Most people that start a ketogenic diet do so with the intention of losing weight. They are curious to try it after seeing countless transformation and success stories of people who have shed some serious pounds in what seems like no time at all. Of course with anything in life, and diets especially, there are a lot of factors that come into play when it comes to how your body will respond to following a keto diet and how much weight you will lose.
Everyone is different, starting from a different place in terms of their current body weight, diet and lifestyle, so there is no “one size fits all” answer to how much weight you can lose on keto. Until you start a keto diet for yourself, you won’t know exactly how your body will respond, or how you will mentally react to adhering to this new way of eating. After the initial water loss on keto, a general rule is 1-2lbs of fat loss per week. So for example, if you have 50lbs you want to lose that should take about 25 weeks - which is about 6 months.
GRAB YOUR FREE DAILY KETO HABIT CHECKLIST BELOW!
Some factors that contribute to how much weight you can lose on keto include:
BODY COMPOSITION
How much body fat do you have to lose? What’s your muscle mass? If you have a lot of excess weight to lose, you will likely experience a faster rate of weight loss - especially in the beginning. If you have less weight to lose, it may take longer to see results.
CURRENT HEALTH CONDITIONS
Are you overweight or obese? What’s your energy level like? Do you have thyroid or hormonal issues? Do you have insulin resistance or blood sugar problems? Your current health conditions will play a role in how much weight you can lose. It may take a little longer to get the results you want if you have certain medical conditions, but that’s ok! Living a ketogenic lifestyle will still work and improve your overall health.
METABOLIC RATE
Do you have a slow metabolism? Do you have a fast metabolism? Everybody expends energy from the foods they consume at different rates. It may slow your weight loss results, but as you continue along your keto journey your metabolism will also likely improve.
ACTIVITY LEVELS
While it isn’t absolutely necessary to exercise in order to lose weight on a keto diet, it will impact how much weight you lose overall in the long term. The energy you spend on a daily basis through exercise in addition to the way you’re eating will have a direct result on how your body burns fat. A decrease in body fat percentage, combined with an increase in muscle mass causes your body to burn more energy at a resting metabolic rate (ie when not exercising).
HOW OFTEN YOU GO “OFF-PLAN”
One of the biggest factors in determining how much weight you can lose is how closely you adhere to your keto diet. If you’re just starting out on a keto diet, it’s important that you follow the keto diet, with no off-plan or “cheat days” for roughly 3 months. This will allow your body to get into ketosis and become fat adapted. This is where the real fat burning occurs, and if you eat too many carbs during this time you will knock yourself out of ketosis.
QUALITY OF FOOD
Are you choosing whole keto foods like meats, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, low carb vegetables and healthy fats? Or are you eating highly processed keto junk foods? Are you watching for hidden carbs and sugars? It’s important to read and understand nutrition labels, and focus mainly on whole foods to get the best results on keto. Processed keto foods that contain sugar alcohols have been known to stall weight loss for some people.
GRAB YOUR FREE DAILY KETO HABIT CHECKLIST BELOW!
The biggest factor in how much weight you will lose on a keto diet is consistency. Keto is not just a diet, but a true lifestyle change that shifts your metabolic state.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LOSE WEIGHT ON KETO?
While results will vary on an individual level based on these various factors, below is a general outline that people typically experience when they begin a ketogenic diet.
What to expect after the 1st week on keto:
On a typical calorie restriction + exercise regime it is likely that you will lose about two pounds your first week. When you start a ketogenic diet it is possible to lose anywhere from two pounds to ten pounds in your first week! This loss is almost entirely from water weight, not fat loss. But it can be extremely motivating to kickstart your new keto lifestyle.
Why does this happen?
Simply put, carbohydrates cause you to retain water. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in your body, and on a molecular level for every 1 gram of glycogen there are 3 grams of water attached. So when you restrict your carbohydrate intake on a ketogenic diet, your body will decrease its glycogen stores and the water attached to it. Once you’ve burned through your glycogen stores, your body will convert to burning fat instead for energy.
What to expect after a month on keto:
As you continue to stick with your new keto lifestyle after about 4-5 weeks you will have burned through all of your glycogen stores and the fast-paced water weight loss will slow down. If you’re following your keto diet properly you should start to experience more energy, a decrease in appetite, and your body will actively be burning fat for energy. The average monthly weight loss at this point is anywhere between four to ten pounds (which equates to one to two pounds a week).
What to expect after 3 months on keto:
At this point in your keto journey you will have likely experienced some significant weight loss (depending on the factors above). It is possible to have lost anywhere between 15-30 lbs in this short period of time. It is also extremely common at this stage to experience a brief plateau or weight loss stall. There is no need to panic, or question if you’re doing something wrong! This is simply a brief phase where your body is re-calibrating to all of the changes you’ve been making. Our bodies crave balance and will constantly seek a state of homeostasis. If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, your body needs time to heal and re-adjust. This may take a few weeks or up to a month or so.
Don’t get discouraged or give up at this point! Just because the scale isn’t reflecting your efforts, doesn’t mean that your body isn’t changing. Be sure to take measurements, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, and take lots of body photos along the way. These are all better indicators of your progress compared to only focusing on the number on the scale.
GRAB YOUR FREE DAILY KETO HABIT CHECKLIST BELOW!
While there are many factors that contribute to how much weight you can lose on a keto diet, it is an extremely powerful tool that can improve your overall health. It’s important to remember that everyone is different and loses weight at a different rate. Just because someone you know had super quick weight loss results on keto, doesn’t necessarily mean the same will happen for you. The most important thing to keep in mind is that keto is a lifestyle change, not just a diet. That means there is no rush to lose weight as fast as possible. Slow weight loss is sustainable weight loss. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, and want any help starting your keto diet off RIGHT click here to learn how I can help set you up for keto weight loss success!
