
To gain weight you need to be in a caloric surplus (eating more calories than your body needs).
If you have the right bodyweight training, you can gain weight but muscle mass, which is the type of gain we want.
See also: How to Build Muscle Mass on the Keto Diet
Taking advantage of this situation can prevent you from gaining weight, but from fat mass.
Also, muscle tends to increase your metabolism, which in the end can lead to more weight loss in the near future.
The Best Foods To Add When Transitioning
There are some foods that are better to add when you are transitioning from a keto diet to a high-carb diet.
These foods are low in carbs and very high in fiber, making them an ideal option to avoid adding too many carbs at once.
- Berries. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are very high in antioxidants (helping to reduce inflammation), they are low in sugar, and very high in fiber.
- Edamame. These are great to add since they are high in protein and very low in carbs. One cup of edamame has les than 6 grams of net carbs (2).
- Butternut squash. This is a great transition from zucchini noodles to pasta. After the zucchini noodles, you can have butternut squash pasta since it has carbs but not as much as regular pasta.
- Oatmeal. It is a great option for a snack or breakfast. Since they are very high in fiber, they are a great addition when transitioning.
FAQs
Is keto weight loss permanent?
Yes, it can be permanent if you make lifestyle changes to your habits.
This means that if you do keto but go back to your previous habits where you had processed foods high in calories and carbs, you will most likely regain your weight.
How often should you take a break from keto?
You can take a break from keto every 6-12 months. It depends on how restrictive you feel it.
For example, if you are missing carbs at the 6-month mark, then I would recommend taking a break for a couple of weeks to have a more sustainable approach.
The Bottom Line
Transitioning from a keto diet to a higher-carb diet can increase the risk of gaining weight if you don’t do it properly.
Your body will try replenishing your glycogen stores, increasing water retention.
To prevent this from happening, make sure you start adding carbs back into your diet slowly. Don’t indulge in processed foods since you can increase your caloric intake significantly, leading to a caloric surplus.
If you are going to increase your carbs, be on a weight gain phase (muscle building) to aid in the process.
More Keto Guides and Resources
5 Best Ketogenic Diet Pills. Keto pills are a proven way to help kickstart your ketogenic diet efforts so that you can start losing weight and feeling better faster. Here’s a look at the best keto pills on the market right now.
6 Best Keto Cookbooks for Mastering the Ketogenic Diet. The right keto cookbook can give you clarity and the recipes to keep your tastebuds happy and your weight loss goals on track. Here’s a review of the best keto cookbooks on shelves right now.
5 Best Keto Apps for Meal Planning. Want to unlock the full potential of the ketogenic diet? Here’s a look at the best keto diet meal planning apps for eliminating confusion and mistakes when doing keto.
