Anyone researching losing weight is likely to come across many diet options. One that might be consistently coming up will be the Ketogenic or Keto diet. It is a quite popular diet that has many people talking about it, with some having good reviews while others not so much.
The success of any diet is often measured based on the weight loss results. So, how much weight can you lose on Keto?
We can say it depends on a lot of factors. Some can lose 5 kg in 30 days, while others a lot more. Nevertheless, we shall point out everything you can expect with a Keto diet in this guide to fully understand it before diving into such a diet.
What is the Ketogenic diet?
A Ketogenic diet is where you are on a very low-carb and high-fat diet. It can be similar to the Atkins diet or the low-carb diet, only that here you have to eat more of the healthy fats to lose weight.
Some might wonder, does eating more fat make you fatter? An experienced dietitian, Kathy Shattler, says healthy fats will not do that to you but rather be essential to provide energy during this period.
Other than the fat and low carbs, you also need your protein intake. This is because you require proper muscle tissue, and proteins would do that. Of course, the proteins in the diet also have fewer calories compared to carbs.
The aim of this type of diet is to eat fewer carbs until the body gets into the state of ketosis. In this state, the body is now burning the stored fat for energy that the body and brain need to function correctly.
The continuous burning of fat would leave you with a Keto weight loss that you have always wanted.
How much weight can you lose on Keto diet?
Keto diet results are likely to determine if you will continue with the Keto weight loss journey or not. Do not give up too early on the diet if you want a lean body mass. Let’s see what to expect for each phase of the Keto diet.
After 1 week
This is the phase that is likely to encourage you to keep eating this low-carb diet to lose weight. It is expected that you will lose up to 3 to 4 kg within the first to second week. However, most of it will be water weight, so do not be too excited.
That being said, you will be slowly getting the body into ketosis to start burning fat too. Some might experience Keto flu by the time it is the second week on a diet. Keep going to continue losing weight.
After 1 month
At this point, you may notice that the weight has slowed down to only 1 kg a week, provided there are no medical conditions. This might discourage some people, but you are advised to keep going to improve your body fat percentage.
Some might try to quit, but understanding the individual fat adaptation period is different. Keep putting the body at a calorie deficit, and you shall burn fat for energy, thus losing more body weight.
After 3 months
Here, you can also expect to continue losing 1 kg a week. Sometimes you want to lose weight faster, but know fat loss is a process. So, you can weigh yourself and see that the weight loss efforts are paying off, considering where you started. Keep the calorie intake low, and you should see the fat mass reducing even further.
How to speed up weight loss progress
An average weight loss of 1 kg per week might make some people uncomfortable with this Keto diet. However, you can lose a lot more if you can make a few changes to your diet and way of life.
- Other than you eating just a high-fat diet to increase fat intake, also consider working out. With a bit of exercise and the right supplement, you can experience more weight loss, said Blanca Garcia, RDN.
- Watch out for those hidden carbs. It is best to understand the meaning of net carbs before eating your carbs. If you can keep your net carbs per day to below 50g, the better.
- Keep protein intake also low, but not too low as carbs. Eating too much protein makes the body convert it into glucose, which kicks the body out of ketosis. As such, you now have stalled weight loss.
- To continue improving your body composition, ensure you are at a steady calorie deficit. The idea is to always have the body remain in ketosis.
Final thought
Excess weight can do a lot of damage to your body; that is why you can always try the Keto diet to lose weight. For steadier weight loss, focus more on keeping the body in Keto, and you should see more results.
It is estimated that the average weight loss on Keto is 4-5 kg in the first two weeks and 1 kg per week thereafter. Make sure to watch your carb intake to lose more.