You have decided to join the ketosis diet bandwagon. It’s now 2 weeks later and you haven’t shed 1 pound, yet you hear about people losing 7-20 pounds in the first couple of weeks. So what are you doing wrong? Why are you not losing weight on ketosis diet?
Before diving right into the mistakes made when not losing weight on ketosis diet, you need to understand what a ketosis diet is and how you lose weight. Without proper research about the diet, people fail to benefit from it. This will help you to understand why you’re not losing weight on ketosis diet.
Ketosis diet
The ketosis diet is the process of reducing carbohydrate intake, forcing your body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates. This is a low-carb, high-fat diet that encourages your body to metabolize fat and ketones. If you are not in ketosis, you are not losing weight on ketosis diet.
Knowing the right keto diet for you
There are different types of the keto diet, yet the most widely used versions are the standard ketogenic diet(SKD) and the high-protein ketogenic diet. Avoid trying other types of the keto diet. Follow the standard distribution of 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5 % carbohydrates.
Mistakes made when not losing weight on ketosis diet
If you are not losing weight on ketosis diet, there are many reasons why. The following are the reasons why people fail to lose weight on the diet.
- Failure to realize that not all calories are the same
- Not knowing foods to avoid
- Unrealistic diet plan that is too restrictive
- Not following a structured diet plan
- Not drinking enough water
- Too much fat intake in the beginning
- Giving up because of the keto flu
- Not easing into the diet
Why do these mistakes cause issues with not losing weight on ketosis diet?
- Understanding calories- You need to take in less calories than you normally would burn because the excess calories turn into fat and puts a pause on your body’s ability to burn fat.
On the other hand, this can’t be too restrictive because your metabolism will slow down, causing you to gain weight. When you stop your diet, your body will store as much food as possible(hence not metabolizing your intake) causing weight gain
While the need for a calorie deficit is important, the type of calories that you take in makes a difference. Taking in too many carbs will negate the purpose of the calorie deficit, which makes it hard to lose the fat.
- Bad foods, good foods- Another common error made by those not losing weight on the ketosis diet is not consuming the “right” food or lack of knowledge of the foods to avoid. Just because a label says low-carb or sugar-free, doesn’t mean that you can indulge in it. The problem with these foods is that they contain “hidden” sugars or sugar substitutes aka sugar alcohols.
Watch the vegetables. This doesn’t mean to completely avoid vegetables, but you can’t binge on veggies thinking that the carbs won’t add up. Veggies are high in fiber, however you need to choose the right veggies to eat. The best veggies for the keto diet would be things like:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Leafy greens
- Bell peppers
- cucumbers
Too much protein is another mistake that is made. Yes, the concentration is on fat and protein, in the proper amounts. Experts say that the amount of protein that you should be eating should be the size of your palm.
- Going full force in the beginning- It’s understandable that you want to kickstart your diet, however think of the tortoise and the hare- slow and steady wins the race. In this case, easing into the diet produces better results. You are likely to continue with the diet if you taper down on the carbs rather than quitting cold turkey.
- Wrong attitude towards dieting- The wrong attitude about dieting is another thing that causes dieters to face issues of not losing weight on ketosis diet. You’re probably thinking to yourself, ”What does my attitude have to do with losing weight?” If you are stubborn and you think you know everything, then you will either copy what everyone else is doing or make your own rules. Ignoring any form of scientific or professional advice on dieting. The other attitude is failure to do anything, yet you continuously are on the hunt to find the proper diet to lose weight. You need to take some initiative and try something to see what works for you.
- Failure to devise a meal plan- Planning out your meals in advance is important. Why? It prevents you from overindulging on the wrong types of foods. Planning your meals and snacks is a way for you to know exactly how many grams of fat, carbs, and protein you are eating and maintain the ideal range of 20 carbs or less a day.
The Solution To These Diet Blunders
How can ketosis work for you?
What things can you do to optimize your weight loss while on the ketosis diet? Now that you are aware of the common mistakes made by those not losing weight on ketosis diet, you will learn what things you can do to avoid these mistakes and how to tell when you’re in ketosis.
Knowing how long does it take to get to ketosis?
When you’re in ketosis your body uses fat as an energy resource rather than glucose.
If you are experiencing the following symptoms, it’s a good chance you’re in ketosis: If you’re not in ketosis, you’re not losing weight on ketosis diet.
- You have more energy – After the period of the “keto flu” your energy level spikes and you begin to think more clearly again.
- Increase in urination, increase in thirst – Ketone body acetoacetate begins to leave your body through your urine, which causes the increase in urination and thirst.
- Dry mouth, keto breath- Acetone departing from your body through your breath is what gives the keto breath. This gives a fruity scent to your breath and can leave a metallic taste in your mouth.
- Decrease in hunger- As your body gets used to the keto diet, you will notice the feeling of constant hunger subside.
Avoiding “keto” mistakes
Here are ways that you can avoid making mistakes and not losing weight on ketosis diet.
Know the side effects-As with any diet that you attempt, there are always side effects in the beginning. After a few days, these will subside, however, if you know what to expect you are more apt to push through the side effects and not throw in the towel.
Side effects include:
- Brain fog
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Lack of motivation
- Cramping
These side effects are what is known as the “keto flu”. The time period that your body is adjusting to the change in energy source. This is why it is said for greater success with the diet to taper down, rather than completely eliminate carbs and starches. When you eliminate the carbs and starches immediately, your body may experience withdrawal as it gets used to not having these foods.
The downside of tapering down is that the weight loss isn’t as drastic, therefore you may feel that you’re not losing weight on ketosis diet. The way to resolve this is by trial and error. Try eliminating starches and carbs all at once, if the side effects are too much for you to handle, add carbs back into your diet and slowly decrease them.
Another way to handle the side effects in the first couple of weeks of starting the diet is by understanding the reasons for the side effects. Foods that are high in carbs cause you to retain water. When you eliminate carbs from your diet, the excess water is lost, which may also cause a loss in salt which can cause you to become dehydrated. This can be resolved by drinking a cup or two of broth each day and making sure that you drink enough water every day and consume enough sodium to avoid dehydration.
Keep a cheat sheet- Until you get used to the diet, or have the “right” foods down packed, create a cheat sheet for yourself that has a list of the foods you can consume that you like with the serving size and amount of carbs, protein, and fat. Remember you are trying to maintain the 75%, 20% & 5% ratios of fat, protein, and carb-based on the standard ketogenic diet. Here are some examples of the right food, that you can use to substitute cravings:
- Avocado- If you have a craving for fruit or something sweet, go for an avocado. Fruits contain a high amount of natural sugar(glucose) which is what you are trying to avoid.
- Nuts- This is a good food to snack on because they have the fat content that you need yet little to no carbs and will fill you up.
- Whole fat cheeses
- Whole plain greek yogurt
- Peanut butter with celery
- Meats, poultry or seafood that are fatty
- Heavy cream or sour cream
Do’s & Don’ts
Here are some do’s and don’ts to avoid not losing weight on ketosis diet:
Do
- Avoid eating just because- this is a big mistake that many dieters do. People get in the mindset that just because there are no carbs, you can eat as much as you want. This will do a reverse effect on your body. Doing this will cause you to burn the excess fat that you’re bringing in rather than the fat that has been stored for energy.
- Make sure that you eat enough portions with your meals
- Eat until you are full
- Make sure that you are drinking enough water and replenish your electrolytes-this will help keep you hydrated which is extremely important in the beginning of the diet
- Get plenty of rest- your body uses this time to burn fat and it avoids eating the wrong foods
- Look for “hidden” carbs in condiments and salad dressings
Don’t
- Overdo it on the protein and dairy. These two things in excess can put an abrupt halt on weight loss. Too much protein in the beginning of the diet, causes your body to use a process called gluconeogenesis to convert excess protein into glucose. This will cause your body to run on glucose and prevent you from going into ketosis.
- Snack too much or eat too many “keto-friendly” foods. This contains sugar alcohol and a lot of calories. Remember as mentioned earlier, you won’t lose weight if you eat more than you burn. Those extra calories will stick to you as stored fat.
- Forget to plan your meals in advance. This will avoid consuming too many calories and the wrong percentage of fats, protein and carbs.
If you hit a plateau
It’s only natural that you may hit a weight-loss plateau after shedding a large amount of weight. If this does happen, don’t become discouraged(another mistake dieters make). Instead, try some of the following tips to get you through the plateau:
- Avoid fruit, beer and “fake” sugar
- Check your medications for any types of side effects such as weight gain
- Avoid over-snacking or eating when you are full
- Limit dairy and nuts
- Exercise
- Try intermittent fasting (don’t eat for a specific time interval, whether it’s 24 hrs, 12 hrs,etc..)
Conclusion
If you are past the two week period and you still feel you are not losing weight on ketosis diet, reevaluate your current progress. Review what the common mistakes are when you are not losing weight on ketosis diet. Are you in a calorie deficit? Are you eating too much protein? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating the right foods? Is this why you’re not losing weight on ketosis diet?
Understanding what mistakes you are making on the keto diet, will tell you why you are not losing weight on ketosis diet. Remember, the rules of the diet- look for hidden carbs, avoid overeating, stay away from beer and stay hydrated.
Before you throw in the towel with the ketosis diet, think of all the health benefits that you will gain from pushing forward. Rather than ignore your mistakes, embrace them. This will help you determine why you are not losing weight on ketosis diet. If you follow the regimen and you have corrected your mistakes, then there shouldn’t be any reason why you’re not losing weight on ketosis diet.
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I invite you to read this page.
