3 Reasons Your Keto Diet Weight Loss May Have Stalled

While the Keto Diet can be a successful diet plan for many, some people find that, even after prior success, they reach a point in their weight loss plan where their Keto Diet seems to stall. While the Keto Diet can be great for losing fat, sometimes people experience a stall in their weight loss, but there may be a few reasons your Keto Diet weight loss has stopped. The more information you have about the Keto Diet, the easier it will be to succeed, including details on why it may have stopped working for you. With these three reasons for why your Keto Diet weight loss may have stalled, you might be able to isolate why you've stopped losing weight and use that knowledge to get back on track with your Keto Diet.

1. Your Carb Intake Is Still Too High

When people first start the Keto Diet, they often will practice what is called "Lazy Keto," which amounts to consciously eating lower carbs than they usually would in their diet. For people who are particularly overweight or need to lose a lot of fat, this often works well for them at first. After practicing the Keto Diet for some time, when you have already experienced some fat loss, you may end up consuming more carbs than you need. Eventually, your body may no longer put you into ketosis, which means weight loss could stall. Your body is in ketosis when your liver starts producing ketones for energy, meaning your fat stores get used up instead of carbs and sugars, which is why many people lose weight on the Keto Diet. For practitioners who have been practicing "Lazy Keto," it may be time to start counting your carbs as, when you eat too many carbs, your body switches from using ketones, back to using glucose (carbs and sugar). 

Counting carbs isn't as challenging as it sounds, especially when you already have the foundations of the Keto Diet in place, as practitioners of "Lazy Keto" do. For most Keto Diet plans, the recommended daily intake of net carbs is between 20 to 30 grams per day. Net carbs refer to the total amount of carbs you've eaten in one day, minus the amount of fiber or sugar alcohols in the food items you have eaten. Fiber and sugar alcohols (found in many artificial sweeteners) don't get absorbed into the bloodstream, and therefore, you can subtract them from your total carb intake for the day. It is worth noting that some people are sensitive to artificial sweeteners, so be sure to listen to your body and, if you find they upset your digestion at all, it may be best to limit or remove them from your diet. 

For people who are tracking carbs, the best way to manage your intake is to input each food item you eat into a food-tracking application. There are many to choose from and, if you are practicing the Keto Diet, it may be best to select an application that calculates net carbs as it will take some guesswork out of the process for you. Once you track your carb intake, you will have an exact idea of how many carbohydrates you are eating in a day and will be better able to pinpoint the reason you stopped losing weight. Once you are in ketosis, it is normal for most Keto practitioners to lose one to two pounds per week. Eventually, depending on your carb and calorie intake, you may get to a plateau for your fat loss, which you can only efficiently combat with regular exercise.

2) Your Cheat Days Have An Impact

For even the most diligent practitioner, it can be appealing to give yourself a cheat day or two, but if you take it to an extreme, you can kick your body out of ketosis. The Keto Diet can be a real challenge during holidays or when you are going out to eat with friends. People in your life might even encourage you to have a "cheat day," as many don't realize how the Keto Diet works. Once you are out of ketosis, your body will go back to its old habits, meaning it will take time to get back into ketosis. During this time, your body switches from using the glucose in your bloodstream as energy, back to ketones, but it may stall your weight loss.

The most comfortable solution to this problem is not to give yourself cheat days, but if that is too challenging, "cheat" with Keto Diet-friendly snacks and food options. One way to keep control when eating out is to check the restaurant's menu online before arriving. This way, you can plan your meal options, or contact the restaurant directly and be sure that they will be able to accommodate your diet. If the restaurant doesn't offer any Keto Diet options, you can always suggest another place to eat. When all else fails, you can still eat before going out so that you're not tempted to eat snacks and foods that are not going to keep you in ketosis. Whatever you decide to do, one of the best tools you have in your arsenal is planning.

3) You're Eating Too Many Calories

When people first start the Keto Diet, often they are advised not to count calories, which can work well in the beginning. Most people have gotten used to eating so much junk food that they were completely unaware of what they were putting in their mouths. The Keto Diet can be a big part of how people take control of their diets as it forces people to be acutely aware of the foods they are eating. When people switch to a Keto Diet plan, they are naturally eating foods that are healthier for them as the Keto Diet advises practitioners to consume whole and unrefined foods. This change away from processed foods that are full of refined sugars and grains can make a significant impact on the waistline of dieters. However, if you've previously lost weight with the Keto Diet and find that your weight loss has stalled, it might be time to look into counting calories.

Depending on what you are eating, many high-calorie foods are low in carbs. Eating these foods is fine, but your diet should be balanced even when you are eating according to a Keto Diet plan. Your daily caloric intake will vary depending on how much exercise you do daily and how sedentary your lifestyle is. However, it's safe to say that someone who has an active job who also hits the gym every day will need more calories than someone who works at a desk for eight hours and who doesn't exercise.

There are many calculators online that can help you determine the exact amount of calories your body needs in a day, or you can also consult with your doctor. It is good to remember that, for weight loss to happen, you need to eat fewer calories than your body needs. Otherwise, your weight loss on the Keto Diet can stall. Focus on eating foods that are Keto Diet approved, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and other low-carb, low-calorie vegetables. Be sure to get good sources of protein in your diet and be aware of how much fat you are eating. Fat is 'good' on the Keto Diet, but fat does have a lot of calories, and too much of it can keep the weight from coming off.

The Keto Diet can be a useful tool for individuals who are looking to get their health back on track by losing weight. While the Keto Diet may work for most individuals, you might reach a point where you find the diet stalls. With these three reasons that your Keto Diet weight loss may have stalled, you can be better prepared to overcome the common pitfalls when weight loss on the Keto Diet plateaus. As with any significant lifestyle change, be sure to let your doctor know that you've decided to start the Keto Diet so they can be aware of your new way of eating.