Keto Weight Maintenance: What Am I Doing Wrong?

Maintaining weight on the keto diet can be challenging, and several factors can influence your scale weight and overall health. Here are some reasons why you may be maintaining your weight on keto:

- Not achieving ketosis: Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body burns fat for energy instead of glucose. To achieve ketosis, you need to reduce carbohydrate intake significantly. If you're still consuming too many carbs, you may not be entering ketosis effectively.

- Eating too much protein: A common misconception is that a low-carb, high-protein diet is equivalent to a keto diet. However, the body can convert excess protein into sugar, preventing ketosis. On a keto diet, most of your calories should come from fat, with protein making up a smaller portion of your diet.

- Consuming too many acceptable carbs: Certain foods, such as nuts and dairy, are allowed on the keto diet but still contain carbohydrates. Eating too many of these can hinder your ability to achieve and maintain ketosis.

- Not counting calories: To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. Even if you're in ketosis, consuming too many calories can lead to weight gain. Tracking your calorie intake can help you manage your weight more effectively.

- Constant snacking: Snacking throughout the day can increase your calorie intake and hinder weight loss. This is true even for keto-friendly snacks, as they can still contribute to excess calorie consumption.

- Lack of exercise: Exercise is crucial for burning calories and stimulating fat loss. Incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle can help you reach your weight loss goals on the keto diet.

- Underlying medical conditions: In some cases, underlying health issues or medications can contribute to weight gain or make it challenging to lose weight. If you're unable to lose weight despite your efforts, it may be a good idea to consult a doctor to rule out any medical conditions.

- Stress and lack of sleep: Chronic stress and inadequate sleep can negatively impact weight loss. Stress can lead to increased levels of the hormone cortisol, which can encourage your body to store fat. Additionally, stress and sleep deprivation can increase your appetite and cravings for comfort foods.

Gradually increase your carb intake

Transitioning from the keto diet can be challenging, but there are ways to do it without undoing all your progress. The key is to take it slow and steady. Here are some tips to help you gradually increase your carb intake:

Start with complex carbohydrates

When reintroducing carbs, opt for complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. These include foods like oats, rice, quinoa, beans, and fruits such as bananas, apples, and oranges. Aim for an extra 10 grams of carbs per day each week. This gradual approach will help your body adjust without shocking your system.

Monitor your weight and well-being

As you increase your carb intake, pay close attention to your weight and how your body feels. Regularly weigh yourself, preferably at the same time each day, and keep track of your progress. Additionally, be mindful of how your body responds to the increased carb intake. This will help you identify any potential issues or sensitivities.

Opt for healthy carbs

Not all carbs are created equal. Choose healthy, complex carbs that are rich in fibre and nutrients. These carbs will keep you feeling fuller for longer and provide your body with essential vitamins and minerals. Avoid unhealthy carbs like white bread, cookies, and donuts, which are highly processed and lack nutritional value.

Combine with intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting can be a useful tool when reintroducing carbs. It involves restricting your eating to a specific window of time, such as 6-10 hours per day. This method can help you maintain a calorie deficit while still enjoying a wider variety of foods.

Be mindful of portion sizes

When increasing your carb intake, remember that portion sizes matter. Even healthy carbs can lead to weight gain if consumed in excessive amounts. Stick to moderate portions and be mindful of your overall calorie intake.

Focus on nutrient-dense foods

Prioritize nutrient-dense foods when increasing your carb intake. This includes whole grains, legumes, starchy vegetables, and fruits. These foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre, ensuring your body gets the nourishment it needs while also satisfying your carb cravings.

Remember, transitioning off the keto diet doesn't have to be daunting. By gradually increasing your carb intake, monitoring your progress, and making healthy choices, you can maintain your weight loss results and enjoy a more flexible and balanced diet.

Add more protein to your diet

Protein is an essential macronutrient with a wide range of functions in the body. It is broken down into amino acids, which are used to build new tissues, repair muscles, and create key enzymes and hormones. It also supports healthy bones and joints, promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails, and maintains the pH of blood and bodily fluids.

When following a keto diet, it is important to ensure you are consuming adequate amounts of protein. This is because protein can help to prevent muscle mass loss, which is common when losing weight. It also helps to slow down digestion, keeping you feeling fuller for longer, and burning more calories during the digestion process. Additionally, consuming protein with carbohydrates can help to minimise the blood sugar impact of carbs.

So, how much protein should you be eating on a keto diet? Generally, it is recommended that people following a keto diet consume between 20 to 30 percent of their calories from protein. However, some experts suggest that a more ideal way to calculate protein needs is in grams per kilogram of body weight. For those who are very active, such as males who lift heavy weights often, it is recommended to consume 1.6-3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For those who are less active and have a higher body fat percentage, it is recommended to consume closer to 2.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

It is important to note that consuming too much protein may kick you out of ketosis by increasing blood sugar and insulin levels, especially for those with type 1 diabetes. However, this is unlikely to happen if you are sticking to the recommended protein guidelines. On the other hand, consuming too little protein can lead to muscle mass loss, appetite changes, weight gain, delayed wound healing, and fatigue. Therefore, it is important to ensure you are getting enough protein in your diet, especially if you are aiming to lose weight.

Some keto-friendly foods that are rich in protein include meats such as beef, chicken, pork, and fish, eggs, dairy products like cheese and plain Greek yogurt, nuts and seeds, and protein supplements. If you are struggling to meet your protein goals, try adding an extra serving of meat to your meals or having a protein shake as a snack.

Add resistance training to your routine

If you're maintaining your weight on keto, you might want to consider adding resistance training to your routine. Resistance training is a great way to improve your overall health and well-being, and it can be easily incorporated into a keto lifestyle.

Resistance training involves forcing your muscles to push or pull against a given force. This can be done using resistance bands, your own body weight, medicine balls, or even gravity. For example, a single-leg squat or a Bulgarian split squat will challenge your balance and increase the weight carried by one leg.

Benefits of resistance training

There are numerous benefits to resistance training, including:

• Burning body fat, especially visceral fat
• Enhancing cardiovascular health and metabolic rate
• Encouraging weight loss
• Improving your range of motion and insulin sensitivity
• Decreasing back pain and arthritis-related discomfort
• Building muscle and increasing strength

Resistance training and keto

Combining resistance training with a keto diet can be highly effective for building strength and muscle. The keto diet is protein-sufficient and compatible with strength gains. Leucine, an amino acid found in meat, whey, and eggs, helps maintain a positive net protein balance, which means that muscle growth outweighs muscle breakdown.

Additionally, the ketogenic diet may increase testosterone levels, which is an anabolic hormone that promotes muscle growth. Research has shown that athletes who adopt a keto diet in conjunction with resistance training can achieve greater body fat loss and similar gains in lean body mass compared to those on a non-keto diet.

Tips for incorporating resistance training

• Consult a personal trainer, especially if you're new to resistance training, to design a safe and effective program tailored to your goals.
• Focus on compound exercises that work for multiple muscle groups, such as deadlifts, squats, and bench presses.
• Gradually increase the challenge by adding weight, increasing reps, or decreasing rest time between sets to promote muscle growth and strength gains.
• Ensure adequate protein intake to support muscle repair and growth. Aim for 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or approximately 50 grams per day for a 140-pound person.
• Consider a ketone supplement, which has been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis.

Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet

If you're maintaining your weight on keto and want to transition to a more balanced diet, it's important to do so gradually. Here are some tips to help you add more fruits and vegetables to your diet:

• Increase your fruit and vegetable intake slowly: Start by adding a bit more fruit, such as berries, kiwis, or watermelon, to your diet. You can also include starchy vegetables like carrots, butternut squash, and sweet potatoes. Remember to track your weight and how your body feels as you increase your fruit and vegetable intake.
• Opt for complex carbohydrates: When increasing your carbohydrate intake, focus on complex carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. These are healthier options that are rich in fibre, keeping you fuller for longer and reducing the likelihood of overeating.
• Make fruits and vegetables a larger part of your meals: Instead of adding more grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables, increase your fruit and vegetable intake. These are lower in calories and provide your body with essential antioxidants and nutrients.
• Try juicing: Fruit and vegetable juices can be a great way to get your fill of vitamins and minerals. Just be mindful of the sugar content, especially if you're blending your juices.
• Be mindful of portion sizes: Even when eating healthy foods, portion control is important. Make sure you're not consuming more calories than you're burning.
• Continue tracking your macronutrients: As you transition out of keto, continue to track your macronutrients to ensure you're getting the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This will help you stay within a calorie deficit and maintain your weight loss.
• Gradually increase your carb intake: Start by adding an extra 10 grams of carbohydrates per day for the first week, and then gradually increase this amount weekly or bi-weekly. This will help your body adjust and prevent shocking your system.
• Prioritize nutrient-dense foods: When choosing fruits and vegetables, opt for those that are nutrient-dense and provide a good balance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This will ensure you're getting the most nutritional benefit from your diet.
• Prepare your own meals: By preparing your own meals, you can control the ingredients and portion sizes, making it easier to track your macronutrients and calories.

Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves cycling between periods of fasting and normal eating. It is often used as a weight-loss technique, but it has also been shown to have other health benefits, such as reducing inflammation and improving brain function and blood sugar control.

There are several ways to do intermittent fasting, including the popular 16/8 method, which involves eating during an eight-hour window and fasting for the remaining 16 hours of the day. Other methods include the 5:2 method, where you eat normally for five days and restrict calories for two non-consecutive days, and alternate-day fasting, where you eat a calorie-restricted diet every other day.

Combining intermittent fasting with a keto diet may help you reach ketosis faster and burn more fat. Intermittent fasting boosts metabolism and promotes the burning of stored fat. It can also help reduce hunger and make you feel fuller for longer, which can aid in weight loss.

However, combining these two diets is very restrictive and may not be suitable for everyone. It is important to consult your healthcare provider before making any significant dietary changes, especially if you have a history of disordered eating, chronic kidney disease, or other health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.

If you decide to try intermittent fasting, it is recommended to start with a shorter fasting window and gradually increase the duration. It is also crucial to maintain a balanced diet during your eating window, ensuring you get all the necessary nutrients.

While intermittent fasting can be a powerful tool for weight loss and improving health, it is not necessary to combine it with the keto diet. You may choose one approach over the other or experiment with both to see which works best for you.

Frequently asked questions