A classic ketogenic diet, with its restrictive food list, is a famously difficult diet.(Which is why we recommend Atkins 20® and Atkins 40®, which are more flexible versions of keto.) People who are struggling with the rigidity of keto may be looking for a way out that doesn’t necessarily get them off track to their goals. One method that is emerging is something called the cyclical keto diet, or the keto cycle diet. However, this approach doesn’t have a lot of evidence supporting it, and it may not be the solution to the flexibility you’re desiring.
Read on to learn about the cyclical keto diet, and how it compares to Atkins.
Why We’re Not A Big Fan of the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet
Ketogenic diets are low in carbs and high in fat. This combination reroutes your metabolism to burn fat—instead of carbs and sugar—for fuel, which reduces fat stores in the body and encourages more efficient weight loss.
Getting used to a ketogenic lifestyle can take some time, and you may want more flexibility than is allowed in a classic keto diet. This might send you looking for ways to adapt your keto eating. One adjustment people might think to make is carb cycling, which isn’t exactly the same as the keto cycle. Carb cycling is a more prescriptive diet that involves 4-6 days of low carb intake, and 1-3 days of high carb intake.
A keto cycle diet isn’t necessarily a prescriptive schedule like that outlined in carb cycling guides, but does involve changes in carb intake. Carb cycling on keto involves spending some days strictly adhering to keto eating habits, and other days intaking as many carbs as you like to bring the body back out of ketosis. Some people eat keto 5 days out of the week, and then take the weekends off. Other people might do keto for a few weeks out of the month, then take a break.
Some proponents of this approach tout this as an effective way to build muscle, lose weight, and more. But, no matter how you spin it, these methods of adjusting keto are not effective for one simple reason: it adjusts the fuel your body uses, never giving your metabolism sufficient time to heal and adapt. When you’re eating a high carb diet, for one day or several, that’s one extra day that your body is using sugars for fuel, and storing fats, which can contribute to weight gain. Using carbs for fuel also sends your blood sugar on a rollercoaster, which can contribute to excessive hunger and cravings, which could knock you even further off track from your goals!
Cyclical Keto Diet vs. Atkins Lifestyle
If you were curious about the keto cycle diet because you were in need of more flexibility, look no further. Atkins 20 or Atkins 40 are forms of a ketogenic diet, but with one key difference: more flexibility. Atkins plans are built by nutritionists to not only help encourage your body to use fat for fuel, but to leave you feeling satisfied and in control—without all those restrictions.
Fundamentally, Atkins is about breaking free of yo yo dieting to find a way of eating—and a lifestyle—that works for you. Atkins 20 and Atkins 40 are ketogenic diets that let you live a little and stay on track to your goals for the long-term. After all, Atkins isn’t just a diet… it’s life well lived.
For more thoughts on carb cycling on keto, check out Collete’s blog on the subject. If you’re ready to start your keto journey, click here—but don’t forget to sign up for our free meal plans, carb counting tools, and more!
*Before choosing to try a cyclical keto diet, make sure to check with a physician about any substantial changes to your diet.
A cyclical ketogenic diet involves adhering to a standard keto diet 5–6 days per week, followed by 1–2 days of higher carb intake. While this method is claimed to reduce keto flu symptoms, boost athletic performance and promote muscle growth, research on its effectiveness and possible drawbacks is lacking.
The weight loss for the keto cyclers, however, was from a combination of decreased body fat, water, and lean body mass, whereas the other dieters primarily lost body fat. Some anecdotal evidence suggests that people are more likely to stick with keto if they incorporate cycling.
That's where keto cycling comes in: Touted as a less restrictive, more sustainable way to get the benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle, keto cycling involves following a ketogenic diet for a few days in a row, then taking a break and eating high (or at least average) levels of carbohydrates for a day.
While it's up to you whether you decide to take a break from the keto diet, many experienced individuals do keto cycling, also called the cyclical keto diet, in which they stay keto for 5-6 days followed by 1-2 days of higher carbs. Others stick to keto for 2 weeks or more, then take a 3-day break.
On cyclical keto, you stay in ketosis 6 days a week, and once a week you have a carb refeed day where you eat about 100-150 grams of carbs. If you're doing intense workouts several times a week, you may be best off with a targeted keto diet. If your workout routine isn't quite as taxing, try a cyclical keto diet.
Severe carb limits can cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy. This is called ketosis. Ketosis can cause side effects such as bad breath, headache, fatigue and weakness.
Most ketogenic diet guidelines recommend limiting your total carbohydrate intake to 15-30 grams or 5%-10% of your total calorie intake a day. Eating more than 50 grams of carbs may disrupt ketosis.
These keto dieters say the fat on their body starts to feel softer to the touch. The concept of the whoosh effect is if you stay on the diet long enough, your cells start to release all the water and fat that's thought to have built up. When this process begins, this is called the “whoosh” effect.
A common complaint is that dieters feel especially exhausted on the keto diet. There are a few reasons why dieters might feel so tired on the keto diet: They're experiencing the keto flu. Some people get what's known as the "keto flu" as their body adjusts to much lower amounts of carbohydrates.
Following the keto diet for an extended period of time can be difficult, and even some of its top proponents warn against sticking to its strict guidelines. This includes cutting back carbohydrates to 50 grams a day or less, for at least two to three weeks up to six to 12 months, per the National Library of Medicine.
You should avoid cheat meals and days on the keto diet. Consuming too many carbs can kick your body out of ketosis — and it takes several days to 1 week to get back into it. In the meantime, your weight loss may be disrupted.
Keto fruits by definition are low in carbohydrates. You still need to exercise portion control with most keto-friendly fruits to be within the limits of a keto diet. Keto-friendly fruits include avocados, watermelon, strawberries, lemons, tomatoes, raspberries, peaches, cantaloupe, star fruit, and blackberries.
“If you feel better off eating carbs occasionally and it doesn't seem to interfere with your weight, keto cycling may be a good fit for you. On the other hand, many people do seem to benefit from staying consistently keto or alternating keto with low carb (around 30-60 grams of net carbs per day),” she explains.
They may also feel very tired or experience digestive issues when they reintroduce the carbs they once enjoyed, and even regain a bit of weight due to higher insulin levels. This phenomenon (known as carbohydrate intolerance) is a normal response when the body is adapting to these changes in diet.
Use a 3-phase approach – low, moderate and high days. The number of Low, Moderate and High Days will be determined by your goals and the amount of fat you want to shred. If you have a lot of fat to burn off allow for 3 to 4 Low Days, 2 to 3 Moderate Days and only 1 High Day.
If you want to limit the number of carbs you eat on your cheat day, you can schedule those days more often. Once a week will work just fine for those who plan to stay under the 50 grams of carbs limit in order to remain in ketosis while still eating some additional treats that day.
A carb-cycling diet is not the same as a ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet limits carbohydrates to 20 grams to 40 g each day in order to keep the body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. In contrast, carb cycling alternates the number of carbs eaten each day.
Address: Apt. 814 34339 Sauer Islands, Hirtheville, GA 02446-8771
Phone: +337636892828
Job: Lead Hospitality Designer
Hobby: Urban exploration, Tai chi, Lockpicking, Fashion, Gunsmithing, Pottery, Geocaching
Introduction: My name is Ray Christiansen, I am a fair, good, cute, gentle, vast, glamorous, excited person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
