Intermittent Fasting And Keto Combined For Weight Loss

Questions Answered:

• How to do intermittent fasting on keto?
• What is intermittent fasting keto?
• What meal do you eat to break intermittent fasting on keto?
• Do you have to do keto while on intermittent fasting?
• What is the difference between intermittent fasting and keto?

If you’ve been on the keto diet for a while, you’ve probably heard about intermittent fasting. Some experts suggest that combining these two eating styles could send your fat-burning into overdrive and turn you into a well-oiled machine.

While there’s a lot of potential benefit in combining these two meal plans, it’s possible to overdo it, wreck your adrenals, and send your hormones spinning out of balance. Understanding the nuances of these two diet plans is critical to using them effectively and avoiding harm to yourself.

This comprehensive guide to the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting will help you understand both diets, how they work and why, and what benefits you might receive from using them in conjunction with each other.

What Is The Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet (also known as the keto diet) is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. In most versions of the diet, eaters are restricted to between 20 and 50 grams of net carbohydrates per day for a 2000 calorie diet. This roughly breaks down in macronutrients like this:

• 55% - 60% fat
• 30% - 35% protein
• 5% - 10% net carbohydrates

Net carbohydrates take into account fiber and sugar alcohols and their smaller effect on blood sugar and ketosis. To calculate net carb intake, take total grams of carbs and subtract grams of fiber. That number is the net carbs for that serving of food. If the food contains sugar alcohol like erythritol, you’ll subtract half the grams of sugar alcohols from total carbs to reach net carbs.

If you’re trying to lose weight using the keto diet, you’ll still need to maintain a calorie deficit, but the idea is that by eating this way, your efforts will be much more effective than simple calorie restriction.

History

The ketogenic diet was first developed in 1921 for epileptic children to combat seizures. Pioneering doctor and researcher, Dr. Russel Wilder, found that by restricting carbohydrates and inducing a state of ketosis, his epileptic patients could arrest their seizures.

This diet was later adapted to help obese patients with type 2 diabetes lose fat and control their blood sugar and insulin levels. Other potential health benefits of keto that are being explored scientifically include helping arrest the growth of certain cancers, improved cognitive function, improved cardiovascular health, and possibly even staving off symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Ketosis

Getting into a state of ketosis is the main objective of the keto diet. Ketosis is a metabolic state that occurs when your body ceases using glucose for fuel and switches to ketone bodies produced by the liver to give you energy and power your brain.

Ketone bodies (also called ketones) are acids converted from fat through the liver. When you change your body’s fuel source from carbohydrates to fat, you stop burning glucose, deplete your glycogen stores, and begin burning ketones for energy.

This process jump-starts the fat-burning process in your body, which accelerates weight loss. It also allows you to avoid blood sugar spikes and drops that come with eating carbohydrates and the resulting surge of insulin that comes with that. As a result, you can regain any lost insulin sensitivity while jump-starting fat loss.

For this reason, many proponents of the keto diet say that energy levels soar on keto, due to the fact that ketones are a superior and more efficient energy source than glucose for your brain and your body.

Foods To Eat On The Keto Diet

The keto diet places a huge emphasis on healthy fats as the primary component of your diet. The simplest way to say it is high-fat, moderate protein, very low-carb. But those terms can be vague. So having a list of go-to foods that you know you can eat can be super helpful.

From there, you can get creative, and even try making some keto treats with keto-approved sugar-free sweeteners. This isn’t an exhaustive list of food choices, but it’s a great place to start to get the ball rolling, and you can use this list to give yourself guidelines to follow when creating recipes or ordering from a restaurant.

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats to prioritize on the keto diet include:

• Coconut oil: great for frying, baking, sauteing, and adding to fatty coffee. Opt for extra virgin when possible.
• MCT oil: derived from coconut, but much more volatile when exposed to heat and light. Use this only in fatty coffee or salad dressings. No cooking.
• Red palm oil: great for all types of cooking, even high heat. It has a distinct flavor, so you’ll want to test it out first. Make sure you’re buying sustainably harvested red palm oil, as improperly grown and acquired varieties are terrible for the environment.
• Avocados and avocado oil: avocado fruit is rich in both fat and fiber, perfect for this diet. Use avocado oil for all forms of cooking except very high heat. It’s also great in salad dressings and homemade mayonnaise.
• Ghee: great for all forms of cooking, including high-heat. Ghee is clarified butter, so the more sensitive sugars and proteins have been removed to allow for high-heat cooking. Make sure you buy ghee from grass-fed cows to avoid the chemicals associated with large-scale ranching and farming practices.
• Butter: perfect for low- and medium-heat cooking, baking, and fatty coffee.
• Coconut butter or mana: made from the pressed and ground meat of a mature coconut, including the oil. This is a great addition to baked goods or can be a delicious substitute for sweet treats on the keto diet.
• Extra virgin olive oil: best used for low- to medium-heat cooking and salad dressings.
• Omega-3 fish oil and flax oil: both ideal for supplements or to be added to salad dressings or smoothies (probably stick to the supplements for the fish, unless you like fishy smoothies). These oils are very volatile and need to be kept in the refrigerator and shielded from too much light exposure.

Healthy Proteins

Healthy proteins on the keto diet can include fatty cuts of meat as long as they come from healthy animals. Since the keto diet is so fat and protein-focused, quality is intensely important on this diet.

Research shows that animals (and humans) store toxins in fat cells. The term bioaccumulation means that as you move up the food chain, you see the accumulation of toxins in body fat tissue. That’s because certain chemicals and elements (like mercury in larger species of fish) pass from the prey to the predator. This is true for humans too. If you are eating animals that accumulated toxic burdens in their lifetimes, you are acquiring those burdens by eating them.

So high-quality, organic livestock (ideally pasture-raised or grass-fed), chicken, and eggs are all at the top of the list for the keto diet. Additionally, wild game and wild-caught small fish are good sources of protein on the keto diet.

Healthy Carbohydrates

Keto-friendly carbohydrates are those that have a lot of fiber and very low or no starch. None of these foods have zero net carbs, so they will add up if you overdo it. Stick to leafy greens to keep the lowest possible carb count while still maintaining a nutrient-dense diet. In other words, don't skimp on veggies, or your health will suffer on this diet.

Fruits are generally off-limits, but it’s ok to eat small amounts of berries:

• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Blackberries
• Raspberries

Keto veggies include:
• Leafy greens and lettuces: spinach, chard, radicchio, endive, arugula, frisee, all types of lettuce
• All cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, broccoli raab, rapini, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cabbage in all colors
• Peppers: all colors of bell peppers, all chilis
• Eggplant
• Green beans
• Summer squash: zucchini, yellow crookneck, straight neck, and sunburst
• Spaghetti squash
• Asparagus
• Olives
• Mushrooms
• Celery root
• Pumpkin (pumpkin is the only winter squash allowed on the keto diet)

Nuts, Seeds, and Full Fat Dairy

Nuts and seeds are sort of the cross-sectional food of the keto diet. They have all of macronutrients: protein, fat, carbs, and calories. They’re a great keto snack, but the calories and carbs can add up. All nuts are keto-friendly in moderation, offering healthy fats and proteins, and moderate carbs.

Full-fat dairy is also a cross-sectional food that offers both protein and fat. Follow the same rules for full-fat dairy as you would for meats. Stick to heavy cream, full-fat aged cheese (the low-lactose varieties), and full-fat yogurt. These are also pretty high-calorie foods that you shouldn’t overdo if weight loss is the ultimate goal.

If you find that your weight loss is stalled out on your keto diet, you should consider removing nuts, seeds, and dairy to see if they’re impeding your progress or causing your ketone levels to drop.

Sweeteners

Ideally, part of your keto experience will be to retrain your pallet not to need super sweet foods all the time. That being said, sometimes you need a treat. Choosing the right type of sweetener can help you indulge in your craving without wrecking your progress or kicking you out of ketosis.

Acceptable sweeteners include:
• Erythritol
• Monk fruit
• Stevia

What Not To Eat On The Keto Diet

Foods to avoid on the keto diet are pretty vast. It can feel overwhelming at first, but focusing on what you can eat (rather than what you can’t) will help you get over the hump at the beginning of your keto journey. That being said, it’s important to point out the hidden landmines that could sabotage your progress if you’re not careful

Processed Meats

Many processed meats contain hidden carbs and additives that will sabotage your progress. You want to make sure that if you’re eating bacon, sausage, or salami, you know exactly what’s in it. Avoid added sugars, added starches like maltodextrin, or any other things on the label that don’t look like food. It’s best to keep processed meats to a minimum, but if you’re eating them, make sure you’re following the rules we laid out above about quality.

Condiments

Not all condiments are off-limits, by any means. But condiments are a good place to find hidden carbs. Pay special attention to nutrition facts and food labels to avoid hidden sugars and starchy additives. This is true for spices as well. Most individual spices are ok on the keto diet, but you can get caught up if you use a mixture that has starchy separators that you might not be considering.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a tricky one because most distilled spirits are carb-free. If you must imbibe, stick with these, and steer clear of wine and beer. The problem with alcohol, however, is that even if it’s carb-free, it slows down fat-burning. When your body processes alcohol, your liver focuses on clearing that out before anything else.

While it’s doing that, it’s not creating ketones, so if you’re drinking consistently, you’re hindering ketosis. It’s also worth considering that drinking reduces inhibition, so if you’re drinking and decide you want a snack, there’s a decent chance you’ll opt for some non-keto late-night options. This isn’t to say that this will always happen, but it’s worth thinking about. An occasional drink from time to time is ok, but alcohol isn’t meant to be a staple on the keto diet.

Low Fat or Fat Free Dairy

These items have more lactose than their full-fat counterparts. They also have fewer fat-soluble vitamins, due to their lower fat content. Since lactose is a sugar, you want to avoid low-fat and fat-free dairy to avoid kicking yourself out of ketosis.

Anything High In Carbs

All high- to moderate-carb foods are off-limits on the keto diet. This includes healthy carbs like sweet potatoes, winter squash, legumes, and whole grains. Processed foods are also out. This list isn’t comprehensive, but it should give you an idea of what to avoid:

• All grains: quinoa, millet, wheat, rye, spelt, rice, corn, amaranth, what berries, etc.
• Beans and lentilsAll pasta (except shirataki and zoodles)All bread (except keto-approved recipes)
• Chips and crackers
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Winter squash: acorn, butternut, delicata. (pumpkin IS allowed)
• All sweets: ice cream, cookies, cake, brownies, candy, etc.

The good news is that there are tons of recipes online that can help you feel like you’re eating these foods by using creative substitutions that remain keto-friendly.

Types Of Ketogenic Diets

There are four main ways to practice the ketogenic diet: Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD), Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD), Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD), and High-Protein Ketogenic Diet (HPKD). Each of these focuses on staying in ketosis as much as possible, but the latter two allow for more carbs or protein at certain points.

Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): a very low-carbohydrate with moderate-protein and high-fat diet. This diet typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbohydrates. It’s the most common form of the keto diet and also the most studied.

Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): allows for periods of higher-carbohydrate intake between the keto cycles to allow for carb re-feeding. Most commonly, a CKD eater would have five ketogenic days followed by two high-carbohydrate days as one cycle. This way of eating may increase long-term compliance, but more studies need to be done to better understand it.

Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): allows for additional carbohydrates before an intense workout. Right before strength or endurance training, you would select a very easily digestible carbohydrate to boose glycogen production, theoretically to improve performance (or avoid poor performance that a lack of glycogen may cause).

High-protein ketogenic diet (HPKD): includes more protein than SDK, usually used if a dieter experiences a loss of energy or muscle mass. The ratio for this version of keto is around 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbohydrates. This way of practicing keto is closer to the Atkins diet, which allows for more protein than SDK.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is exactly what it sounds like: fasting in intermittent spurts. Clinical trials have shown that intermittent fasting (IF) is more effective than calorie restriction for weight loss in most people. That being said, smaller eating windows could also result in eating fewer calories. Health benefits of IF include reduced inflammation, improved brain function, and improved blood sugar control.

There are a number of ways to perform intermittent fasting, but the idea is to restrict your eating window to allow your body to burn fuel for long periods between meals. During your eating window, you're ideally eating whole, nutrient-dense foods rather than junk food. Here are five of the most popular ways to practice intermittent fasting.

#1: Leangains Protocol, or the 16/8 Method

With the Leangains version of IF, you eat during an 8-hour window and fast for 16 hours. This method can fudge a little bit in either direction, so 14/10 or 15/9 also works.

During your eating window, you can either eat two or three meals. Ideally, you’re not snacking for the whole window. This method can be pretty easy to follow just by having an early dinner and a later breakfast. Or, if you’re able to skip breakfast, that works too. It's ok to drink water, black coffee, herbal tea, or even bone broth in some cases during the fasting window.

Women should only fast for 14 to 15 hours at a time, due to their more complicated hormonal makeup. While there's a lot of good research on the efficacy of intermittent fasting, much of it is done with male subjects (this is also true with keto), so it's important to take sex into account when planning your diet. This isn't to say that fasting doesn't' work for women, it's just to say that women have more to consider, especially premenopausal women. There's preliminary evidence that menopausal and postmenopausal women may find more success with both IF and keto, due to their lower levels of estrogen.

#2: The Fast Diet, or the 5:2 Diet 

For the Fast Diet, the numbers refer to days rather than hours. So for five days, you're eating a healthy diet, and for two days each week, you're restricting your calories to 500-600 per day (500 for women, 600 for men).

The two fasting days don't need to be consecutive, and probably shouldn't be to improve compliance. There isn't any scientific research that explains how, why, or whether this form of IF works as well as other forms, but there's a lot of anecdotal evidence that shows results.

#3: Eat-Stop-Eat

This is way of eating is a more aggressive form of the Fast Diet. Eat-Stop-Eat involves the same five or six days of eating well, but on fasting days, you're abstaining from food entirely for 24 hours. The recommended way to do it is to fast from dinner to dinner. Make your dinner one night your last meal of the day, then don't eat again until dinner the next night. This way, the 24 hours still involves eating at the end. The allowable items are the same as the Leangains diet: water, coffee, herbal tea or other non-caloric drinks.

This diet could create the temptation to load up on food during your eating days to make the fasting day easier. If you're fasting for weight loss or fat loss, try not to do that, or you'll sabotage your goals. The end result of this type of IF is not only the long break from eating, but the calorie restriction that comes with eating fewer meals in a week.

#4: The Warrior Diet

The Warrior Diet was developed by Ori Hofmekler, a former member of the Israeli Special Forces. The idea is to restrict calories all day and then eat a big dinner at night. Hofmekler ate small amounts of raw fruit and veggies in the day time, keeping total calories extremely low, then loaded up at night. The real eating window for this diet is basically only 4 hours, but you're encouraged to go for it and "feast" in that window. Foods you eat in this period of time should remain healthy and unprocessed. While this method of fasting doesn't have exhaustive research to back it up, there's reason to believe that skipping meals is good for reducing fat stores.

#5: Alternate Day Fasting

This one isn't for beginners. It basically involves eating and fasting every other day. Some versions of this one allow for small amounts of food during the fasting days (like 500 calories or so), but some require full abstinence on fasting days. The time frames for fasting and eating are both 24 hours. Abstaining from food every other day is likely not for the faint of heart, so proceed with caution for this one. This method of eating has been studied and shown to be more effective for fat loss than calorie restriction, but adherence can be pretty difficult.

Combining Intermittent Fasting with the Ketogenic Diet

Now that you have a solid foundation for both the keto diet and IF, you can probably guess how to combine them. By eating a very low-carb diet during your eating windows for IF, you can successfully combine these methods. Your keto meals can fit into the IF schedule easily, as high-fat keto foods are really filling and can keep you feeling full and satisfied between meals and for most of the fasting period.

In fact, if you've been doing keto for a while, you may notice that the distance between your meals has naturally lengthened. That's because, in the absence of insulin spikes and drops, you're no longer feeling intense cravings or hunger pangs. That can come in handy if you're attempting to create a big eating gap every day (or every few days, depending on the method you choose.

Benefits of Combining Intermittent Fasting and Keto

In addition to your change in appetite, there are other potential benefits to combining IF and keto. For one, fasting promotes ketone production just like keto does, so doing both could turbo-charge results. While fasting, your body naturally reduces the production of insulin and glycogen and promotes fat-burning instead. It's a win-win.

Furthermore, intermittent fasting may help you maintain muscle mass better than keto alone. It's also been shown to improve energy levels and reduce hunger for dieters and athletes alike.

Both of these diets are associated with health benefits ranging from cardiovascular health and blood sugar control to increased energy and improved mental clarity, so it would follow that combining them promotes these benefits even further.

Potential Risks and Side Effects

Combining these two diets isn't for everyone, however. Women, in particular, should talk to their doctors before embarking on one or both of these diets. Fasting can be stressful on the body, and while it's fine for some, it's not for everyone. Hormonal regulation is tightly connected to stress, both physical and mental, so it's important to listen to your body as you embark on one or both of these diets. If you find that doing one or both adversely affects your menstrual cycle, triggers fatigue, creates a skin breakout, or even causes weight gain instead of weight loss, you should stop the diet and consult a medical professional.

Should You Combine These Diets?

Combining IF and keto can offer an amazing weight loss and synergistic health benefits for some. For others, it might make more sense to do one at a time or to modify them slightly as you learn how your body and mind react to them. Each of these diets is backed by scientific research, but more work needs to be done to understand the nuances of how these diets affect different people, including men vs women, and when they may be contraindicated.

Other Questions Answered

What meal do you eat to break intermittent fasting on keto?

Since sleeping is the easiest time to fast, it probably makes sense for most people to break their fast sometime in the early part of the day. Lots of keto dieters start their day with fatty coffee, so if you wanted to break your fast that way, you'd want to wait to have your coffee until you've had your desired hours of fasting. If you ate an early dinner, you might even be able to break your fast by 9 or 10am with breakfast. If you had a later dinner, you might want to stick to black coffee or tea and wait for lunch to break your fast.

Do you have to do keto while on intermittent fasting?

You don't have to do keto while intermittent fasting. Some experts don't recommend combining them, especially for women, but intermittent fasting won't work well for anyone not eating well alongside it. For some people, that means a keto diet. For others, it might mean a nutrient-dense paleo or low-carb diet that doesn't enter into full-blown keto territory.

What is the difference between intermittent fasting and keto?

Intermittent fasting is a style of eating that involves timing more than the content of the food itself. Although it's not recommended to eat junk food or super-carb-loaded food on IF, it's not entirely dependent on the food for the results. Rather, the timing and the long break between meals once per day (or whichever plan you choose to follow) is the hallmark of the diet.The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet designed to bring you into a state of ketosis, in which your body burns ketones instead of glucose for fuel. There's no timing requirement on the keto diet as far as when you eat each meal.

Toni Sicola
 
Toni is a wellness professional with a Master's in Integrative Health, is passionate about spreading health, happiness, and personal fulfillment to as many people as possible. She has a professional background in health and wellness, dietary supplements, and nutrition, and embarks every day to live a well, balanced, happy life.

Published: February 2, 2021

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Keto for Intermittent Fasting: Timing, Snacks, and Best Practices

If you are doing keto, you’ve probably heard that intermittent fasting can supercharge your results. But, is this really true? Can you do keto while fasting?

It’s true that intermittent fasting can have great benefits while you are on a keto diet. However, mastering this powerful duo is more than just skipping meals (or not eating) or simply cutting carbs. 

Whether you are new to keto, intermittent fasting, or both, it’s important that you understand how to properly fast while doing keto. Otherwise, you might not get the results that you are after. 

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about how to snack during fasting, break your fast properly, and create a sustainable intermittent fasting keto plan. 

 

What is Intermittent Fasting? 

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a type of eating pattern that cycles between eating periods and fasting. Unlike traditional diets that focus on what you eat, IF emphasizes when you should be eating. 

There are many different forms of practicing intermittent fasting. It is all going to depend on how long you want your fasting hours to be. Here are some of the most common practices: 

• 16:8 Method: Fast for 16 hours and eat during an 8-hour window. 

• 18:6 Method: Fast for 18 hours and eat during a 6-hour window. 

• OMAD (One Meal a Day): Fast for 23 hours and eat one meal a day. 

• 5:2 Method: Eat like you normally would for 5 days and restrict your calories for 2 days (typically eating 500-600 calories). 

During your fasting windows, you consume only water, black coffee, plain tea, or other zero-calorie beverages. During your eating window, you are allowed to consume your daily calories and nutrients. 

Remember that if you are combining keto with intermittent fasting, you should focus on a high-fat, moderate–protein, and low-carb diet. 

Metabolic Benefits of Combining Keto with Intermittent Fasting

So, what happens if you combine keto with intermittent fasting? You might create several powerful metabolic benefits. 

• Enhanced Ketosis: Fasting depletes your glycogen stores (your body’s way of storing excess glucose) faster. This helps you to enter ketosis quicker and maintain a deeper level of ketone production. 

• Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Both keto and IF can independently improve insulin sensitivity. Together, they may help significantly reduce insulin resistance, thereby stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing cravings. 

• Accelerated Fat Loss: The combination of keto and IF creates the best conditions for fat breakdown. Keep in mind that both work by promoting a caloric deficit (eating fewer calories than you need). If you still eat more (even if you are doing keto or IF), you might gain weight. 

• Mental Clarity and Focus: Many people have reported having improved cognitive function. Ketones provide a steady source of energy for the brain, while the fasting periods eliminate the energy crashes that are often associated with frequent meals. 

• Cellular Autophagy: When you have extended periods of fasting, it triggers autophagy (your body’s natural way of clearing out unwanted cells). In fact, research has shown that this can help support longevity and reduce the risk of certain illnesses. 

How to Break Fast the Right Way 

It doesn’t matter if you follow your fasting hours perfectly; if you don’t know how to break your fast, you might be jeopardizing your results. Here are some tips to help you break your fast properly to stay in ketosis and avoid any digestive discomfort. 

• Start Small: Begin with a small portion to prevent any stomach issues (especially if you are doing very long fasts). 

• Prioritize Healthy Fats: Since you are following keto, make sure that fats (which are your primary macronutrient) are present while you break your fast. Some great choices include avocado, nuts, or slices of salmon.

• Include Quality Protein: Add a moderate amount of high-quality protein like eggs, grass-fed meat, or wild-caught fish to help support muscle mass and satiety. 

• Reduce Carb Intake: A keto diet doesn’t mean no carbs. It just means that you have a lower intake, usually between 20 and 50 grams. Avoid any simple carbs (sugary foods or drinks) and focus on fiber-rich carbs like leafy greens, tomatoes, or cauliflower. 

• Hydrate Properly: Make sure that you drink plenty of water. And, if necessary, consider adding some electrolytes. 
  
  

The Best Keto Snacks to Have During Your Eating Window

Choosing the right snacks during your eating window is going to help you keep your ketosis while helping you stay satiated. Here are some of the best options: 

• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and pumpkin seeds provide healthy fats and protein. Just be careful with the portion size since they can pile on the calories. 

• Cheese and Dairy: Full-fat cheese, Greek yogurt (unsweetened), and cottage cheese offer protein with a low-fat content. They can be a great pre-workout or post-workout option. 

• Avocado-Based Snacks: Guacamole with cucumber slices, diced avocado with salt and lime, or an avocado smoothie can be a great snack to add. 

• Hard-Bioled Eggs: They are the best portable protein option. You can try them with everything bagel seasoning or hot sauce. 

• Vegetable Chips: Kale chips, zucchini chips, or radish chips provide you with a delicious crunch without adding carbs. You can make them at home or buy them on Amazon. 

• Fat Bombs: These treats are usually made with coconut oil, nut butter, and low-carb sweeteners. They are a great way to boost your energy levels and the perfect sweet treat. 

• Snack Bars: They are the most convenient option when you need something on the go or when you are too busy to make your own snack.
  
  

Final words

Combining keto with intermittent fasting can be a great way to boost your results. However, keep in mind that the results you get from both are going to depend on the food choices you make during your eating window.

When it comes to health and weight loss, remember that consistency matters more than perfection. If you are not used to fasting, start with a small fasting window and start increasing it as you feel more comfortable. This is going to help you achieve long-lasting results. 

If you are looking for the perfect snack to have during your eating window, our premium keto bars are perfectly formulated to fit your macros and satisfy your cravings. They are made with clean ingredients and delicious flavors, making them the best companion for your keto intermittent fasting success. 

 

How to Stay on Keto During the Holidays: Your Keto Holiday Survival Guide

The holidays are almost here! Cozy gatherings, sparkling lights, and tables overflowing with treats. But if you’re living the keto lifestyle, you may already know this season can feel like a minefield of carb-heavy temptations. 

Between Grandma’s stuffing, frosted cookies, and champagne toasts, it’s easy to wonder: how do I stay on track with keto without missing out on the joy of the season?

Well, we’ve got some good news: there are plenty of ways to celebrate the season and still keep your keto holidays stress-free. With a little planning, the right mindset, and some delicious keto holiday recipes in your back pocket, you can celebrate without feeling deprived. 

In fact, this season might even become one of your favorites on keto. A time to enjoy satisfying foods, connect with loved ones, and stay aligned with your goals.

In this guide, we’ll explore why holidays can be tricky for keto eaters, share practical strategies for navigating parties and gatherings, and highlight keto-friendly recipes that bring all the festive cheer without the carbs.

Why Holidays Can Be Tough on Keto

The holiday season is joyful, but let’s be real: it also comes with challenges for anyone sticking to a specific eating plan. For keto folks, the hurdles are especially clear:

• Temptations everywhere. From pumpkin pie and cinnamon rolls to mashed potatoes and carb-heavy casseroles, the table is usually stacked with foods that can quickly push you out of ketosis.

• Social pressure. Friends and family may encourage you to “just have one bite,” or ask why you’re skipping certain dishes. Sometimes it’s even trickier when it comes from loved ones: like Mom insisting you try her famous stuffing, or Grandma giving you the side-eye when you pass on her bread rolls. 

• Travel and unpredictable meals. Being away from your kitchen and your usual food routines can make sticking to keto harder.

The key is not to avoid every holiday moment, but to go in prepared. Instead of thinking in terms of restriction, focus on creating a strategy that allows you to enjoy what the season has to offer while still protecting your goals. 

Smart Strategies for Enjoying Your Keto Holidays

1. Plan Ahead

Walking into a party starving and without a strategy is a recipe for disaster. A little preparation goes a long way. 

• Start by eating a small keto-friendly meal or snack before you head out – something with protein and fat to keep you satisfied.

• If you’re going to a potluck or family gathering, offer to bring a dish you love. Not only does this guarantee you’ll have something keto and high-protein on your plate, but it also introduces others to the idea that keto holiday recipes can be every bit as festive and delicious.

• Dining out? Take five minutes to check the menu online so you know your best options. Look for meals centered around protein (like grilled steak, salmon, or chicken) and pair them with low-carb sides such as steamed veggies or a side salad. Many restaurants are open to substitutions, so don’t hesitate to ask for extra greens instead of fries or rice. 

This approach turns holiday events from stressful to enjoyable, because you already know you’ll have something delicious and satisfying on your plate.

2. Focus on Protein & Fat First

When it’s time to fill your plate, head straight for the proteins and healthy fats: roasted turkey, glazed ham, prime rib, cheese platters, deviled eggs, smoked salmon, or low-carb veggie sides drizzled with olive oil or butter. These foods are naturally satisfying and keep your macros in check.

Prioritizing protein and fat not only helps you stay in ketosis but also keeps hunger and cravings at bay. Research shows that protein increases satiety and reduces overall calorie intake compared to carb-heavy meals. 

By choosing nutrient-dense options first, you’ll feel full, energized, and far less tempted by bread, stuffing, or sugary desserts.

3. Navigate Alcohol & Drinks

Drinks flow freely during the holidays, and many are loaded with hidden carbs. 

Your best bets are dry wines (red or white) and spirits like vodka, gin, tequila, or whiskey (served neat or with soda water). If you’d like something special, check out these keto-friendly cocktails.

Not drinking? You’re not missing out! Sparkling water with lime, flavored seltzers, or festive non-alcoholic keto drinks can keep things fun without sugar overload.

A good rule of thumb: alternate each alcoholic beverage with water or a mocktail. This keeps you hydrated, supports ketosis, and makes it easier to stay in control while still enjoying the party.

4. Handle Social Pressure Gracefully

Sometimes the hardest part of keto holidays (or any holidays) isn’t the food, it’s the people. You may hear: “It’s Christmas/Thanksgiving, just enjoy yourself!”

Here are a few ways to respond kindly but firmly:

• “No thanks, I’m really enjoying this [insert keto dish you’re eating] – it’s delicious.”

• “I feel great eating this way. It really works for me.”

• Or simply change the subject toward the holiday spirit: ask about travel, family traditions, or plans for the New Year.

Shifting the focus away from food helps reinforce that holidays are about connection, not just what’s on your plate.

Keto-Friendly Holiday Recipes to Try

You don’t have to miss out on holiday favorites: you just need keto-friendly swaps. 

Here are some festive ideas to keep your holiday tables joyful and low carb:

Holiday Cheese & Charcuterie Wreath

Nothing says celebration quite like a charcuterie board, and this one is keto-friendly with a fun surprise. 

Loaded with savory favorites like prosciutto, manchego, olives, and pickled veggies, it also includes a touch of sweetness from chopped Keto Bars and sugar-free cranberries. 

Beautiful to look at and easy to assemble, it’s the perfect centerpiece for holiday parties and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. 

Get the full recipe here.

Instant Pot Loaded Cauliflower Mash

Cheesy, garlicky, and topped with all the fixings, this Loaded Cauliflower Mash is the ultimate low-carb comfort food. 

Made quickly in the Instant Pot and finished with sour cream, cheddar, and bacon, it’s a satisfying side that rivals mashed potatoes in both texture and flavor. 

At just 10g carbs per serving, it’s a lighter alternative you’ll want on repeat during your keto holidays. 

Get the full recipe here.

Low Carb Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Bars

If you’re craving something decadent, these Peanut Butter Chocolate Dream Bars are pure holiday magic: creamy, crunchy, and chocolatey without the sugar crash. 

With a base made from Keto Bars, a luscious peanut butter–cream cheese layer, and a fluffy whipped cream topping, they’re a showstopper dessert that even non-keto guests will love. 

Plus, at just 3g net carbs per serving, they’re proof that keto holiday recipes can be both festive and guilt-free. 

Get the full recipe here.

These recipes prove that keto holiday recipes aren’t about sacrifice: they’re about creative swaps that taste just as good (if not better) than the originals.

Mindset Matters: Progress Over Perfection

One of the biggest holiday gifts you can give yourself is grace. If you slip up and have a bite of pie or a handful of cookies, don’t spiral into guilt or try to compensate the next day. Simply enjoy the moment, then get back into your keto routine at the next meal.

One meal won’t undo months of progress. What matters most is consistency over time. Staying positive, flexible, and focused on the bigger picture helps you avoid the all-or-nothing mindset that can sabotage long-term success.

And remember: the holidays are ultimately about gratitude, connection, and making memories – not about sticking to a perfect diet.

Long story short…

The holiday season can be one of the most joyful times of the year, and your keto lifestyle doesn’t have to get in the way. With smart planning, a focus on protein and fat, mindful choices about drinks, and a collection of delicious keto holiday recipes, you’ll manage to stay in ketosis AND feel empowered, festive, and satisfied.

So here’s your gentle reminder: keto holidays can be both fun and delicious. You’ve got this!

Want more recipes, practical tips, and inspiration for living keto year-round? Subscribe to our newsletter and get keto holiday recipes and strategies delivered right to your inbox!

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— Mariana Pinhão, in collaboration with Keto Bars.

Mariana is a wellness and nutrition writer who helps brands share trustworthy health content that readers actually enjoy. With a science background and a love for good food and kind living, she brings both accuracy and heart to every piece she writes.

 

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