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The ketogenic diet is not only known to be one of the most effective weight loss tools, but has proven to have many health benefits. Ketosis is a state in which your body produces ketones in the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilization.

Unless you can check your blood ketones, using Ketostix is an easy way to detect urinary ketones. It's not the most accurate method, but may be good enough to find out whether you are in ketosis. In some cases, weight loss may be difficult even on a low-carb ketogenic diet and there may be a few possible reasons for weight stalling, which I have listed in this post.

If you want to know more about the ketogenic diet and how it can help you lose weight, have a look at my Practical Guide to Keto Diet which is freely available on my website.

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5. Too Many Low-Carb Treats Another possible reason for a weight stall is that you eat too many low-carb treats that may cause cravings. Going low-carb doesn't mean you can indulge in low-carb pancakes, cheesecakes or muffins on a daily basis. Although these may be very low in carbs (when you use stevia or Erythritol), they may still cause cravings. You should always treat them as occasional rewards and your diet should be based on real food (eggs, meat, leafy vegetables, cheese and some nuts). Also, beware of chewing gums, mints or any medications such as cough syrup and others that may contain sugar or sweeteners. These are common sources of hidden carbs.

6. Snacking on Nuts and Dairy One of the common mistakes people make is that overeating dairy and nuts when they are trying to lose weight. You may experience weight stalling or even weight gain not because nuts and dairy will kick you out of ketosis but because these foods are calorie-dense and easy to overeat (100 grams of macadamia nuts has over 700 kcal and over 70 grams of fat!) There is no reason to avoid non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers or fruits like avocado or berries. These foods are very high in micronutrients, low in carbs and won't impair your weight loss efforts. Avoid dairy, nuts and low-carb treats to break through a weight loss plateau!

7. You Are Close to Your Target Weight Also keep in mind that losing fat gets more difficult as you approach your ideal weight - weight loss is not a linear process. In my own experience, 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 limit your calorie intake. In my case, because I'm quite active, this is eating up to 2,100-2,300 kcal a day (maintenance level + level of activity) to maintain my weight or 200-500 kcal less to lose weight. As you can see, it’s nowhere near starvation. To calculate your ideal macros on a ketogenic diet, use our Keto Calculator. Bestselling Keto Books Keto Chaffles Order and get 5 bonus chaffle recipes! My latest keto cookbook! 75 Delicious Treats for Your Low-Carb Diet Chaffles are the epitome of simplicity and versatility Simple Keto Meal-prepping, planning, and shopping strategies 100+ delicious low-carb recipes Quick & easy, no stress, no complication The Beginner's KetoDiet Cookbook Easy keto guide 100+ delicious low-carb recipes Whole foods, optimized for nutrition The Keto All Day Cookbook My best keto recipes 100+ delicious low-carb recipes Allergy-free options Quick Keto Meals in 30 Minutes or Less Quick and easy meals 100+ delicious low-carb recipes Allergy-free options Sweet & Savory Fat Bombs Sweet treats & savory snacks 100+ delicious keto recipes Allergy-free options Keto Slow Cooker & One-Pot Meals 100+ delicious low-carb recipes Ideal for batch cooking and meal prep Allergy-free options The KetoDiet Cookbook 150+ delicious low-carb recipes Quick guide to keto Keto food list Super Low-Carb Snacks 100+ delicious low-carb recipes Tasty paleo treats and snacks Ultra low-carb fat bombs Get it now Have any of my books? Claim your Premium Diet Plans

8. Short-Term Weight Gain and Fluctuations You may have also 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 you may know, 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. Also, there are natural fluctuations related to hormone balance, especially in women.

9. Thyroid or Adrenal Disease & Weight Loss You may have a thyroid or adrenal dysfunction and you are not aware of it. It only takes a blood / saliva test to find out - visit your doctor! In case of autoimmune hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's), a very low-carb diet, such as below 20 g of total carbs, is not recommended. Dr. Broda Barnes, who spent over 50 years on thyroid research, suggested in his book “Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness” that the minimum amount of carbohydrate intake for patients with hypothyroidism should be at least 30 grams of net carbs. If you want to learn more about thyroid / adrenal disorders and what your doctor may not tell you, have a look at Stop The Thyroid Madness. Read more about keto & thyroid: Are Keto and Low Carb Suitable for People with Thyroid Disease?

10. Stress Stress is a significant factor. When you are stressed out, your body produces a hormone called cortisol, which is responsible for storing fat around your stomach area (visceral fat) and makes weight loss more difficult. Try to relax, don't underestimate stress. Instead, find your own way to reduce it. Try meditating, take a few days off work, go somewhere for a weekend or go for a walk. Stress is also linked to hypothyroidism and adrenal issues and this adversely affects your metabolic rate. As a result of that, you store fat.

11. Lack of Sleep Lack of sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms may be the cause of your weight stalling. It may sound cliche but sleep is an 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. Stress management and sufficient sleep are huge factors in weight loss!

12. Leptin & Satiety 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 to eat. 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.

13. Too Much Exercise You exercise too much. Overtraining could be as harmful as lack of exercise. Here is a good article that explains Why You May Need To Exercise Less. Here is my post that will guide you through the types of exercise that are beneficial for weight loss and health. In my own experience, too much exercise is counterproductive. A few years ago I was trying to lose 4 pounds. I decided to do more exercise (HIIT, weight training and some cardio 6-7 times a week). Result: I was hungry and started eating more - my calorie intake spiked. Anything I burned during exercise was negated by the increase in calorie intake. About 2 months ago, I had an injury and couldn't do any exercise other than 30 minutes of daily walks. My calorie intake dropped, I was eating less and most importantly, I lost the last 4 pounds! Since 2013, I don't exercise more than 3 times a week and I walk about 30-45 minutes every day. Overtraining is as counterproductive as lack of exercise!

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Martina Slajerova Creator of KetoDietApp.com I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight. That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food. More posts by Martina Slajerova Martina Slajerova About the Reviewer This article has been reviewed by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE who is a qualified expert. At KetoDiet we work with a team of health professionals to ensure accurate and up-to-date information. You can find out more on the About us page.