Keto Weight Loss: How To Maintain, Not Lose

The ketogenic diet is a popular eating plan that involves a low intake of carbohydrates and a high intake of fats. While many people follow the keto diet for weight loss, others are drawn to the diet for its other health benefits, such as improved energy levels, better concentration, reduced appetite, and better management of mental health issues. However, some people who try the keto diet find that they do not lose weight, or even gain weight, for a variety of reasons. This article will explore the reasons why some people do not lose weight on the keto diet and provide tips for those who wish to maintain their weight while still enjoying the benefits of the diet.

Eat more calories

If you want to follow a ketogenic diet without losing weight, you will need to eat more calories. Weight loss occurs when you are in a calorie deficit, so to avoid this, you must consume enough calories to maintain your current weight. This may involve tracking your calories and macronutrients to ensure you are eating enough.

To maintain your weight on keto, you can eat more fat and protein without increasing your carbohydrate intake. This is because the keto diet is a low-carbohydrate method of eating, where fat should make up 55-60% of your daily intake. Eating more fat and protein will ensure you remain in a state of ketosis, which is a metabolic state where your body uses ketones, produced from fat breakdown, as its main source of fuel.

If you increase your carbohydrate intake, you may exit ketosis. However, you can still lose weight when not in ketosis, as your body can also convert fat for energy through a process called lipolysis, which occurs when there is a calorie deficit.

If you are struggling to eat enough calories on keto, you can try adding more calorie-dense foods to your diet, such as nuts, avocados, and olive oil. You can also eat more protein, but be careful not to exceed 35% of your daily intake, as excess protein can be converted to sugar in the body.

Remember, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet, as they can help you determine the appropriate calorie intake and macronutrient ratios for your specific needs and goals.

Eat more fat and protein

Eating more fat and protein is a great way to ensure you are getting enough calories to maintain your weight on a keto diet. Here are some tips to eat more fat and protein while on a keto diet:

Calculate Your Macros

Firstly, it is important to calculate your macronutrient needs based on your body and activity level. Typically, on a keto diet, 75-80% of your calories should come from fat, 20% from protein, and 5% from carbohydrates. However, the exact ratio may vary depending on your individual needs. Use a keto calculator to determine your specific needs.

Focus on High-Fat Foods

To increase your fat intake, focus on consuming high-fat foods such as fatty cuts of meat, avocado, nuts, seeds, and oils like olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil. For example, you can cook your vegetables in oil or butter to add more fat to your meals. Full-fat dairy products like cheese, cream, and butter are also excellent sources of fat.

Choose Protein-Rich Foods

When it comes to protein, aim for high-quality sources such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and eggs. Try to choose fattier cuts of meat, such as steak, roast, or ground beef. You can also include organ meats like liver, which is rich in nutrients. If you are vegetarian or vegan, nuts, seeds, and dairy products like cheese can help you meet your protein needs.

Increase Your Portion Sizes

Another way to ensure you're eating enough fat and protein is to increase your portion sizes. For example, you can have larger servings of fatty meats, avocado, nuts, or full-fat dairy. This will help you consume more calories and maintain your weight.

Use Healthy Fats and Oils for Cooking

When cooking your meals, opt for healthy fats and oils like olive oil, avocado oil, or grass-fed butter. This will not only increase your fat intake but also provide additional health benefits.

Consider Using MCT Oil or Exogenous Ketones

Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil is a great addition to your keto diet. MCTs are easily converted into ketones, providing an easy way to increase your blood ketone levels. Exogenous ketones, or supplemental ketones, may also be beneficial, especially if you're using the keto diet for therapeutic purposes. However, always consult with a healthcare professional before introducing supplements to your diet.

Maintain ketosis

Maintaining ketosis can be challenging, but there are several strategies that can help. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Follow a keto diet: This involves consuming 60-75% of your daily calories from fat, 15-30% from protein, and only 5-10% from carbohydrates. For most people, this means consuming 50 grams of carbs or less daily.
• Increase healthy fats: Make sure you're consuming enough fat (60-75% of your daily calories) and that it's the right kind. Good sources include eggs, fatty cuts of meat, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, MCT oil, butter, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
• Plan meals in advance: Prepare your weekly meals and stick to your grocery list to avoid impulsive, high-carb food choices that will take you out of ketosis.
• Keep keto-friendly snacks on hand: Have snacks like cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, and shelf-stable options like keto bars readily available to help you avoid high-carb temptations.
• Watch out for hidden carbs: Read food labels carefully and choose low-carb options. Some condiments, sauces, salad dressings, and marinades often contain sneaky carbs (usually refined sugar) that can sabotage ketosis.
• Exercise regularly: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per day. This helps deplete glycogen stores and increase ketone production, aiding in reaching and maintaining ketosis.
• Practice intermittent fasting: Try the 16/8 method, which involves eating all your daily calories within an 8-hour window and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. This helps deplete glucose stores faster, speeding up the process of running on fat.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water and consider adding a high-quality electrolyte supplement to support hydration and other critical bodily functions. Dehydration can be mistaken for hunger, leading to overeating carbs.
• Monitor your ketone levels: Use blood testing, urinalysis, or breath testing to check your ketone levels and ensure you're in ketosis.
• Be mindful of protein intake: Avoid excessive protein consumption as it can increase insulin levels and hinder ketosis. Stick to consuming 15-30% of your daily calories from protein.

Avoid acceptable carbs

While on the keto diet, it's important to be mindful of the number of acceptable carbs you consume. Acceptable carbs on the keto diet include nuts, dairy, and some fruits and vegetables. However, eating too many of these foods can prevent you from achieving and maintaining ketosis, which is crucial for burning fat and losing weight. Here are some tips to avoid consuming too many acceptable carbs:

• Be mindful of your nut intake. Nuts are high in healthy fats and protein, but they also contain carbohydrates. Aim for a handful of nuts as a snack, and choose nuts with lower carb content, such as macadamia nuts, pecans, or Brazil nuts.
• Choose your dairy wisely. Dairy products like cheese, plain Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese are allowed on the keto diet. However, be mindful of their carbohydrate content. For example, a slice of cheddar cheese contains about 5 grams of carbohydrates. Opt for full-fat options and pay attention to portion sizes.
• Limit your fruit intake. Fruits like berries are allowed on the keto diet due to their lower carb content. However, other fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and raisins are high in carbohydrates and should be avoided or limited.
• Opt for non-starchy vegetables. While vegetables are generally encouraged on the keto diet, starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets are high in carbohydrates. Stick to non-starchy options like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and spinach.
• Be cautious with sweeteners. Sugar alcohols, such as maltitol, are often used as keto-friendly sweeteners. However, they can still affect your blood sugar levels and prevent you from entering ketosis. Opt for sweeteners like stevia or erythritol, which have minimal impact on blood sugar.
• Read labels carefully. Many processed foods, such as gluten-free baked goods, may be marketed as low-carb but can still contain significant amounts of carbohydrates. Always check the nutrition label and choose options with the lowest carb content.
• Be mindful of portion sizes. Even when choosing keto-friendly foods, it's important to watch your portion sizes. A small amount of a high-carb food can quickly add up and take you out of ketosis.
• Track your carbohydrate intake. Use a food journal or an app to track your daily carbohydrate intake. This will help you stay within your carb limit and make adjustments as needed.

Exercise

Additionally, exercise is a highly effective component of weight loss. Physical activity increases energy expenditure, encourages metabolic flexibility, regulates appetite, and helps control cravings. It may also help you feel fuller for longer, making it easier to stick to your fasting window and maintain a healthy eating pattern.

To maximize the weight-loss benefits of exercise, it is recommended to aim for a combination of cardiovascular exercises and strength-training activities. Find activities you enjoy and incorporate them into your routine consistently. It is also important to note that exercise should be complemented by a balanced diet to achieve sustainable weight loss.

In particular, pairing exercise with an intermittent fasting practice can improve your weight-loss and fat-burning efforts. Intermittent fasting involves alternating between periods of fasting and eating within specific time windows. This approach can help create a spontaneous caloric deficit, leading to successful long-term weight loss without the need for complicated math or calorie counting.

For those on a keto diet, it is important to note that you don't have to be in ketosis to burn fat. Your body can also convert fat for energy through a process called lipolysis, which occurs when there is a calorie deficit. This process can happen regardless of whether you are in ketosis or not.

• Strength training: This is the most important stimulus for building and maintaining muscle mass, regardless of your dietary choices. Compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, overhead presses, and rows are particularly effective. If you're not comfortable using weights, start with bodyweight exercises like air squats, single-leg Romanian deadlifts, push-ups, and pull-ups.
• Moderate endurance exercise: There is evidence suggesting that aerobic exercise is beneficial for neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, as well as various other chronic health conditions. However, if you have trouble maintaining weight, it is recommended to opt for lower-intensity activities such as walking.
• Increase BDNF levels with intense exercise: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that plays a crucial role in cognitive function. Exercise, especially intense exercise, is one of the best ways to increase BDNF levels, which may help keep the brain sharp as we age.
• Exercise for mental health: For those dealing with mental health issues like depression and anxiety, exercise can be a powerful tool. Keto may help make depression and anxiety more manageable, and exercise can further enhance these benefits.

In conclusion, exercise is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle, especially for those on a keto diet. By incorporating a combination of cardiovascular exercises and strength training, as well as intermittent fasting, individuals can effectively burn fat, lose weight, and improve their overall health and well-being.

Frequently asked questions