Keto Diet: Why You Won't Lose Much Weight Initially

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb eating pattern that's often used for weight loss. While many dieters experience rapid weight loss shortly after starting this diet, plateaus — in which your weight stubbornly stays the same — are also common.

There are several reasons why you might not be losing weight on the keto diet. These include not achieving ketosis, eating too many carbs, consuming too many calories, eating too much protein, constantly snacking, consuming too much alcohol, stress, inadequate sleep, not getting enough physical activity, and underlying medical conditions.

To get back on track, you can try looking for hidden carbs, trying intermittent fasting, switching up your workout routine, decreasing your calorie intake, reducing your stress levels, and getting enough sleep.

Not achieving ketosis

The keto diet is a type of diet that significantly restricts carbohydrate intake. Ordinarily, the body breaks down carbohydrates into the sugar glucose, which it uses for energy. When there are not enough carbs in the body, it goes into a stage called ketosis. During ketosis, the body becomes very efficient at burning fat and using it instead of glucose for energy. This fat-burning makes the ketogenic diet a popular choice for people looking to lose weight.

However, not everyone achieves ketosis. One reason for not achieving ketosis is not cutting back enough on carbs. Carbohydrates should represent only 5–10% of a person’s calorie intake on the ketogenic diet. Most keto diets require a person to cut down to between 20 and 50 grams of carbs each day on a 2000-calorie-per-day diet.

People may feel as though they have drastically reduced their carb intake, but they may still be eating enough carbs for the body to produce energy from glucose, and this may reduce the rate of fat burned in the body. Home testing can be a helpful way for people to ensure that they are entering ketosis.

How to get into ketosis

To get into ketosis, it is important to eat a maximum of 20 grams of digestible carbs per day. This can be challenging as many foods contain carbohydrates, even if it is a small amount. For example, a single banana has about 20 grams of net carbs, which is 40% of the maximum daily allowance on keto. Even lower-carb foods can add up. For example, a carrot has about 5 grams of net carbs and a serving of peanut butter has 5.5 grams of net carbs.

To ensure you are on the right track, testing for ketosis can be highly beneficial. You can test for ketosis through urine strips, breath analyzers, or blood ketone meters. Blood ketone meters are generally the most accurate, but they can be more costly and require a small blood sample with every test.

Other reasons for not losing weight on keto

In addition to not achieving ketosis, there are several other reasons why a person may not lose weight while following the keto diet:

• Eating too much protein: Many low-carb diets allow for a moderate amount of protein. However, if protein makes up more than 35% of a person’s diet, they may not go into ketosis as the body can break down excess proteins into amino acids and convert them into types of sugar.
• Eating too many acceptable carbs: On the keto diet, several types of carbohydrates are acceptable, including nuts and dairy. These foods are typically high-fat and nutrient-dense, but they also contain carbohydrates. Eating too many of these foods will prevent a person from achieving and maintaining ketosis.
• Not counting calories: To lose weight, a person needs to burn more calories than they consume. People who consume too many calories may gain weight, even if they are in a state of ketosis. It is important to keep track of the number of calories consumed and stick to a balanced meal plan.
• Constant snacking: Continual snacking can increase a person’s calorie intake, resulting in weight gain. This is true even if the snacks are keto-friendly, as they can delay ketosis or increase calorie intake.
• Little to no exercise: Exercise is an important part of staying healthy and can help stimulate the body’s metabolism and burn calories. Exercise may be especially important on a keto diet, as the high-fat foods a person eats contain many calories.
• High-stress lifestyle: Psychological stress can cause changes in hormone levels, such as cortisol, which can lead to weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Chronic stress may also cause people to crave comfort foods, which can add extra calories to the diet.
• Underlying medical conditions: In some cases, an underlying medical condition or medication can cause weight gain or prevent weight loss. Some conditions that can contribute to weight gain include endocrine conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome, as well as mental health conditions such as depression.

Eating too many carbs

Even eating just a few extra grams of carbs here and there adds up quickly and may prevent you from entering ketosis. On keto, carbs should only make up 5-10% of your daily calories. A single banana has about 20 grams of net carbs, which is 40% of the maximum daily allowance on keto. Even lower-carb foods easily add up. For example, a carrot has about 5 grams of net carbs, and a serving of peanut butter has 5.5 grams of net carbs.

In some cases, you might unknowingly consume more carbs than recommended due to hidden sugars in sauces or dressings and even in foods marketed as 'low-carb'. Therefore, it's crucial to be vigilant about your carb intake. To keep carbs in check, consider tracking your macros using a tracking app. Furthermore, always check labels for hidden sugars to make sure they fit your macros.

If you find that you aren't losing weight on the keto diet, it's important to evaluate your carb intake carefully. Look for hidden carbs and make sure you're not consuming more carbs than recommended.

Consuming too many calories

Even when on a keto diet, it is still necessary to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight. This is because, to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume so that your body resorts to your fat reserves for energy.

It is possible to consume too many calories on a ketogenic diet by eating portions that are too large or by snacking on high-calorie foods throughout the day. Calorie tracking can be useful in helping you stay within your calorie needs.

To lose weight, it is critical to create a calorie deficit. This can be achieved by either reducing the number of calories that you consume or by expending more calories through increased 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.

To lower your calorie intake, be sure to monitor your portion sizes carefully and snack on foods with a low-calorie density.

Eating too much protein

The body's insulin and glucagon levels are crucial in determining how protein intake will affect ketone levels. Insulin decreases ketone production, while glucagon stimulates it. When insulin levels are higher, ketone production will be reduced, but when glucagon is consistently higher, ketosis will follow.

The impact of protein intake on ketone levels may depend on the degree of insulin resistance or sensitivity. Insulin-sensitive individuals are less likely to experience an insulin increase after protein consumption, which reduces ketone levels. Conversely, insulin resistance can lead to higher insulin levels and decreased ketone production.

Additionally, gender may play a role in glucagon and insulin secretion after protein consumption. Studies suggest that healthy women in their early 20s may experience a similar insulin increase as men of the same age, but with significantly lower glucagon secretion.

To maintain ketosis, it is recommended that protein intake should be between 0.6-1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass, depending on activity level.

In summary, while protein is essential for muscle maintenance and weight management, excessive protein intake can interfere with ketosis and weight loss on a keto diet.

Constantly snacking

Constant snacking can be a part of a healthy ketogenic diet, even with the intention of weight loss. However, if you don't approach it with care, you might find yourself overindulging. This doesn't only apply to non-keto snacks. Even keto-friendly sweets can hinder weight loss by delaying ketosis or increasing calorie intake.

Some of the snacks you need to be wary of include fat bombs, keto-friendly chocolate, nuts, and seeds. If you find yourself needing to snack more often, opt for lower-calorie keto-friendly snacks such as cucumbers, celery sticks, and eggs.

Snacking on healthy food can be an effective way to prevent hunger between meals and overeating. Yet, consuming too many high-calorie ketogenic snacks like nuts, nut butter, fat bombs, cheese, and jerky may cause your weight loss to plateau.

Although these snacks are healthy in moderation, it's best to choose lower-calorie options if you're having more than one snack session per day. Foods like non-starchy vegetables or proteins can keep you feeling full without the calories.

Flavourful snacks like celery sticks and cherry tomatoes dipped in guacamole or a hard-boiled egg with some cut-up veggies are smart choices for those following ketogenic diets. Plus, adding extra non-starchy vegetables to your diet adds a dose of fibre that can help keep your digestive system regular, which can be especially helpful for those first transitioning to a keto diet.

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