Keto Diet Weight Loss Plateau: When And Why?

The ketogenic diet is a popular choice for people looking to lose weight. It involves a low-carb, high-fat eating pattern that promotes a metabolic state called ketosis, where the body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. While the keto diet can lead to rapid weight loss initially, it is common to experience weight loss plateaus, where weight remains stable despite adhering to the diet.

There are several reasons why weight loss may stall on a keto diet. One key factor is failing to achieve or maintain ketosis due to consuming too many carbs or protein. This can happen when individuals eat acceptable keto foods like nuts, dairy, or low-carb alternatives in excess. Additionally, not tracking calories, constant snacking, lack of exercise, stress, and underlying medical conditions can also hinder weight loss.

To break through a weight loss plateau on keto, individuals can try strategies such as tracking their carb and calorie intake, intermittent fasting, increasing exercise, and reducing stress levels. It is also important to evaluate overall trends in weight rather than focusing solely on the number on the scale, as there are other measures of progress, such as improvements in mood, energy levels, and non-scale victories.

Not achieving ketosis

• Not cutting back enough on carbs: 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, reducing the rate of fat burned. Hidden carbs can be found in salads, soups, sauces, dressings, and packaged foods.
• Not tracking macros properly: To succeed on a keto diet, you need to get your macros (fat, protein, and carbs) right. This means eating 60-70% of calories from fat, 20-30% from protein, and 5-10% from carbs.
• Not giving it enough time: The time it takes to enter ketosis varies from person to person. While some people may enter ketosis following an overnight fast, others may take several days or more of keto dieting.
• Not being in a calorie deficit: To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Even on a keto diet, it's possible to consume too many calories, especially from high-calorie, keto-friendly foods like avocados, olive oil, nuts, and full-fat dairy.
• Consuming too much protein: A low-carb, high-protein diet is not the same as a keto diet. Eating too much protein can prevent ketosis because the body can break down excess proteins into amino acids and convert them into types of sugar.
• Not being active enough: Exercise stimulates the body's metabolism and burns calories. It may be especially important on a keto diet to burn off the excess calories from high-fat foods.

Eating too much protein

While controlling carb intake is essential on keto, monitoring protein intake is also important. On keto, you'll consume adequate amounts of protein—never less than you need. This is one of the most challenging macros to nail down when starting keto due to all the conflicting information.

Protein is a building block of life and a necessary component of any diet. It's crucial for healthy brain function, skin, bone, and muscle health, building muscle mass, and recovering after workouts. These benefits promote longevity, prevent injuries, and boost your metabolism.

However, many ketogenic dieters worry that overeating protein might kick them out of ketosis. This is because many low-carb, high-fat advocates believe that excess protein can turn into sugar in the bloodstream through a process called gluconeogenesis and knock down ketone levels.

But this is just a myth. Carbs are the only macronutrient that can seriously interfere with ketosis, so it's essential to watch out for hidden carbs and find the carb limit that works for you. On the other hand, eating protein won't affect your ketone levels. You can eat high-fat and high-protein (preferably fatty cuts of grass-fed meat) and stay in ketosis.

Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a real and necessary process that is already happening in your body. It's not the enemy of ketosis; in fact, it makes ketosis possible in the first place. GNG is a metabolic pathway that allows your liver and kidneys to make glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. Your body takes compounds like lactate, amino acids (protein), and glycerol to manufacture glucose when there are no carbs around.

GNG is vital because, on a keto diet, your body uses it for three primary purposes:

• Preventing hypoglycemia: GNG keeps your blood sugar in a healthy range so it doesn't fall to dangerous levels.
• Fuelling tissues that can't use ketones: There are a handful of cells in your body that can only use glucose to survive, including red blood cells, kidney medulla, testicles, and some portions of your brain. The glucose from GNG covers the rest.
• Resupplying glycogen stores: You can replenish muscle glycogen through GNG, which happens during ketosis, especially if you're not a professional athlete or don't participate in competitions. Glycogen is crucial for muscle recovery after workouts.

If GNG didn't make enough glucose to cover these functions, your body could never make the switch to using ketones for energy because some cells would die, and your blood sugar would drop too low.

GNG is an extremely stable process. It's not easy to increase it even with extra protein. When you eat extra protein, your blood glucose doesn't spike in the same way as when you eat chocolate cake. Studies have shown that GNG production doesn't increase even with extra amino acids.

• Protein helps with fat loss: Protein is more satiating than fat, it's very nutrient-dense, and people tend to overeat when protein is low. The most effective way to start losing weight on keto is to burn your stored body fat for energy, not the new dietary fat you're eating.
• Protein provides fewer calories than fat: Your body needs to use more energy (calories) to burn protein than to burn fat. For example, when you eat 100 calories of grass-fed beef, your body can only store 75% of it as calories because it requires 25% of the calories to burn and use it as fuel. Conversely, when you consume fat, you're storing up to 98% of it as calories.
• Protein deficiency is dangerous: Not eating enough protein on keto has serious side effects, including worsened workout performance, neuron atrophy, a weaker immune system, and an increased risk of diseases, including sickle cell disease, acute asthma, cystic fibrosis, and certain cancers.

Eating too many acceptable carbs

On a keto diet, you should only consume 20 to 50 grams of net carbs per day. This equates to around 30 to 50 grams of total carbs, as net carbs are calculated by subtracting fibre and other nondigestible carbs from the total amount. This leaves you with very limited carb options, mainly vegetables and small amounts of berries.

If you eat too many carbs, you may prevent your body from entering ketosis. Even a few extra grams of carbs here and there can quickly add up and derail your weight loss efforts. This is because your body will convert the extra carbs into glucose (sugar), and too much glucose will prevent ketosis. Therefore, it is important to carefully evaluate and track your carb intake, accounting for hidden carbs in processed meats, condiments, seasonings, and starchy vegetables.

To help reach your intake goals, consider using an app or food tracker to monitor your macronutrient intake. This will help you stay within the recommended range of carbs and maximise your weight loss on a keto diet.

It is worth noting that the keto diet is not meant to be followed forever. Many experts recommend staying on keto for a maximum of six months before reintroducing more carbs to your diet. This is because long-term ketogenic diets can result in nutritional deficiencies, especially in fibre, and there are already many restricted foods on the keto diet.

Constant snacking

Understand the Reasons Behind Snacking

Firstly, it's important to recognize why you snack. Are you snacking out of hunger, or are there other factors at play? Research suggests that people often snack due to factors such as food availability, social environment, and time of day, even when they're not hungry. Understanding these triggers can help you make more conscious decisions about your snacking habits.

Choose Nutritious Snacks

When you do snack, opt for nutritious, whole foods that are high in protein and fiber. Examples include cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, almonds, and peanuts. These foods will help you stay full and satisfied until your next meal, reducing the urge to constantly snack.

Practice Mindful Snacking

Be mindful of your snack portions and frequencies. In general, aim for snacks that provide around 200 calories and at least 10 grams of protein. Adjust the number of snacks you have throughout the day based on your activity level and meal size. If you're very active, you may prefer 2-3 snacks, while a more sedentary lifestyle may call for 1 or no snacks.

Plan and Prepare Your Snacks

Planning and preparing your snacks in advance can help you make healthier choices. Pack nutritious snacks like peanut butter, whole-wheat crackers, or kale chips when you're on the go. This will reduce the temptation to grab convenient but less healthy options.

Find Non-Food Coping Mechanisms

If you find yourself stress-snacking, try to develop non-food coping mechanisms for stress, such as getting fresh air, practicing meditation or yoga, or watching funny videos. Finding alternative ways to manage stress can help reduce anxious munching.

Keep a Food Journal

Consider keeping a food journal or using a food-tracking app. This can help you become more aware of your snacking habits and identify areas where you can make healthier choices. It's an excellent way to regain control over your snacking and support your weight loss journey.

Remember, while snacking can be a helpful way to manage hunger and prevent overeating, it's important to make conscious choices about what and when you snack. By following these tips, you can make sure that your snacking habits align with your weight loss goals, even while on a keto diet.

Little to no exercise

If you're following a keto diet and you're not seeing any weight loss, there are a few potential reasons, especially if you're not incorporating much exercise into your routine. Here are some factors to consider:

Firstly, it's important to understand that weight loss is a complex and highly individual process. The rate at which people lose weight can vary significantly, and there is no one-size-fits-all timeline for achieving weight loss goals. While some individuals may experience rapid weight loss in the initial stages of a keto diet, this rate of weight loss may not be sustainable or healthy for everyone.

When you significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake, as is the case with a keto diet, your body shifts from using glucose as its primary fuel source to burning fat for energy. This metabolic shift can result in initial weight loss, as your body depletes its glycogen stores and the associated water weight. However, after this initial phase, weight loss may slow down or plateau.

If you've been on a keto diet for a while and your weight loss has stalled, it's possible that your body has adapted to this new way of eating. Once your body becomes keto-adapted, it becomes more efficient at utilizing fat for energy, which can lead to a stabilization of your weight. At this point, it's important to reassess your diet and make sure you're still in a caloric deficit, which is essential for continued weight loss.

Additionally, it's crucial to ensure that you're accurately tracking your food intake and maintaining a balanced keto diet. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods, and be mindful of your portion sizes. Even on a keto diet, overeating can hinder weight loss. Consider using a food journal or tracking app to help you stay accountable and identify any areas where you might be overindulging.

Lastly, while exercise is not the primary focus of your routine, incorporating some light physical activity can still be beneficial. Even gentle activities like walking, light yoga, or swimming can contribute to a calorie deficit and promote weight loss. If structured exercise isn't your preference, aim for small increases in your daily activity levels, such as taking the stairs or doing some light stretching throughout the day. Remember, weight loss is a journey, and it's normal to experience plateaus. Consistency, patience, and mindfulness towards your body's needs are key.

Frequently asked questions