WEIGHT LOSS PLATEAU ON KETO AND HOW TO GET OVER IT
The keto diet is great for so many reasons but the best side effect by far is the rapid weight loss you can experience.
In 6 months, I was able to lose 50lbs and I have managed to maintain my weight for over 18 months.
If you have been following the Keto diet you have probably experienced the initial weight loss where the pounds were just melting off.
After being on keto for over 2 years I can tell you hand on heart that many of us have experienced a plateau at some point.
When this happened to me, I was frustrated I was doing everything correctly, eating only what I believed to be keto approved food, but when I started looking more closely, I realized I was making more mistakes then I actually thought.
When this happened to me, I was frustrated I was doing everything correctly, eating only what I believed to be keto approved food, but when I started looking more closely, I realized I was making more mistakes then I actually thought.
Yes, there are issues that are out of our hands such as medical issues or hormonal issues that are well and truly out of our hands.
BUT there are so many things that you can do to try and break your weight loss plateau as I did.
These are the steps that worked for me to help break through the weight loss stalls that I have encountered and they may not work for you.
DAIRY
I love, love, love cheese and when I realized cheese was on the allowed list of foods for keto.
I wasn’t really bothered that I had to give up carbs. I am that person that when the cheeseboard comes out at Christmas, I literally swipe the lot!
Once I had been on the ketogenic diet a few weeks I noticed that every time I ate cheese or put cream in my coffee, I would become increasingly bloated.
It felt as though being on the keto diet was making me more aware of foods that seemed to be inflammatory for me.
It felt as though being on the keto diet was making me more aware of foods that seemed to be inflammatory for me.
When I cut out the cheese the bloating went down almost immediately and I started to lose weight again. I love cheese however cheese does not love me.
When I passed this particular stall, I started to add a very small amount of cheese back into my diet.
I will have a small amount of feta on my salad or a small sprinkling of cheddar on some chicken.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to add cream back into my coffee so I stick to almond and coconut milk for this purpose,
I will have a small amount of feta on my salad or a small sprinkling of cheddar on some chicken.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to add cream back into my coffee so I stick to almond and coconut milk for this purpose,
NUTS
‘A small handful is about 30g’ I would say to myself while eyeballing out a handful of peanuts.
That small handful would become several small handfuls and in turn a whole packet.
That small handful would become several small handfuls and in turn a whole packet.
Before I could stop myslef I had eaten my body weight in calories and gone over my carb allowance.
I am someone who has a real problem with nuts….I just cant stop eating them so I stay well clear and do not bring them into my house.
When I learned that certain nuts were not actually classed as a nut but a legume, I was absolutely shocked!
Peanuts and cashews are both meant to be avoided on keto, I only found out 3 months after I had started the diet.
Peanuts and cashews are both meant to be avoided on keto, I only found out 3 months after I had started the diet.
If you do like nuts, a better alternative is brazil nuts, macadamias, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts.
Try and use a kitchen scale to see how much you are actually eating as eyeballing the amount can give you a false sense of security.
Try and use a kitchen scale to see how much you are actually eating as eyeballing the amount can give you a false sense of security.
Also be mindful of roasted nuts they tend to be covered in bad oils that are not keto approved. Stick to raw nuts as much as possible.
The same goes for nut butters they are both dense in calories and carbs. It is easy to overeat as a spoon can quite easily become a few spoons.
ELECTROLYTE DRINKS
When I started working out on keto, I really wanted to keep my electrolytes in check.
I decided to buy some dissolvable electrolyte tablets just to keep me going (this was extra from my daily electrolytes).
I was working out and I was losing inches but I wasn’t losing any weight.
I decided to buy some dissolvable electrolyte tablets just to keep me going (this was extra from my daily electrolytes).
I was working out and I was losing inches but I wasn’t losing any weight.
It turns out that the electrolyte drink I was having was full of sweeteners. As soon as I ditched the drink my weight started dropping again.
I find that I am very sensitive to sweeteners, even the keto approved ones so this could be the reason why.
TOO MUCH PROTEIN OR NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN
You need to make sure you are eating the right amount of protein. Remember that the macro requirements on a keto diet will vary from a low carb or Atkins diet.
Too much protein will store in your muscles as glycogen, therefore your body has to use this first before it can revert to using ketones so it could stall your weight loss.
If you are not eating enough protein then your body will start breaking down muscle which is something you don’t want to do.
You want to lose fat, not muscle.
You want to lose fat, not muscle.
This can also affect your weight loss and stall you.
Try and stick to your keto macros for protein consumption in grams rather than percentages and this should prevent you from going over or under.
General recommendations are as follows;
If you are not exercising protein levels should be between 0.6g – 0.8g of protein per pound of lean body mass per day
If you are doing some exercise then protein should be between 0.8g – 1g per pound of lean body mass per day. This will enable muscle mass and retention.
Those who weight lift need 1.0 – 1.2g of protein per pound of lean muscle per pound of lean body mass per day.
This will encourage you to gain muscle mass.
This will encourage you to gain muscle mass.
KETO ‘FRIENDLY’ SNACKS
The recent popularity of the keto diet has meant that some food manufacturers have taken to selling packaged keto friendly snacks.
These snacks are notwhole food and can in some cause a weight loss stall.
These snacks are not
If you look on the back of the wrapper you will be shocked to find the number of additives and sweeteners that are added to make these palatable, they are in my opinion keto junk food and have no place on the keto diet.
If you are finding that you need a snack why not try having some boiled eggs, chicken, cheese wrapped in spinach or even a bouillon cube to keep you going?
In time you will find that your need for snacking will disappear and this will not be something that you need to worry about.
In time you will find that your need for snacking will disappear and this will not be something that you need to worry about.
GETTING CLOSE TO YOUR GOAL WEIGHT
As you approach your goal weight your weight loss will inevitably slow down.
I found the last 7 lbs the hardest to lose and had to really tighten up on my macros and weigh even the smallest amount of food.
I found the last 7 lbs the hardest to lose and had to really tighten up on my macros and weigh even the smallest amount of food.
Recalculate your macros and stick to them. Keep going and don’t give up and in no time the scale will start moving again.
EATING TOO MANY CALORIES
Tracking calories are vital when you are trying to get over a plateau.
Many people on a low carb diet seem to focus on keeping carbs under 50g and those on keto under 20g.
Many people on a low carb diet seem to focus on keeping carbs under 50g and those on keto under 20g.
What you can quite easily do is go overboard on the calories which will cause a stall.
Watch out for things like bulletproof coffees and fat bombs which are hugely calorific.
A friend of mine was drinking 3 bulletproof coffees a day and notrealising that those coffees alone totalled 1200 calories.
A friend of mine was drinking 3 bulletproof coffees a day and not
NOT KEEPING ON TOP OF MY ELECTROLYTES
Not keeping on top of my electrolytes meant that I was holding water and feeling bloated.
