While most people achieve incredible weight loss results on a keto diet, there are some instances where keto may actually cause weight gain. Or maybe you lost weight on keto, but are having a hard time maintaining it and flip flop between losing and gaining weight. If you’re struggling to lose weight or maintain it on keto, there are some simple adjustments you can make to get you back on track and moving towards your goals.
When you restrict carbs it is more difficult to gain weight, but it is still possible. Our bodies are designed to store extra calories so we have sufficient energy to fuel us. This applies to keto-friendly foods as well since they tend to be higher in calories and are easy to overconsume.
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Here are 10 reasons why keto may be causing you to gain weight:
GENETICS, HEALTH CONDITIONS & MEDICATIONS
The keto diet may not be right for everyone. Due to the high fat nature of the diet, it can cause issues for those who struggle to metabolize fat properly. Testing your APO-E gene can reveal how your body metabolizes fat and can help you decide on a different path towards your weight loss goals.
There may be underlying medical issues that are causing you to gain weight, or struggle to lose on keto. Hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), or depression are conditions where it is easy to gain weight, and difficult to lose. Consult with a doctor to rule out any possible health conditions that may be hindering your results.
If you recently started a new medication, it may be causing you to gain weight on keto. Slower metabolism, increased fluid retention, increased appetite and increased body fat storage are side effects of many different medications that could be affecting your keto weight loss.
CHRONIC STRESS & POOR SLEEP
Diet alone is not sufficient when it comes to losing and maintaining weight loss, even the keto diet. Exercise, sleep and stress all play into the bigger picture of your overall health. A lack of sleep has been shown to increase appetite and cravings which makes it more difficult to resist unhealthy foods. It’s important to establish a healthy night time routine. Go to bed at the same time every night and avoid electronic devices for at least 30 minutes prior to sleeping.
Chronic stress can also have a negative effect on weight loss. When you are constantly under a lot of stress, cortisol levels rise in the body and that makes it extremely difficult to lose weight. Exercise, journaling, meditating and spending more time outdoors are great ways to help with managing stress.
ADDING TOO MUCH FAT & OILS
Sure, the keto diet is a high fat way of eating but it is possible to overdo it. In order to burn body fat, you must consume less calories than your body needs. If you’re adding too much fat to your meals, your body will burn that first for energy and store the rest. If this continues consistently, your fat stores will incrementally grow.
A quick and easy fix is to hold off on adding pure fats such as olive oil or butter, and focus more on consuming whole foods that are higher in fat such as avocados, fatty meats, nuts, and olives.
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OVEREATING HIGH FAT SNACKS
It’s ok if you’re hungry between meals and need to snack. However, due to the high fat nature of keto foods they are easy to overeat if not portioned properly. Examples of this are nuts, nut butters, and full fat cheeses. While these foods are healthy in moderation, an extra ounce or two can throw off your macros and cause your body to store or gain fat.
If you find yourself eating too many snacks on keto, try to focus on lower calorie, higher protein options. Hard boiled eggs, deli meats, jerky, tuna, turkey, pickles, or kale chips are all great alternatives.
You may also want to consider why you’re snacking in the first place. Is it based on true hunger? Or are you just used to having a little nibble in the afternoon out of habit? Adding more food to your meals, or increasing your water intake between meals can help with unnecessary snacking. Dehydration is often confused as hunger, so if you feel an urge to snack try drinking a big glass of water first then assess your hunger level.
CONSUMING TOO MANY CALORIES
When you’re consuming high fat foods, it’s easy to go over your calories. No matter what diet you’re on - calories still count. It’s vital to remain in a calorie deficit while restricting your carbohydrate intake on keto. The best way to ensure you’re staying in your calorie range for weight loss is to track your macronutrients (fat, carbs, protein). Once you have established proper portion sizes and understand how much to eat for keto weight loss you can experiment with eating more intuitively instead of tracking.
OVEREATING ON OFF-PLAN DAYS
Some people like to incorporate carbs once in a while into their keto lifestyle to feel less restricted and enjoy more food freedom. While this will likely kick you out of ketosis, it may make keto more sustainable for you in the long run. That being said, if you do eat carbs from time to time you will retain more water after those meals and that will reflect on the scale.
Another common issue with eating off-plan is that one meal can quickly become one day or lead into multiple days or weeks if you don’t have a solid plan to get back on track. It’s also possible to overeat enough calories on a single cheat day to gain more fat than you lost throughout the week.
CONSUMING TOO MUCH ALCOHOL
Yes, you can enjoy a few alcoholic beverages in your keto lifestyle however it will affect your weight loss in a few different ways. Even a zero carb drink adds 7 calories per gram of alcohol to your daily intake. Alcohol decreases your quality of sleep, and can impair blood sugar regulation.
Alcohol can slow weight loss as your body will need to burn through that alcohol first in the body, before it can go back to burning fat. It also inhibits your willpower and discipline which may cause you to eat unexpected carbs. For more tips on drinking while on keto check out this blog 6 Tips For Drinking Alcohol On Keto.
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NOT EATING ENOUGH
While you can easily overdo it with calories while on a keto diet, it’s important to make sure you’re also eating enough calories to keep your body burning fat. The body will reduce the number of calories it needs when presented with a significant deficit. What this means is, weight loss will stall if there is a major calorie deficit. By sure to reduce your calorie intake no more than 35% to ensure you’re eating enough to fuel your body.
MISSING HIDDEN CARBS
Cutting out obvious carbs like pasta, bread or rice is easy. There are, however, hidden carbs in many foods you may not be aware of. This can cause you to gain weight on keto because you’re eating high fat, but also eating these hidden carbs at the same time. A good example are nuts which are easy to overeat, are high fat, and contain carbs. Be sure to read labels carefully, and track your macros to ensure you’re staying below 20-25g net carbs
TOO MANY PROCESSED FOODS
The key to any healthy, sustainable weight loss is consuming whole, nutrient dense foods. Whole foods provide you with healthy fat, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help nourish your body and will help you feel satiated. This will help you feel more satisfied and energized throughout the day, and will keep you from snacking and overeating.
In contrast, eating too many processed keto foods such as snack bars or low carb desserts can cause weight loss stalls or gain as we tend to feel less satisfied, experience more hunger, and usually tend to eat more than our body actually needs.
It can be extremely frustrating if you’re trying your best on a keto diet, but gaining weight or struggling to maintain your weight loss. Rather than overwhelming yourself trying to address possible culprits all at once, focus on just one area to make improvements. Choose whatever you feel is the easiest option first, and start building momentum. As you start to feel more comfortable and develop new healthy habits add a new area to work on. If you’re feeling totally stuck, click here to learn more about how coaching can help to get some serious weight loss results on keto. It may be worth consulting your doctor if you feel like you’re doing everything “right” on keto, but still not getting results to make sure there are no other underlying health issues causing the weight gain.
