Science has already proven how effective low-carb diets can be, especially when it comes to losing weight effortlessly. However, sometimes when on a ketogenic diet, you are steadily losing weight and then it just stops. This sometimes happens after following ANY diet for a few months. Not just a low carb one.
Reason Why You May Have Hit A Weight Loss Plateau
1. You could be losing weight, but not realize it.
When it comes to weight loss, the scale becmes your friend and bigget enemy.
There are days you will check your weight and find that it has gone down. Other days, the scale will read something else, probably a higher figure. When you notice this, do not conclude your diet is not working.
When on a low-carb diet, you will lose more weight within the first week. A lot of the weight lost during this stage is water weight. After this initial phase, the rate at which you lose weight will go down significantly.
Its important to measure yourself frequently when you are on a low carb diet. You will find that although the scale may say you are not losing weight, your measurements will tell you otherwise!
2. You are not reducing your intake of carbohydrates.
Some people are carb sensitive. They effect some people more than others. If your weight hits a plateau when eating a low-carb diet, consider lowering your intake of carbohydrates even more. You may have to go below 50 grams of carbs per day. When you go below 50 grams, avoid eating some fruits. You can eat berries, but in small quantities.
In case you do not see any results, try going below 20 grams of carbs per day. Mostly, you will be eating green leafy vegetables, healthy fats, and protein.
3. You are constantly stressed.
Stress the raises the level of the cortisol hormone. An increase in the level of this hormone can make you feel hungry and spike the craving for unhealthy foods. This can delay your weight loss process. Deep breathing and meditation exercises can help deal with stress.
I personally take a herb called Ashwagandha. Running several small businesses, and managing a large work force is stressful. I have a dear friend who is into homeopathic medicine and she recommended that I add Ashwagandha to my daily diet.
Ashwagandha is frequently referred to as “Indian ginseng” because of its rejuvenating properties.
Ashwagandha helps with:
- Lack of energy
- Stress
- Lack of concentration
- Reduces anxiety and depression
- Offers anti-inflammatory benefits
- Stabilizes blood sugar
For me, its best to take a liquid form of supplements because I don’t always metabolize pills easily. And something they just pass thru my system without giving me any benefits.
4. Your diet is deficient of real food.
A keto diet is not all about cutting down on your carbohydrates intake. To get the desired results, replace the carbs you eliminate from your diet with nutrients from real food. Stay away from processed low-carb products.
Its easy to fall into buying processed low carb foods like noodles, and meals that you find at the store. A lot of people want to say, hey I’m on a low carb diet but I can eat this special noodle or bread that is marked low carb.
In essence, you should eat veggies, eggs, fish, meat and healthy fats. Such foods are good for weight loss. If you crave things like bread or noodles. Make them yourself. There are many great recipes online that will allow you to make it yourself from “real food” not processed. It will be much healthier for you.
5. Your intake of nuts is high.
There is no doubt that nuts are in the category of real foods. Also, their fat
content is high. For instance, almonds carry around 70% calories. The thing with nuts is that you can easily over eat them. Surprisingly, you can even eat several bowls of nuts and still not feel full.
6. You are sleep deprived.
Not having enough sleep will affect your overall health and productivity. There is a correlation between sleep deprivation and weight gain. If you do not get enough sleep, it is common to feel hungry and tired. Also, you may feel unmotivated to eat healthily and engage in physical activity.
7. Your intake of dairy products is high.
Although dairy products have low carbohydrates, they can affect some people negatively. Some dairy products have high protein levels despite being a low-carb food. Just like carbohydrates, proteins are capable of raising the insulin level in the bloodstream.
Since the body is still adapting metabolically, high levels of insulin can be detrimental to this process. Therefore, your body may not get the full benefits of cutting down on carbohydrates.
Before you decide that your low carb isn’t working. Look over this list. Adjust how many carbs you are eating. Make sure you are eating real food and not processed. And MEASURE. There will be times that the scale doesn’t move, but you maybe losing inches!
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