Keto Slip Up – 5 tips to get back into ketosis

Post Celebrations Recovery – Keto Style

Did you indulge a little too much during the festivities over the holiday period and have a keto slip up?  Or were you able to stick with keeping in ketosis? We’ve just celebrated Christmas around my neck of the woods. This is a very challenging time for those of us who follow a ketogenic diet as there is usually so much food around freely ready for the taking, so it’s hard not to give in to one or two treats when relaxing with friends and family.  I know I did and for some, Christmas Day is the one day that you might be a little lenient in your commitment to living a low carb lifestyle.

If you had a keto slip up, that’s okay. One day will not hurt your efforts to living a healthy, keto way of life.keto slip up

The goal of a healthier you is to lower your carbs and help yourself get back into a fat-burning state that produces ketones instead of glucose which leads to a state of burning excess fat. It also helps fuel your brain and reduces inflammation leading to improved health.

Let’s take a look at how you can get back into ketosis and not feel guilty about how you celebrated.

1. Be kind to yourself

keto slip upListen to those thoughts that everyone has, that inner critic. Notice what these thoughts are saying to you. Are you being critical, judgy, or harsh with yourself because you had some sugary treats or carbs of some kind? You know, even if you are usually very strict with your ketogenic way of eating, it’s okay to have some carbs if you are in a social setting. The key is to get back to following a ketogenic way of eating when you are ready. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

2. Be Present

What you’ve eaten earlier or yesterday is now in the past. What you choose for yourself now is your present so you can get back into ketosis by making keto-friendly choices from this moment onwards. Remind yourself what is keto-friendly if you are new to this way of eating. Or if you are familiar with your low carb choices, simply focus on what is your next meal or food choice and be prepared. Make sure you have it available the next time you take a bite. Being present can be challenging to train your mind, so help your subconscious mind by using hypnosis.

3. Healthy Fats

Increase your healthy fats to get you back into ketosis and reduce your carbs back to under 20 grams of carbs (or whatever you have found works for you) per day. What are the healthy fats you might eat?

Avocado, cream, cheeses, olives, cottage cheese, nuts, fatty fish and meat. Why not make up an avocado smoothie – vanilla or chocolate.

4. Intermittent Fasting

An effective way to get yourself back into ketosis is to do an intermittent fast. Here’s more information about fasting on this post. Essentially, we are either eating or fasting, that’s the simple fact

of being human.

When we fast, it helps our bodies have a break from the digestive processes while also giving our hormone, insulin, a break from being released which is frequent on a high carb diet. Keep your fluids up by drinking lots of water, have some bone broth, green tea, add salt to your water to ensure you minimize the possibility of experiencing the keto flu. Be sure to break your fast with a high fat, nutritious meal that’s not too heavy on your stomach. To learn more about how to do intermittent fasting click here.

5. What’s your Why?

Remind yourself what drew you to the ketogenic diet. What have you noticed since going keto? What have the benefits been for you? Even if it’s only been a small difference because you haven’t been doing it for long, it takes time for your body to heal from it’s past, so be aware of what you found helped when you were in ketosis. Was it more energy? Sleeping better? Clothes fitting better etc. These are really important to keep in mind so you can get back into that headspace which will help you make ketogenic choices.

Keto Slip-Up – Get back into the Game

I hope you have found these tips useful and can follow them to help you work through your process to get back into ketosis. Keto slip-ups happen, that’s okay, nobody is perfect.

It’s about how you manage your internal dialogue that will help you move forward and get you back into ketosis so you feel great about your health with vitality and energy.

Do you need a little extra hand on how to follow a ketogenic diet? Find out more here.

How did you slip-up during the festive season and how have you managed to curb those slip-ups? Share your thoughts below.

 

Happy keto’ing friends

 

22 thoughts on “Keto Slip Up – 5 tips to get back into ketosis

  1. Hi. I've recently been told by a naturopath that because I am an O blood type that my body is suited towards eating a keto diet or a paleo type diet. I will follow your website with interest so I can learn more about eating keto style. I definitely over indulged over the holiday period, but am not being hard on myself as my diet is normally pretty good (in my opinion). I like the idea of doing another fast as I have felt good in the past after completing 3-day stints. Thanks for sharing your tips for making fasting easier and giving the link to a more in-depth article that you have written. Thanks for sharing. :-)
    1. HI Andrew, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. It's so easy to overindulge especially when there's so much food available for such a festive period. It's great that you've done fasting before, so you know how to go about it and it can help you get back on track post festivities. Take care and bye for now.
  2. Hi! I haven't yet tried the ketogenic diet, but I watch many YouTubers who are on the diet. Slip ups are very common among these YouTubers. It seems quite difficult to consistently eat ketogenically because of temptation, especially during holidays and special occasions. With the right amount of discipline and determination, a strict adherence to this diet can be achieved, but I think a balance or middleground should be set so that we don't beat ourselves up over slip ups. Great information. Thanks for sharing! B
    1. Hi Britney, thanks for stopping by and contributing to the discussion. Going keto can be challenging especially in the early stages of adjustment and getting used to doing it right. So a goal can be to simply reduce carbs even if it doesn't lead to ketosis. It will still help the body by having lower insulin spikes. Eventually, as one gets used to it, it does get easier. I've been doing it for 4 years and find it's easier than my early attempts. Being kind to oneself during the process can make the world of difference. Take care and all the best.
  3. Such an important topic this time of the year. Everybody is indulging and feel guilty about it. This article might be the turning point for many to follow this new lifestyle to better health. To your health and happiness. Stella Bush Lady
    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Stella. Let's hope the new year can bring improved health and a healthier lifestyle for all who reduce their carb, while keeping it real and being kind to ourselves in the process.
  4. Hi, I really liked your post! it is so kind and reminded me that it is not about being perfect but even when we get out of track, especially during the xmas break, we can always make a good decision in the next meal and go stay in the keto diet.
    1. Thank you for your thoughts. I'm pleased to hear that this post helps you with getting through the festive season with less guilt and more acceptance that it's okay if one goes off track at this time of year. All the best Thais.
  5. I know I probably sound like the other million people that say they are going to get in better shape at the start of next year.  However, I have gotten out of shape for 3-4 years now.  I need to get back on track because having this extra weight is starting to make me depressed.

    However, I remember doing this keto diet 7 years ago.  Don't get me wrong it did work, but I remember being irritable all the time.  I went from 180 to 160 in 2 months.  

    However, what about being diabetic and the keto diet.  Is it still safe to do if you are diabetic?

    1. Hi Garen, thanks for your comment. Mental Health is also a big factor in what you eat. As it has taken your body a long time to get to where it is now, it's going to also take time for it to heal which means it might take some time for you to feel better. I'm wondering how long did you follow the keto diet for? Did you have the balance of healthy fats, protein and carbs at the right ratio that's required to get your body into ketosis? If you aren't having enough healthy fats, your body won't get into ketosis and can contribute to feeling irritable as you're not getting enough nutrients or feeling full. 

      Which diabetes are you referring to? It is safe for a Type 2 diabetic to follow the keto diet, as long as they continue to measure their sugar levels, and reduce insulin if you are taking it, in response to consumption of lower carbs. Be sure to discuss with your GP your intention to follow a keto diet as they will be able to talk with you about how to manage your medication. In fact, excess carbs have contributed to Type 2 diabetes, so your body will thank you for reducing carbs and can help it metabolize insulin better. The uk diabetes website actually recommends a reduction in carbohydrates for those with Type 2 Diabetes. 


  6. I absolutely agree with you on being kind to yourself. Being ok with not doing things perfectly is so key when trying any diet or exercise activity. If you slip up or indulge a little bit during the holidays, it's ok. Just get back up on the horse and start again. I think too many people slip up and then give up, saying, "Look, I tried and it didn't work." That kind of all-or-nothing thinking has gotten me into trouble so many times. Thanks for bringing it up and being so encouraging!

    1. Hi Steve, thanks for sharing. You make a great point that so many people have given up when they take the 'all-or-nothing' approach to trying a new way of eating. This is sad because it's important to be realistic and okay with making mistakes occasionally and not be so hard on themselves. Thanks for your contribution :).

  7. The post is good in reminding us even if we slip of from healthier eating  we can always go back to ketogenic without  having too much to worry because we afriend in ketogenic style of living  and healthy living is way to go  for all us who want to longer and healthier

    1. It sounds like you are familiar with the keto way of living and you can recognise how beneficial it is for a healthier us. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts :).

  8. I really like the motivational message and actually saying it's ok to slip up.   Not everyone does the ketosis diet and that makes it difficult those that do, especially around the holidays.   I've been wanting to do the keto story but have been waiting to start until after the holidays.   This was the perfect site to give me the motivation to go ahead with the diet when i'm ready. 

    1. That's great news that you're wanting to follow the keto way of eating Jeffrey. It can take time and increased knowledge and support to follow something that's so different to your usual way of eating. I look forward to hearing from you and your experiences with the keto diet when you are ready to give it a go. If you have any questions, drop by and feel free to ask. 

  9. This is a great post and very timely. After ‘falling off the wagon’ a few months ago and feeling overwhelmed in how to return to such a healthy lifestyle, your post and tips have reminded me of the simple steps to make a start again. Thanks you
    1. Hi Jodie, yes, the journey of healthy eating is definitely progressive and has it's ups and downs. I like to try to simplify where possible, so I'm glad to hear this is helping you see how you can get back on the wagon gently. All the best and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
  10. Hi! Thank you very much for the encouragement after the festivities. I believe that an excellent way to get back into ketosis is to do an intermittent fasting. Paying attention to abundant fluids during fasting has always been important. And your reminder of consuming high fat, nutritious meals after fasting has been very opportune! Once again, thanks for the encouragement!

    1. Hi Henry, thanks for sharing your thoughts. Yes, intermittent fasting is very beneficial for helping the body readjust and switch back to producing ketones instead of glucose. I'm glad it's a good reminder for you to consider a high fat nutritious meal as your break from a fast. All the best with getting back into ketosis when you're ready :)

  11. Great article because sometimes it's so easy to beat yourself up and say, "I'll try again tomorrow" and then eat everything in sight. I've been eating Keto since the end of May (and lost 40 pounds). I've found the longer that I've been doing Keto the easier it becomes and I am shying away from the food that I shouldn't eat. That being said, every 2 weeks or so I have a "carb up" day, where I have one of my favorite foods for one meal (Pizza, tacos, a burger with a bun). That does 2 things for me: I feed my "cravings" and it also seems to jump-start a stall on the scale. I enjoy your site.
    1. Hi Nancy, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Well done for losing 40 pounds so far! That's awesome! Isn't it interesting that having a carb day can actually help you curb those cravings, plus shift a weight loss stall! I've got friends who also swear by this approach. It can work for some, for others, not so much, especially remaining vigilant with the next lot of carbs. Being mindful of how your own body responds as well as your mind is key in how you get back on the wagon :). Good luck and all the best.

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