Breaking Through A Keto Weight Loss Stall

Weight loss plateaus are a common occurrence on the keto diet. While it can be frustrating to see the number on the scale stagnate, it's important to remember that weight loss is not always a linear process and there are several factors that can contribute to a stall. Before concluding that you've hit a plateau, it's recommended to monitor your weight consistently over a period of at least three months, as weight loss can occur in fits and starts. Additionally, there are non-scale victories (NSVs) to consider, such as looser-fitting clothes, increased energy levels, improved mood, and enhanced attention. These NSVs indicate that your diet is improving your health, even if the scale isn't showing significant changes.

If you've determined that you are indeed experiencing a weight loss plateau, there are several strategies you can implement to get back on track. Firstly, evaluate your carb intake and look for hidden carbs in foods like processed meats, condiments, seasonings, and starchy vegetables. Secondly, consider intermittent fasting, which can help speed up your transition into ketosis and boost fat burning. Thirdly, ensure you're getting adequate physical activity, as exercise helps create a calorie deficit and can enhance muscle growth and protect against chronic diseases. Fourthly, assess your calorie intake and consider reducing your portion sizes or snacking on low-calorie-density foods. Finally, manage your stress levels through mindfulness strategies, self-care routines, improved sleep, and practices like yoga or meditation.

Evaluate your carb intake

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb eating pattern that is often used for weight loss. While many dieters experience rapid weight loss at the beginning of their keto journey, it is common to hit a plateau, where weight loss stalls. If you find yourself in this situation, it is important to evaluate your carb intake carefully. Here are some tips to help you evaluate and adjust your carb intake to get back on track with your weight loss goals:

• Understand the role of carbs: On a keto diet, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of glucose from carbs. To achieve and maintain ketosis, it is crucial to keep your carb intake low.
• Calculate your ideal carb intake: The standard keto diet recommends limiting carbs to 20-50 grams per day. Use a keto calculator or a carb-tracking app to determine your ideal carb intake based on your weight, activity level, and goals.
• Be mindful of hidden carbs: Many foods contain hidden carbs, such as processed meats, condiments, seasonings, starchy vegetables, sauces, dressings, and even some keto-friendly snacks and convenience foods. Read labels carefully and track your carb intake to ensure you stay within your daily limit.
• Cut back on high-carb foods: If you find yourself consuming too many carbs, make a conscious effort to reduce your intake of high-carb foods. Focus on non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats, and protein sources that are naturally low in carbs.
• Be cautious with nuts and dairy: While nuts and dairy are allowed on keto, they are calorie-dense and easy to overeat. Monitor your portions and be mindful of the carb content in these foods.
• Evaluate your progress: Weight loss is not always linear, and there may be natural fluctuations. Evaluate your overall progress, including non-scale victories (NSVs) such as losing inches, having more energy, improved skin, and better regulation of medical conditions.
• Adjust your macros: As you lose weight, your macronutrient needs may change. Recalculate your macros periodically, especially if you've been on keto for a while and your weight loss has stalled. Adjust your carb intake accordingly to ensure it aligns with your new weight and goals.

Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. When paired with the keto diet, it may speed up your transition into ketosis by switching your body's primary energy source from sugar to fat.

There are several methods of intermittent fasting, but 16/8 fasting is one of the easiest and most popular ways to get started. It involves limiting your food intake to an 8-hour window each day. This means you can eat two or three meals a day in this time frame. For example, you can eat all your calories between 11 am and 7 pm and then fast for the remaining 16 hours.

Intermittent fasting can boost fat burning by increasing your metabolism and decreasing hunger and calorie intake, all of which aid weight loss. It can also help to reduce the chances of overeating.

If you want to try intermittent fasting, it's best to start small with 12-hour overnight fasts and then work your way up to longer fasting windows.

Exercise more

Exercise is an important aspect of any weight loss program. If your weight loss has stalled while on the keto diet, you may need to switch up your workout routine.

It is recommended that you get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. You can try running, cycling, swimming, or strength training. Strength training is particularly important to help you build and retain muscle mass.

If you are already exercising regularly, you may need to increase the intensity of your workouts. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an efficient way to get fit. You can also try resistance training, such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises, to build more muscle and increase your resting metabolism.

In addition to structured workouts, you can also increase your overall physical activity by engaging in non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) behaviours. These are activities you do outside of your workouts, such as walking the dog, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or gardening. Staying active even when you're not exercising can help you overcome a weight loss plateau.

Reduce stress

Reducing your stress levels is an important factor in breaking a weight loss plateau on a keto diet. Evidence shows that stress increases a person's risk of gaining weight and visceral adiposity. In particular, maintaining high levels of the stress hormone cortisol may also lead to increased food intake and decreased energy expenditure, which may contribute to weight gain.

• Reduce your screen time.
• Take mindful walks in nature.
• Make time for your hobbies.
• Practice deep breathing to activate your parasympathetic nervous system.
• Eat a nutrient-dense diet and reduce your intake of processed foods.
• Take up yoga or meditation, which may decrease your stress levels and help promote weight loss.
• Get an adequate amount of sleep. Research shows that a lack of sleep affects how your body regulates the hormones that relate to your appetite.
• Incorporate stress reduction techniques such as breathing practices, meditation, yoga, exercise, and relaxing hobbies.

Cut down on certain foods

If you've hit a weight-loss plateau on keto, there are several foods you can cut down on to get back on track.

Firstly, it's important to remember that a true keto diet plateau occurs when you've consistently eaten keto for at least three months and your weight loss has stopped. If you've been on keto for less time, you may simply be experiencing normal fluctuations in your weight.

However, if you have been on keto for at least three months and your weight has stalled, there are several foods you can cut down on or eliminate from your diet. These include:

• Carbs: Even a few extra grams of carbs here and there can quickly add up and prevent you from entering ketosis. Make sure to carefully evaluate your carb intake and look out for hidden carbs in processed meats, condiments, seasonings, and starchy vegetables.
• Calories: While the keto diet doesn't require you to count calories, if you're stuck and unable to lose weight, you may be consuming too many. Monitor your portion sizes and choose low-calorie-density snacks.
• Nuts: Nuts are calorie-dense, and it's easy to overindulge. Eating too many nuts can cause your carb count to rise and kick you out of ketosis. Stick to one serving of nuts per day.
• Dairy: Full-fat dairy products are allowed on keto, but they can be easy to overconsume. Consider reducing or eliminating dairy to break your stall.
• Artificial sweeteners: While these have zero carbs, they can keep cravings in place. Avoid sweeteners and low-carb treats to help break your plateau.
• Alcohol: Alcoholic drinks can be high in calories and can contribute to a stall. Try cutting back on alcohol to see if it helps.

Frequently asked questions