Maintain Your Keto Weight Loss: Tips And Tricks

So, you've reached your target weight on the keto diet – congratulations! Now, the hard work begins: maintaining that weight. Many people find this more difficult than losing weight in the first place, as it's all too easy to slip back into old eating habits and undo all your hard work. So, what can you do to maintain your weight?

One option is to simply stay on the keto diet, but eat a little more food. If you feel great on keto, there's no need to stop. You can also try a different low-carb diet, such as low-carb Paleo or low-carb Mediterranean. If you want to get out of ketosis, you can slowly start to increase your carb intake – but be careful not to fall down the slippery slope into a typical junk food diet.

If you want to stay on keto, you can also switch your focus to muscle gain. This will mean doing some form of resistance training and either adding more calories and protein or adding more carbs around your workouts.

Alternatively, you could try intermittent fasting, which involves abstaining from food for a prescribed amount of time and then eating during a selected window. This can be combined with the keto diet.

Keep on with keto, but eat a little more food

If you've reached your target weight and want to continue with the keto diet, you can do so by eating a little more food. This approach is safe for the long term, and there's no need to stop following the keto diet if it works for you.

Weight loss, regardless of the method, is about creating a calorie deficit. If you want to stay on the keto diet but don't want to lose more weight, you can simply eat a little more fat and protein without increasing your carbohydrate intake to the point where it takes you out of ketosis. This approach avoids the risk of extra carbs causing new or more intense cravings and the return of blood sugar highs and lows.

To determine how much more food you should eat, you can use an online calorie calculator, which will provide a breakdown of the number of calories and macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) you should be consuming. However, it's important to note that the perfect amount of food for your height, weight, and activity level is something you'll have to learn through experience as it varies from person to person.

By continuing with the keto diet and eating a little more, you can maintain your weight loss results while still enjoying the benefits of the keto diet, such as reduced cravings and stable blood sugar levels.

Switch from fat loss to muscle gain

Once you've reached your target weight on keto, you might want to switch from fat loss to muscle gain. Here's a detailed guide on how to do that:

Nutrition

To build muscle, you need to be consuming more calories than you burn. This is known as a calorie surplus. Use a macro calculator to work out your calorie needs, aiming for a surplus of around 10%.

It can be challenging to eat enough on keto because the low-carb, high-fat diet is so filling. However, as long as you're hitting your protein goal, you can add extra fat to increase your calorie intake.

Protein

Protein is essential for building muscle, as it provides your body with amino acids. Aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to optimise muscle growth. If you're a competitive bodybuilder, you may need up to 2.2 grams per kilogram.

• Game meats (venison, elk, bison, duck, etc.)
• Chicken
• Eggs
• Fish and seafood
• Nuts

You can also use protein supplements, such as whey or casein protein powder.

Carbohydrates

When it comes to carbohydrates, there are two popular approaches for building muscle on keto:

• Keep carbs low and add more calories and protein.
• Add more carbs around workouts only, while keeping overall carb intake low.

If you decide to increase your carb intake, do so gradually and monitor your weight and how you feel. Some people find that increasing carbs leads to a return of blood sugar highs and lows and sugar cravings.

Resistance Training

Building muscle requires resistance training, such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises (e.g. squats, push-ups, lunges). It's important to train with enough intensity and progressively overload your muscles to stimulate growth.

Rest and Recovery

Allowing your body to rest and recover is crucial for muscle growth. Make sure you're getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night, reducing stress, and engaging in active recovery exercises like walking or yoga.

Hydration and Electrolytes

Staying hydrated is essential for optimal performance. Drink fluids before and after your workouts, and consider taking an electrolyte supplement or drinking a sports drink with sodium and potassium.

Supplements

While not necessary, certain supplements may support muscle growth. These include:

• Electrolytes
• Protein powder
• Exogenous ketones

Transition to low-carb (but not keto) paleo

If you've reached your target weight on keto and want to transition to a low-carb, non-keto paleo diet, here are some detailed steps and guidelines to help you make that change:

Understanding the Differences

Before transitioning, it's important to understand the differences between a keto and a paleo diet. Keto focuses on minimizing carbohydrate intake to induce ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. On the other hand, paleo, also known as "the caveman diet," emphasizes consuming whole foods that were available to early humans, believing that this promotes optimal health. Paleo eliminates grains, legumes, processed sugars, and most dairy, while keto cuts out carbohydrates almost entirely.

Making the Transition

When transitioning from keto to low-carb paleo, it's important to do so gradually. Start by removing any remaining grains, legumes, and processed foods from your diet. Then, slowly introduce paleo-approved carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, fruits, and starchy vegetables. Add these carbs slowly to minimize blood sugar spikes and give your body time to adjust. You may experience water weight gain, energy changes, and shifts in hunger levels during this transition.

Food Choices on Paleo

On a paleo diet, you'll be focusing on whole foods that are rich in proteins and healthy fats. This includes animal proteins like meat, fish, and eggs, as well as healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds. Paleo also allows some natural sweeteners like raw honey and maple syrup. When it comes to carbohydrates, opt for paleo-approved sources like sweet potatoes, fruits, and starchy vegetables.

Benefits of Paleo

One of the benefits of paleo is its flexibility. Unlike keto, which is very restrictive and can be challenging to maintain, paleo offers a wider variety of food choices, making it easier to stick to long-term. Paleo also emphasizes lifestyle practices beyond just diet, including exercise and mindfulness techniques like yoga and meditation. This holistic approach to health and wellness is a key distinction between the two diets.

Long-Term Maintenance

Remember that maintaining your goal weight is an ongoing commitment. It's important to have a plan in place to prevent sliding back into old eating habits. Paleo can be a good choice for long-term weight maintenance, as it provides a balanced and nutritious approach to eating. However, it's crucial to monitor your weight and make adjustments as needed to ensure you're staying on track with your health and fitness goals.

Experiment with intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is a strategy to help you maintain your target weight. It is a way to relax a little more about eating while still maintaining your weight. Essentially, you are only allowed to eat during a specific window, but within that window, you have more freedom with your meals. For most people, the shorter eating window naturally limits the amount of food they eat. This means that instead of weighing or measuring food portions, they can simply follow the clock. This approach can be psychologically easier as it allows for feasting during the eating window.

There are several ways to implement intermittent fasting:

• Eating normally for 5-6 days a week and fasting for the remaining 1-2 days
• Eating within a 6-10 hour window every day, for example from noon to 8 pm, and fasting for the rest of the day
• Combining intermittent fasting with maintenance keto, muscle-gaining keto, or a low-carb paleo diet

Intermittent fasting can be a useful strategy to help you maintain your target weight after keto. It provides more flexibility and freedom with your meals while still keeping your food intake in check.

Try a different low-carb diet

If you want to try a different low-carb diet, there are a few options to choose from. You could try a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, or a low-carb Mediterranean diet. Another option is the low-carbohydrate Paleo diet, which is based on eating whole, unprocessed foods and avoiding grains, legumes, dairy, and sugar.

The Paleo diet is a good choice if you want to increase your carb intake slightly, as it allows for more nutrient-dense carbs such as sweet potatoes and butternut squash. It also provides more variety and flexibility in your meals.

When transitioning to a new diet, it is important to remember that you will likely knock yourself out of ketosis. Additionally, it is crucial to make sure you are still consuming adequate nutrients and calories, especially protein, which is essential for muscle building.

If you are unsure about which low-carb diet to choose, you can always experiment and find what works best for your body and your goals.

Frequently asked questions