Keto Weight Loss: Does Exercise Matter?

The ketogenic diet is a popular way to lose weight, but it is not always effective. It is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet that aims to achieve a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. While it is possible to lose weight on the keto diet without exercise, there are several factors that can hinder weight loss. These include consuming too many calories, not achieving ketosis, eating too many carbs, underlying medical conditions, stress, and lack of sleep. To maximize weight loss on the keto diet, it is important to calculate your macros correctly, track your calorie intake, manage stress, get adequate sleep, and incorporate physical activity.

Achieving ketosis

To enter ketosis, the body's carbohydrate intake must be restricted to 20-50 grams per day. This will force the body to use up its glycogen stores for energy and, eventually, switch to using ketones as fuel. The time it takes to enter ketosis varies from person to person, but it generally takes 2-4 days if you eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day.

• Significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake.
• Increase your physical activity. Exercise helps deplete the body's glycogen stores, which encourages the production of ketones.
• Try intermittent fasting. Short-term fasting can help your body shift its fuel source from carbs to fat.
• Increase your intake of healthy fats. Aim for 55-60% of your daily calories from healthy fats such as nuts, nut butter, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, avocados, fatty fish like salmon, and so on.
• Test your ketone levels regularly. This will help you determine whether you are in ketosis and make any necessary adjustments to your diet.
• Be careful with dairy. Some dairy products, like flavoured yogurt and 2% milk, contain a significant amount of carbohydrates.
• Limit eating out at restaurants. It can be challenging to track your carbohydrate intake when eating out.
• Be mindful of hidden carb sources. Condiments, sauces, and dressings are often high in carbs.
• Avoid consuming too many fake sugars. Artificially sweetened foods and drinks can spike blood glucose levels.

Eating too many calories

To lose weight, it is critical to create a calorie deficit. This can be achieved by reducing calorie intake or increasing physical activity. A keto diet won't work if a person is not in a calorie deficit. Before starting the keto diet, it is best to meet with a dietitian to determine the daily calorie intake needed to nourish the body.

When adjusting to the keto diet, it is helpful to log food intake in a food tracker app. This can help people stay within their maintenance calories and create a calorie deficit. As weight loss progresses, it is important to reassess calorie needs every 10 to 15 pounds lost to prevent a weight-loss plateau.

In addition to tracking calories, it is important to focus on eating nutrient-dense, whole foods. Relying on processed foods, even if they are keto-friendly, can hinder weight loss due to their high-calorie content. Examples of nutritious keto-friendly foods include full-fat dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, poultry, and healthy fats like avocado and olive oil. Adding non-starchy vegetables to dishes can also provide nutrients and fiber.

It is also important to be mindful of portion sizes and snacking habits. Eating portions that are too large or snacking on high-calorie foods throughout the day can lead to consuming too many calories. Paying attention to portion sizes, increasing physical activity, and snacking in moderation can help create the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.

Eating too much protein

While it is important to eat enough protein, eating too much can be detrimental to your keto diet. The body can convert the amino acids from excess protein into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis. As your body prefers to use carbohydrates as its source of energy, it will do anything it can to get enough glucose. This means that, without even realising it, you could be sabotaging your weight loss efforts without even consuming excess carbohydrates.

Keto and low-carb experts recommend that the average person consume between 1.5 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or about 0.7 to 0.9 grams per pound of body weight. This amount of protein will give your body what it needs to maintain muscle mass and improve body composition without causing weight gain.

How to Know if You're Eating Too Much Protein

The quickest way to establish your optimal protein intake is with blood-ketone testing. However, you will also know if you've gone too far when you experience one of the following two symptoms:

• Your breath starts to smell like acetone or ammonia. Acetone is a by-product of ketone production, and ammonia is a by-product of protein metabolism.
• You experience flu-like symptoms. This could be a sign that your body is restarting its journey to ketosis.

Eating too many carbs

To achieve and maintain ketosis, it is recommended to stay between 15 to 30 grams of net carbohydrates per day, or 5% to 10% of total calories. Net carbohydrates are calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols from total carbohydrates. However, this can vary from person to person, as some people can consume more carbs and still stay in ketosis, while others may need to be more restrictive.

It is important to track your macronutrients and choose foods with very few carbs, like leafy green vegetables or berries, when looking for produce. Even some dairy products, such as flavoured yogurt and 2% milk, can contain a significant amount of carbs, so it's crucial to check labels carefully.

Additionally, it's worth noting that not all carbs are created equal. Non-starchy vegetables, such as avocados, store less sugar and are therefore lower in starch and carbohydrates. They are also high in essential vitamins and minerals, making them a great choice for a keto-friendly diet.

While it can be challenging to cut out carbs, especially when adjusting to the keto diet, it is crucial to reduce carb intake to reach and maintain ketosis for effective weight loss.

Eating too many keto sweets

Even though keto-approved sweets are low in carbs, they are still high in calories. If you are treating them as a daily snack, you might not lose weight.

How to avoid eating too many keto sweets

• Limit keto-friendly treats or desserts to only a few times per week.
• Choose lower-calorie options if you are snacking more than once a day.
• Opt for keto-friendly snacks like non-starchy vegetables or proteins.
• Drink a big glass of water whenever you walk into the kitchen to nosh.
• Plan your meals and snacks in advance to avoid giving in to cravings.
• Get more sleep. Lack of sleep can cause sugar cravings by affecting your insulin sensitivity and reducing your willpower.

Frequently asked questions