Keto Drops: Do They Cause Weight Gain?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, adequate-protein diet designed to mimic the metabolic changes of starvation and force the body to use fat as its primary energy source. While it is touted for its fast weight-loss capabilities, it can also lead to weight gain in some cases. One of the main reasons for this is that fat is a calorie-dense macronutrient, and if people consume more calories than their body needs, they will gain weight. Additionally, the keto diet can be challenging to follow correctly, and it may not be suitable for everyone due to genetics and lifestyle factors. Other reasons for weight gain on the keto diet include not being in ketosis, not counting calories, snacking too much, eating too much protein, consuming hidden sources of carbohydrates, and not getting enough sleep or exercise.

Not being in ketosis

If you're gaining weight on keto, you may be eating too many carbs and preventing your body from burning fat. It's important to keep track of your carb intake to ensure you achieve ketosis. Here are some reasons why you might not be in ketosis:

You Haven't Given the Keto Diet Enough Time

It can take 3-6 weeks, or even longer, for your body to transition from burning sugar to burning fat. Stay the course and give it more time.

You Need More Fat or Less Carbs

It's easy for macronutrients to get out of balance on a keto diet, especially when you're still learning. Make sure your fat intake is over 70% of your calories, and that your carbs are under 10%.

You're Not Digesting and Absorbing Fat and Nutrients Optimally

Even if you're eating a nutrient-dense diet, you may not be absorbing all the nutrients your body needs. Consider taking supplements or trying digestive support to help with the transition to a ketogenic diet.

You're Putting Too Much Pressure on Yourself

The pressure you're putting on yourself to get into and stay in ketosis might be causing enough stress to inhibit ketosis. Put keto into perspective and focus on the benefits of following a high-fiber, whole foods ketogenic diet.

You're Eating Too Many Calories

To lose weight, it's critical to create a calorie deficit. Keto-friendly foods like avocados, olive oil, full-fat dairy, and nuts are high in calories, so it's important to watch your intake and not overdo it.

You're Eating Too Much Protein

Eating too much protein can kick your body out of ketosis. You should only eat a moderate amount of protein, about 20% of your daily intake. Calculate your protein needs and stay within that limit.

You're Eating Too Many Carbs

Even keto-friendly foods can add up to too many carbs per day if you're not careful. Keep track of your carb intake to make sure you're not exceeding the recommended range.

You're Eating Too Much Fat

Fats are the most calorie-dense macronutrient. A keto diet is not a free-for-all when it comes to fat. Track your fat intake and make sure you're not consuming too many calories.

You're Not Getting Enough Physical Activity

Incorporating more physical activity is vital when trying to lose weight on a ketogenic diet. Exercise helps stimulate fat loss and benefits health in countless ways, including lowering your risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and depression.

Not counting calories

When following a ketogenic diet, it is important to understand that not all calories are equal. The quality and type of calories you consume have a significant impact on your weight loss or gain. Keto drops may claim to put your body into a state of ketosis without the need for strict macro tracking or calorie counting. However, it's important to understand that simply taking keto drops is not enough to guarantee weight loss.

Keto drops typically contain ketone supplements, such as BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate), which can provide a quick source of energy for the body and help reduce the time it takes to enter ketosis. This can be beneficial for those who are just starting the ketogenic diet or are looking to enhance their athletic performance. But, it's important to note that taking keto drops alone will not lead to weight loss.

To effectively lose weight, you still need to maintain a calorie deficit, which means burning more calories than you consume. While keto drops may help suppress your appetite and provide a boost of energy, they should be used in conjunction with a well-formulated ketogenic diet and proper exercise regimen. Focusing solely on taking keto drops without paying attention to your overall calorie intake and macronutrient ratios may lead to weight gain instead of weight loss.

Instead of relying solely on keto drops, it's important to prioritize whole foods and a balanced keto diet. Aim for nutrient-dense foods like healthy fats (such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts), high-quality proteins (including eggs, meat, and fish), and low-carb vegetables. By nourishing your body with real food and maintaining a calorie deficit, you'll be more likely to achieve sustainable weight loss and improve your overall health. Remember, keto drops can be a useful tool to support your ketogenic journey, but they should not replace a carefully planned diet and healthy lifestyle choices.

Eating too much protein

Protein is one of the three essential macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and fats, and is crucial to daily body functions such as tissue growth and repair. While protein is essential for a healthy body, eating too much protein can have adverse effects, including weight gain.

If you consume more protein than your body needs for muscle growth and repair, the extra protein's nitrogen components are removed and enter the gluconeogenesis cycle. Here, your body can't differentiate between the glycogen it produces and carbohydrates, so it starts to store more body fat.

Furthermore, how you consume your protein also plays a role in managing body weight. Your daily protein requirements vary depending on your lifestyle, goals, body type, pregnancy, and any underlying illnesses or conditions. For example, an extremely active individual like an athlete or sportsman should not consume more than 2g per kg of protein as per their body weight. At the same time, a healthy individual with a normal physical activity level should consume protein amounting to about 0.8g per kg of their body weight. Anything over this can lead to unhealthy weight gain.

In addition to weight gain, consuming too much protein over time can damage your kidneys or negatively affect your cardiovascular health. People who eat very high-protein diets are also at a higher risk of kidney stones.

How to prevent unhealthy weight gain from eating too much protein

• Ensure you do not consume excess calories (than you can burn) through your protein-rich foods.
• Stay physically active by indulging in physical activities like running, gym workouts, etc.
• Consult an expert nutritionist to understand your body's protein requirements.
• Be careful about the foods you choose to meet your daily protein requirements.

Consuming too many calories

To avoid this, it is important to track your calorie intake, perhaps using an app, and ensure you are consuming a caloric deficit. While it may be tempting to indulge in keto-friendly foods, it is still possible to overdoo it. Many keto-friendly foods are high in calories, so it is important to be mindful of your intake and maintain a deficit.

Snacking too frequently can also lead to weight gain on the keto diet. It is important to listen to your body's natural hunger signals and only eat when you are hungry. A meal should keep you full for a good four to five hours, so if you find yourself reaching for a snack, you may need to re-evaluate your portion sizes or include more protein and fat in your meals.

Additionally, it is important to be mindful of hidden sources of carbohydrates, which can quickly add up. Nuts and vegetables, for example, contain enough carbohydrates to throw off your diet if not consumed in moderation. Alcohol is another culprit, as many alcoholic beverages are full of hidden carbohydrates.

In summary, to avoid weight gain on the keto diet, it is crucial to be mindful of your calorie intake, limit snacking, and be aware of hidden carbohydrates in nuts, vegetables, and alcohol.

Not eating enough

If you're trying to lose weight, you might think that eating too few calories won't be an issue. But when you cut out carbs and stick to moderate protein, it's easy to end up not eating enough calories from fat. Plus, most people grew up learning that fat, especially saturated fat, was bad for health. If you're still holding onto that belief, you might struggle to eat enough calories from fat each day. Remember, on the keto diet, your main fuel source is fat.

Not consuming enough calories can be detrimental over time. Chronically low calorie intake can put your body into starvation mode, causing it to hold onto stored body fat. It can also negatively affect your hormones and other bodily functions, especially in women.

To get a good sense of how many calories you need and how much you're eating each day, track your calories. This will help you see how you react to different foods and how many calories and carbs you're eating.

The Importance of Dietary Fat

Dietary fat (including saturated fat) from healthy natural sources like fatty meats, seafood, and coconut oil is critical for important bodily functions, including cell regeneration and hormone production. Most importantly, fatty acids are considered essential because your body needs them but can't produce them, so you must obtain them from your diet. In fact, every cell in your body is encased in a fatty membrane.

Saturated fat has been exonerated in valid scientific literature. Even so, there are still misconceptions surrounding fat. One is that eating dietary fat makes you put on body fat. Dietary fat doesn't necessarily make you fat. Insulin is the hormone that helps shuttle sugar into your cells to use for energy and to prevent dangerously high blood sugar levels. When you eat sugar, you spike the insulin hormone, which is also the fat-storage hormone that tells your body to hold onto fat. When you drop the sugar on keto and eat those healthy fats, you lower your need for insulin, and your body can switch over from storing fat to burning fat instead.

Despite the abundance of healthy natural foods you can eat on a ketogenic diet, many people still aren't getting enough fat, which has consequences. It's important to get the right amount of fat and protein on any diet, including keto. Here are some of the possible consequences:

Protein Poisoning (Rabbit Starvation)

Too much protein and not enough fat lead to protein poisoning. Symptoms include nausea, hyperinsulinemia, hyperammonemia, and diarrhea. Protein poisoning can be fatal. Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson and his friend ate only meat for one year. They only experienced illness when they tried eating only lean meat. Their symptoms of diarrhea and discomfort were turned around when they ate a fatty meal of brains fried in bacon fat with a sirloin steak.

Stefansson had previously visited the Inuit tribe, which consumed and prioritised fatty meats. In his book, *The Fat of the Land*, Stefansson discusses arctic travellers who only ate rabbit meat, which is high in protein but low in fat. Even with plenty of rabbits available, within a few weeks, these explorers would starve. Survival manuals advised against only eating rabbit meat due to protein poisoning and a lack of fat.

Frequent Hunger and Cravings

Carbs trigger certain neurotransmitters and the reward centre in your brain. Scientific research reveals that sugar is addictive, and the standard American diet is loaded with it. Today, the average standard American dieter consumes more sugar than ever before. Excess carb consumption increases your risk of a whole host of problems, from diabetes to heart disease and metabolic syndrome.

Dietary fat is satiating and keeps you feeling fuller for longer. If you drop the carbs but don't replace them with enough fat, you risk spurring cravings and hunger. Fat curbs cravings and provides lasting energy.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning your body needs dietary fat to absorb them properly. These vitamins play a huge role in crucial body functions, including hormone signalling, gut health, and the immune system. Vitamins A and D regulate the bile acid production needed to metabolise dietary fat. You only worsen these vitamin deficiencies when you aren't getting enough fat.

If you're in ketosis but you're fatigued and you're not enjoying the energy boost that typically comes with it, you could be lacking in those healthy, energising fats.

Frequently asked questions