How to Get Back Into Ketosis After a Carb-Fueled Slip Up

What happens when you slip up on keto?

You had been doing really well tracking your carb intake and resisting temptations, but something got to you. Maybe an ice cream cone with the family, or your coworkers ordered pizza for lunch, or that cinnamon roll at the coffee shop just looked too good to say “no”. Whatever caused you to crave, it’s okay… it happens.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hip2Keto – Collin Morgan (@hip2keto)

There’s no such thing as a perfect diet. The important thing is knowing how to get back into ketosis and keep on track with the keto diet.

So what’s the fastest way to get back into ketosis?

How to get back into ketosis depends on a few things. How long have you been following the keto diet before the slip-up? How big was your splurge? Was it one meal or did the cheat last an entire vacation? It can take anywhere from one to three days to get back into ketosis if you’ve been doing keto for a fair amount of time. But if you’re new to keto, it will likely take longer than a few days.

To get back into ketosis, try the following approaches:

Track your food intake.

Make sure you’re following a strict keto diet. This means keeping your total carb intake to 20 grams a day or less. Count total carbs instead of net carbs to be safe. Keep your protein intake moderate, which is usually around 60 to 80 grams of protein per day for most people. And don’t be afraid of adding in healthy fats! 🥑

Want to track your food intake? These Two Smartphone Apps Make All The Difference!

Keep it simple.

Commit to consuming meals with just the basics for a week. Focus on eating eggs, meat, cheese, butter, olive oil, and green, leafy vegetables. Eating this way leaves little room for error and will help ensure that your carb intake is low enough to be in ketosis.

Check out what I eat regularly on the keto diet!

Give intermittent fasting a try.

Fasting is a great way to jumpstart your body back into ketosis. If you’re new to fasting, start out with a 12-hour fast from after dinner until your first meal the next day. If you’re familiar with fasting, try doing a 16-hour to 18-hour fast with a six to eight-hour eating window. You’ll be in ketosis during the fast.

When you do eat, make sure you’re still following a strict keto diet to maintain ketosis.

Get a boost from supplemental ketones.

If you’re really wanting an extra boost to get back into ketosis, you can try taking supplemental or exogenous ketones. Research has shown that exogenous ketones induce ketosis. When using exogenous ketones, it’s recommended to follow a strict keto diet to get the full benefits. If you’re still eating a high-carb diet, there’s really no point in using exogenous ketones.

Not comfortable with exogenous ketones? You could try MCT oil instead. MCT oil has been shown to support ketosis as well. It’s also a lot more affordable than exogenous ketones.

Get out and exercise.

Increasing your physical activity will cause your body to burn the excess glucose from your carb splurge. If you’re comfortable exercising in a fasted state, this will help get you back in ketosis quicker. And you don’t have to go crazy with exercise — try adding in an extra ten minute walk during your day. 👟

Here are 10 easy ways to move your body daily!

Remember that slip-ups happen… it’s life!

When you get off track, use the suggestions in this article as a toolkit to jumpstart the process of getting back into ketosis. The important thing is that your overall eating pattern is consistent with the keto diet.

Here’s how Collin kicks sugar cravings to the curb with keto!

How do you know if you’re back in ketosis? Watch for these signs and check out our favorite tools that are used to measure your ketone levels. 

Feel like you’re stalling on keto? Here are some tips to help!