The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a low-carb method of eating that many people have chosen to reduce weight and improve their health.
Carbohydrates are often limited to 20 to 50 grams per day while following a keto diet.
This has resulted in weight loss and improved heart health and blood sugar management (1, 2).
However, it must be implemented appropriately to get the benefits of the keto diet.
Here are eight factors that might harm your keto diet weight loss goals.
1. You’re eating too many carbs
One of the primary reasons people fail to lose weight on the ketogenic diet is because they consume too many carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate consumption must be severely lowered to achieve ketosis, a metabolic condition in which your body burns fat for energy rather than glucose.
Carbohydrates should account for only around 5% of calories (3).
This contrasts sharply with the typical dietary suggestion that carbohydrates account for 45-65% of total calories (4).
It’s natural to struggle with carbohydrate restriction while starting the ketogenic diet.
To achieve and sustain ketosis, carbohydrates must be reduced to the suggested range.
Consider tracking your macronutrients using an app like MyFitnessPal to help you meet your consumption targets.
This might help you determine how many carbohydrate servings you can take daily based on your calorie demands.
2. You aren’t eating nutritious foods
Regardless of the dietary plan, the key to successful weight reduction is to consume nutritious, complete meals.
Even if they’re keto-friendly, consuming processed meals will hinder your weight reduction.
The additional calories provided by snack bars, keto desserts, and other packaged items between meals might disrupt your weight reduction attempts.
Furthermore, consuming too many convenience meals like hot dogs and fast food on the go will stifle weight reduction.
These foods are nutrient-deficient, meaning they have a high caloric content but lack vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Stick to unprocessed, whole meals to maximize your nutritional intake while reducing weight on the keto diet.
For example, all excellent alternatives are full-fat dairy products, eggs, salmon, pastured meats, poultry, and healthy fats like avocado and olive oil.
To add nutrition and fiber to recipes, use non-starchy veggies such as greens, broccoli, peppers, and mushrooms.
3. You may be consuming too many calories
It is vital to create a calorie deficit when trying to reduce weight.
This can be accomplished by consuming fewer calories or burning more calories through more excellent physical activity.
You’re unlikely to lose weight if you go on a keto diet and don’t control your calorie consumption.
Because many keto-friendly foods are heavy in calories, such as avocados, olive oil, full-fat dairy, and nuts, it’s vital not to overdo them.
Because of the filling effects of fat and protein, most people feel more content after eating ketogenic meals and snacks.
On a ketogenic diet, however, it is easy to consume too many calories by overeating large quantities or nibbling on high-calorie items throughout the day.
Paying attention to portion size, increasing physical activity, and eating in moderation between meals can contribute to the calorie deficit required for weight loss.
4. You have an undiagnosed medical issue
The ketogenic diet is a powerful technique for losing weight.
However, screening out any medical conditions that may impede your weight loss success is a good idea if you’re having trouble losing weight despite doing everything correctly.
Medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), Cushing’s syndrome, depression, and hyperinsulinemia (high insulin levels) can induce weight gain and make it harder to lose weight (5, 6, 7, 8).
Your doctor can rule out these illnesses with a battery of tests.
Don’t give up if you have one of the criteria stated above.
You may accomplish and sustain healthy weight reduction with proper management, including medication if necessary and lifestyle and nutritional changes.
5. You have unrealistic weight loss expectations
It’s natural to seek quick results while starting a new diet plan, but remember that weight loss varies from person to person.
Although the ketogenic diet can aid weight reduction when followed correctly, the rate you lose may be slow — and that’s fine.
Small, persistent changes are essential for healthy weight loss and maintenance.
While it may be tempting to set ambitious weight reduction goals, most experts agree that shedding 1-3 pounds or roughly 0.5-1 kg each week (depending on weight) is the best way to lose weight (9).
Not to add, if you start a new weight-lifting training plan, you may grow muscle while reducing fat.
Though this may result in slower weight reduction, gaining muscle and losing fat helps health in various ways. It may lower heart disease risk and enhance bone health (10, 11).
To track your progress, instead of relying exclusively on the scale, take weekly measures of your arms, thighs, and abdomen.
6. You’re constantly snacking on high-calorie foods
Snacking on healthful foods might help you avoid hunger and overeating between meals.
Consuming too many high-calorie ketogenic snacks such as nuts, nut butter, fat bombs, cheese, and jerky, on the other hand, may cause your weight loss to stagnate.
Though these snacks are good in moderation, pick lower-calorie choices if you have more than one snack session each day.
Non-starchy veggies and proteins, for example, can keep you full without adding calories.
For those following a ketogenic diet, flavorful snacks such as celery sticks and cherry tomatoes dipped in guacamole or a hard-boiled egg with some cut-up veggies are excellent choices.
Adding more non-starchy veggies to your diet also offers fiber, which may help keep your digestive tract regular, which is especially beneficial for individuals new to the keto diet.
7. You’re stressed out and not getting adequate sleep
According to research, chronic stress and a lack of sleep might negatively influence weight loss (12).
When you are stressed, your body creates an excess of a hormone called cortisol.
Cortisol, sometimes known as the stress hormone, can cause your body to retain fat, particularly around your stomach (13).
Furthermore, persistently stressed persons are frequently sleep deprived, which has been related to weight increase.
According to research, a lack of sleep has a detrimental influence on hunger-regulating hormones such as leptin and ghrelin, increasing appetite (14).
You may reduce stress and enhance your sleep by experimenting with practices such as meditation or yoga and spending less time on technological gadgets (15).
8. You aren’t getting enough physical activity
When trying to reduce weight on a ketogenic diet, it is critical to incorporate more physical exercise into your lifestyle.
Aside from promoting fat reduction, starting an exercise regimen benefits one’s health in various ways.
Exercise, for example, reduces the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and obesity (16).
Physical exercise burns calories and helps develop muscle, enhancing your metabolism by boosting the energy burnt during rest (17).
Though getting into an exercise regimen can be challenging, especially for people new to working out, there are techniques to simplify it.
Creating and sticking to a fitness routine is the most effective strategy for building a healthy exercise habit.
Set a goal of three to four days each week and pick a time that works best for your schedule.
Maintain your motivation by keeping a gym bag in your car for after work exercises or by setting out exercise clothing before night to keep you on track for early morning workouts.
The bottom line
The ketogenic diet can be an effective weight loss technique combined with other healthy lifestyle adjustments.
However, there are various reasons why some people may not receive the desired effects.
Eating too many calories, not getting enough exercise, persistent stress, underlying medical concerns, and not sticking to the proper macronutrient ranges can all negatively influence weight loss.
Get more sleep, minimize stress, exercise, and eat complete, nutritious, low-carb meals wherever feasible to maximize weight reduction on a ketogenic diet.
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