How to Combat Weight Loss Stall
Article by: Karoline of Skinny Keto
Is your weight loss stalling? You might be eating too much fat!
Many of us started the keto diet to lose weight. It sounded amazing! Eat delicious food, never feel hungry and watch the pounds melt off. Often, the first 10 or 15 pounds are easy but then, weight loss stalls, slows down or we keep gaining and losing the same 2 pounds over and over!
When I first started out on my keto journey 5 years ago, it was all about the fat! I added butter to my coffee, drank MCT oil and I did not follow macros or tracked my food. At about 160lbs my weight loss stopped. What happened?
Burning the Right Fat Fuel
The answer is plain and simple – I was eating too much. Especially TOO MUCH FAT!
Was it just enough to stop eating carbs and load up on fat? Was the saying “EAT FAT TO BURN FAT” true or was it just an overly simplified keto principle? The principle of ketosis is simple: Stop eating carbs and your body goes into ketosis. Your body will use fat to create ketones which will then be used for energy. Yes, simple enough. But the key factor to continuous weight loss is WHERE the fat for ketosis is coming from.
Just because your body is burning fat for fuel doesn’t mean that it will automatically burn body fat. If you are eating too much fat (and too many calories) your body will only burn the dietary fat that comes from your food, not the fat on your body!
In order to lose weight, you need to ensure that part of the fat that makes up your fat macro is actually coming from body fat.
Calories & Tracking
Tracking your food is the best way to ensure you get your macros just right to burn body fat! A calorie deficit and tracking macros might become necessary if you stop losing inches or pounds for longer than 6 weeks. Once you are getting closer to your goal weight and your weight loss stalls, consider using low-fat cheese, dressing and dairy such as half and half and low-fat cream cheese and sour cream (with that, carb count needs also been taken into account). This decreases your fat intake and allows your body to burn more body fat.
Prioritize Protein
You need enough protein to ensure your muscle is spared as well as ensure your body is getting enough protein for it to function properly. Correct protein macros also promote weight loss. Often, protein macros are set too low and your body won’t function properly. Eventually, weight loss stalls.
The Right Fat Sources
Be very selective when it comes to your fat sources. Do not add unnecessary fat just to hit your fact macro. Choose nutritious fat sources. Whole foods that are full of good fats and flavour such as salmon, steak, avocado, eggs and cheese.
To be clear, I am not saying to eat LOW FAT. You still need healthy fat in your diet – a minimum of 50g for hormonal health, nutrient-absorption, and brain health!
Building the Perfect Keto Plate
Here are some tips on how to build your meals to effectively lose weight:
Start with a good protein source. For example, animal protein such as meat, eggs or oily fish.
Add your low-carb veggies and fruit to provide fiber and nutrients.
Then, add your fats. Sprinkle your food with cheese, add a dollop of sour cream or mayo, half an avocado or full fat dressing.
Remember, you will always hit your fat macro as long as you have body fat to burn. Your fat macro is not a goal. The best fuel for ketosis is your body fat!
Burn baby burn!
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