How much weight loss on keto per week? It depends on your height, gender and body composition.
According to the Obesity Research Center, an average woman should aim for 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week while men can safely lose up to 2-3 pounds every week.
If you aren’t losing at least half a pound every week, this is an indication that you are eating too much food. I know it can be discouraging to see your weight loss slow down or stall. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Losing weight at a healthy rate means losing between 0-2 pounds per week after the first couple of weeks. To determine your ideal keto macros, plug in your information into Keto Diet Buddy.
What Are The Causes Of Slow Weight Loss On Keto?
There are many causes of weight loss plateau on keto. When you cut carbs to 20 grams or less per day, the body starts producing less insulin – a hormone responsible for fat storage.
As a result, the kidneys start shedding excess sodium and water out of your body, leading to an initial drop in weight.
When you restrict carbs to 20 grams or less per day long enough, your body adapts to using fat and ketones for fuel by up-regulating enzymes that utilize these substrates.
While this adaptation contributes to faster weight loss, it can also cause a slower rate of weight loss afterwards.
For some people, this adaptation period lasts up to 12 weeks which means that the full benefits of keto might not be realized until then.
If you haven’t experienced any quick initial weight loss on keto, don’t give up, as it’s likely your body is adapting to using fat and ketones for fuel.
How Much Weight Loss On Keto Per Week?
If your weight loss has slowed down or stopped, you should first reduce your daily calorie intake by 200 calories. If you previously lost half a pound every week, this change should get you back on track as losing 0.5-1 lb per week is considered healthy and sustainable.
If reducing your daily calorie intake doesn’t get you back on track, the next thing you should do is reduce your daily carbs to 20 grams or less (if you’re physically active) or 40 grams or less (if you’re not).
After reducing your carbs, if you are still struggling to lose weight, I recommend using Keto Diet Buddy, which will help determine your ideal keto macros.
It’s important to keep in mind that losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint. Losing weight at a healthy rate means losing between 0-2 pounds per week after the first couple of weeks.
To recap, here’s how much weight loss you can expect on keto over time:
On average, women should aim to lose 1-2 pounds every week while men can safely lose up to 2-3 pounds every week. Losing more than this isn’t bad, but it means you’re probably eating too much food and will need to reduce your daily calorie intake by 200 calories.
If you’ve been on keto for a while and aren’t losing weight, reduce your daily carbs to less than 20-40 grams per day (if you’re physically active) or so less than 40 grams per day (if you’re not). If reducing your carbs doesn’t get you back on track, use Keto Diet Buddy.
Weight Loss on Keto: Everyone Is Different
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to the keto diet, so your results will be individualized. If you’ve lost some weight on keto but need to lose more, likely, you aren’t eating enough food on keto. When in doubt, eat until you’re full and then some!
If you’ve been on keto for a long time and haven’t lost any weight, you might need to boost your carbs a bit. For example, increasing your daily carb intake from 20 grams to 30 grams will allow you to fit in an additional 8 oz of salmon or steak into your diet.
Your Health Situation Matters Too
The ketogenic diet is not recommended for everyone. People with liver or kidney conditions are especially prone to complications from following a high-fat diet, so if you have either of these conditions, the safest thing to do would be to follow a low-fat whole foods-based diet instead.
If your health makes it hard for you to lose weight on keto, know that you’re not alone, and there are ways to tailor the ketogenic diet, so it’s workable for your specific health situation.
Your Body Composition Matters
When it comes to losing weight, your body composition matters too. If you have a high percentage of body fat or are extremely overweight, the ketogenic diet can be very effective in helping you lose weight quickly.
On the other hand, if you have a low percentage of body fat or are already fairly lean, it may be harder for you to lose weight on keto as you don’t have much fat to lose.
If you fall into the second category, don’t give up! Just do your best and know that it makes sense for your body composition, and there are other ways to improve your health besides losing weight (such as lowering inflammation).
Daily Habits That Promote Weight Loss
If you want to get the most out of your keto diet, it’s important to implement weight loss promoting habits into daily life. Here are a few suggestions:
- Roughly calculate and track your calorie intake using Keto Diet Buddy or MyFitnessPal.
- Follow this calorie deficit calculator and eat at the recommended times.
- If you exercise, try to do so in a fasted state.
- Keep track of your progress using photos and measurements. This can be incredibly motivating!
- Use apple cider vinegar or green tea for extra weight loss benefits.
The Bottom Line
Safely Lose Between 0-2 Pounds Per Week With a Ketogenic Diet. The ketogenic diet is a very effective weight-loss tool when used correctly. While it doesn’t work for everyone, this eating style can be useful in many situations and allows people to lose between 0-2 pounds per week.
If you’ve been on keto for a long time and aren’t seeing much weight loss, you might need to reduce your carbs. Similarly, if you’ve been on keto for a long time and haven’t seen much weight loss, you may need to boost your calories to lose weight with keto.
Regardless of which category you fall into, remember that the best thing you can do is be patient and consistent. If you stick to the plan, you will likely see weight loss results 🙂
