Keto Weight Loss Plateau: What Does It Mean?

The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a low-carb way of eating that has been adopted by many looking to lose weight and improve their health. However, there are several reasons why someone may not be losing weight on a keto diet. These include consuming too many calories, not eating enough calories, eating too many carbs, eating too much protein, constant snacking, lack of exercise, underlying medical conditions, unrealistic weight loss expectations, and high levels of stress.

Eating too many calories

Even when following the keto diet, it is still possible to eat too many calories, which can hinder your weight loss efforts.

When trying to lose weight, it is critical to create a calorie deficit. This can be achieved by reducing the number of calories consumed or by expending more calories through physical activity.

Many keto-friendly foods, including avocados, olive oil, full-fat dairy, and nuts, are high in calories. Therefore, it is important not to overindulge in these foods. While it is challenging to overeat on a keto diet due to the filling effects of fat and protein, it is still possible to consume too many calories by eating large portions or snacking on high-calorie foods throughout the day.

Paying attention to portion sizes, increasing physical activity, and snacking in moderation can help create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight. Additionally, tracking your macronutrients through an app can help you stay within your calorie goals.

While counting calories can be misleading and is not always necessary, it may be beneficial to get a general idea of your calorie intake, especially when first starting the keto diet. This can help ensure you are not eating more calories than your body requires, which can slow down or stop weight loss, even on a low-carb diet.

If you are struggling to lose weight, consider focusing on eating only when hungry and adding intermittent fasting to your routine. Prioritizing quality over quantity, choosing nourishing, well-balanced, low-carb meals, and listening to your body's hunger cues can be more effective than strict calorie control.

Eating too much protein

While on the keto diet, it is important to remember that the diet is not just low-carb and high-fat, but also moderate-protein. This is because, during digestion, proteins are broken down into amino acids, which can then be converted into glucose (a type of sugar).

When there is an excess of protein, the body will use these amino acids to produce glucose before breaking down fat into ketones. This means that the body is stuck in sugar-burning mode and cannot shift into ketosis, which is the metabolic state where the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose.

On average, about 20% of your daily calories should come from protein. This is about a gram of protein per kilogram of body weight, or somewhere between 60 and 120 grams of protein a day, depending on your size.

Signs You're Eating Too Much Protein

• Your breath smells like ammonia. This is because ammonia is produced when the body digests and breaks down protein.
• You have flu-like symptoms. When too much protein shifts your body out of ketosis, it leaves you in a metabolic limbo, similar to the 'keto flu' symptoms you may have experienced when first starting the keto diet. These symptoms include low energy, irritability, headaches, muscle cramps, and digestive troubles.

How to Get Your Protein Intake on Track

• Track your food in an app for a few days. If you're eating more than about 20% of your daily calories from protein, you need to adjust your meals and snacks.
• Test your ketone levels using at-home strips. If you're not in the optimal range, adjust your protein intake.

Not exercising enough

Exercising is an important part of losing weight, and it's no different when you're on the keto diet. In fact, it might be even more important to incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle when following a keto diet, as the high-fat foods you eat contain many calories. Burning calories through exercise can help you reach your desired weight.

Exercise stimulates the body's metabolism and burns calories, and it's especially important on a keto diet. This is because the keto diet involves eating mostly fat, which is more calorie-dense than carbohydrates or protein. Therefore, you need to burn more calories than you consume to lose weight on a keto diet, and exercise is a great way to do this.

If you're not exercising enough, you might not be creating a calorie deficit, which is critical for weight loss. You can achieve a calorie deficit by either reducing the number of calories you consume or by expending more calories through physical activity.

Lack of exercise can also lead to various health issues, such as chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and obesity. Exercise lowers your risk of developing these conditions and benefits your health in countless other ways.

To maximise weight loss on a keto diet, it's important to incorporate more physical activity into your lifestyle. You can do this by creating a workout schedule and sticking to it. Set a goal of three to four days a week and choose a time that's most convenient for you. To keep yourself motivated, you can try storing a gym bag in your car for after work or laying out your exercise clothes before bed.

Eating too many carbs

On the keto diet, carbs should make up only 5% to 10% of a person's total calorie intake, which equates to 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day for someone on a 2,000-calorie diet. This is a significant reduction from the standard dietary recommendation of 45% to 65% of calories coming from carbs. Even a small number of extra carbs can prevent the body from entering ketosis and hinder weight loss.

Some people may find it challenging to cut out carbs, especially when adjusting to the keto diet for the first time. It is normal to have some difficulty cutting out carbs initially, but it is important to decrease carb intake to the recommended range to reach and maintain ketosis. Home testing kits or breath analyzers can help individuals ensure they are in ketosis.

To help stay within the recommended carb range, individuals can track their macronutrient intake through apps like MyFitnessPal, which can provide personalized recommendations based on calorie needs. Additionally, focusing on eating more healthy fats, such as fatty fish and avocados, can help reduce carb cravings and improve energy levels.

It is important to note that the keto diet is not meant to be a long-term diet, and individuals should consult a doctor or dietitian before starting any new diet, especially a restrictive one like keto.

Underlying medical condition

If you're not losing weight on the keto diet, it could be due to an underlying medical condition.

Some medical conditions that can contribute to weight gain or hinder weight loss include:

• Endocrine conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and Cushing's syndrome.
• Mental health conditions, such as depression.
• Hypothyroidism, which is a state where the thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroxine, the hormone that regulates metabolism.
• Hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels).

If you suspect that an underlying medical condition might be the reason for your lack of weight loss on the keto diet, it is recommended to consult a doctor. They can perform tests to determine the cause and provide guidance on managing the condition and achieving your weight loss goals.

Frequently asked questions