Keto Weight Loss Stall

Source: ( http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/04/22/Not-Losing-Weight-on-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet-Dont-Give-Up-and-Read-Further)

You are not in ketosis, which you can confirm using ketone detection strips. There could be several reasons for that:

1. Your carbohydrate intake may be too high. Try to decrease your daily carbs limit. Also try to include coconut oil in your diet. Coconut oil consists of MCTs (Medium chain triglycerides), which are easily digestible, less likely to be stored by your body and are used for immediate energy. MCTs are converted in the liver into ketones, which helps you enter ketosis.

2. Your protein intake may be too high. If you eat too much protein, the excess protein converts into glycogen and disrupts ketosis. This is not the most likely reason, as it's not as easy to eat too much protein unless you take protein supplements.

3. You use artificial or other sweeteners that may interrupt ketosis. Some keto-dieters claim artificial sweeteners and even some sugar alcohols have a negative effect on ketosis. This issue has been recently debated but there are no conclusive results as to the effect of artificial sweeteners. As a guideline, beware of chewing gums, mints or any medications such as cough syrup and others that may contain sugar or sweeteners. Have a look at my recent post about suitable sweeteners.

4. Carb cheating / carb creep is another possible reason for not losing weight. You have to be really disciplined and aware of all carbs you eat. It’s a little nibbling here and there of the forbidden foods, leading to a carb creep, so make sure you count all carbs. In this video, Dr. Eric Westman explains the ketogenic diet and emphasizes that even eating mints may affect ketosis and weight loss results. Sometimes, even when a label says "sugar-free", it doesn't have to be "carbs-free"!

Note: You can be in ketosis without showing urinary ketones, but they can be found in your bloodstream. This could happen if your urine is too diluted due to high water intake and shows a marginal number of ketones. As long as you keep your net carbs low, your body will enter ketosis. You may even not be showing any ketons at all. This happens when your body gets fully keto adapted and uses fat for fuel. It’s not a bad thing and it doesn’t mean you will stop losing weight.

You are in ketosis but still struggle to lose weight.

1. The reason could be way too much fat and therefore calories in your diet. Fat contains twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein, so it's important your fat intake lies between the recommended ranges. There is no diet where you can consume "unlimited" amounts of calories and still lose weight. Calories from fat should amount to 60-75% of your daily intake. When it comes to calories, it depends on your individual maintenance level and how much active you are.

Note: If you just started a low-carb diet, it may take some time for your body to get used to it and you will naturally eat less. Just give it some time. Low-carb diets are a lot more nutritious and sating as you will discover.

2. Also keep in mind that losing fat gets more difficult as you approach your ideal weight. My own experience is that if you need to lose a relatively small amount of weight like 5-10 pounds and your body weight is already at a healthy "natural" level, you will find it hard to lose more weight. The only way is to be careful about your caloric intake. In my case, this was eating up to 2,100 kcal a day (maintenance level + level of activity). As you can see, it’s nowhere near starvation

3. You put on weight over a short period of time. This could happen if you had more carbs (even once!) than your daily limit (e.g. you went to a party). As we have learnt before, there is a relationship between water retention and glycogen stores. If your body manages to store some extra glycogen, you also increase water retention. This happens literally from one day to the next. Don't panic, it's just water. Once you go back to your daily carbs limit it will take 2-3 days to lose the excessive water.

4. You may have a thyroid dysfunction and you are not aware of it. It only takes a blood test to find out - visit your doctor!

5. Stress is a big factor. When we are stressed out, our body produces a hormone called cortisol, which is responsible for storing fat round your stomach area (visceral fat) and makes weight loss more difficult. Try to relax, don't underestimate this factor. Find your own way to reduce it: try meditations, take a few days off work, go somewhere for a weekend or go for a walk. Stress is also linked to hypothyroidism and this badly affects your metabolic rate and as a result of that, you store fat.

6. Leptin and its satiety signalling is another possible factor. Fat is hormonally active and it sends out leptin, a hormone that tells us when we’ve had enough. As you lose fat, there will be less fat cells to do the job. This does not apply just to low-carb, but any diet. The question is how significant this factor is. If you eat food rich in fat and protein, this can be minimised.

7. Lack of sleep may be behind your weight stalling. It may sound as cliche but sleep is and absolutely crucial part of fat loss: Maximum fat loss is only achieved with adequate sleep, diet and exercise. Try to fall asleep before midnight and sleep for 7-9 hours. I don't expect all of you can afford to sleep for 9 hours, but take it as a goal :-)