Weight loss plateaus can be frustrating. No matter what you try, it seems like all is lost and nothing is working. Before getting completely discouraged with your weight loss journey, keep in mind that weight loss is not a linear process and that plateaus are normal no matter what diet you are on.

You are probably still wondering why weight loss plateaus happen and what you can do about it.

What is a Keto Plateau?

Simply put, a keto plateau is when you stop losing weight on a keto diet. This often happens after around six to nine months of constant dieting . A keto plateau typically lasts a couple of weeks before most dieters are able to break through with a bit of tweaking.

Many people find keto plateaus frustrating enough to make them give up on the keto diet. This is unfortunate given that that plateaus are a normal part of losing weight as opposed to a sign that the diet isn't working or that something is wrong with your body.

Weight loss is not a linear process. Your body is a complex machine that adapts to any change, including change in body mass and energy intake. It's not as simple as calories in, calories out.

A Keto Plateau is Not

A keto plateau is not when you don't lose weight every single week of your keto journey. It is also not a bit of stalling going on for less than a month. For lack of progress to be considered a plateau, your weight should remain at the same point for more than a month to several months.

A weight loss plateau is also NOT:

·       Muscle gain

Your weight seems to be the same, but your clothes seems looser than before. If you've been doing some heavy duty exercising along your keto diet, you probably gained muscle. That muscle gained is replacing passive fat stores and explaining the seeming plateau.

·       Water Retention

This one is especially noticeable for women. Water retention and loss can create the illusion of fluctuations in your weight. Keep this in mind if you've always been prone to monthly fluctuations in your body's water levels.

·       Weight Fluctuations

Shifts in body weight in the course of a single month are not a plateau. This is normal and to be expected - one week you may  lose some and another you gain a bit.

What Causes A Plateau?

You've likely asked yourself what you may be doing wrong. It truly could be that you're unknowingly sabotaging your own weight loss plan. Or it could be that your diet needs just a bit of tweaking to continue being effective.

1.     Metabolic Adaptations

Your body adapts to weight loss in order to preserve and gain weight by perceiving weight loss as a sign that you're not getting enough energy from food. In response, your body makes a range of metabolic adaptations to stop you from losing weight.

When your body fat percentage drops, so do your thyroid hormone, testosterone, and insulin levels. Conversely, hunger hormones and cortisol levels rise. These hormonal changes significantly affect how much energy your body is spending.

This then cascades into your cell's mitochondria working less efficiently and your energy expenditure can drop. After a period of steady weight loss, your body might begin to slow down in order to preserve energy.

2.     Losing Muscle

You've likely heard from dieting experts that preserving muscle is essential for successful weight loss. This is because muscle plays a huge role in fat burning.

Having a higher muscle mass increases your resting metabolic rate (RMR). A high RMR is essential for weight loss and maintenance. Studies show that changes in muscle efficiency and weight loss account for 35% of changes in energy spent during physical activity.

If you happen to have lost a bit of lean mass on your weight loss journey, you may experience a plateau. 

3.     Eating Too Much

When you first calculated your keto macros, you had a different RMR, body mass, and activity levels than you do now. If you haven't adjusted your calorie intake to match changes brought on by weight loss, you will stop losing weight.

Revisit your keto calculator and see how balanced you are for this weight, at this time. Any extreme when it comes to your calorie intake will lead to a keto plateau. Have too many calories, and your body will store any extra as fat. Have too few and your resting metabolic rate will take a hit.  

4.     Sneaky Carbs

Carbs are everywhere. That's why you need to be vigilant about carbs in your food. For example, one cup of full-fat yogurt contains over 11 grams of net carbs. Protein bars, garlic powder, and paprika also contain small amounts of carbs.

5.     Eating Too Much Fat

Many keto proponents claim that calorie counting isn't necessary on a keto diet. This is true when ketosis is your only goal. When looking to lose a significant amount of weight, calories do play an important role in the process. Since most of your calories on a keto diet come from fat, having too much of the good stuff will stop you from losing weight.

The goal is to burn your own fat stores, not the fat you take in. The latter only serves to enhance ketone production and keep you healthy. A calorie deficit of 15-30% is enough to force your body to turn on its own fat stores, which is what you want.

6.     Too Much MCT Oil

MCT oil is a fantastic supplement that boosts ketone production. MCT oil also contains calories. One tablespoon provides a whopping 100 calories and 14 grams of fat. Not including these calories into you daily limit could be your problem. Your body will also prefer burning ingested MCT oil for fuel over everything else, including your own fat stores.

7.     Not Exercising

You don't really need to exercise in order to lose weight on keto but you might experience longer keto plateaus if you don't. Exercising helps increase your RMR. Exercising is also essential for muscle building, and more muscle means more fat burning.

Breaking Through a Keto Plateau

Weight loss plateaus are easy to beat:

1.     Try Intermittent Fasting

If you are struggling to keep your calorie intake low enough, you may benefit greatly from an occasional fast. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where you fast for a limited time and eat within a "feeding window." It does not make you overeat and is effective when you're trying to cut down on calories.

Intermittent fasting is more effective for weight loss than low-calorie diets. Intermittent fasting is spares muscles tissue while helping burn fat. There's also evidence that intermittent fasting boosts longevity and overall health.

2.     Boost Your Protein Intake

Protein is essential for successful weight loss. On a well formulated ketogenic diet, your protein intake should be moderate: 0.7 – 1 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass or 25-30% of your daily calorie intake. Eating too little protein can also cause keto plateaus. 

There are three main reasons why protein helps you lose weight:

·       Protein is highly satiating

·       Your body spends lots of energy when metabolizing protein

·       Protein increases energy-spending muscle mass

3.     Try HIIT

Any exercise is better than no exercise but light aerobic activity can't compare to intensive training when it comes to burning fat. If you're brave enough, try some high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

Regular HIIT increases both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. This type of intensive workout also boosts fat burning and increases insulin sensitivity. Compared to moderate-intensity training, HIIT helps people lose weight quicker.

4.     Evaluate Your Sleep

Not getting enough sleep will wreak havoc on your metabolism. Sleep helps normalize glucose metabolism and the levels of hunger hormones. It also restores your energy levels for an active day. Sleep deprivation also increases cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone strongly linked to weight gain and insulin resistance.

Aim for a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night.

If you're having trouble sleeping, you may try:

·       Avoid Late-Night Screen Time

Keep away from your TV, PC, or smartphone before bedtime. These devices emit blue light that suppress melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone your pineal gland secretes to make you sleepy. If you like to read before bedtime, opt for a real instead. Dimming the lights in the evenings will further boost melatonin production.

·       Cool Your Bedroom

Your circadian rhythm (biological clock) causes your body temperature to naturally drop at night. This drop in body temperature is essential for melatonin production. This explains why it can be more difficult to fall asleep during hot, summer nights - a hot environment keeps your core body temperature high and your melatonin low.

·       Exercise in the afternoon

Physical activity like light aerobic workouts reduce stress and boost well-being. Exercising in the afternoon will help you relax for a good night's sleep. It will also make you exhaust you a bit which also helps with sleep. 

5.     Boost Your Carb Intake

This may seem counterintuitive, but there are instances where more carbs can help your keto diet. If you are very active and/or exercising daily, a slightly higher intake of carbohydrate can break a keto plateau.

Even a well formulated ketogenic diet may not provide enough carbohydrate to make all the glycogen your muscles need for intense workouts. This is where athletes often use carb cycling – eating up to 150 grams of carbs around workouts and limiting your intake when you're not exercising.

In Conclusion

Going through a keto plateau is completely normal and to be expected It's your body's natural attempt at preserving what's left of its precious fat stores.

From adjusting your macros and doing high-intensity workouts to fasting and occasional carb cycling, breaking the plateau is doable.

The keto diet is designed for maximum weight loss, but it isn't perfect and no chance in your body is predictable. With a bit of tweaking, you'll see the numbers on the scale start to drop again.