What are the reasons why you’re not losing weight on the keto diet? Discover the surprising factors that may be hindering your weight loss progress and how to overcome them.

The Keto Diet Basics: Understanding the Macros

The keto diet, short for the “ketogenic diet,” is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that aims to put your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In this state, your body burns fat for energy instead of carbs. To achieve ketosis, the general guideline is to consume:

• 60 to 75 percent of your calories from fat
• 15 to 30 percent of your calories from protein
• 5 to 10 percent of your calories from carbs

While this macro ratio can help most people reach ketosis, there are several reasons why you may not be losing weight on the keto diet, despite following these guidelines.

Reason #1: You’re Eating Too Many Calories

Just because the keto diet allows for more meat, cheese, and butter doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. “Getting in more calories than your body requires from food can hinder weight-loss efforts no matter the type of food eaten or ratio of foods,” explains Rahaf Al Bochi, RD, owner of Olive Tree Nutrition and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The key is to maintain a calorie deficit, typically between 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, to see weight loss results.

Reason #2: You’re Not Eating Enough Calories

The keto diet can initially suppress your appetite, as the ketones produced can help take away hunger. However, this effect can wear off over time. “If you’ve been on the keto diet for a while and you’re still not feeling hungry, it might be time to switch diets or talk to a registered dietitian about modifying your keto attempt,” says Sonya Angelone, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Undereating can slow down your metabolism and hinder your weight-loss efforts.

Reason #3: You’ve Stopped Going to the Gym

The “keto flu” is a real phenomenon that can make you feel irritable, moody, and fatigued, especially when you first start the diet. This lethargic feeling can make working out the last thing you want to do. “Movement plus a healthy diet is key to dropping pounds,” says Angelone. To combat this, you can try keto cycling, where you follow a strict keto diet on non-exercise days and allow for a few more carbs on workout days to give you an extra energy boost.

Reason #4: You’re Not Eating Enough Fiber

The keto diet’s focus on low-carb foods means you might not be getting as much fiber as you were before. “Fiber is essential to help regulate hunger and fullness cues, and to provide long-lasting energy and a steady blood-glucose level,” explains Angelone. A lack of fiber can lead to less satisfying meals, which can result in overeating later on. Additionally, a low-fiber diet can negatively impact your gut bacteria, potentially contributing to weight gain.

Reason #5: You’re Still Eating Too Many Carbs

The keto diet requires you to strictly limit your carb intake, typically to no more than 20 to 50 grams per day. “Many people might not realize how many carbs are in common foods,” says Al Bochi. If you end up consuming too many carbs, you may never achieve the state of ketosis, which is essential for the diet’s weight-loss benefits.

Reason #6: You’re Eating Too Much Protein

While the keto diet emphasizes fat and protein, it’s important to strike the right balance. “Excess protein can be converted to glucose in the body, which can kick you out of ketosis,” explains Al Bochi. Aim to keep your protein intake within the recommended 15 to 30 percent of your total daily calories.

Reason #7: You’re Stressed Out

Chronic stress can have a negative impact on your weight-loss efforts, regardless of the diet you’re following. “Stress can increase the hormone cortisol, which can lead to increased appetite, cravings, and fat storage,” says Al Bochi. Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as through meditation, exercise, or talking to a therapist.

Reason #8: You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep

Inadequate sleep can disrupt your body’s hormonal balance, leading to increased hunger hormones and decreased satiety hormones. “When you don’t get enough sleep, it can make it harder to lose weight,” says Al Bochi. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night to support your weight-loss goals.

Reason #9: You’re Not Drinking Enough Water

Staying hydrated is important for overall health and weight loss. “Water can help fill you up and may even boost your metabolism,” says Al Bochi. Aim to drink at least 64 ounces (8 cups) of water per day, and more if you’re active or live in a warm climate.

Reason #10: You’re Not Tracking Your Progress

Monitoring your progress, whether it’s through weigh-ins, body measurements, or tracking your ketone levels, can help you identify what’s working and what’s not. “If you’re not seeing the results you expected, tracking your progress can help you pinpoint areas for improvement,” says Al Bochi.

Reason #11: You’re Not Giving It Enough Time

Transitioning to a keto diet can take some time for your body to adjust. “It can take several weeks to a few months to see significant weight-loss results on the keto diet,” explains Al Bochi. Be patient and persistent, and make adjustments as needed to find the right approach for your body and lifestyle.

Remember, the keto diet is a powerful tool for weight loss, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. By understanding these common pitfalls and making the necessary adjustments, you can increase your chances of successfully losing weight and improving your overall health on the keto diet.

11 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight On The Keto Diet

Sure, Jenna Jameson makes the keto diet look like a damn breeze (girl lost 80 pounds after starting the keto in April 2018).

So why the heck aren’t you losing weight on keto? You’ve cut down on carbs and loaded up on bacon, cheese, and avocados, but the scale still isn’t moving—what gives?

First, let’s cover some keto basics.

The keto diet is short for “ketogenic diet,” and the main goal is to limit how many carbs you’re consuming, while also increasing your fat intake. By doing this, you can send your body into a state known as ketosis, which is when it burns fat as a form of energy, explains Scott Keatley, RD, of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.

100+ Amazing Keto Recipes That Will Change Your Life

100+ Amazing Keto Recipes That Will Change Your Life

$26 at Amazon

Credit: .

While keto diet macros can vary from person to person, Keatley says following this general formula should get most people into ketosis:

• 60 to 75 percent of your calories from fat
• 15 to 30 percent of your calories from protein
• 5 to 10 percent of your calories from carbs

But even if you follow these guidelines to a T, there’s still a chance you might not lose as much weight as you expected on the keto diet for a variety of reasons, including:

1. You’re eating too many calories…

Yes, the keto diet lets you have meat, cheese, and butter—but that doesn’t mean you can eat as much of it as you want. “Getting in more calories than your body requires from food can hinder weight-loss efforts no matter the type of food eaten or ratio of foods,” says Rahaf Al Bochi, RD, owner of Olive Tree Nutrition and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Basically, the keto diet is still a diet, and losing weight typically happens when there’s a calorie deficit (1,200 to 1,500 calories a day is the sweet spot for weight loss)—so go ahead and cut carbs to under 50 grams a day and up your fat—but if you want to lose weight, make sure you’re keeping an eye on calories, too.

See what Vanessa Hudgens has to say about these keto snacks:

2. …or you’re not eating enough calories.

The keto diet might take away your appetite for a while when you first start it. “Ketones can help take away hunger initially, but this effect can wear off with time,” says Sonya Angelone, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

That could translate into not eating enough calories—and when that happens, your body can go into starvation mode, slowing down your metabolism and hindering your weight-loss efforts. This lack of appetite should go away within a few weeks, but if you’ve been on the keto diet for a while and you’re still not feeling hungry, it might be time to switch diets or talk to an RD about modifying your keto attempt.

3. You stopped going to the gym.

The keto flu is real, guys—and it might make you skip the gym…over and over again. “When you start the keto diet, you will likely feel irritable, moody, and fatigued since the brain doesn’t have its main source of fuel from glucose—a.k.a carbohydrates,” says Angelone.

Related Story

• The Ultimate Calorie-Burning Workout

That lethargic feeling can make working out the last thing you want to (or can) do—which can then hinder your attempts at weight loss (movement plus a healthy diet is key to dropping pounds).

If you want to get back to working out, it might be a good idea to try keto cycling—you follow a strict keto diet on the days you don’t exercise, and give your body a few more carbs on days you do work out for an extra burst of energy.

4. You’re not eating enough fiber.

Since the keto diet focuses on a super low-carb lifestyle, you might not be eating as much fiber as you were before. (There’s tons of fiber in fruits and whole grains—two things you can’t have much of on keto.)

Related Story

• 40 Foods That Have More Fiber Than A Fiber Bar

“Fiber is essential to help regulate hunger and fullness cues, and to provide long-lasting energy and a steady blood-glucose level,” says Angelone. “A low-fiber diet is less satisfying, which can lead to overeating later.”

Another thing about a low-fiber diet: You might be messing with your gut bacteria. “Diets lower in fiber will have a lower diversity of good bacteria, which can also contribute to weight gain,” says Angelone.

5. You’re still eating too many carbs.

The ratios of the keto diet are super important: Most people should stick to eating no more than 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day, says Al Bochi.

But here’s the thing: “Many people might not realize how many carbs are in common foods,” says Al Bochi—which is why it’s very important to track your daily intake. If you end up eating too many carbs on the keto diet, you may never get into ketosis, which can hinder your weight loss, adds Al Bochi.

6. You’re eating too much protein.

Those keto macros come into play again here, too. “When our body digests protein, a small percentage is converted to glucose,” says Al Bochi, which can then hinder your body’s ability to go into ketosis, she adds (glucose is a sugar, which is a carb).

Related Story

• You Might Be Eating The Wrong Kind Of Protein

Instead of using the keto diet as a free pass to eat as much steak and bacon as you’d like, keep in mind that your primary focus on keto is eating healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nut butters). So cut back on the protein a bit and make sure to have some form of healthy fat with every meal.

7. You’re yo-yo keto dieting.

Let’s be real: The keto diet is really hard to stick to—but if you’re constantly doing keto for a few days and then quitting it for a few days, you’re probably not getting the results you want, says Al Bochi.

That’s because your body might be going in and out of ketosis—so it’s never in it long enough to show you any results. If you’re struggling on keto, ease up on yourself a little—and ease into the diet. Starting slow (gradually restricting carbs until you get to that 20 to 50 grams a day range) can help you stick with the diet for a longer term.

8. You’re not getting enough B vitamins.

View full post on Instagram

“B vitamins are found in whole grains,” says Angelone—and lacking them can make you feel tired, which can then limit your activity, and your weight loss.

Luckily, you can still get plenty of B vitamins from keto-friendly foods like meats, eggs and dairy products, and dark, leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach. If you’re still feeling lethargic, talk to your doctor about taking a B vitamin supplement to boost your levels.

9. You’re snacking too much.

Snacks are great and all, but if you’re constantly snacking, it’s easier to go over your caloric goal for the day.

Related Story

• How Do You Count Macros On The Keto Diet?

If you end up doing that, “even though you’re in ketosis, that will be stored as fat,” Keatley says. If you suspect this is tripping you up, try limiting yourself to just one snack a day and make sure you factor that in when you’re looking at the overall calories you consume for the day.

10. You’re not drinking enough water.

Sure, you’re probably drinking some water (after all, you need to stay alive and all), but not getting enough water can stall any weight-loss efforts—even ones that aren’t keto-specific, since staying hydrated can help curb snacking, which can lead to weight gain (or at least zero weight lost).

Related Story

• More Water, Please

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies suggests most people have a total water goal (including all beverages and food) of 2.7 liters (91 ounces) for women and 3.7 liters (125 ounces) for men each day. Most people don’t even get that, so strive to at least hit that every day and see where it gets you. If you feel like you can meet that goal pretty easily, try having an extra cup of water a day.

11. You rushed into keto.

It seems like everyone and their mom is raving about it on social media, so it’s only natural that you’d want to try it out— and do it ASAP. But this can end up tripping you up.

“[Keto] is a very hard diet to get into and maintain,” Keatley says. “Rushing in without a plan is ill advised as it will most likely result in failure.” Instead, he recommends coming up with a plan, actually writing it down, and consider talking to a professional, like a registered dietitian, or running it by your family and friends. “Get support and other ideas on how to manage the diet,” he says.

Also, Keatley stresses this: The keto diet isn’t meant to be a long-term diet, so you should plan to go back to a diet with carbs after you’ve been on keto “for a max” of 12 weeks, since, again, keto is difficult to maintain and can restrict a healthy balance of nutrients.

Emily Shiffer

Emily Shiffer is a former digital web producer for Men’s Health and Prevention, and is currently a freelancer writer specializing in health, weight loss, and fitness. She is currently based in Pennsylvania and loves all things antiques, cilantro, and American history.

New Study: Lower-calorie Keto Diet Works for Overweight Women

Once again, a keto diet has been credited with helping people lose weight and improve their health.

In a new study from Polish researchers published last month, overweight and obese women who followed a calorie-restricted ketogenic diet experienced dramatic weight loss and improvement in several health markers:

Nature 2020: The effects of a low calorie ketogenic diet on glycaemic control variables in hyperinsulinemic overweight/obese females

In this randomized controlled trial, 100 women with chronically high insulin levels were assigned to follow either a keto diet containing 20% fewer calories than their calculated needs or to continue eating their usual diet for 12 weeks.

By the end of the study, women in the keto group had lost 30 pounds (13.6 kilos), on average. In an equally impressive change, their waist size decreased by an average of 4.5 inches (11.6 cm).

Additionally, their average fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance scores dropped by more than 50% and their fasting blood sugar levels dropped by 20%. Furthermore, the women’s triglycerides decreased from 213 mg/dL to 129 mg/dL and their HDL cholesterol increased from 37 mg/dL to 53 mg/dL, on average.

After just 12 weeks of keto eating, many of the women’s health markers — including fasting insulin — had improved so much that they were considered within the normal range.

The women in the control group didn’t experience any weight loss or beneficial changes in health markers. This isn’t surprising, given that they made no changes at all to their diet.

We do need to point out that the researchers chose to restrict both calories and carbs in the keto group.

Ideally, both groups would have either been calorically restricted or allowed to eat as much as they needed to feel full. Had that been done, it would have been easier to determine whether any beneficial changes were due solely to keto eating, rather than having to consider whether deliberate calorie restriction may have also played a role.

On the other hand, this wasn’t a very-low-calorie diet (800 or fewer calories per day), which has been used in many studies.

Women in the keto group reported eating roughly 1,800 calories daily, for an average deficit of about 450 calories per day. This deficit was calculated by subtracting each woman’s estimated energy expenditure (calories out) from the amount of calories they reported consuming (calories in).

Normally, a calorie deficit of this size would be expected to produce a loss of about 10 to 15 pounds within 12 weeks. The women in this study lost an average of 30 pounds in that time period!

Importantly, keto diets typically prompt the body to release a large amount of water initially, which likely contributed to some of the women’s overall weight loss.

However, even though changes in body composition weren’t reported, the decrease in waist size shows that much of the weight they lost over 12 weeks was likely fat. Since they reported adequate protein intake (about 90 grams per day, on average), we would expect lean body mass to remain stable or increase, although it would have been nice to objectively measure this.

Additionally, their dramatic improvements in insulin levels and other health markers are consistent with results from previous ketogenic diet research in which people were allowed to eat to satiety.

Yes, the keto group was mildly calorie restricted, but 1,800 calories per day is usually enough for most women to feel satisfied — particularly when eating nourishing, filling keto foods.

Indeed, the study authors noted:

After the experiment was completed, most of the women declared that they would continue this diet, not only for health reasons but because it is very practical in everyday life.

At Diet Doctor, we hope that most of these women do continue to eat low carb for the rest of their lives — and that many others who could benefit will choose to join them.

More posts

A changing landscape for low-carb diets

How much fat should you eat on low carb or keto?

How to lose weight with a low-carb diet

Older posts

Keto diet, comfortable weight loss – 1600-1700 kcal, day 2 – sample menu 002 starstar_halfstar_outline

starstar_halfstar_outline

starstar_halfstar_outline

Calorie table

{{tdn.text}}

Breakfast

Chicken egg

(100 g)

Hass avocado

(80 g)

Brest-Litovsk butter 82.5%

(10 g)

coconut oil

(10 g)

fresh cream 35% fat d)

cocoa butter

(10 g)

Lunch

Onion

(50 g)

Minced beef

(120 g)

melted butter

900 02 (20 g)

Fresh garlic

(5 g)

daikon radish

(50 g)

Green beans

(150 g)

Dinner

Fresh salmon

(120 g)

Celery stalk

(50 g)

olive oil. ‘MILANO REAL’

(20g)

Microgreen 3 UMO

(50g)

{{oTime.title}}

{{oTime.tmpSumValue}}kcalkJ

{{o Time.tmpSumValue}}hmg

{{oF.title}}

{{oF.title}}

({{oF.unitSimple}})

x

{{u.title}}

{{tplRowValue(oF,tpl)}}kcalkJ

{{tplRowValue(oF,tpl)))g

{{tplRowValue(oF,tpl)}} mg

{{dn.text}}

Activity

{{oA.title}}

fiber_manual_record Proteins

fiber_manual_record Carbs

900 02 fiber_manual_record Fats

{{dataChartPercent[ 0] | number:0}} %, {{protein | number:2}} y

{{dataChartPercent[1] | number:0}} %, {{carbohydrate | number:2}} y

{{dataChartPercent[2] | number:0}} %, {{fat | number:2}} g

9 0139

{{feedback. text}}

View all reviews

data

{{(diaryCount | number : 0).split(‘,’).join(‘ ‘)}}

ration completed yesterday

{{(userCount | number : 0).split(‘,’ ).join(‘ ‘)}}

registered in the Calorie Chart

Is it important to count calories on a keto diet?

By Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MDD, medical review by Dr. Bret Scher, MD

When talking about losing weight, “calories” are often mentioned and often misinterpreted. Indeed, the benefits of counting calories for weight loss remains a big question. In this article, we will discuss understanding the essence of calories and their role in ketogenic diets.

What are calories? How many calories per day on a keto diet?

Calorie – a unit of energy used by the body to perform various kinds of physical activity – voluntary movements: walking, running, jumping, as well as involuntary: breathing, blood circulation in the body, maintaining normal body temperature.

These involuntary processes require a certain amount of calories to work. There is a so-called basal metabolic rate (BMR). This indicator represents the basic amount of energy needed by the body to provide its own processes at rest. Many factors: age, gender, constitution and genetics, affect PBM.

Physical activity, such as walking, burns even more calories than at rest. Increasing your activity level increases your calorie expenditure.

How many calories are in
carbohydrates, proteins and fats?

Each macronutrient counts
certain number of calories:

• Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
• Proteins: 4 calories per gram
• Fats: 9 calories per gram following: fats contain more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates. Fats are much more caloric and nutritious than carbohydrates.

  It is believed that protein is the most nutritious macronutrient needed for cell repair, support for health and growth of the body. To meet the body’s need for protein, it is critical to consume protein-containing foods, such as meat or fish. For a keto diet, protein is not a very good source of energy (i.e. calories) because during the process of converting protein into glucose by the liver, an excess of blood glucose concentration can occur. An increase in glucose concentration can bring the body out of a state of ketosis, and a violation of the keto diet will occur. Thus, on a keto diet, eating a large amount of protein food is undesirable.

  100% of the calories in natural fats and oils come directly from fat. However, in many foods, calories are represented by carbohydrates, proteins and fats at the same time.

  For example, eggs are considered a protein food. However, a large proportion of the calorie content of eggs is provided by the fats contained in them. For example, two large eggs have 146 calories:

  • 4 calories from carbohydrates (1 gram) (2%)
  • 52 calories from protein (13 grams) (34%)
  • 90 calories from fat (10 grams) (64%)

  Count calories, but don’t overthink counting

  Long-term consumption of calories in excess of the required level leads to the deposition of fat reserves in the body. In turn, long-term consumption of a small amount of calories leads to weight loss by burning fat reserves.

  But to maintain the desired weight, it is not enough just to keep track of calories consumed and expended. In fact, people in antiquity easily controlled weight even when the understanding of the term “calorie” did not exist in the minds of ancient people.

  The current problem of being overweight in humans coincides with an ever-increasing focus on calorie counting. There is no causal relationship in this coincidence. Therefore, it would obviously be wrong to say that the problem of excess weight is caused by counting calories. But counting calories is not a good practice for weight control either. So what’s the deal?

  Insulin, a pancreatic hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism in the body, has a strong effect on appetite, satiety, and the accumulation of fat reserves in the body. According to research, a ketogenic diet affects hormones and leads to a natural decrease in calorie intake, especially in overweight people who are insulin resistant.

  Research study #1 included two groups of people. The first group ate eggs for breakfast, while the second group ate breakfasts containing baked goods. The breakfast of both groups contained the same number of calories. But the feeling of satiety in the group whose breakfast was eggs lasted much longer than in the second group. The first group was less hungry during lunch. Thus, for lunch, the first group consumed fewer calories than the second group.

  Moreover, the level of insulin concentration in the blood and the body’s sensitivity to it affects the body’s storage of fat reserves and their burning. Studies show that as a result of an illiterate diet, an insulin response is disturbed in the body, which leads to a slowdown in metabolic rate, which in turn leads to secondary weight gain.

  Scientific study #2 conducted in 2004, in which subjects consistently followed a low-fat diet for the first week, then a keto diet for the second week, showed that subjects lost more weight after a week of following the keto diet than after a week of low-fat diet.