My Experience Of Quitting Keto After 8 Strict Months – Why I Quit The Low Carb Ketogenic Diet and how I maintained my weight loss results without gaining back what I’d lost.
My Experience Of Quitting Keto After 8 Strict Months
For 8 months I stuck strictly to the low carb keto diet. And then, I made the decision to transition off of the diet after a (mostly) positive ketogenic diet experience.
I managed to do so without any negative side effects so I thought I’d put together this blog post sharing my experience of quitting a low carb diet like the keto, without suffering a weight loss plateau or too much weight gain.
Don’t be hard on yourself – just because you’re thinking about quitting keto doesn’t make you a quitter. Your body may just be calling out for change.
The diet is an incredibly restrictive way of eating, one which I have found to be unsustainable in the long term.
For me personally – if you’re happy and healthy on a long term keto diet and go for regular medical check ups to confirm this, then that’s amazing for you!
How Long Should You Be On A Keto Diet?
This is a question I am often asked and I ended up seriously questioning towards the end of my Keto Diet experience.
After almost 8 months of feeling great on lower daily grams of carbs, the last couple of weeks found me drained of energy and craving something more, despite the regular intake of healthy fats.
Research is a bit thin on the long term effects of the ketogenic diet, so I was weary about staying on the diet for too long. Keto dieters are quick to sell the diet as a long term, life long diet but I do believe that it’s best for a lot of people to follow for shorter periods.
If you’re considering following the diet for longer then absolutely consider doing so only under medical supervision (which you should be doing anyway on restrictive diets like the Keto Diet) and to address a serious medical condition.
I had aimed to remain in a state of ketosis for 6 to 12 months. I landed on 8 months because I had an upcoming trip to Japan and wanted to be able to eat without issue while on a once in a lifetime trip.
Also, I had an imminent move from Australia to Ireland coming up and the stress just wasn’t helping the diet – so the plan was to pause the diet and pick back up on moving and getting settled with life in Ireland.
How To Properly Come Off A Keto Diet
You may be thinking about quitting keto but are worried about putting the weight back on and getting back to all the negative habits you had before keto. Seriously, the fear of putting the weight back on and feeling awful is real!
Quitting a strict keto diet requires a couple of slow steps to introduce more carbs into your diet – without putting all of the weight back on instantly. (It’s also probably best to do so under the supervision of a Doctor or health professional, to ensure you stay healthy through the process.)
I started by introducing higher carb starchy vegetables like beetroot and sweet potatoes to increase my carbohydrate intake – not going straight for grains and sugars.
The good news is that just that small amount of increased carbs in the first week made a world of difference. I felt so much more myself and the added carb intake to my healthy diet brought back my energy which had been lost the past few weeks.
Pick a meal a day to have a small side of carby vegetables and/or fruit and then build up little by little. Your protein intake should remain around the same and you can consider swapping almond milk and non dairy milks for dairy products such as whole milk that are naturally higher in net carbs and a great addition to your daily number of carbs.
It takes all the will powder in the world not to see coming off the keto diet as a free for all carb fest – you just need to be kind to yourself and take it one step at a time, while enjoying plenty of healthy food and trying to avoid any unhealthy old eating habits that may do harm to your long term weight loss goals.
For example, when making a real food dessert like my Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse – allow yourself a cup full of strawberries, rather than a small keto handful.
As boring as it sounds, moderation really is the key. Once you feel comfortable with where you are with carby fruits and veg, start small with introducing other carbs in a healthy and moderate level.
Your best bet is to experiment and to come to a type of diet and way of eating that is healthy and maintainable for life.
I Quit Keto And Lost Weight
There’s a common thought that if you’re not losing weight on the keto diet, then you’re not being strict enough. Another school of thought is that you may not be losing a lot of weight because you’re not eating enough and your body is craving more carbs and an overall higher calorie intake.
That’s what I found. On introducing the carby fruit and vegetables the additions actually helped me lose weight – without being on the keto diet any longer.
I also made the decision to move to an intermittent fasting lifestyle. I experimented and found that eating between the hours of 8am and 4pm and fasting the remainder of the time helped me feel full through the day and not only maintain the weight I had lost on the Keto Diet, but also experience even more fat loss!
You Can Always Go Back To It!
If you’ve moved through the Low-Carb Ketogenic Diet and experienced success then you could always go back to it again down the track when you feel like it.
Your Keto 2.0 experience could even be better than the first after having a proper break from the lifestyle. (And now that you’re used to a low carb high-fat diet you may even have less chance of suffering from the dreaded keto flu.)
Since quitting keto I have had a couple of successful month stints on keto, when I feel like I need it every couple of months or so, and then I just transition off it again, having enjoyed the benefits the diet has to offer, as well as all of the keto-friendly foods.
Overall, I find a Keto Diet weight loss journey to be helpful in short bursts and then moving to a wider, whole foods diet has had even more overall health benefits for me.
More Low-Carb Diet Inspiration
11 Easy Low Carb Comfort Food Recipes
30 Mediterranean Low Carb Recipes
Disclaimer – this post is meant for informational post only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your health professional before making any dietary changes.
Disclosure – this post contains affiliate links.
