Chances are, you’ve read about or know someone who’s on the keto diet, or perhaps you’ve experimented with it yourself. Short for “ketogenic,” the keto diet is an extremely low-carbohydrate eating plan that sends the body into ketosis—a state of burning fat for energy, rather than sugars.
People on a ketogenic diet consume 50 grams or fewer of carbohydrates per day and instead eat higher-than-normal amounts of fat and protein. And while they often lose weight quickly, health experts say the diet isn’t sustainable—and often isn’t healthy—to follow for long periods of time.
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 normal) levels of carbohydrates for a day. In other words, it’s the best of both worlds… right?
Well, as with most things science and dieting and weight loss, it’s not quite that simple. We checked in with two nutritionists—each with a difference stance on the keto diet in general—to find out what they think about this on-again, off-again approach. Here’s what you should know before giving it a try.
What is keto cycling?
Because keto cycling isn’t a branded or trademarked term, there’s no exact definition for how it’s done. Some websites describe following a strict keto diet for six days a week followed by one “cheat day” or “high-carb day.” Others encourage switching it up more frequently.
Josh Axe, a doctor of natural medicine and clinical nutritionist, says his preferred method of keto cycling is a two-day-on, one-day-off pattern. Axe is a big proponent of the keto diet, and he sells keto-related supplements on his website. But because the diet is difficult to follow long-term, he believes it should ideally be done for just 30 to 90 days.
“After that, it’s a good idea to transition into another diet that’s going to be easier to maintain, and maybe that’s keto cycling,” says Axe. He says he was turned onto the benefits of keto cycling by his wife, who tried it herself after doing the keto diet for 30 days. You can try something similar by getting keto cookies online here.
“She started eating like that, two keto days and one carb day, and she noticed results probably just as good as doing the full-on keto,” he says. “Her hormones really balanced out, she lost about 10 pounds, and we found she was able to do this long-term rather than crashing and burning the way people sometimes do on long-term diets.”
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