Even the most careful keto eaters can hit the occasional weight loss plateau.

It happens. And, most time, it is no indication of failure.

It’s simply a good place to learn more, take a look at what you’re doing, and keep going strong.

If you’re there, here are the 6 Top Reasons Why you’re experiencing a weight loss plateau with keto and how to break it today.

6 Top Reasons for a Weight Loss Plateau on Keto

1.Plain and Simple, You’re Eating Too Many Carbs

Most new keto eaters know they have to cut carbs. Some count every gram. Others simply cut out carb-foods. Either way is fine, as long as you’re seeing results.

But, both strategies can succumb to a plateau.

If you are counting your grams of carbs, aim for 20 grams or less net carbs. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and minus any sugar alcohols (like those in erythritol).

If you haven’t been counting, a plateau is a good time to start, or at least do so for a short amount of time until you’re sure you’re restricting carbohydrates enough. Again, aim for 20 grams net carbs.

Make double sure you’re not missing any hidden carbs. They abound. Here’s a good list.

2. You’re Not Tracking Keto Levels and/or Not Achieving Ketosis

Knowing your levels puts the control in your hands.

Everybody is different.

While your spouse, your friend, or your cousin gets into ketosis regularly with a certain level of carbs, your body may require a different or lesser amount.

Not knowing if you’re in ketosis, and not losing weight is a source of unnecessary frustration.

Instead, check your ketone levels with ketone strips and use them to adjust your diet and reach ketosis.

3. You’re Eating Processed & Inflammatory Foods

Like within any type of eating plan, you can make good and bad choices. Vegetarians can eat Oreos for every meal, or they can focus on vegetables.

Similarly, Keto Zone eaters can eat unhealthy, processed, low-carb foods, or they can eat healthy fats with protein and vegetables alongside.

Eating a diet high in processed foods is never a good idea, for weight loss or health, no matter your eating plan (1).

Instead, always check food labels for healthy vs. unhealthy fats. Make as much as you can at home. Be choosey about your food. You can learn more here

4. Your Intake is Too High in Total Calories

While many people will lose weight simply by cutting carbs without regard to calories, some won’t. For some, a big overage in calories will halt weight loss or even cause gain. Yes, even while eating low-carb.

Luckily, Keto Zone eating helps you control portions, and most people feel hugely satisfied with it.

So, if it’s not big portions, look to calorie-dense foods. The most common culprit? Nuts, believe it or not.

When going low-carb, many people start eating huge amounts of nuts. Nuts are a good, healthy food. But, too many nuts is a problem.

It means too many calories and unfortunately, too high a diet in omega-6s.

If this seems to be an issue for you, consider keeping nuts to no more than ½ cup per day, and adding more variety to your diet, including vegetables, to control calories (2 Tablespoons of nut butter = ¼ cup nuts)

5. All-Day Calorie restriction

If you’re simply eating low calories for 16 hours per day, your body may begin to adapt and cause you to burn less.

Study after study has shown that our bodies adapt to low-calorie eating.

The antidote?

Intermittent fasting.

If instead, you eat for 8 hours per day, consuming all your fats and calories needs, and then fast for 16 hours per day, your body will lose weight and not adapt in these negative ways  (2).

To start, try: Eating an early dinner, only drinking no-carb coffee when you wake (you can add MCT Oil Powder), and then delaying your first solids until late morning. This schedule can help you incorporate intermittent fasting easily.

6. You’re Near Your Goal Weight

If you have one hundred pounds to lose, the weight will come off faster than when you have ten pounds to lose.

Once you’re close to your goal weight, your body won’t let you just drop pounds like before.

Your body is in the business of homeostasis and conservation, it will resist change that it may think is too much.

You’ll have to double down your efforts and have patience.

What’s more, Keto Zone eating is highly effective during those first few months of ketosis. It’s sort of a “shock” to the system, and your body simply loses weight.

It will continue to be effective for the long haul but may take more work as you get closer and closer to your goal.

How to Break Through Your Weight Loss Plateau on Keto

While we’ll go into each of these in detail next week, here’s a summary of what you can do to break a plateau:

1. Count net carbs and keep them to 20 grams or less per day
2. Make sure you’re getting enough daily calories with 75%+ from healthy fats such as MCT Oil Powder
3. Use ketone strips to monitor ketosis
4. If not yet in ketosis, use Keto Zone MCT Oil Powder
5. Intermittent fast for 16 hours per day, and consider adding one 24-hour period each week or every other week
6. Get enough sleep.
7. Have patience, be positive, and focus on overall health and well-being.

Bottom Line

Almost everyone hits plateaus in their weight loss journey. But a plateau isn’t the end, it’s just a momentary pause and opportunity to get better and smarter at your Keto Zone plan. If you’ve hit a weight loss plateau on keto, double check these reasons listed above. And, stay tuned for our upcoming post detailing 7 Strategies to bust through weight loss plateaus on keto.