Why Am I Not Losing Weight on the Keto
William Read - Nutrition Consultant
William Read - Nutrition Consultant
William is from Canada, he is passionate nutrition & wellness writer. William understands that the topic of wellness is still not well understood, so his goal is to enlighten and teach people how to live healthier and happier in their bodies.
14.12.2022

Not Losing Weight on Keto: What’s the Deal?

Nutrition Weight loss
Table Of Contents

In Ketosis But Not Losing Weight

The Keto diet was originally made to treat epilepsy, but it has gained acceptance by many people as an effective weight loss measure. It is an effective way of losing weight by supplying the body with fewer carbs, forcing it to use fat for energy and enter a state known as ketosis. 

Even though the keto diet has helped many people to lose weight, there are some situations where some people did not witness any significant change even after going on a keto for months. There are various reasons why you are not losing weight on keto. Some of the reasons include genetics, too many carbs, etc. 

Why Keto Doesn’t Work

The Keto diet as a whole is an effective way to lose weight, but the result may not be even for everyone. There are more than 10 reasons why Keto does not work for you. However, the most predominant reason is that you have not entered the stage of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which the body burns fat for energy. You can know if you have entered ketosis by taking a medical test. The next section will highlight some of the other reasons. 

Not Losing Weight on Keto: In Ketosis But Not Losing Weight 

Why Am I Not Losing Weight on the Keto

There are lots of reasons why you are not losing weight in keto. Some of the reasons include: 

  • You have not entered ketosis

 This is the most common reason most people are not witnessing any specific change in their bodies even after going on a ketogenic diet for a long time. They have not entered ketosis. You can perform a thirst at a local clinic or buy home test kits to do a test to know if you have entered ketosis. The two most popular tests are the breath and urine tests. The urine test checks if there are ketones in your urine, while the breath test determines if there are ketones in your breath. 

  • You are eating too much carb

Sometimes, even during лeto, you may eat some fruits with high carb content. The general rule is to eat only foods with less than 10% carb. So, if you are eating food with more than 10% carb during a keto diet, you may not lose any weight. 

  • Genetics

Yes! Genetics is another important factor hindering or slowing your weight loss during Keto. Everyone’s body is unique and different in a way. Therefore, you can’t expect weight loss results to be the same for everyone. While some people will notice significant weight loss in a few weeks, others may take months to witness any significant changes. 

  • Lack of Physical Activity

No matter how you try to go on keto dieting, you won’t get the desired result if you don’t complement it with exercise. Some people do not do any physical activity on keto, which contributes to slowing down their weight loss. 

  • You Don’t Sleep Well

Sleep is very important for the body. If you don’t sleep well during the keto diet, it may lead to weight gain instead of loss. A child should get at least 8 hours of sleep per day. While a full-grown adult should have about 6-7 hours (barest minimum).

  • You Are Eating Too Much

Fatty foods have more carbs than carb-based foods. So, if you eat too much, you begin to gain weight instead of losing it. Therefore, it is important to minimize your meal intake by reducing your portion size. Also, avoid eating late-night meals with no serious physical or mental activity. 

Not Losing Weight on Keto Week 1

Some people may not witness significant changes in their weight in the first week, which is normal. However, some people again witnessed noticeable changes within the first week of Keto. 

Research has shown that most of the changes witnessed within the first week of keto are mainly due to water loss and not necessarily the loss of fat. In the body, water is a major constituent of the glycogen reserve, and the first thing people lose when they go on a keto diet is that water.

Depending on the person’s size, some people with large water reserves may witness significant changes in their physical structure. 

However, it should be noted that losing weight during the first keto week does not necessarily mean that a person has entered ketosis. 

Why Am I Not Losing Weight on the Keto

If You’re Not Losing Weight on Keto Week 2

In the second week, most people should start seeing changes, and the body should be in ketosis if every rule has adhered to the latter. However, there may be other factors causing some people to not still be in Keto at this time. For example, due to genetics, some people enter ketosis late. 

Why Are You Not Losing Weight on Keto on the Third Week

This is the third week, and if you are not still in ketosis at this point, you are not doing something right, or your body system is receptive. By week 3, most people would have reported noticeable body changes. 

Reasons for No Losing Weight In Keto Week 4

At this point, the fourth week of Keto should show physical and easily verifiable evidence of weight loss. If, however, that’s not the case? Then that person is definitely in ketosis. 

How Many Calories Should You Eat on a Keto

There are no hard rules to this. However, calories should not exceed 10% of our total food intake. Some health experts recommend that women eat at least 1500 cal per day, while men should eat about 2000 cal per day on Keto. 

If you eat too many calories during Keto, it will be difficult to witness changes in your body size. It may hinder you from entering ketosis. 

FAQs

Can you still be in ketosis and not lose weight?

Yes. It will be possible to be in ketosis and not lose weight because being in ketosis alone is not enough. It would be best to have a carb deficit and lifestyle such as exercise and good sleep. Even if you are in ketosis but don’t practice a healthy lifestyle, you will not lose weight. 

Why am I not losing weight on keto when I am in ketosis?

You are not losing weight because you may not be doing the right things. So, check up with yourself and see some of the habits you can improve on. Another reason may be because you have too many expectations. Losing weight is gradual; therefore, you must be patient and stop setting unrealistic expectations. 

How can I speed up weight loss in ketosis?

You can speed ketosis when you can deplete the glycogen reserve very fast by extremely avoiding all carb foods

Why am I losing weight so slowly on keto?

For the first week, you should notice a rapid weight loss known as water loss. However, after the water loss, the pace of your weight loss adjusts to normal, and you start experiencing a slow weight loss. Overall, avoiding the rabid hole of setting unrealistic expectations for yourself during a keto diet is important. 

Conclusion

Are you trying to lose weight? If so, there are some mistakes you should avoid and changes you should make to be successful on the ketogenic diet. 

Ultimately, it comes down to the quality of your diet and the lifestyle you adopt, which involves paying attention to where your calories are coming from. 

Reference

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  2. Iacovides S, Meiring RM. The effect of a ketogenic diet versus a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet on sleep, cognition, thyroid function, and cardiovascular health independent of weight loss: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2018 Jan 23;19(1):62. DOI: 10.1186/s13063-018-2462-5. PMID: 29361967; PMCID: PMC5782363.
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  4. Verdú E, Homs J, Boadas-Vaello P. Physiological Changes, and Pathological Pain Associated with Sedentary Lifestyle-Induced Body Systems Fat Accumulation and Their Modulation by Physical Exercise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 17;18(24):13333. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413333. PMID: 34948944; PMCID: PMC8705491.
  5. Batch JT, Lamsal SP, Adkins M, Sultan S, Ramirez MN. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Ketogenic Diet: A Review Article. Cureus. 2020 Aug 10;12(8):e9639. doi: 10.7759/cureus.9639. PMID: 32923239; PMCID: PMC7480775.
William Read - Nutrition Consultant

William is from Canada, he is passionate nutrition & wellness writer. William understands that the topic of wellness is still not well understood, so his goal is to enlighten and teach people how to live healthier and happier in their bodies.