If there is one thing that people love about the keto diet, it’s that it is known for helping people lose a lot of weight, and in a short amount of time, without causing any health issues like some of the fad diets that are out there.
This type of diet puts your body into a state of ketosis, which basically means that your body uses stored fat for energy instead of glucose, so the fat is being burned off.
Add exercise to the equation, and you have a recipe for rapid and healthy weight loss.
More Fats, Fewer Carbs
The keto diet is low carb and high fat, which may seem wrong since we all know that fat is what we need to get rid of.
What many people don’t realize is that yes, there are unhealthy fats, but there are also healthy fats, and that is what the keto diet concentrates on.
Your body burns fat calories, but you never feel hungry.
When the body no longer converts glucose into fuel, it starts to produce ketones. These ketones are broken down by fat in the body and will start to burn the excess fat, in a process called ketosis.
This is a weight-loss method that works because it is not a diet. It is a lifestyle, and it is an eating plan you can easily stick to for the rest of your life.
Not only will you lose weight and keep it off, but there are also many other health benefits to eating this type of diet.
How Long Before You Start Noticing Weight Loss?
There is one thing that is not considered with most diets, and that is that everyone is different, and how much weight one can lose on any type of diet, including keto, depends on the person and not the diet itself.
You can say you lost 30 pounds, but someone else on the same keto diet may only lose 10 pounds in the same amount of time.
But, in most cases, people start to see weight loss in the first week of being on a ketogenic diet.
As with many diets, it is not uncommon to see a weight loss of up to 10 pounds or more in the first couple of weeks. This is not actual fat coming off, but water weight due to cutting back on carbohydrates.
This is the beginning of ketosis. After that first few weeks, your body will start to burn fat instead of carbohydrates and glucose, and the weight loss will start to be steadier, even though it is a bit slower.
Remember, it is not healthy to lose a lot of weight at once, and doing it this way helps you to healthily lose a couple of pounds each week.
Hitting Plateaus
The closer you get to your weight loss goal, the slower you are going to lose weight. But, your body is on the right track now.
There may be weeks when there is no weight loss at all, at least not when you look at the scales.
Just like with other diets, you are likely going to hit plateaus throughout the weight loss process. But, instead of looking at the numbers, look in the mirror.
You are going to notice the weight loss, and you will also see it when you put on your clothes and they are too large.
When you do hit the plateaus, it is simply a matter of changing your meal plan a bit to see if you are eating something that is keeping you from reaching your weight loss goal.
Just because you started out with one meal plan, it doesn’t mean that your body is going to benefit from it.
You do need to switch things up once in a while, and you can do it on the keto diet because there are so many options available to you.
Other Factors that Affect Keto Diet Weight Loss
There are some other factors that come into play when it comes to how quickly you lose weight on the keto diet. These include:
Your body fat level
One of the man factors to how quickly you will lose weight on the keto diet is how much body fat you have to begin with. The more body fat, the faster it will burn off in the beginning.
If you have a low amount of body fat, you have less fat to burn, and you will lose weight slower.
Exercise
If you really want to lose weight, you need to exercise. Not only is this going to make the weight come off much faster, it is also going to tighten the muscles, and even help with some sagging skin.
When you do moderate exercise daily, you can lose weight as much as three times faster than if you do not exercise.
Ketones
Your ketone level plays a big role in how quickly you will lose weight. This can be measured with blood tests, breath tests, and urine strips.
It is not always necessary to have a high ketone level in order to enjoy the effects of ketosis, which will ultimately lead to your weight loss.
Macros
It is important to calculate your macronutrients in order to make sure that you are getting the proper amounts of each type of food you eat. First, know how many calories you need in your diet.
Then, figure out how much protein your body needs based on activity levels and lean body mass. You can now figure out how many calories are left once you have had your protein.
Conclusion
It is almost impossible to not lose weight on the keto diet. But, if you find yourself on a plateau for too long, there may be a few things you can do to start losing again.
For instance, stop eating a lot of dairies, which can help to stabilize ketosis. Cut back on legumes, because they are high in carbohydrates.
Avoid artificial sweeteners, as they can raise insulin levels and negate the ketosis. Most importantly, avoid processed food and stick with healthier, homemade options.