Why Am I Not Losing Weight On Keto?
Troubleshooting

Why Am I Not Losing Weight On Keto?

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Why Am I Not Losing Weight On Keto?

Posted 4 years ago

Brian Stanton

Brian Stanton

Author

Ari Magill, M.D.

Ari Magill, M.D.

Scientific Reviewer

Expert Approved

If you’re not losing weight on the Keto diet, it can be discouraging. Isn’t Keto supposed to be effective for weight loss?

It can be, but minimizing carbs isn’t a guaranteed formula for shedding pounds. If you want to promote sustainable fat loss, there are many factors to consider. 

For instance, it may be harder to overeat Keto-friendly foods than high-carb refined foods, but it’s not impossible. Once you pop a bag of cashews, it’s hard to stop. 

Beyond overeating, there are more subtle reasons—like stress and sleep issues—why you may be struggling to lose fat on Keto. 

In this article, we’ll troubleshoot Keto weight loss and get to the bottom of what might be holding you back. First, though, does this diet work? 

Is Keto Effective for Weight Loss?

You can’t walk by a magazine rack these days without seeing a headline like: I lost 23 pounds on Keto... here’s how I did it. 

Minus the obligatory exaggeration and airbrushing, many of these anecdotes are probably true. But the more convincing data comes from the peer-reviewed literature.

Here are a few published examples:

  • Obese individuals lost an average of over 30 pounds after 24 weeks of Ketogenic dieting. They had lost significant weight at 8 and 16 weeks too.[*
  • Military personnel showed over 43% reduction in deep abdominal fat after 12 weeks on Keto.[*]
  • A 6-month Keto diet promoted greater fat loss than a low-fat diet in obese women.[*]

There are dozens of more high-quality studies to choose from, but these should give you a flavor. But why is Keto effective for weight loss? 

Why Keto Helps With Weight Loss

There are two main explanations why Keto helps with weight loss:

  1. By reducing hunger and cravings
  2. By keeping the hormone insulin low

The first reason makes sense once you learn that a low-carb diet reduces hunger hormones like ghrelin and neuropeptide Y.[*] Less hunger means less overeating on Keto, which in turn leads to weight loss. 

Keto also gets folks off the blood sugar rollercoaster—the ups and downs of high-carb dieting that influence mood, energy, and appetite. By eliminating sugar, you eliminate a huge source of empty, blood-sugar spiking calories. 

Insulin is the second reason. Why? Because keeping carbs low keeps the hormone insulin low, then low insulin facilitates the breakdown of body fat.  This is called lipolysis.[*

Simply put, keeping insulin low helps you access body fat for energy. Then you can run off your own supply and lose fat sustainably.    

Why Am I Not Losing Weight On Keto?

Let’s troubleshoot now. Here are the main factors that can stymie weight loss on Keto. 

#1: Too many carbs

If you had to give one dictum for success on Keto, it would be this: minimize carbohydrates. 

Minimizing carbs minimizes insulin, allowing you to enter the fat-burning state called ketosis. 

But carbs are sneaky. They’re in soups, sauces, dressings, and a variety of vegetables that you might not suspect. 

Not all carbs are off-limits, by the way. Fiber and sugar alcohols don’t raise your blood sugar, so they don’t count. That’s why you track net carbs on Keto. (Net carbs = total carbs - fiber - sugar alcohols). 

To confirm your net carb intake is sufficiently low enough to be Keto (usually 20 or 30 grams per day), use a macro tracker like Carb Manager. 

#2: Too many calories

If you want to understand how weight loss occurs, you need to understand energy balance. Energy balance is the balance between energy (calories) coming in through food vs energy expended through active and resting metabolic processes.[*

To lose weight, you want to maintain a negative energy balance. In other words, you want to consume slightly fewer calories than you expend. 

This often happens naturally on Keto, but not always. Even on a high-fat diet, it’s possible to overeat. 

Nuts are the biggest offender. For example, a half-cup of almonds (which fits in your hand) contains over 400 calories. 

If you’re not losing weight on Keto, track your calories with the Carb Manager app and see where you might cut down to promote negative energy balance. 

#3: Inadequate sleep

Sleep deprivation hampers weight loss in several ways. 

First, short sleep increases the hunger hormone, ghrelin.[*] That’s why we tend to overeat in a sleep-deprived state. 

Second, poor sleep impairs insulin function, leading to compensatory hyperinsulinemia that hinders fat-burning.[*]

Finally, sleep loss elevates cortisol, a stress hormone that blocks fat loss.[*]   

#4: Stress

Let’s talk more about cortisol. It’s an adrenal hormone released during times of stress. 

Cortisol isn’t all bad. It wakes you up in the morning, for starters.  

But a dump of stress-induced cortisol raises blood sugar and insulin levels while promoting insulin resistance—and that won’t help you burn fat.[*] The more you minimize unnecessary stress, the easier weight loss will be. 

#5: Not enough protein

To lose fat without losing muscle on Keto, aim to get plenty of protein. 

Most people don’t get enough. They hear “high-fat Keto diet” and picture a stick of butter. 

But in reality, your Keto plate should have about equal volumes of protein and fat. A gram of fat contains more than twice the calories as a gram of protein, so you probably need less fat than you think to hit your macros. 

As a bonus, protein fills you up. This satiety factor is a big reason why high-protein diets appear to be effective for weight loss.[*

#6: Eating too frequently

Today, we have 24/7 access to food. But these aren’t the conditions humans evolved to thrive in. 

We evolved to oscillate between periods of fasting and feeding. By taking a break from food, we rev up the metabolic machinery that burns fat and makes ketones. 

This doesn’t mean you need to fast for days on end. But a simple overnight fast of 12 or 13 hours is likely beneficial for almost everyone. 

Not only do you snack less, but you also give your body time to fat-adapt. Plus you promote a healthy circadian rhythm, the 24-hour wake-sleep cycle that influences most aspects of human health, including body weight regulation.[*

#7 You’re drinking too much alcohol

While certain spirits, wine, and even some very low-carb beers may seem like they fit your Keto macros, they may be temporarily knocking you out of ketosis and hindering progress.

If you’re feeling stuck on Keto and a “low carb” cocktail is more than a once-in-a-while treat, you may want to experiment with cutting back on alcoholic beverages and see if anything changes.

And when you do indulge, make sure to track that beverage in Carb Manager to see if it fits your macro goals.

#8 Too many Keto sweets, treats, or snacks

We already mentioned over-consuming calories, but Keto sweets and snacks deserve a mention of their own. When foods taste good, it’s much easier to over-consume, and even a Keto diet isn’t immune to this.

If you find yourself reaching for store-bought Keto treats like chocolates, cookies, “sugar free” candy, sodas, and the like on a regular basis, you may want to check-in around why you’re doing this, and if it’s truly necessary.

Are your meals not satisfying enough? Try eating more protein, veggies, or healthy fat at meal time.

Are you just a habitual snacker, maybe out of boredom or when you’re feeling stressed or emotional? Ask yourself if you’re truly hungry next time you’re reaching for a treat.

Some of the “Keto-friendly” sweeteners available do have a mild blood sugar spike effect in some people, which could knock you out of ketosis, and/or spike insulin levels, resulting in decreased fat burning.

If you’re curious about this and have access to a glucose or ketone monitor, testing the effects of these foods can let you know if they’re hurting your progress in more ways than just adding extra calories.

What You Can Do

Give the prior section a quick review. Could one or more of these factors be hindering your weight loss on Keto?

A great place to start could be with a 12/12 intermittent fast, which can help you cut down on snacking hours, manage insulin levels, and potentially result in regulated circadian rhythms and better sleep.

You don’t need to fix everything at once, but if you haven’t already, you can take one simple action: download the Carb Manager app. 

Using Carb Manager, you can easily track the factors that govern success on Keto: carbs, calories, protein, fasting, sleep, ketone and glucose levels, and more. 

All this occurs in the warm embrace of a supportive community. Come see what it’s all about. 

Comments 17

  • SplendidKetone603283

    SplendidKetone603283 a year ago

    Started keto August 15,2022. I’m at weight loss of 42.5 lbs. Want to hit 50lbs but I’m at a stand still. I do 15-20 net carbs. My calories run around 1200. What else could I do?

    • MarvellousCauliflower808270

      MarvellousCauliflower808270 6 months ago

      Meditation to reduce cortisol and increase fat burning

  • Mamabird101424

    Mamabird101424 2 years ago

    I’ve been doing keto for one week now, the first 3 days I lost a pound per day, I was really excited! Then it stopped, I am still in ketosis (my level this morning was 8) still tracking macros, but I’m up 1lb and not losing anymore. I’m beyond frustrated as this lifestyle and diet are a huge change for me, I’m a stay at home mom + business owner with 4 kids, I NEED this to work! What is the first thing I should look at?? My macros are all similar each day last week and I can’t quite figure out where I went wrong. Help!

    • atlmom

      atlmom 2 years ago

      I don’t want to take a year to loose 25lb at 2lbs a montj as the app says how do l adjust the app to loose it in 4 mths

      • FantasticArugula311873

        FantasticArugula311873 10 months ago

        You can just change the calorie intake level and that will change your date. I want to lose 25 as well and it now has me at 6 months. The calorie counter starts out at an average for your weight and see. For me 1800. So by changing mine to 1500 I am at a daily 300 deficit, 2100 weekly and that is the number needed to lose a pound of fat. So instead of a year mine is now six months. All this being said, obviously it's not necessarily gonna happen that way. Life happens, people make mistakes, have cheat days( bad idea on keto, here comes keto flu again lol). And I have never found a diet that worked as advertised. But I really am hopefully that keto is the one. BTW don't reduce your calories lower than 1200 it will slow your metabolism. Also often people have better results with varying you calorie intake daily to keep your body from adjusting to a lower calorie jntake. Good luck

    • SilHerrera

      SilHerrera 2 years ago

      I am already 2 months or more doing keto but a Gained 4 pounds and not losing anything, I am exercising, checking my macros, fasting some days even began to drink Pruvit and nothing makes me enter into ketosis I was vegan before for more than 5 years. I used to have hashimoto not anymore What is wrong with me?

      • Wenokia

        Wenokia 3 years ago

        How do I adjust me carb chart to actual carbs consumed after fiber and sugars are subtracted.

        • FatBoySlim67

          FatBoySlim67 3 years ago

          If you are using the food logger on this app I'm pretty sure it does list the net carbs on the entry. That would be the total carbs minus the fiber carbs. Sugar would just add to the carbs and not subtract.

      • Judy Kelosky

        Judy Kelosky 3 years ago

        When I open carb manager it puts me on lunch & skips breakfast. Please put me back on the old plan!!!

        • Judy Kelosky

          Judy Kelosky 3 years ago

          I have lost 29.5 lbs since last yr on carb manager but I need a boost to lose the last 12 lbs. I am not happy with the new update in that I have to add up carbs & calories.The old plan kept u aware as to carbs & calories left. Please help me. I am exercising sometimes 54000 steps a week at Zumba.

          • IneffableRadish336623

            IneffableRadish336623 3 years ago

            I lost 8.6 pounds in the first 5 days, then nothing for 4 days. Counted all the macros and stayed under all everyday. Yesterday my steps were counted as exercise reading -6 carbs, but I didn't even subtract them to get my total of 19 carbs per day....still no loss.

            • SummerLoverNSB

              SummerLoverNSB 3 years ago

              Has your scale moved since your post? Are you taking measurements?

          • SpectacularAvocado871140

            SpectacularAvocado871140 3 years ago

            I’ve lost a lot of weight and was able to keep it off for many years using the low carb diet. Since then I have gained quite a bit of weight. I have been very strict on sticking to this and logging my food for the last 2 weeks.. I really have lost very little, could this be because I’m not eating enough?

            • Gronnyland1510

              Gronnyland1510 a year ago

              I think it is about adjusting macros, to suit you some people need high protein moderate fat, some need high fat moderate protein. What ratios are u using?

          • Sallyanne23

            Sallyanne23 3 years ago

            I’ve lost 7lb then gained 4lb and I’ve done nothing different I think reading this I may not have eaten enough protein but I’m finding it hard to fit it in.

            • Ava-cado1982

              Ava-cado1982 3 years ago

              Ive been up and down for three weeks now. Its so frustrating but im noticing the small victories off the scale. Looser clothes, more mental clarity, more energy, little to no appetite so am trusting the process. Stick to it xx

            • Katt Barrett

              Katt Barrett 3 years ago

              I have the same problem. Lost 3 and gained back 5! I have been on this for almost 2 weeks. Is this normal?