Kickstarting Stalled Keto Weight Loss: Strategies For Success

Weight loss plateaus are a common occurrence on the keto diet, and can be caused by a variety of factors. These include hidden carbs, excess calories, chronic stress, and a lack of physical activity. To kickstart weight loss again, you can try a number of strategies, including tracking your calories and macros, increasing physical activity, managing stress, and intermittent fasting. It's also important to be patient, as weight loss is not always a linear process and there may be periods of stagnation followed by more significant drops on the scale.

Track your calories

Tracking your calories is an important part of breaking through a weight-loss plateau. While it is not necessary to count calories on the keto diet, as it is a satiating diet that naturally reduces calorie intake, it can be a useful tool in certain situations.

Firstly, tracking your calories ensures you are in a calorie deficit, which is crucial for weight loss. A calorie deficit means you are consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. On keto, your body initially loses a lot of water weight due to carbohydrate restriction, but fat loss depends on calorie intake. By tracking your calories, you can ensure you are eating fewer calories than your body is burning, creating the deficit needed for weight loss.

Secondly, tracking your calories can help you identify hidden calories and carbs in your diet. Carbohydrates are found in almost every food, and it is easy to unknowingly consume more carbs and calories than intended. For example, some vegetables like broccoli and squash are low-carb but can add up when consumed in large amounts. Additionally, processed meats like bacon and Italian sausages often contain added sugar, increasing the carb content. By tracking your calories, you can identify these hidden sources and make adjustments to stay within your desired macros.

Moreover, tracking your calories can help you manage your calorie deficit over time. As you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to maintain its new weight. This means that your initial calorie deficit will gradually decrease, and you may need to adjust your intake to continue losing weight. For example, if you started with a 20% calorie deficit and lost weight, your body's new maintenance calorie setpoint may mean that 20% deficit has now become a 10% deficit. By tracking your calories and recalculating your macros monthly, you can ensure you are still in a deficit and make any necessary adjustments.

Lastly, tracking your calories can help you identify areas where you may be overeating. For instance, nuts are calorie-dense and easy to overeat. If you are consuming more calories than your body is using, you will not lose weight. By tracking your intake, you can identify areas where you may be exceeding your calorie needs and make more informed decisions about your diet.

In conclusion, while calorie counting is not necessary on keto, it can be a valuable tool to break through weight-loss plateaus. It helps ensure you are in a calorie deficit, identifies hidden carbs and calories, allows you to adjust your intake as your body changes, and highlights areas of overeating. By tracking your calories, you can make informed decisions about your diet and create a sustainable calorie deficit to support your weight loss goals.

Recalculate your macros

Recalculating your macros is a crucial step in breaking through a weight loss plateau on the keto diet. As you lose weight, your calorie deficit will decrease, leading to slower weight loss and eventually a plateau. To prevent this, you should recalculate your macros every month or so using a keto calculator.

Here's a step-by-step guide to recalculating your macros:

• Determine your calorie needs: Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) based on your gender, age, height, and weight. Then, consider your activity level to determine your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
• Set your calorie deficit: Decide on the percentage of calorie deficit you want to maintain. If you have more body fat, a higher deficit is generally manageable. However, if you're leaner, a smaller deficit of 10-15% is recommended.
• Calculate your macros: Use a keto calculator to determine your ideal macronutrient breakdown. Typically, keto macros consist of 5% or fewer calories from carbohydrates, 70-80% from healthy fats, and 20-30% from protein.
• Adjust your calorie deficit: If you're experiencing a weight loss plateau, consider decreasing your calorie deficit slightly. A very large deficit can lead to a significant drop in metabolic rate, making it harder to lose weight.
• Monitor your progress: After recalculating your macros, stick to them for at least a month to see if your weight loss progresses. If you're still facing a plateau, you may need to try other strategies, such as intermittent fasting or adjusting your exercise routine.

Remember, it's essential to be patient and consistent with the keto diet. Weight loss plateaus are normal, and by recalculating your macros regularly, you can help keep your body in a state of fat-burning ketosis.

Take intermittent breaks from calorie restriction

Taking intermittent breaks from calorie restriction can be an effective strategy for kickstarting weight loss again on a keto diet. This approach is supported by a research study published in the International Journal of Obesity, which found that diet breaks may be more effective for weight loss than maintaining a continuous calorie deficit.

The study involved 51 obese men, who were randomised into two groups. One group was on a continuous calorie deficit for 16 weeks, while the other group underwent "intermittent energy restriction" for 30 weeks. The latter group completed eight 2-week blocks of energy restriction, alternated with seven 2-week blocks of energy balance. Both groups experienced 16 weeks of energy restriction in total.

The results showed that the intermittent energy restriction group lost significantly more weight, and importantly, lost more fat while preserving muscle mass. This suggests that taking diet breaks may help keep the body from decreasing its resting energy expenditure, leading to more sustainable and consistent weight loss.

• Weigh yourself and calculate your macros for a 25% calorie deficit. Eat this way for two weeks.
• After two weeks, weigh yourself again and calculate your macros to maintain your new weight. Eat these macros for the next two weeks.
• Repeat these steps until you reach your ideal weight.

It is important to note that this approach has only been studied in obese men, so further research is needed to determine its effectiveness for other populations. Additionally, if you are in a smaller calorie deficit (10-15%), maintaining a continuous deficit may be more effective, as metabolic adaptations typically occur at larger calorie deficits.

Decrease your calorie deficit

If you're hitting a weight-loss plateau on the keto diet, it might be time to decrease your calorie deficit. Here are some tips to help you get back on track:

• Recalculate your calorie needs: As you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to maintain its new weight. Use a keto calculator to update your calorie and macro goals as your weight changes. This will help you stay in a calorie deficit and continue losing weight.
• Avoid excessive calorie restriction: While a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, an extremely low-calorie diet can slow down your metabolism and make weight loss more challenging. Aim for a moderate deficit of around 10-20% below your maintenance calories.
• Monitor your calorie intake: Keep track of your calorie intake to ensure you're not overeating. Use a calorie-tracking app or food journal to record your meals and snacks. Be mindful of hidden calories, especially in nuts, dairy, sauces, and condiments.
• Adjust your macros: In addition to calories, pay attention to your macronutrient distribution. Ensure you're getting enough protein, as it helps preserve muscle mass and keeps you satiated. Consider using a keto calculator to determine your ideal protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake.
• Be mindful of snacking: Snacking can lead to unintentional calorie surplus. Try to stick to scheduled meals and avoid frequent snacking. If you must snack, choose low-carb, high-protein options to stay within your calorie goals.
• Intermittent fasting: Consider incorporating intermittent fasting into your routine. This involves eating within a restricted time window, such as the 16:8 method or OMAD (one meal a day). Intermittent fasting can help regulate your appetite, reduce calorie intake, and promote ketosis.
• Increase physical activity: Exercise is crucial for boosting weight loss. Aim for a combination of cardio, resistance training, and high-intensity interval training. Even outside of structured workouts, stay active throughout the day by taking walks, using the stairs, or engaging in hobbies that keep you moving.
• Manage stress: Chronic stress can impact your weight loss efforts. Practice stress management techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, and engaging in hobbies. Reducing screen time and improving sleep hygiene can also help lower stress levels.

Eat the right amount of protein

Eating the right amount of protein is essential to the keto diet. Too much protein can cause your body to produce glucose from excess amino acids, which can sabotage your weight loss efforts. On the other hand, not eating enough protein can lead to muscle mass loss, appetite changes, weight gain, and fatigue.

The ideal amount of protein to eat on a keto diet depends on factors such as age, gender, weight, and activity level. As a general guideline, it is recommended that individuals on a keto diet 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 translates to about 75 grams of protein for a 2,000-calorie diet. However, it is important to note that these guidelines may vary depending on individual needs.

For those who are exercising, particularly weight lifting, it is recommended to increase protein intake to between 0.8 and 1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass per day. This helps with muscle mass retention and growth. For individuals who are not exercising, a protein intake of 0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass is generally sufficient.

To calculate your specific protein needs on a keto diet, you can use the following formula: first, convert your target weight to kilograms by dividing it by 2.2. Then, multiply that weight in kilograms by 1.2 to get the lower end of your target protein range, and by 2.0 to get the higher end of the range.

It is worth noting that the macros of a typical keto diet consist of 70-80% fat, 10-20% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrates. Therefore, ensuring you are consuming the right amount of protein is crucial to maintaining the balance of the keto diet.

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