Keto Weight Loss: Losing Fat, Gaining Weight?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that has gained popularity for its potential to aid weight loss and improve health. While the keto diet can lead to weight loss, it is important to note that the number on the scale does not always tell the whole story. Initial weight loss on keto is often attributed to water weight and glycogen stores depletion, rather than fat loss. To achieve and maintain weight loss on keto, it is crucial to reach and sustain ketosis by reducing carbohydrate intake, consuming adequate protein, and creating a calorie deficit. However, there are instances where individuals may want to gain weight on keto, such as for sports performance or to improve self-confidence. This can be achieved by consuming calorie-dense, nutrient-rich foods and incorporating strength training into one's routine.

Achieving ketosis

Reduce Carbohydrate Intake

Lowering your carbohydrate consumption is crucial for achieving ketosis. Typically, you should aim for 50 grams or less of carbohydrates per day, but this may vary depending on individual factors. This reduction forces your body to use fat as its primary energy source instead of glucose.

Increase Physical Activity

Exercising more can help deplete your body's glycogen stores. Glycogen is a form of stored glucose. By increasing your energy expenditure through exercise, you encourage your body to turn to fat as a fuel source. However, keep in mind that it may take a few weeks for your body to adapt to using ketones and fatty acids as primary fuel sources.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting involves going without eating for extended periods, typically between 12 and 48 hours. This approach can help deplete your glycogen stores and encourage the body to enter ketosis. However, always consult a healthcare professional before attempting any form of fasting.

Increase Healthy Fat Intake

The ketogenic diet recommends getting 60% of your calories from healthy fats. Sources of healthy fats include fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, nut butter, avocados, and full-fat dairy products. These foods not only help you stay satiated but also provide essential nutrients.

Monitor Ketone Levels

Testing your ketone levels can help you track your progress and make necessary adjustments to your diet. You can measure ketone levels in your breath, urine, and blood using tools like breath meters, urine strips, and blood ketone meters, respectively.

Consume Adequate Protein

While the focus is often on reducing carbs and increasing fats, ensuring you consume adequate protein is also essential. Aim for about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. This will help preserve muscle mass, especially during weight loss.

Eating too much protein

Protein is an essential macronutrient, and getting the right amount is crucial to the success of a keto diet. Eating too much protein can impair ketone production and kick you out of ketosis. However, keeping protein consumption too low is also not ideal. So, how much protein can you eat on the keto diet without it negatively impacting your weight loss?

How Your Body Responds to Protein Intake

When protein is digested, it triggers the release of insulin and glucagon, two energy-regulating hormones with opposing functions. Insulin stimulates the uptake of sugar into cells and anabolic processes like glycogen storage and protein synthesis, while reducing the breakdown and release of fat from fat cells. On the other hand, glucagon triggers glycogen breakdown, fat burning, and the metabolic process of turning non-sugar compounds into sugar.

The ratio of insulin to glucagon determines how protein intake affects ketone levels. If you secrete much more insulin than glucagon in response to protein, ketone production will be reduced, and vice versa. Insulin can be thought of as an energy-storage hormone, while glucagon stimulates energy production.

How Too Much Protein Becomes a Problem

Protein consumption typically causes both insulin and glucagon to increase. However, if insulin levels elevate too much, you may be kicked out of ketosis. This is more likely to happen to people with type 2 diabetes who are struggling to control their blood sugar levels. Healthier and more active individuals will be able to consume much more protein without it affecting ketosis.

The impact of protein intake on ketone levels may depend on the degree of insulin resistance or sensitivity. Insulin-sensitive individuals are less likely to experience increased insulin levels and reduced ketone levels from protein consumption. Conversely, those with insulin resistance, such as people with type 2 diabetes, will see a more significant insulin response, decreasing ketone production.

The ideal protein consumption on keto varies from person to person and depends on factors such as genetics, gender, current macronutrient and calorie intake, insulin sensitivity, activity levels, body composition, and body composition goals.

As a general guideline, sedentary individuals should consume 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of lean body mass. Regularly active people should have 0.8-1.0g per pound, and those who lift weights should eat 1.0-1.2g per pound.

To find your personal keto protein limit, you can use a blood ketone meter and gradually increase your protein intake while testing your ketone levels each morning.

Signs Your Protein Intake is Too High

Two signs that your protein intake may be too high and is kicking you out of ketosis are:

• Your breath starts to smell like acetone (nail polish remover) or ammonia.
• You experience flu-like symptoms, such as those associated with the keto flu.

Benefits of Protein on Keto

Protein is crucial on the keto diet, and not eating enough can make it more challenging to stick to the diet and achieve your weight loss goals. The benefits of getting the right amount of protein include:

• Maintaining or building muscle mass
• Decreasing cravings and increasing feelings of fullness
• Reducing high blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels
• Burning more calories
• Increasing energy levels

Eating acceptable carbs

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can lead to weight loss and improved health. While the diet is typically strict about limiting carbohydrates, there are some acceptable carb options that can be included in moderation. Here are some tips and guidelines for eating carbs while on a keto diet:

• Calculate your net carbs: Net carbs refer to the total carbs minus fibre and other non-digestible carbs. The keto diet generally allows for up to 50 grams of net carbs per day to stay in ketosis.
• Choose the right types of carbs: Opt for carbs that are unprocessed, whole foods. Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and broccoli, are excellent choices as they are low in carbs and packed with nutrients. Other non-starchy vegetables like peppers, avocados, and olives are also good options.
• Be mindful of portion sizes: Even though some carbs are acceptable on keto, it's important to control your portions. A small amount of berries, for example, can be included in your diet, but a large serving may exceed your carb limit.
• Read food labels: When choosing packaged or processed foods, be sure to read the labels to check the carb content. Look for hidden carbs and sugars that may be included in the ingredients.
• Consider carb timing: The time of day you consume carbs can also make a difference. Some people find it helpful to eat most of their carbs earlier in the day or around their workouts. This can help with energy levels and may have a lesser impact on ketosis.
• Track your progress: Use a food journal or an app to track your carb intake and overall progress. This can help you make adjustments as needed and ensure you're staying within your carb limits.
• Listen to your body: Everyone's body is different, and the way you respond to carbs may vary. Pay attention to how your body reacts to different types and amounts of carbs. If you notice negative side effects or weight gain, adjust your carb intake accordingly.

Remember, the key to the keto diet is keeping your carb intake low enough to stay in ketosis. By choosing the right types of carbs, controlling your portions, and tracking your progress, you can still enjoy some carbohydrates while reaping the benefits of the keto diet.

Counting calories

On keto, you will likely eat less food and fewer calories because the foods you eat will leave you feeling fuller for longer. This means your body can tap into your fat stores, and you will lose weight.

However, it is still possible to consume too many calories on a ketogenic diet, especially from high-calorie foods like avocados, olive oil, full-fat dairy, and nuts. Portion sizes, physical activity, and snacking in moderation are all important factors in creating a calorie deficit and losing weight.

If you are not seeing the results you want, counting calories and macros for 2-3 weeks can be a helpful tool to fine-tune your intuition and develop a greater awareness of how much fat, protein, and carbs you are eating.

• Use a food scale to take the guesswork out of portion sizes.
• Use a keto calculator to get science-based estimates of how much you should eat to reach your goals.
• Utilize a keto-friendly tracking app to personalize your keto meals and track your progress.
• Be mindful of your overall calorie intake, especially if you are not seeing the results you want on keto.

Exercise

Benefits of Exercise on the Keto Diet

• Fat Burning and Weight Loss: Exercise stimulates the body's fat-burning processes, helping to increase weight loss. This is particularly important on the keto diet, as it enhances the body's ability to use fat as its primary source of energy.
• Calorie Deficit: To lose weight, creating a calorie deficit is essential. Exercise helps to burn off excess calories, contributing to this deficit and promoting weight loss.
• Muscle Building: Exercise, especially strength training and resistance training, helps build and preserve muscle mass. This is crucial for overall health and can also impact metabolism, as muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue.
• Improved Health: Exercise lowers the risk of various chronic conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and obesity. It also improves bone health and reduces the risk of certain cancers.
• Stress Reduction: Exercise can help reduce stress levels, which is important for weight management. Chronic stress can lead to increased cortisol levels, which can impact weight and encourage fat storage, especially in the belly area.

Types of Exercise

When it comes to exercising on a keto diet, not all types of exercise are created equal. Here are some recommendations for the types of exercise that can be most beneficial:

• Compound Lifts and Resistance Training: Focus on compound lifts that work multiple muscle groups, such as bench presses, deadlifts, and squats. Resistance training is particularly effective for building and preserving muscle mass.
• High-Intensity Training: You don't need to spend hours at the gym; instead, opt for shorter, high-intensity training sessions. Two to three 30-60 minute weight training sessions per week can be sufficient to stimulate muscle growth.
• Cardio and Metabolic Conditioning: In addition to strength training, include some cardio and metabolic conditioning exercises. These can include high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprinting, or even just walking. These exercises help improve cardiovascular health and increase calorie burn.
• Yoga and Meditation: Consider incorporating yoga and meditation into your routine. These practices can help reduce stress levels, improve sleep, and enhance mental focus.

The frequency and intensity of your exercise routine will depend on your specific goals and fitness level. Here are some guidelines:

• Frequency: Aim for a consistent exercise routine, with two to three sessions per week being a good starting point. You can increase the frequency as you become more comfortable and see how your body responds.
• Intensity: Focus on high-intensity exercises rather than long, slow workouts. This will help stimulate muscle growth and fat burning. However, it's important to listen to your body and not overdo it, especially if you're new to working out.
• Rest and Recovery: Allow for adequate rest and recovery between workouts. This gives your body time to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. It's also essential to get enough sleep, as this is when your body releases hormones that stimulate muscle growth and repair.

Sample Keto-Friendly Exercise Routine

• Monday: Strength training (compound lifts)
• Tuesday: HIIT cardio (e.g., sprint intervals)
• Wednesday: Rest or active recovery (yoga, walking)
• Thursday: Strength training (compound lifts)
• Friday: Metabolic conditioning (circuit training)
• Saturday: Rest or light cardio (walking, swimming)
• Sunday: Rest or active recovery (yoga, stretching)

Remember, it's important to listen to your body and adjust the routine as needed. Start with a manageable level of intensity and gradually increase the weight, duration, or number of reps as you become more fit.

Frequently asked questions