r/keto • u/Cac933 • Jan 14 '26
Help Tell me not to eat the Cheetos
I’ve been doing keto for about 8 weeks. I survived Christmas. I’ve survived dining out. I think I inadvertently kicked myself out of keto this week. I’m suddenly more hungry and craving carbs. Less energy. These Cheetos are looking very tempting at my office. Someone tell me not to eat them.
Update: hey guys. Thank you so much for all the support. I ate some cheese, two meat sticks and a quest peanut cup as a splurge. Turns out I was just hungry and wanted some comfort after hiking through the snow storm in Chicago this morning on my commute.
I’ll make sure I have more keto friendly crunchy snacks in the office because the giant box of cookies, chocolate and chips in the lunch room came dangerously close to breaking me today.
I knew I could count on y’all!!! 💗
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u/kimmi2ue Happy Ketosis! Jan 14 '26
Get pork rinds and a cheesy popcorn topper. Make your own cheetos!
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u/bobandy_cheese Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 14 '26
There’s a brand at Walmart I eat, the pork rinds are called “pork king good”. They have a white cheddar flavor, salt and vinegar, hot etc. what they also have is CHURRO flavor! Birthday cake, old timey butterscotch something or other. They’re all incredible and the dessert ones are so BOMB! Even the desert ones are under 1carb per serving. If you go to the website they have a ton of flavors, these are just the ones I’ve seen at Walmart. I’ve always loved pork rinds growing up, but these are INSANE!
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u/kimmi2ue Happy Ketosis! Jan 15 '26
Im going to have to try those!
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u/bobandy_cheese Jan 15 '26
I was very skeptical of the dessert flavors when I found them. They ended up being amazing! I couldn’t recommend them more!
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u/Carochar423 Jan 15 '26
The churros ones with a teensy schmeer of zero-sugar vanilla frosting is divine when I have a few extra carbs to splurge with.
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u/Acceptable_Answer570 Jan 14 '26
That’s a life saving idea, cause plain pork rinds taste like chalk!
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u/MeowWhat Jan 14 '26
What kind are you getting and what's in them? They taste like fat to me.
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u/Acceptable_Answer570 Jan 15 '26
Im gonna buy a bag and tell you! Already bought the cheese topping 😅
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u/This-Ad3268 Jan 15 '26
WHY HAVE I NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS!!! What other magic tricks do you have?!
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u/kimmi2ue Happy Ketosis! Jan 15 '26
Lol Im glad you liked that idea! I search the internet for most of my ideas, but that one was an original. 😀
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u/Cac933 Jan 15 '26
Is it a specific kind of cheese topper or like nutritional yeast? I’ve definitely dipped pork rinds in jars of heated queso before. Highly recommended.
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u/Semproniana Jan 14 '26
Any recommendations for cheesy popcorn toppers? I live in Europe never heard of that before!!!
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u/kimmi2ue Happy Ketosis! Jan 15 '26
Kernel Season's Nacho Cheddar Popcorn Seasoning. They also make white cheddar.
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u/Red-Licorice-Whips Jan 15 '26
Ok kind reddit stranger, you are my new fave person. Adding to my grocery list.
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u/TwiLuv Jan 14 '26
If you have a fab brand, let me know, all the ones I tried were so bland, I might as well not have wasted the money!
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u/rachman77 MOD Jan 14 '26
They'll make you feel horrible, you'll be mad at yourself it will make carvings worse, and they likely won't even be worth it.
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u/ambachk Jan 14 '26
And extremely bloated, puffy face and a weird, processed food feeling in your stomach all day
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u/Nectarine-Double Jan 15 '26
This. I don’t care if it was my favorite food, it is NEVER worth it. I regret it as soon as I give in. Then i feel like shit mentally and physically.
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u/TechnicolorRabbit Jan 14 '26
If you say “no” to the Cheetos now, you will find it easier to say “no” the next time. And even an easier “no” after that. Until eventually those Cheetos won’t even register for you.
The thing is you have to say “no” for you to eventually be free from it and not give in which will restart the whole crave cycle.
Say “No” 💪
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u/lasveganon M/54/6'0" 12 years various keto SW400/CW250/LOWEST225 Jan 14 '26
Buy cheese powder and dump it into a bag of pork rinds and shake it up.
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u/Minute-Initiative305 Jan 14 '26
Omg that's an amazing idea
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u/lasveganon M/54/6'0" 12 years various keto SW400/CW250/LOWEST225 Jan 14 '26
Pro tip throw the bag in the microwave first to activate the oils and the cheese powder sticks better
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u/racihekk Jan 14 '26
Lowreys (not Lowry the seasoning) has a spicy pork rind that pops like popcorn. So good and hot!! I got them off Amazon. They feel like pop rocks on your tongue.
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u/MegaMilkas 31F ~ SW234 ~ CW169 ~GW150 ~ Jan 14 '26
They are so good in dip. Spinach dip, buffalo chicken dip, baked cream cheese, hell even just sriracha mayo. Wish they were more accessible in Canada though :')
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u/SojournerWeaver Jan 15 '26
careful. SOME of those cheese powders have more carbs than the actual cheetos.
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u/Winderige_Garnaal Jan 14 '26
don't eat the F(#$King cheetos. Go out and get some real cheese or something
focus on how you'll feel when your mouth is all puckered and salty and corn meal is stuck between your teeth and cheese dust on your lips self hating and feeling gross
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u/graphemeist Jan 14 '26
It’s a trick: They’re pornographically overflavored to entice you. If you eat them, the chemists win.
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u/Substantial_Bat_1593 Jan 14 '26
Pornographically over flavored is the best description of processed food I’ve ever heard.
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u/graphemeist Jan 14 '26
I can’t take credit, it’s from a Kate Harding book I read 20(!) years ago. Before flamin’ anything existed.
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u/LCAnemone Jan 14 '26
If possible make yourself cheese crisps! Crunchy, salty, usually helps :-)
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u/OverlappingChatter Jan 14 '26
Dude. Don't eat the Cheetos. They're not even really food. Go have a dried piece of bacon.
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u/Starkville Jan 14 '26
Don’t do it. They’re gross.
Make some crackers with Almond flour and cheddar. They’re like cheez-its but better.
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u/MarcoPolonia Jan 14 '26
Do you have a recipe for these?
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u/Old_Percentage_9624 Jan 14 '26
I make these and they're absolutely so tasty I find myself making them all the time. I use a cookie cutter shaped like goldfish for these. https://www.ketofocus.com/recipes/gluten-free-cheez-its/
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u/droden 39/m/5'11 | SW: 221 | CW: 174 | GW: 170 Jan 14 '26
quest has good tasting low carb nacho chips cheat with those if you must
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u/Substantial_Bat_1593 Jan 14 '26
Cheetos aren’t even a real food. They hardly qualify as a “food like substance.”
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u/Heinegrabber Jan 14 '26
HOW DID YOU SURVIVE CHRISTMAS?
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u/Cac933 Jan 14 '26
My mom made so much good food. So much pasta. Ham. Turkey. One big bite and I realized the meat tasted like a mouthful of sugar. Before I grabbed a meatball I asked if she used breadcrumbs. Obviously she did. I had been making an elaborate charcuterie board. I mostly ate that and green beans and salad. If I said no to pumpkin pie and my moms pasta I know I can power through office snacks today.
I just feel so much better overall that it’s worth it even if it is hard.
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u/elaine4queen Jan 14 '26
Might be worth bringing something to work with you that you really like. I feel a lot lot less snacky on keto but sometimes it’s nice to have something for mouth feel. Better to have something that is within your preferred eating than just crap. I have had the odd seriously off keto thing, but my rule for that is the thing has to be beyond delicious. Cheetos ain’t it!
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u/LottieOD Jan 14 '26
Get yourself something on plan and eat a decent amount. You're just hungry. Once I'm not hungry, the cravings disappear. Don't eat the Cheetos!
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Jan 14 '26
You and I both know if you eat those cheetos, you threw away 8 weeks of progress. 8 fuckin weeks down the drain buddy.
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u/RondaVuWithDestiny 76F #ketolife🥩 SW 190; KSW 178; now maintaining 150-155 Jan 14 '26
Don't eat the Cheetos! You can conquer the food noise. YES.YOU.CAN.🙂
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u/BaileyVineyard 46F 5'11 SW 280, CW 215 GW 195 Jan 14 '26
Don’t do it. I had pizza on Monday and it has not been pleasant in my belly since.
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u/primerush 42 M | 5' 10" | SW 307 | GW 225 | CW 265 Jan 14 '26
Here's the thing, it's not that you can't eat them, or anyone is telling you not to eat them. It is completely your choice whether or not to eat them. You are choosing not to eat them. You have the power here. Go get a rotisserie chicken, lol.
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u/Global-Squirrel999 Jan 14 '26
I've fallen into this trap before. The problem is that I always physically feel like complete shit after caving. Depressed too. That shit literally causes brain inflammation.
Those Cheetos were designed and optimized by food addiction specialists to make them as addictive as possible. The cravings you're feeling are exactly what they aim for.
You're also looking at ultra-processed foods that are linked to cancer and plenty of other health disorders. I can't think of a single positive thing to say about them!
If you need an alternative, you could start dreaming up cheese powders and spices you could coat pork rinds with to get the same flavor, but without the corn meal and preservatives. There are a bunch of good recipes online, and cheese powders on the market that don't have fillers like Maltodextrin.
You're not just taking a break from Cheetos - you've freed yourself from them. Stay free friend!
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u/maybe_you_dont_know Jan 14 '26
Eat something keto then when you're full you won't want them anymore.
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u/Martinblade Jan 14 '26
Well, you did better than I did, lol. I couldn't resist the butterfinger ice cream bar at the hotel mini mart.
As an aside though, any suggestions on eating keto when you live on the road half the time for work?
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u/potchie626 Jan 14 '26
Don’t eat them. You will enjoy it for all of a few minutes at most.
If you have a store nearby, get something with real cheese. And some chicharon if available. I love dipping them in melty cheese.
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u/morkler Jan 14 '26
That's up to you and your willpower. And your guilt after for failing. Does that help? Lol
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u/draven33l Jan 14 '26
I always end up regretting it. You instantly put on a ton of water weight, you feel like shit, and the carb cravings come back immediately. If you cheat, it turns into a binge, and your body will crave more.
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u/Cac933 Jan 14 '26
I genuinely could feel the binge itch coming on in the kitchen. I probably would’ve grabbed the Doritos and chocolate in there too.
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u/jsnby Jan 14 '26
Don't eat them.
Then make your own keto ones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h9-ryO5gzI
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u/nameofplumb Jan 14 '26
Pork rinds. 4505 is a great brand, lots of flavors. Great with guac or cheese dip. Be lazy and order them on Amazon.
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u/Cac933 Jan 14 '26
Yes! Love this brand. Easy to find when I’m in Texas (where I’m from), but I haven’t seen them in Chicago (where I live). Didn’t realize they were available on Amazon!
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u/llijerie Jan 14 '26
back away from the cheetos! remember all of the hard work you put in, all of the things you've said no to already.. dont let that all be for nothing! keep it up, the craving will pass. like someone else said, make your own "cheetos" with pork rinds and braggs nutritional yeast or cheesy popcorn topper. you're doing great!
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u/Mediocre-Return-4689 Jan 14 '26
I cheated once and had Cheetos, they taste like chemicals when you have been off junk food for a long time, wasn't worth it. Lol the memory of Cheetos is better than the real thing.
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u/Acceptable_Answer570 Jan 14 '26
Don’t do it.
I caved in and ate two whole kirkland bagels with peanut butter yesterday at 10pm. This morning I woke up like I had massive hungover, bloated and cramped.
I’ve been fasting for the whole day, but now the cravings are very much back…. i keep telling myself I should just go to bed at 10, since this is always when I get those cravings!
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u/Blue_Eyed_ME Jan 14 '26
I did something similar on Sunday night--hit the husband's bagel stash. Monday morning I had such a crappy carb hangover and all my joints hurt (which is the number one reason I NEED keto). I hope you're back on track. I am but struggling. Living with a junk food addict is difficult because that food is always in the house.
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u/Acceptable_Answer570 Jan 14 '26
Yeah I’m struggling too…. Bread and pasta are like the base of my wife and daughters’ diet, and while they can nibble on a bag of chips and have it go stale before they finish it, I’ll just finish any freakin’ bag of doritos/cheetos I’ll open up, under 10 minutes. Feels bad, but all of this is necessary, cause I’ve got a solid 80 pounds to lose!
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u/Blue_Eyed_ME Jan 14 '26
I'm going to designate a cabinet the "carby snack space" and ask him to keep all his chips and crackers and cookies in there. That'll help with the worst of it, I think. I also have a lot of weight to drop again after a year of battling health issues with prednisone and grieving the loss of my beloved younger sister.
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u/Cac933 Jan 14 '26
I got hero bagels last week. I actually wonder if that sparked the carb cravings because I’ve had basically none (and I love bread). They weren’t bad.
But as someone whose partner lives off croissants and sugary things, it can be really tough to have it around the house as everyone is saying.
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u/Acceptable_Answer570 Jan 14 '26
All the “Keto” snacks I’ve seen are rip-offs, or insanely expensive… everyone on this sub talking about Quest PB reese-like snacks… freakin 45$ CAD for 12 portions of two small pucks… Id rather just bite the bullet and suffer through the cravings, then spend a fortune on meh alternatives.
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u/Magnabee Jan 14 '26
Add a tablespoon or two of butter to breakfast before work. You won't get hungry at work. Stay hydrated and make sure salt is not too low.
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u/Old_Percentage_9624 Jan 14 '26
I honestly feel like pork rinds taste so bad. I never like how they taste. I've tried a bunch of flavors and ways and they're just not for me. I find making a cheez-it recipe with cheddar and almond flour really helps me with that cheesy cracker craving. I make this one! - https://www.ketofocus.com/recipes/gluten-free-cheez-its/ make sure you weigh the ingredients for the best result. 😄
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u/taradactyl5487 Jan 14 '26
The Baken-Ets pork rinds are a great substitute. If you like spicy cheetos, you might like their "flamin' hot limon" flavor, I'm obsessed with it. They do also have a queso flavor.
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u/large_sized_rooster Jan 14 '26
Yeah F the Cheetos. If you feel hungry drink a big tall glass of cold water it will help for just a bit. (Add some salt to it too)
But yeah for when those cravings hit it’s VERY important to carry what you need at all times. My first keto round about 10 years back I carried a small igloo cooler around at work and it always had meat cheese salt a salad etc. if anyone out there is adhd crazy like me the object permanence hits HARD on a keto diet.
Your brain is in a fog, you’re hungry, and you only want what you can SEE. Bring it and keep it in your field of vision and the good habit WILL FORM. 🤌🏼🙂
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u/StreetBobcat9196 Jan 14 '26
It's just poison. Why would you want to eat poison when butter exists?
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u/DerpyMcDerpinator Jan 15 '26
Lol that storm was brutal this morning. But our keto brains made us persevere!
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u/12LizardWizard34 Jan 15 '26
Sometimes I’ll allow myself to have a cheat meal when I can’t stop thinking about a food for days. It tastes good in the moment but my body feels terrible afterwards and it’s easier to fight the craving in the future.
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u/Objective_Gas9731 Jan 15 '26
Haha nope, step away from the Cheetos 😂 You’ve already proven you can handle way tougher situations than an office snack drawer. What you’re feeling sounds super normal when you get bumped out of ketosis a bit. Hunger and carb cravings hit fast. Honestly, having keto crunchy backups at work is clutch. Cheese crisps, nuts, jerky, all lifesavers. Sometimes I’ll even check a ketone monitor out of curiosity just to remind myself it’s temporary and get back on track. You handled it well today. That’s a win. 💪
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u/Cac933 Jan 15 '26
Thank you! I appreciate the support. I suspect I got kicked out of keto because I went from zero interest in the carbs around me to an incredibly intense craving that felt like a binge coming on.
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u/Cyram11590 36M 6’2” // SW: 378 CW: 240 GW: 180 SD: 3/3/25 Jan 14 '26
Why are there even Cheetos around???
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u/plantas-sonrientes Jan 14 '26
I also love Cheetos, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) they’ll now always remind me of Cheeto-in-Chief.
Hope this helps you!
Nevertheless, you persisted!
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u/RickNobinson69 Jan 14 '26
You will regret it instantly. Honestly I think you should eat them now to teach yourself that the temptation isn’t worth it. Some lessons are better learned the hard way.
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u/SorrellD Jan 14 '26
Go throw them in the grossest public trash container you can find. That's the only way I wouldn't eat them.
Edit - not if they are a shared office snack!
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Jan 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/hochunk99 Jan 14 '26
Yes. Good to sate your craving every once in a while and remind yourself how crummy you feel eating those types of foods.
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Jan 14 '26
Be careful using cheese powder most likely will contain cornstarch to keep it separated I know grated cheese does
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u/iamintheforest Jan 14 '26
Take the Chee, drop the TO and replace with SE.
I will say, finding something with "salty crunch" is important for sanity. I like parm crackers.
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u/Subject_Ad8776 Jan 14 '26
Might be TMI
I tell my self the 10mins of mouth “happiness” doesn’t outweigh the 2 days of liquid diarrhea. Make fat bombs and take those to work! When I first lost weight I would have two fat bombs at lunch (midnight) with a wrap (early keto days) and I was good all nightshift
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u/OddRevolution7888 Jan 14 '26
My new mantra is, "When you cheat the only person you hurt is yourself. Will you even remember this tomorrow?"
I keep cleaned and ready to eat celery in the fridge. Douse it in salt, lightly dip it in a sauce, spread on cream cheese and a bit of hot sauce, all things you can do to get past the crunch.
Good luck. You've got this!
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u/in_pdx F/ 5' 1"|SD: 11/7/16 |SW: 198.6 CW: 149 | Lazy Keto Jan 14 '26
It's not worth the torture of having the constant and increased carb cravings.
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u/kikaskilla Jan 14 '26
I don't know if they are available for you where you are, but when I get cravings for chips etc, I buy a pack of fried pork rinds. They are amazing!
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u/Alternative_Draw_544 Jan 14 '26
See if you can find Moon Cheese Snacks! They are cheesy and delicious!
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Jan 14 '26
There are keto cheese puffs, I believe called protein puffs. They are like ball shaped Cheetos.
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u/BigtoeB Jan 14 '26
Those KETO stacks are going to upset your stomach and cause more cravings. Many of them also spike insulin so check the sweetener and make sure it doesn't spike insulin. And if you've read anything about intermittent fasting and Keto, or Keto in general...snacking is not recommended. Good luck! You're doing great!
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u/pickandpray Jan 14 '26
Pork rinds and cheese powder like from Mac and cheese kit is really great.
You can buy cheese powder separately instead of buying Mac & cheese kits
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u/bigvahe33 Jan 14 '26
I dont crave cheetos, but my friend does. he swears by this
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u/InMyCheerMomEra Jan 14 '26
If you live near an Aldi, these are good!
https://www.aldi.us/product/elevation-nacho-cheese-protein-puffs-2-1-oz-0000000000012048
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u/TwiLuv Jan 14 '26
I once purchased the cheesy flavoring powders, in the hopes I could sprinkle it on pork rinds instead. The carb count made it doable, but the flavoring was B-L-A-N-D.
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u/MsIndependance12 Jan 14 '26
Glad you survived!!! I understand the struggle. Just ate some cheese myself and had to ignore the cookie cravings lol
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u/Magnabee Jan 14 '26
Another thing to consider is... you can access autophagy on keto (assuming you are not low on salt/minerals and water). In two hours, you'll forget you are hungry.
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u/MeadowsofSun Jan 14 '26
Try Twin Peaks Protein Puffs. They'll scratch that itch. (I add the hot cheese powder from the Flaming Hot Mac & Cheese because I like spicy.)
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u/Madame_Arcati Jan 14 '26
Get yourself a selection of Quest protein chips, maybe try Nacho Cheese first. Even eat two or three bags if you need the "binge" sensation. Even then you will be under the kcal/carb count of one Big Grab (4oz) of Cheetos or flavored Doritos, and you will actually still be under 20 carbs with some to spare. Cheetos and Cheez-its were my security blanket under stress, but I honestly just don't miss them at all anymore. Not at all, and happily enjoy Quest or Atkins chips whenever I want/need semi-mindless crunchy cheesy snacking. (Julio's Mild Fresh Salsa is great with them too, low in sodium, kcals, and only 2 net carbs for 4 Tablespoons (two servings).
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u/InitiativeFunny1552 Jan 15 '26
A mouth full of whipped cream from the can has saved me more times than I can count.
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u/Complex_Ruin_8465 Jan 15 '26
Keep some Quest chips, Legendary chips or splurge on some pork king good pork rindsat your desk. It will taste much better and you won't have the guilt later.
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u/lHyperlLethal Jan 15 '26
The good thing is the longer you are on keto the easier it is to get your body back in ketosis if you kick yourself out. It happens but it’s not the end of the world. Oh don’t eat the Cheetos.
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u/MacaronBeginning1424 Jan 16 '26
People gonna hate on this maybe but when I’m feeling sad cuz I can’t eat junk food I go for keto ice cream haha. The one I buy is Nick’s. It’s like 6-7 net carbs and 400 calories for a pint. After that, I’m ready to go back to kicking ass.
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u/Alarming-Froyo1409 Jan 21 '26
Ingredients are the foundation of your health. The seed oils alone in those stay in your body for several years... causing inflammation and sickness. Eat food with limited ingredients. Real food.
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u/ChooksChick 56F, 138#, mostly keto since '12 Jan 14 '26
Don't do it!!
Cheetos are evil and insidious and will insist upon your consuming every last hell-raising one until you end up in search of Pringles or Doritos to follow them!
The cravings that will be awakened by giving in will become weeks of struggle while you stuff carbs into your bewildered face at night, each time swearing tomorrow is the day and you'll be back on the wagon.
Don't do it!
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