So what next, what after the keto? It's a common question and a valid one, how does one sustain the comeback of carbs? How do you let not the scale ride all the way up? How do you combat the sudden surge in sugar cravings?
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The biggest fear of getting into ketosis is the consequence of getting out of it. When the decision to get into the keto hits, you juggle your options around, wonder whether it’s the right step to take, struggle with recipes, view the high fats unbelievingly and slowly ease into the diet, succumb to the keto flu and finally run the high horse with ketosis!! The weight started to strip, a new confident you emerge and you swear that your energy levels have never been better. You are happy about the fact that sugar cravings are close to nil and then it may seem like you could live the keto life forever.
But for most the keto is not an everlasting love story! It comes with a 'to do' and a finite end date: until the new year, until Diwali, just a little over 10kgs. So what next, what after the keto? It's a common question and a valid one, how does one sustain the comeback of carbs? How do you let not the scale ride all the way up? How do you combat the sudden surge in sugar cravings?
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Here are key steps you could take to ensure that all the effort you put into the keto wasn't in vain.
- Be patient. Do not add all the foods you avoided on the keto into your diet all at once, even if healthy.
- The first week only add the fruits in, approx. 200gms a day, divided into 100g portions at 2 times during the day.
- When you start adding in the carbs, do so very slowly starting off at 2-3 times a week. Simultaneously reduce some of the added fats like coconut oil or ghee by about 2 tsps a day from the quantity used in the keto diet.
- Sustain these steps for 2 weeks.
- Write a daily food journal with not just what you eat in the day but also about your feelings as you add in the carbs, about your cravings, about your energy levels.
- Stick to the carb options that make you feel good, rested and satiated.
- Take your time to add in the dals and a little sugar to your diet.
- Add all sorts and varieties of veggies, include about ½-3/4 kgs of veggies in your daily diet. This is the feed for you gut bacteria which will essentially keep your digestion healthy.
- The transition from a keto to a non-keto diet can take as much as 4-8 weeks.
- Do not expect weight loss during this period.
- Drink water, sleep well, stress less!
Typically when you shift out of ketosis, most people gain back at least 25 per cent of the lost weight which is ok and what you have to account for when you set your target for weight loss at the start of the Keto!
The Keto is finally a restrictive diet, do not attempt it for more than 2-3 months at a stretch. It has a short history – believe that your traditional foods can do you no harm and fear not its re-introduction into your diet. Of course, moderation is your key now and forever!
- By Anupama Menon, Nutritionist and Food Coach
Also Read: Is keto diet putting you at risk for diabetes?
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