Why am I not losing weight on keto? Isn’t it supposed to be effective for weight loss?
There’s not a single health magazine that doesn’t flash headlines like – I lost 25 pounds on keto.
It is because the keto diet has helped a lot of folks to get rid of excess weight and burn extra fat.
If you don’t know about keto yet, then let me tell you that it is the most trending diet.
Notably, Keto takes your body into the ketosis stage by helping your body to rely on a lack of carbohydrates.
Furthermore, the keto diet, with its amazing results, has made people believe they can lose weight instantly.
However, the scenario is not exactly the same for everyone.
Like every other weight loss regime and diet, people see amazing results at the beginning of the keto diet as well.
But after a certain time, they often have queries like why is keto not working for me anymore.
Well, the reasons can be anything.
It may be because they have reached the weight loss plateau or they might be cheating with their keto diet.
If you’ve been dealing with the same, we have come up with this blog to tell you about all the possible reasons for not losing weight on keto.
Why Am I Not Losing Weight On Keto? | Top 10 Reasons
The main purpose of following a keto diet is to lose weight.
Therefore, it surely gets frustrating if you stop shedding extra pounds after some time.
But what could be the reason?
Why are you not losing weight even after following keto basics?
Let’s troubleshoot this query now.
Here are some of the common reasons why is it not possible to lose weight on keto for you.
- Not Getting Enough Calories
- Taking Too Much Of Carbs
- Protein Intake May Be Too Low
- Overeating Dairy And Nuts
- Lacking On Quality Sleep
- Excess/Lack Of Exercise
- Not Staying Hydrated
- Underlying Medical Conditions
- Not On Ketosis
- Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Let’s discuss these points one by one in detail.
#1. Not Getting Enough Calories
When on a keto diet, ketones can take away your appetite at the beginning.
However, if you have been trying the keto diet for a while but still not feeling hungry, it may be because of low calories.
The calorie deficit can lower the metabolism and prevent your body to lose weight.
Unless your body is using fat stores, you can even start to lose lean muscles.
#2. Taking Too Much Of Carbs
Keto is more about lack of carbohydrates. Being on a keto diet and carb cheating doesn’t go hand in hand.
It may be another reason why you are not losing weight in keto.
Carb cheating is easy.
Especially when you are at the early stages of the keto diet you may find it hard to restrict yourself from munching some treats.
#3. Protein Intake May Be Too Low Or Too High
Protein is one of the macros and the building blocks of muscles.
If you want to prevent your muscles when on a keto diet, it’s important to keep a check on your protein intake.
While lack of protein triggers hunger, eating too much protein hamper weight loss.
To explain, excess protein converts into glycogen and as a result, the body shifts its focus to use that energy instead of burning fat.
#4. Eating Too Many Dairy And Nuts
It’s a misconception that when on diet, you need to consume enough dairy and nuts.
While it might be true for other diet plans, it surely is not for the keto diet.
Dairy and nuts consist of a lot of carbs which is not recommended to those trying to lose weight in keto.
For instance, a single cup of milk contains 13grams of carbs.
In the case of yogurt as well, people often top it with nuts.
So, better watch out for your dairy and nut consumption in case you’re worried about why you are not losing weight in keto.
#5. You Are Not Hydrated Enough
Staying hydrated is the key to weight loss in any diet.
It could one of the answers to your question: why have I stopped losing weight on keto!
When you are not drinking enough water, your metabolism gets slow, muscles lack oxygen, and fatigue starts to take over.
Hence, the weight loss is on hold.
Adding to it, staying hydrated also helps in curbing hunger pangs and untimely cravings.
#6. Lacking On Quality Sleep
You must have heard before that you burn maximum fat when you are asleep.
A proper rest of 7-8 hours helps your body to rejuvenate and maximizes your fat-burning process.
Also, inadequate sleep may trigger your hormones and result in mid-night hunger cravings.
So, if you are not losing weight on a keto diet, well, it might be because of not getting enough sleep.
#7. Excess/Lack Of Exercise
Only relying on the best weight-loss diets is of no good.
It must be necessarily accompanied by enough exercises to create a balance and accelerate weight loss.
Interestingly, while lack of training can trigger a layback attitude, excessive exercise, for instance, a lot of cardio can stimulate hunger and you might end up eating a lot.
#8. Underlying Medical Conditions
If you think you have done every possible thing, but still couldn’t find an answer to why am i not losing weight on keto diet?
Well, it may be because you have undiagnosed medical issues.
Sometimes people are unaware of their food allergies and this could be a strong reason why you are not losing weight on keto.
Also, if you are a female not losing weight on keto, better get your thyroid checked.
#9. Not On Ketosis
Are you stressing over why not losing weight on keto is possible for you?
Well, it could be because you are really not on ketosis.
Yes, you read that right.
Even after following the basics of the keto diet, you are not losing enough pounds; it’s to track your macros.
So, rather than stressing over why am I not in ketosis after fasting, choose your carbs, plan, and track your intake.
#10. Too Much Alcohol
If you are drinking too much alcohol, no wonder why you are not losing weight on a keto diet.
Even drinking 2-3 times a week, can throw your away from all your effort of losing weight.
Alcohol stops ketosis and halts your weight loss.
These could be some of the major reasons behind your lack of weight loss in keto.
If you resonate with any of these, you must take the necessary steps to get the most out of your keto diet plan.
So, what should you do to accelerate your weight loss in the keto diet?
How Can I Speed Up Weight Loss In Ketosis?
Now that you know the prominent causes behind not losing weight in keto, you must next focus on reviving your weight loss journey.
There are numerous ways to speed up your weight loss process in ketosis. Some of them are as follows.
#1. Change Your Exercise Routine
Maintaining an exercise routine is of great help when trying to give your laid-back weight loss the much-needed push.
In a lot of cases, the reason behind not losing weight could also be reaching a weight loss plateau.
In such a case, try changing your exercises routine.
According to studies, just a few days of HIT a week can speed up your weight loss process in ketosis.
#2. Consume High-Fat Foods
Rather than wondering why i am not losing weight on keto, simply switch to high-fat foods or start consuming more of it.
To begin with, switch to avocado oil, coconut oil, or olive oil to cook your daily food. Also, incorporate fatty fish, cheese, and eggs into your diet.
Apart from adding these, try to maintain distance from trans fats.
#3. Try MCT Oil
Medium Chain-Triglycerides are extracted from coconut oil and offer great benefits in terms of weight loss.
Adding to it, trying MCT oil is also a great solution for people who are wondering “why am I not losing weight on low carb“. Plus, it also enhances mood and energy levels.
This powerhouse of cooking oil can skyrocket your weight loss.
So, add it to your keto diet for weight loss without thinking twice.
You can add it as a dressing, use it as cooking oil, or simply mix it into your coffee.
#4. Eat Enough Protein
Not eating enough protein can have a severe impact on your hunger.
Neither less nor more!
You must maintain a balance of protein intake to keep your ketosis on track.
So, how much protein should you take on keto diet?
Well, there isn’t really a magic number. It doesn’t work like one size fits all.
The quantity of protein intake depends on the height, weight, lifestyle, and fat percentage. 0.8 grams of protein per pound is ideally required.
People Also Read: Pea Protein vs Whey Protein
#5. Make Some Space For Intermittent Fasting
Another reason behind your lack of achieving even average weight loss during ketosis could be your recurring diet.
To elaborate, there are chances that your body has adapted to your keto diet and hence, your weight loss is at a halt.
Therefore, a change in diet is urgently required.
So, rather than switching to any regular diet, give importance to intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting is all about taking a large break from eating.
Intermittent fasting with a keto diet may leave you surprised.
This way you can speed up your weight loss in ketosis and reach your weight loss goals on time.
So, when exactly?
Furthermore, even if you do all this to accelerate your weight loss, how long will it take to lose weight on keto?
How Long Does It Take To Start Losing Weight On Keto?
The Keto diet is simply a low-fat and high-carb diet designed to put your body in a ketosis state.
Moreover, when on the keto diet, you need a lot of patience.
The Keto diet is not a supplement but rather a natural process hence, it takes natural time to show some visible results.
Fat burn won’t happen overnight. You need to be consistent and dedicated if you want to see results.
Ketosis increases your metabolism and with appropriate steps, you can start losing weight in 2-4 days and can witness positive results in 1-2 weeks.
Fasting is a great way to achieve ketosis, but when you are following a keto diet plan don’t forget to add nutrients to your diet and stay active.
Keto has helped a lot of people to get rid of excess weight.
However, losing weight is not the hardest part; but keeping the weight off is.
And maybe this is the reason why some people often end up gaining weight on keto period.
Provided that, there are numerous reasons that not only prevent your weight loss but, in fact, lead to weight gain on a keto diet.
Why Am I Gaining Weight On Keto?
Maintaining the keto diet could be hard at first.
To elaborate, keto suppresses your appetite and controls your craving and this could be really tough to get used to at first.
Apart from this, your underlying health issues could also be one of the reasons why you are gaining weight on keto.
By the same token, let’s have a detailed look at the possible reasons behind gaining weight on ketosis.
#1. Too Much Stress
Stress releases hormones like cortisol which is linked with increased visceral fat.
Adding to it, a lot of stress also works as a trigger to your cravings and if you are at the beginning stage, you might lose control end up loading carbs.
If you don’t want to gain weight on keto, you better know how to relieve long-term stress.
#2. Eating A Lot Of Fat
Adding a lot of fat can drag your weight loss process to where you started.
To elaborate, if you really want to lose weight, you must consume less energy than is required by your body.
If you consume more natural fat, it prevents your body to burn fat to generate energy, and excess of it is stored leading to weight gain.
#3. Overeating Low-Carb Snacks
If you are thinking that snacking on low-carb foods can help you stay full and will not lead to weight loss, you are certainly wrong.
Snacking can be of some help but overeating of low carb snacks can be a hindrance to your weight loss.
Instead, try some high protein and low-calorie snacks. For instance, hard-boiled eggs, sardines, and kale chips.
#4. Not Being Physically Active
If you think only dieting can help you, you are absolutely wrong.
Ketosis at its early stage can make you feel weak but don’t let that stop you from going to the gym.
Being active does not help you physically fit but it also boosts you mentally.
It changes your mood, develops patience, and helps you stick to your diet.
If you are not active, you will not lose weight rather you might even end up gaining some.
Only adopting new dieting styles is not enough. You must be aware of its pros and cons.
If it works, it’s all good; but if it doesn’t, you must know all the possible reasons behind it.
Related: Cross-Fit For Weight Loss
Concluding Thoughts
Indeed keto is the most trending and effective diet plan these days.
However, many still end up questioning why I am not losing weight on a keto diet.
Well, now you know the reason. It could be anything from excess fat consumption, low-calorie diet, to lack of or even excess training.
In order to make your keto diet work, consume the right food at right time, and keep in mind that it’s not a magic diet.
It will take time and, in fact, should take time to last longer.
If this blog helped you find answers to your question, do let us know in the comments section below.