So, the scale has stopped moving but you’re doing everything right? There are a few things that can be contributing to the slowdown or halt of the scale, but before we go into that, remember that the scale can be a liar sometimes. The body is complex and there are other ways to measure your success, other than relying on your weight. Things to consider before determining if you’ve hit a plateau are:
- Measure yourself – You may very well be losing inches, especially if you are also working out. The scale does not measure your fat loss and muscle gain. Even if you aren’t working out though, you may very well be losing inches but not the lbs.
- Take progress pictures – sometimes is best to visually SEE your progress. You’d be amazed at the difference looking at a side by side pictures does, even if you don’t see the scale numbers going down as fast as you’d like.
- How are your clothes fitting – You may find your clothes fit much looser and you’ve gone down a few sizes.
Something else to consider when you are disappointed with the movement on the scale is the “Whoosh Effect”. This infographic explains it best:
Some people will literally drop between 3lbs and 9lbs OVERNIGHT, after being stalled for weeks or months. And remember, a stall isn’t really a stall until about 6 weeks of little to no scale movement. Even still, here are some things you can do to help move it along:
Cut out Dairy
Dairy can be a very tricky food for many people, keto or not. Some people do perfectly fine with dairy and others can’t stomach it (literally). There is a lot of controversy surrounding dairy, how much of it we should eat and whether it causes more harm than good. In my opinion, everyone is so different, there isn’t a one size fits all approach to it. Some people find that it is a mental trigger for them and increases cravings, whereas others find it triggers inflammation and they simply cannot eat it. On the other hand, others can stuff their face with endless amounts of cheese and be fine. That being said, dairy is a culprit to weight loss stalls in a lot of people, so cutting dairy to break a stall might very well work.
Intermittent Fasting
Fasting is typically a sure-fire way to break a stall. Intermittent fasting is essentially a form of fasting that requires you to have set times during the day when you eat and when you don’t. For example, doing an intermittent fast of 18:6, means that you fast for 18 hours of the day and have a 6 hour eating window. Aside from weight loss, intermittent fasting has been scientifically shown to provide a variety of health benefits, including immune system resets. It cleanses the body and allows it to breathe. Look up Dr. Jason Fung for more information on fasting and its benefits.
Reduce/cut out the nuts
Similar to dairy, everybody reacts differently to nuts. Nuts are tricky as well because they do contain carbs, and they are very easy to over-eat. So by overeating nuts, you could easily be putting your carb macros far beyond your daily limit, without even realizing it. This is especially true if you use almond flour in a lot of baking. Being mindful of it might be all you need to break your stall.
Add fat and reduce protein
It very well may be that you are not eating enough fat. Remember, fat is key on a ketogenic way of eating because it keeps you fuller longer, keeps you more satisifed and is the key to satiety. On the other hand, try to be careful with how much protein you consume. Overeating protein can result in your body converting the excess protein into glucose, a process called Gluconeogensis. This could even have the effect of kicking you out of ketosis. As a guideline, adult women only require about 50-75g of protein daily. Be mindful of that next time you plan your meals.
Eat more
Many people do not recognize hunger cues. I never thought about this carefully enough until this week. Especially on keto, once you’ve been in ketosis for a little while and may even be fat-adapted already, it can be hard to recognize that we are truly hungry. We therefore don’t end up eating enough and our bodies slow down a little. Upping your food and calorie intake can really help break through that plateau and get the scale moving again.
Hope this helps! If any of the above tips did help, comment below. I’d love to hear about it!
Keto on,
Evie
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