A Guilt-Free Guide to Getting Back in Keto & Workout Mode

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

– Winston Churchill

We’ve all had our moments of weakness. Whether it’s starting a new workout regime or hitting the plateau point on your diet, nobody is 100% on the ball all the time. Don’t feel bad, it’s human.

A big part of a healthy body is a healthy mind, but self-discipline doesn’t always come naturally. The most important thing to remember is not to let a slip or a binge bring you down, or knock you off the path to your goals. Wherever you are in your fitness journey, lapses happen.

If you’re on the keto diet, a slip can mean pulling your body out ketosis, and it can take some time to get back to it. So if you find yourself at the end of a couple of days of binging, or you haven’t been to the gym in a while, follow these tips to get back to your regular regime.

1. Identify The Problem

Everyone slips up sometimes. Identifying your trigger points, weak spots, and work to find ways to cope. The important thing is not to beat yourself up. Your goal should be to put yourself in a position where you don’t want to cheat.

For example: maybe office lunches are tough to keep while on Keto. Try some meal planning for the week. Prep your lunches from home to keep lunch portable, cheap, and keto friendly.

Or if you’re finding there are certain days of the week you’re just too tired to get to the gym, schedule around them.

Do your cardio or lower impact workouts on the days of the week when you’re more likely to be physically tired. Or get to them early in the morning. There are plenty of solutions you can try, to avoid those things that cause you to slip.

2. Create A Schedule and Meal Plan – And Stick To It

Sticking to a diet like keto needs planning. Making something a habit can take several weeks of work. That’s why it’s important to schedule your workout time for the same times every week if you can. Just treating it as part of your everyday life means you won’t have to think about it, and you’re less likely to skip sessions. There are many guides available to learn how to combine your keto and workout schedule optimally for your specific goals.

In the same vein, creating a meal plan will allow you to see what you’re eating, and plan for it. The key to success on the keto diet or any other diet is to prepare for it.

Learn your kitchen, have some recipes in your pocket, and make it as easy as possible not to slip up. Prep your food ahead of time, and keep a food journal, to keep track of how you’re feeling, and how the great new diet has changed your body, and maybe your mind too!

3. Get Back Into The Gym – But Don’t Overdo It

When you slip up going to the gym for a few days or weeks, it can be tempting to want to rush back into the swing of things by pushing yourself too hard your first few days back.

Don’t do it!

Pushing yourself too hard can result in injury, and will undoubtedly cause muscle strains that make the gym a painful experience. The old adage about “no pain, no gain” has merit, but if you push yourself too hard, you’re liable to cause more damage to your body than good.

Instead, it’s a good idea to spread your first few workouts back over a few sessions. This way, your body can adjust, and you can get right back to making gains in your training, instead of trying to make up for lost time.

Start with daily walks, or short yoga stretches, and you’ll be amazed at how fast you can get back to the real work.

4. Find An Accountability Partner

Self-improvement is better with friends! It’s a great thing to change your health and habits with diet and exercise. But having friends to do it with you can help keep you accountable.

Choose a workout buddy or diet partner. If you can’t, be sure to tell everyone you know about your goals.

Shame isn’t a great motivator, but having people in your life to cheer you on and encourage you when the going gets tough can be a huge help.

5. How To Kick Your Body Back Into Keto In A Hurry?

The difficult thing with keto is that it only takes a little bit to push your body back out of ketosis. And once it’s out, you will continue to burn carbs for energy, until you’re back in.

Once you cheat or slip, it will take about two or three days to return your body to ketosis. It involves a strict diet. Follow these instructions to get your body back to where it needs to be:

Day One: Fast as of around 6pm. This will help you burn any sugars lingering in your body.

Day Two: Perform a high-intensity workout before breakfast. Think calisthenics or weight training. Something that really gets your blood pumping, and will burn off the carbs still lingering around. Don’t eat carbs today, or keep it down to about 2% of carbs maximum.

Day Three: Your body should have returned to ketosis. Wake up with a medium-intensity workout before breakfast, and adjust your keto diet to your regular carb intake.

A new diet and fitness plan can be tough to stick to. Whether it’s because it’s brand new and you’re still adjusting, or you’ve hit a plateau, and your motivation is starting to slip, sometimes it’s all too easy to fall down on our diets and exercise plans.

Keto is a great diet, but it can be hard to snap back after your falter. And if your body can’t stay in ketosis, you can’t reap the benefits of the extra energy, muscle tone, and weight loss.

Follow these steps, and your diet slips will be a thing of the past, and you’ll even learn to love the gym again!