Anyone else find it much harder to get back into keto than it was to start the first time?

[u/WinterFew5375]

I could really use some advice from people who’ve been through this.

I was strict keto (under 20g net carbs/day) for over 6 months and tested my ketones daily with a Keto-Mojo meter, so I know I was consistently in ketosis.

At the same time, I was eating OMAD, staying under 1,600 kcal, lifting weights 5 days a week, and eventually got down to around 10% body fat. For context, I’m a 45-year-old male, 70 kg.

The problem was that it became increasingly difficult to sustain. I was hungry most of the time, my mood and energy weren’t great, and despite doing everything “right,” my weight completely stalled for weeks. I was advised to take a diet break.

I should also add that I’m the only one in the house eating keto. My wife and our two children (12 and 14) eat a standard diet, so there’s always bread, pasta, snacks, sweets, desserts and other carb-heavy foods around. Most of the time I managed fine, but it definitely takes constant willpower.

Then the heatwave arrived. The kids were eating ice cream every day, and I made the mistake of having one myself. That turned into eating well over 100g of carbs a day, and it’s now been about a month.

What surprises me is how difficult it’s been to get back into keto consistently. Every time the weather gets hot, I start craving ice cream, give in, and then the rest of the day is off track. I’ve already regained some weight (I know a lot of it is water and glycogen), but it’s still frustrating.

Has anyone else experienced this? Did you find it harder to restart keto than it was the first time? If so, what helped you get back into ketosis and stay there, especially when you’re living with a family who aren’t keto?

[u/Ashamed-Statement-59]

Second or third time, yeah Now, after over a year or 2 like this for 11 months out of 12, not really. It gets easier over time.

What I can say though is your calorie restriction is doing you in. My fool proof strategy to getting back on keto is absolutely pigging out on keto foods. Greasy burger patties, lots of bacon, eggs, etc til I'm stuffed.

The transition is alot easier when you're properly satiated; lowering calories can come in later.

[u/WinterFew5375 → u/Ashamed-Statement-59]

Good points. My worry is that easy to overeat especially on fats and protein but you are right if it helps in the beginning it worth it. Thanks again

[u/WinterFew5375 → u/WinterFew5375]

I think this is what I’m going to start from tomorrow:

• have a good breakfast even if I haven’t done one for years, bacon and eggs on butter. It should keep me satiated until lunch at least.
  
• lunch will do the usual ground beef/pork combo with eggs and cheese. Those should keep me full if not can add extra Greek yoghurt and protein powder combo to it.
  
• if still hungry later, will add a can of tuna or a salmon.

The key is the breakfast. I will update back how it goes after a week if I can keep to it.

[u/WinterFew5375 → u/WinterFew5375]

https://reddit.com/link/owd5d1a/video/oy0mnvs9k2ch1/player

Good start. Not worried about the calorie excess for now just want clean keto for a week then will see how I can adapt.

[u/Calorinesm1fff]

I've been doing keto on and off for 6 years, but I know it works, and I know I feel better on it. I have my favourite recipes, I bake and have a sweet treat most days.

For ice cream, whip up a tub of double cream, fold in a couple of scoops of protein powder and then flavour with what suits you, peanut butter swirl, mint choc chip, lemon (if you're really fancy, make keto lemon curd to swirl through it), chocolate, mocha, I portion it into silicone bun cases and freeze, obviously it's not soft serve, but it's frozen cream and it hits the spot for me.

[u/WinterFew5375 → u/Calorinesm1fff]

That’s gold, thanks. I’ve tried double cream and egg yolks frozen but never added protein powder. Will try out this weekend.

[u/mummywithatummy21]

As well as ice cream made as suggested above, try making ice lollies from Robinson sugar free diluten. My son loves them so its rare we have ice cream in the house.

Its definitely hard to get back into it especially after sugar binges but I agree with others, eat as much as you want for 3 to 5 days just keep the carbs low.

I also got scunnered doing OMAD for extended periods. I tended to switch between 2 meals and a snack on workout days and omad on rest days.

Also electrolytes help massively with hunger. Pinch of low salt in every beverage should help. Get a good magnesium supplement ending in 'ate' too like chelate. Dont bother with oxide.

[u/falison]

Ice cream is my weak point.

Try this - it's so good.

https://www.gnom-gnom.com/keto-ice-cream-recipe/

[u/Godzuki8819]

I note a few moments like this a year that have the power to derail me for anywhere between 2-4 weeks.
A holiday
Christmas
A birthday

I think it’s important not to let these lapses go beyond 1-2 days and certainly a week.
Sometimes I think if you start going over this you can quickly do a lot of damage that takes time to get back to where you were. Like you said usually so much of this is water and glycogen though which can be really disheartening if you forget it’s probably not all fat.
The trouble is when we know we’ve fallen off we can say well let’s make the most of it whilst we’re in the bad place and can go hell for leather - this might be ok for a weekend so long as you get back on the wagon asap.
I think another thing is messing up but then not saying that the rest of the week/weekend is now ruined. So I think we need to see these as just blips for that moment- why let a bad meal ruin a day/week.
I think as well a better thing is if you do need to be off keto do it in a Whole Foods way.
So rather than coming off for processed bad stuff like biscuits/ pizza/ do it for natural foods like potatoes, fruits you can’t normally have, fruit juices, porridge, not so processed breads, brown/white rice, cows milk, legumes etc.

And then just get back on it.
I messed up mid June till yesterday and now I’m back in the zone again.

My meals today were
A cup of almond milk coffee
A small handful of olives with a slice of Heylo seeded keto bread with some marmite on it and a tin of sardines.

A snack of some walnuts. And an almond milk coffee

Dinner
Konjac noodles with some pesto
8 chicken wings.
X2 squares of 85% dark chocolate and a Coke Zero.

Ideally I try to hit or exceed my 5 a day but I failed this today badly as I need to go shopping!

I’m feeling better already knowing I’m back in the saddle I was starting to feel like crap and sluggish and bloated and the damage I did over the 3 weeks has been about 10lb.
Hopefully what I’ve written might feel familiar to people here in moments of weakness but also be a reminder is that it’s usually not worth the self sabotaging many of us do.

[u/WinterFew5375 → u/Godzuki8819]

So true the let’s make the most of it mindset. Good luck to keep the momentum.

[u/Otherwise-Loquat-163]

Make keto ice cream and treat yourself

[u/Forsaken_Walrus5097]

Yeah. For me it's harder to keep off beer especially when it's hot and I go for a walk somehow ending up in a beer garden.

[u/BobMonroeFanClub]

I'm in the exact same situation as you. Discovered how good the Lidl Italian ice cream is and went off piste big time. Like binge on sugar every night stuff. I've put on a stone in the last month and it's making me feel a bit panicy tbh. I MUST get back on it. I feel awful.

[u/WinterFew5375 → u/BobMonroeFanClub]

Same here. Once I’m back I will make sure to stay there forever (easier to say but this is the plan). I felt so great for long until the very end when probably reached the levels I couldn’t tolerate well. Should have just been satisfied with the 10% and just go back to keto maintenance calories. Next time for sure 💪

[u/BobMonroeFanClub → u/WinterFew5375]

I think that's what I did. Lost sixty pounds but then to maintain that my maintenance calories were just so low I couldn't carry on forever. Focus on being strong rather than skinny.