Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight
These are the top 10 reasons you’re not losing weight on a low carb diet. A great FREE printable for the fridge and an easy reminder to stay on track. Just click on the image below to save the PDF for printing. UPDATE – watch the quick video below. No compatible source was found for this media. Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight Eating LCHF Too Many Carbohydrates – are carbs starting to sneak back into your diet? Be honest and start tracking everything using KetoDietApp. A little treat here and there adds up. Some are more carb sensitive (or insulin resistant) than others. I know that my carbs have to be around 50g/day to be feeling great and in control of my appetite. Lower than that and I will lose a little bit of weight, above that and I know my weight loss will stall. I generally go between 35-70g/day without too much tracking because I have done it for so long. Too Much Fruit – yes I use berries on my breakfast and desserts, but that is it. I allow my children to eat fruit (without gorging) as they are fit, healthy and in the normal weight range. For me, the sugar and fructose in fruit is too much. Sure, enjoy it as a treat and eat only low carb nutritent dense berries. See fruit as an occasional sweet treat. Packed with fibre, antioxidants, nutrients……… “If you are overweight, fruit is not your friend” Too much Dairy – my biggest downfall is milk. I love my lattes and flat whites. Now milk is great, full of protein and calcium, but it also contains about 5% carbs. A latte can range from 9g to 15g carbs depending on the size you choose. Most dairy such as milk, cream and yoghurt contains approximately 4- 5% but you are more likely to drink a large glass of milk, eat a bowl of yoghurt or drink a large latte than eat 250g of full fat cheese Continue reading >>
A Doctor On Why Ketosis Helps You Reduce Cravings & Hunger
Kim Crawford, M.D., ABAARM If you're embarking on a weight-loss journey, chances are you'll run into the nutritional ketosis diet. But have you ever wondered if (and why) ketosis can help you lose weight? First, let me assure you that it can. In fact, even mainstream doctors are suggesting ketogenic diets for an entire host of patients, including those with metabolic syndrome. The beauty of the standard ketogenic diet—which consists of about 70 to 80 percent healthy fats, 10 to 20 percent protein, and 5 percent carbohydrates—is that you will not feel hungry or deprived. Ketosis can also offer health benefits that stretch far beyond weight loss. This way of eating can be beneficial for people with mitochondrial dysfunction and cancer or for athletes looking to increase their athletic performance. Here's why the ketogenic diet is a good choice for weight loss and overall health: Ketosis is a great appetite suppressant; if you are eating a standard (high-carb) American diet, you have blood sugar swings that can cause bouts of intense hunger—sometimes within as little as two hours of eating a meal! When you enter ketosis and start burning fat for fuel, your blood sugar will stabilize at a lower, healthier level. The healthy fat will be metabolized into ketones by your liver, and that will suppress your hunger via several metabolic pathways. When it comes to most hunger pangs, we're talking about ghrelin, not leptin. Ghrelin is the main hunger hormone and increases appetite. When you eat, ghrelin levels drop, if you are overweight they won't drop as much as they should. When you start to lose weight on a non-ketotic diet, your body senses that it's being starved and ghrelin levels increase. This is one reason regular diets often fail. The good news if you're on a ketot Continue reading >>
How I Lost 15 Pounds In 6 Weeks—without Gaining A Pound Back
Feeling unsatisfied Two months ago, Amy Levine felt the way many of us do: frustrated with lingering love handles and sick of squeezing into her jeans. "I was tired of having a little bit of extra weight on me, and I actually started snoring at night," she says, noting that snoring is more common in people who are overweight and actually has dangerous health implications. "I was horrified at that!" At that point, Levine decided to make a change. She heard about Hacienda del Sol—a wellness retreat in Costa Rica—from her husband Jason's colleague, who said his wife had a transformative experience during her visit there. Healthy swaps "We looked into the program and I was on board immediately," Levine says of Hacienda del Sol's wellness retreat. As a mom of three, the idea of going to Costa Rica—alone!—for a week was a dream. So she booked it. With six weeks to prepare, Levine says she wanted to feel physically and mentally ready to participate, so she decided to clean up her eating. "I committed to a much more conscious diet," Levine says of her pre-trip prep. "I just didn't eat anything that I shouldn't eat." That meant cutting out sugar (except fruit), switching to whole grains, and practicing good portion control. She also amped up her workout regimen, riding a stationary bike for 30 to 60 minutes, three times a week. "Within those six weeks I actually lost 10 pounds, " she says. "I was really surprised because I didn't think I was eating that badly." But her week at Hacienda del Sol required further dietary changes. (Here are some surprising ways to kick your sugar habit.) A Ketosis diet Levine arrived in Costa Rica feeling lighter and ready as ever to tackle Hacienda del Sol's weight loss program (Ketogenic and TacFit Weight Loss Retreat), which relies on a k Continue reading >>
Is The Ketogenic Diet Right For You? Nutritionists Weigh In
You may be hearing a lot about the ketogenic diet as a way to slim down while noshing on butter and heavy cream. This way of eating is suddenly hot among venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, who believe it will help them live longer and healthier, CNBC reports. Some praise the high-fat/ultra low-carb plan for helping them to lose weight and have energy all day long. Other advocates say it finally helped them to get control of their body. How does it work and could it help you? We asked Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of “Read It Before You Eat It”; and Keri Glassman, nutritionist, registered dietitian and TODAY Tastemaker. To start with, both said they would never advise the ketogenic diet for weight loss. “Cutting out carbs is usually an invitation to overeat them at another point,” Taub-Dix said. “For a diet where you’re looking to lose weight, look good and feel good… I would not recommend a diet like this.” “For safe and effective weight loss, the carb reduction is too extreme,” Glassman added. RELATED: Read inspiring stories of ordinary people slimming down in TODAY's My Weight-Loss Journey Here’s what you need to know: What is the ketogenic diet? It’s a diet fine-tuned in the 1920s to help treat epilepsy. It does help to control seizures in some children, but it’s not recommended for adults “mostly because the restricted food choices make it hard to follow,” the Epilepsy Foundation says. The diet has just recently begun to be touted as a weight loss plan, Glassman noted. She described it as eating “mostly fat with a teeny bit of protein and carbs.” How does it work? Your body normally relies on carbohydrates for energy. It breaks them down into glucose, which is your main source of fuel. If that� Continue reading >>
11 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight In Keto
An important part of a weight loss journey is realizing that it won’t happen overnight as it requires dedication, motivation, and effort. But, after a few weeks of months of sticking to a healthy low carb/ keto diet your scale decides to stop moving. Not seeing results may become frustrating and overwhelming. Here are a few tips & tricks that will help you get past your weight loss plateau. Here are 11 reasons why you stopped losing weight and how to get the situation under control. 1.SWEETENERS It’s fantastic to treat yourself with something sweet now and then. Sweeteners are safe to use for most of the people, but for some, it causes intense cravings for real sugar. As I love to experiment on myself first and then show my results, along with following strict ketogenic macros, I ditched all the artificial sweeteners from my diet for a few weeks (including diet sodas, which yeah I know contain aspartame that’s very harmful, but oh well, we’re humans). I can relate that I didn’t have sugar cravings anymore, my headaches were gone, and I dropped a few pounds even I didn’t want to. Every person reacts different at sweeteners, and I recommend you to limit your daily consumption and focus on real food. 2.TOO MANY CALORIES I know you’ve heard that on a low carb diet like a Ketogenic Diet and Atkins Diet you only have to stay under the daily limit of carbs and eat as much protein and fat as you can. Fat is twice more dense caloric than carbs, so therefore the calories add up quickly. No diet in the world recommends unlimited calories for weight loss. So if you are not losing weight, you should consider finding your ideal macronutrients (look online for a keto calculator) and stick with them, because calories matter even on a low carb diet. 3. NOT ENOUGH OR TOO MU Continue reading >>
Ketogenic Diet Faq
With all the new people finding, switching, and transitioning into a low carb diet, I figured it was about time I put together an FAQ on all the common questions that are asked when someone is starting out. I don’t go too in depth in the answers, but I tried to give a direct answer and then link to a more in depth article on the topic to help you fully understand it. If you have any other questions you’d like to be added, changed, or are unsure about – please feel free to leave a comment below so I can fully explain, or make changes to the answers on this page. Best wishes, and to all the new people out there – good luck and happy dieting! Frequently Asked Questions Click any of the questions below and it will take you to the answer. How Long Does It Take To Get Into Ketosis? A ketogenic diet is not a diet that you can whimfully choose to go on and off of at any point. It takes time for your body to adjust and go into a state known as ketosis. This process? Anywhere from 2 – 7 days, depending on your body type, activity levels, and what you’re eating. The fastest way to get into ketosis is to exercise on an empty stomach, restrict your carbohydrate intake to 20g or less per day, and be vigilant with your water intake. To improve the rate at which you enter ketosis, there is a method called Fat Fasting. I’ve written an article on Fat Fasting on a Ketogenic Diet and everything involved with it. Make sure that if you use this method, it is only for a few days, otherwise it can bring harm to you. Where Can I Find Low Carb Recipes? Everywhere on the internet! There’s recipes on almost every health website nowadays, and a quick Google of what you want will definitely help you out. You can even convert high carb recipes that use sugar or fruits in them to low c Continue reading >>
Low-carb Diet: Can It Help You Lose Weight?
Could a low-carb diet give you an edge in losing weight? Help you keep weight off permanently? Here's what you need to know about the low-carb diet. Definition A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates — such as those found in grains, starchy vegetables and fruit — and emphasizes foods high in protein and fat. Many types of low-carb diets exist. Each diet has varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates you can eat. Purpose A low-carb diet is generally used for losing weight. Some low-carb diets may have health benefits beyond weight loss, such as reducing risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Why you might follow a low-carb diet You might choose to follow a low-carb diet because you: Want a diet that restricts certain carbs to help you lose weight Want to change your overall eating habits Enjoy the types and amounts of foods featured in low-carb diets Check with your doctor before starting any weight-loss diet, especially if you have any health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease. Diet details As the name says, a low-carb diet restricts the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates are a type of calorie-providing macronutrient found in many foods and beverages. Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. They can further be classified as simple refined (table sugar), simple natural (lactose in milk and fructose in fruit), complex refined (white flour) and complex natural (whole grains or beans). Common sources of naturally occurring carbohydrates include: Grains Fruits Vegetables Milk Nuts Seeds Legumes (beans, lentils, peas) Food manufacturers also add refined carbohydrates to processed foods in the form of sugar or white flour. Examples of foods that contain refined carbohydrates are white breads and Continue reading >>
Will A State Of Ketosis Help Me Lose Weight?
Many low-carbohydrate diets tout the benefits of being in a state of ketosis, which they claim results in weight loss. The idea is that by not eating enough carbohydrates to use as energy, your body will instead break down fat for energy. As a result, you will lose fat and weight. The idea of ketosis for weight loss, however, does not work as well in reality and comes with many health risks. Talk to your doctor before going on a diet that promotes ketosis. Video of the Day The state of ketosis occurs when ketone bodies, which are actually three biochemicals -- acetone, acetoacetic acid and beta-hydroxybutyric acid -- build up in your bloodstream. Your body needs carbohydrates to fully break down fat, so a lack of carbohydrates in your diet leads to ketosis. It is normal for the body to produce small amounts of ketone bodies, but when placed in a state of starvation, the liver produces ketone bodies from fatty acids to nourish essential organs like the brain and heart. The excess acetone is excreted in the urine and producing the characteristic sweet breath often found in diabetics Weight Loss Through Appetite Suppression It is possible to lose weight in the state of ketosis, especially in the beginning. This state can reduce your feelings of hunger so you eat less, which is the result touted by low-carbohydrate diets. Ketosis might even make you nauseous, making you not want to eat. A May 2008 study in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” points out, however, that not enough evidence backs up the idea that ketones suppress appetite. Ketosis also might cause weight loss in the beginning of a diet because of a loss of water weight. Ketosis causes your body to get rid of sodium and to release more urine. This can result in losing about 100 to 150 calories a day Continue reading >>
Not Losing Weight On A Low-carb Ketogenic Diet? Don’t Give Up And Read Further
The ketogenic diet is not only known to be one of the most effective weight loss tools, but has proven to have many health benefits. Ketosis is a state at which your body produces ketones in the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilization. Unless you can check your blood ketones, using Ketostix is an easy way to detect urinary ketones. It's not the most accurate method, but may be good enough to find out whether you are in ketosis. In some cases, weight loss may be difficult even on a low-carb ketogenic diet and there may be a few possible reasons for weight stalling, which I have listed in this post. If you want to know more about the ketogenic diet and how it can help you lose weight, have a look at my Practical Guide to Keto Diet which is freely available on my website also as PDF. 3 free diet plans to help you kickstart your diet, lose weight and get healthy Recipes, giveaways and exclusive deals delivered directly to your inbox A chance to win the KetoDiet app every week Top Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight on a Keto Diet 1. Carbs are Too High Your carbohydrate intake may be too high. Try to decrease your daily carbs limit. Also try to include coconut oil in your diet. Coconut oil consists of MCTs (Medium chain triglycerides), which are easily digestible, less likely to be stored by your body and are used for immediate energy. MCTs are converted in the liver into ketones, which helps you enter ketosis. If you want to know more about carbs, check out this post. For more about ketones, have a look at this post. 2. Protein is Too High or Too Low Your protein intake may be too high/ low. Protein is the most sating macronutrient and you should include high-quality animal protein in your diet. If you don't eat enough protein, you Continue reading >>
Here's Exactly How I Lost 50 Pounds Doing The Keto Diet
Of all the places to seek life-changing nutrition advice, I never thought the barber shop would be where I found it. But one day last January, after a couple years of saying to myself, "today's the day I make a change," my barber schooled me on something called keto. Normally, I take things he says with a grain of salt unless they're about hair or owning a business, but this guy could literally be on the cover of Men's Health. He's 6 feet tall, conventionally attractive, and his arms are about five pull-ups away from tearing through his t-shirt. If anyone else had implied that I was looking rough, I would've walked out in a fit of rage, but I decided to hear him out. I should clarify that I was out of shape, but my case wasn't that severe. I hadn't exercised in a few years and basically ate whatever I wanted and however much of it, but I was only about 30 to 40 pounds overweight. My barber went on to explain that this diet, paired with an appropriate exercise routine, allowed him to completely transform his body in less than a year, and all he ate was fatty foods. Once he showed me his "before" picture, I was sold. It was time to actually make a change. Short for ketogenic, keto is a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet that forces your metabolism into what's called a state of ketosis. There's a much more scientific explanation to that, but it basically means that instead of burning carbohydrates (mainly glucose, or sugars), your body switches to burning fat as a primary source for energy. Keto isn't necessarily about counting calories, though the basic idea of eating less in order to lose weight still applies. This is more of a calculated way to rewire your metabolism so that it burns fat more efficiently over time, using very specific levels of each macronutrient Continue reading >>
8 Ketogenic Foods That Can Help You Lose Weight
If you're looking for the most hard core low-carb diet of all the low-carb diets, the ketogenic diet is it. The trendy ketogenic diet, which reportedly has fans like Lebron James and Kim Kardashian, reduces your daily carb intake to 35 grams or less, depending on the plan you follow. That's about the amount in one large apple for the whole day. The theory behind the ketogenic plan is that when your body doesn't have any carbs to use as energy, your liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketones. Then those ketones are used as a primary energy source by your body (meaning you burn more fat each day), says Jim White, R.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios in Virginia. That whole process is called ketosis. While, in a pinch, ketones can replace carbs as your body’s primary energy source, it often comes at a price. Ketosis can cause side effects like constipation, fatigue, brain fog, and possible nutritional deficiencies, White says. Obviously, we don't recommend any unsustainable eating plan that seriously restricts important nutrients like carbs. However, incorporating certain keto-friendly foods that are rich in protein and healthy fats into a well-rounded diet can get you to your pounds-dropping goals faster. That's because these eats help you build more lean muscle, prevent blood sugar highs and lows, and keep cravings at bay. "Salmon is rich in polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which you can only get through the food you eat," White says. "Increasing your intake of polyunsaturated fats can help reduce inflammation and therefore improve your ability to lose weight." Plus, salmon is brimming with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that can help slash your inflammation levels even Continue reading >>
Do Ketogenic Diets Help You Lose Weight?
Is a ketogenic diet effective for weight loss? The answer depends on whether it achieves a reduction in total kilojoule intake or not. What is a ketogenic diet? A classical ketogenic diet follows a strict ratio for total grams of fat to combined grams of carbohydrate and protein and typically has 80-90% of total kilojoules coming from fat, which is very high fat. Carbohydrate intake varies from 20 to 50 grams a day, or 5-10% of total energy, while protein intakes are moderate. The difference between a strict ketogenic diet and diets that are described as low-carb is that ketogenic diets specifically aim to achieve elevated blood levels of ketone bodies which are chemicals produced as a consequence of your body burning fat. Hence general low-carb diets are not as high in fat as classical ketogenic diets. Research on the use of classical ketogenic diets for weight loss is limited. But there are many studies that compare lower-carb diets to other approaches. These show that aiming for a carbohydrate restriction of 20-30 grams a day, without setting a daily kilojoule target, leads to 2-4 kilograms greater weight loss compared to a low kilojoule diet, in studies up to six months. In longer studies with follow-up between one to five years there is no difference in weight loss. A review of weight loss diets with a moderate carbohydrate restriction (45% or less of total energy intake) compared to low fat diets (under 30% fat) found they were equally effective in reducing body weight in studies from six months to two years. How much carbohydrate do we eat? In Australia, current carbohydrate intakes range from approximately 210 to 260 grams a day, or about 45% of total energy intake. More than a third of what Australians currently eat comes from discretionary, or “junk” foods Continue reading >>
The Beginners Guide To Ketosis: Investigating Low-carb, High-fat Eating
The only hard and fast rule of health is that health is personal and what works well for one person may not work for someone else. Aside from that rule, there are “frameworks” that seem to benefit large groups of people. One more level down from that are alternative strategies that benefit smaller groups. Ketosis is likely one of those alternative strategies that works well for certain, smaller groups of people. So, right off the bat I want you to understand that Ketosis might not be for everyone. I’m going to lay out the case for potential benefits of Ketosis. If it sounds interesting and beneficial to you, then consider trying it. (see our free cheat sheet to help you). What is Ketosis Ketosis occurs when liver glycogen gets depleted and the body burns fatty acids for fuel. The primary driver of this state is a very low carbohydrate intake. Often, it also requires a low protein, higher fat intake. You can also achieve a state of ketosis by not eating altogether. The creation of ketones is a byproduct of this metabolic state. Ketones are a source of fuel, just as glucose is a source of fuel. Ketones tend to have some added benefits, though. What role does Ketosis play in human health? Ketosis allows our bodies to function in the absence of carbohydrates, both physically and mentally. Instead of burning carbohydrates, or converting protein to glucose, the body burns ketones. This is pretty much a survival mechanism. It allows your body to function in a state of caloric deprivation. This is why ketosis often gets bad press (as it’s linked to “starvation”). Being a survival mechanism doesn’t make it invalid as a strategy, though. There can still be potential benefits to be had. Let’s cover a few of them… Ketosis and Accelerated Fat Loss Being in ketosis Continue reading >>
You Can Eat Fat And Lose Weight! Expert Says Controversial Ketogenic Diet Does Work - So What's The Secret To Doing It Safely?
Lose weight by eating more fat – it almost sounds too good to be true. But followers of the ketogenic food plan claim it not only works, it can revolutionise the way you eat. Although the keto diet – as it's known – has been hailed as being extremely effective for weight loss, it's not without its share of controversy. Those who subscribe to a keto-based food programme eat a diet that's significantly higher in fat – this is offset by a major reduction in carbohydrates which is understood to put the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In essence, nutritional medical expert Fiona Tuck explained to Today Tonight Adelaide, the body burns fat to use as fuel. Right now the diet being touted as the hot new way to strip unwanted kilos with celebrities - including Guy Sebastian - crediting their success to following the high-fat food regime. But is the diet a safe way to sustainable weight loss? Fiona Tuck breaks it down. 'An extreme keto diet is made up of 75 per cent healthy fat, 20 per cent protein and just five per cent carbs, which means limited fruit and vegetables,' she said. While she said the food plan would work for quick weight loss, it's not one she thinks is beneficial long term. 'We have to be very careful not to take the body into an extreme case of acidosis (caused by an overproduction of acid in the blood) because that can actually be life threatening or fatal.' However Ms Tuck does believe the diet can be followed safely, if carb levels are increased to 50 or 100 grams. She also advocates for following a dietary plan that includes a wide range of fresh foods. 'You could not be getting enough of those brightly coloured fruits and vegetables which could put us at risk of nutritional deficiency,' she warned. For some the health benefits of followin Continue reading >>
Keto & Weight Loss
One of the most common reasons people start a ketogenic diet or simply cut carbohydrates is to lose weight. But does the hard, scientific evidence say? Additionally, does a low-carb diet just get rid of the water weight- or does it shed body fat and maintain lean mass? In this piece we analyze if eating more fat really makes you less fat. The Key Figures in Body Weight Everyone is always talking about “losing weight”- but what are the exactly referring to? Human body weight refers to the amount of mass on your body. The bulk of this mass is from body fat, water, muscle, and bone. Being overweight means that you have extra body weight from fat, water, muscle, or bone. Obesity means that someone has an excess amount of fat to the extent that it harms your health. Oftentimes, doctors, nurses, and other professionals will put your weight in terms of your height and gender in a figure called body mass index (BMI). According to the World Health Organization, a BMI from 25-30 usually indicates someone is overweight, BMI in the 30-35 range puts someone in the range of being obese and 35 and over morbidly obese. [1] Medical and public health research suggests that body weight and BMI are useful indicators of health. According to the National Institutes of Health, being obese and morbidly obese is significantly associated with an increased risk of developing serious health issues such as certain cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney damage. [2, 3, 4] Maintaining a healthy weight is a critical way to prevent the onset of many of these health problems. Recently, many people have begun to question the usefulness of BMI as a general indicator. A sizable amount of people who may be overweight or even obese may be classified as such even though th Continue reading >>
