Keto Weight Loss: Why Aren't You Losing Pounds?

The keto diet is a popular choice for people looking to lose weight, but it's not always effective. While some people experience dramatic weight loss in the initial stages, this is mostly due to a reduction in water weight. Maintaining ketosis, a metabolic state where the body uses fat instead of glucose for energy, is challenging and requires a strict low-carb, high-fat diet. Several factors can hinder weight loss on keto, including not achieving ketosis, consuming too much protein, exceeding allowable carbs, inadequate calorie counting, constant snacking, lack of exercise, stress, underlying medical conditions, and more.

Not achieving ketosis

One of the main reasons people don't lose weight on the keto diet is that they are not achieving ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. To reach ketosis, you must drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake, typically to between 20 and 50 grams of carbs per day. This is a challenging task, and many people struggle to reduce their carb intake enough to enter ketosis.

How to Know if You're in Ketosis

There are a few ways to test if you're in ketosis:

• Home testing kits: You can purchase test strips that check for ketones in your urine. A positive result indicates that your body is in ketosis.
• Ketone breath analyzer: This small machine detects ketones in your breath.
• Blood ketone meter: This is the most accurate method, but it is also more costly and requires a small blood sample with each test.

Tips for Achieving Ketosis

If you're not achieving ketosis, try the following:

• Reduce your carb intake further. Even if you feel like you've drastically reduced your carb intake, you may still be consuming enough carbs for your body to produce energy from glucose, which can slow down fat burning.
• Track your carb intake: Use a macro-counting app such as Cronometer or Carb Manager to ensure you're not exceeding your carb limit.
• Be mindful of hidden carbs: Sauces, dressings, and even some foods marketed as 'low-carb' can contain hidden sugars and carbs. Always check labels to make sure you're not consuming more carbs than you think.
• Increase your fat intake: The keto diet is a high-fat diet, and most of your calories should come from fat. Make sure you're getting enough healthy fats, such as avocado, olive oil, nuts, and full-fat dairy.
• Be patient: It can take two to four days to reach ketosis, so give your body time to adjust.

Eating too much protein

When following a keto diet, it is recommended that 55-75% of your calories come from fat, 15-30% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. However, if protein makes up more than 35% of your diet, you may not go into ketosis.

To ensure you are getting the right amount of protein, it is important to calculate your macros correctly. A keto calculator app can help you get your ratios right and set you up for weight loss success.

In addition to eating too much protein, there are several other reasons why you might not be losing weight on a keto diet. These include:

• Eating too many calories: Even when following a keto diet, it is important to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight. This means burning more calories than you consume. Many keto-friendly foods, such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts, are high in calories, so it is important to watch your portion sizes and not overdo it.
• Not achieving ketosis: To enter ketosis, you need to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake. This typically means limiting daily carbohydrate intake to fewer than 20-50 grams, depending on your body size. Home testing kits or a ketone breath analyzer can help you determine if you are in ketosis.
• Eating too many acceptable carbs: On the keto diet, some types of carbohydrates are acceptable, such as nuts and dairy. However, these foods also contain carbohydrates, and eating too many of them can prevent you from achieving and maintaining ketosis.
• Lack of exercise: Incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle is vital when trying to lose weight on a keto diet. Exercise stimulates fat loss and has numerous health benefits, including lowering your risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and depression.
• Chronic stress: Stress can cause changes in hormone levels, such as an increase in cortisol, which can lead to weight gain or difficulty losing weight. It can also cause cravings for comfort foods, adding extra calories to your diet.
• Underlying medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and Cushing's syndrome, can make it difficult to lose weight. If you are unable to lose weight despite your efforts, it may be a good idea to consult a doctor to rule out any underlying medical issues.

Eating too many acceptable carbs

While the keto diet is a low-carb way of eating that has been adopted by many looking to lose weight, it must be implemented correctly to reap the benefits. On the keto diet, several types of carbohydrates are acceptable, including nuts and dairy. These foods are typically high-fat, nutrient-dense foods that make a great addition to a keto diet. However, they also contain carbohydrates. Eating too many of these acceptable carbs will keep a person from achieving and maintaining ketosis, which is a metabolic state in which your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose.

To reach and maintain ketosis, carbs must be decreased to between 20 and 50 grams per day. This is in stark contrast to the standard dietary recommendation that 45–65% of calories come from carbs. It can be challenging to cut out carbs, especially when first adjusting to the ketogenic diet. To help reach your intake goals, consider tracking your macronutrients through an app like MyFitnessPal or Carb Manager. These apps can help you learn how many servings of carbs you're allowed per day based on your calorie needs.

Sugar alcohols are typically a good option for people following the keto diet as they provide sweetness without increasing net carbs in the body. However, not all sugar alcohols are created equal. For example, maltitol is technically a low glycemic index (GI) sugar, but it can still affect a person's blood sugar levels. Consuming too much maltitol may prevent a person from entering ketosis.

It's important to remember that even if you're following the keto diet correctly, weight loss can vary from person to person. Small, consistent changes are the key to losing and maintaining weight in a healthy way. If you're struggling to lose weight on the keto diet, it may be helpful to consult with a registered dietitian or healthcare professional to ensure you're on the right track.

Not counting calories

• Calculate your calorie needs: Determine how many calories you need to consume each day to maintain your current weight. This will give you a starting point for creating a calorie deficit.
• Create a meal plan: Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time to ensure you are staying within your calorie goals. Include a variety of whole, nutrient-dense foods, such as lean proteins, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables.
• Track your food intake: Use a food journal or an app to track your calorie and macronutrient intake. This will help you identify areas where you may be consuming too many calories.
• Be mindful of portion sizes: Pay attention to the serving sizes of the foods you eat. Even healthy foods can be high in calories, so it's important to watch your portions.
• Limit high-calorie snacks: Snacking can add extra calories to your diet. Choose lower-calorie snack options, such as vegetables or hard-boiled eggs, and limit the number of snacks you have each day.
• Be cautious with alcoholic beverages: Alcoholic drinks can be high in calories and can hinder weight loss. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation and count those calories towards your daily intake.
• Increase your physical activity: Exercise helps create a calorie deficit by burning extra calories. It also has numerous other health benefits, such as improving your metabolism and reducing your risk of chronic conditions.
• Manage stress: Stress can impact your weight in several ways. It can lead to comfort eating, cravings for high-calorie foods, and a lack of motivation to exercise. Find healthy ways to manage your stress, such as through meditation, yoga, or spending time with loved ones.

Constant snacking

Snacking throughout the day can cause a person to consume more calories than they burn off, resulting in weight gain. This is true even if the snacks are keto-friendly, as many of them are high in calories. Nuts, nut butter, fat bombs, cheese, and jerky are examples of high-calorie ketogenic snacks that, if consumed in excess, may cause weight loss to plateau.

To avoid this, it is recommended to choose lower-calorie keto-friendly snacks such as non-starchy vegetables or proteins. Celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and cucumbers are good options. These foods can help keep you feeling full without the extra calories.

Additionally, it is important to be mindful of portion sizes and to track your calorie intake. Paying attention to portion sizes and snacking in moderation between meals can help create the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.

Frequently asked questions