Keto Diet For Weight Loss

Are you stuck in your weight loss journey? Have you been dieting your whole life with little or no success? Do you want to permanently lose weight and reset your body weight set point?

If you answered “YES” to any of the above questions, I have great news for you. You are just in the right place. ABC Keto is all about helping you change your life by changing your diet. And losing weight on a ketogenic diet can be almost “automatic” and effortless. You will see.  

The Ultimate Keto Weight Loss Guide 

I assume that if you are reading the keto weight loss section, you already know that a ketogenic diet is the best weight loss tool on earth and you are ready to give it a chance. If you somehow aren’t convinced yet, learn about the keto diet benefits here.

Supplement and weight loss industries are thriving. Yet more than 70% of American people are either overweight or obese. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize that all the mainstream health and weight loss recommendations are flawed. If they weren’t, more than 2 in 3 adults wouldn’t carry extra pounds.

Eat less, exercise more, restrict calories, eat 6 times a day, become more disciplined and never skip your breakfast. Does this advice sound familiar? I guess. Is it effective? Hardly. To be successful with weight loss long term, you need to do the exact opposite and this is what a ketogenic diet is all about.  

Welcome to the one and only ketogenic diet weight loss guide you will ever need. Are you ready to take your life into your own hands, get healthy and transform your body? I bet you are. Let’s get started.

Here is the index of the main topics of the keto diet weight loss. Just click on the topic of your interest to jump straight to it or (better) read the whole guide from cover to cover.

This section is mainly about the keto diet in the context of weight loss. To enhance your weight loss progress, check the intermittent fasting section.  If you want to learn more about the ketogenic diet,  how it works and what foods to eat, check the keto diet or keto foods section.

Here is the index of the ketogenic diet weight loss section of this website:

Does The Ketogenic Diet Work For Weight Loss? Hell Yes!

Are you wondering if you can lose weight on a keto diet? The truth is that you can and this is the most effective weight loss tool on earth. A ketogenic diet will fix the causes of your excess weight and help you lose pounds permanently. It’s time to stop fighting windmills and start fixing your body. Once and for all.

Here are the top reasons why you will lose weight with keto:

• It makes you healthy. Only a healthy body can lose weight and you will become healthy on a keto diet.
• It regulates the fat-burning and fat-storing hormones. A keto diet will regulate your blood sugar, keep insulin levels low and increase the growth hormone. Insulin is the fat-storing hormone and fat burning is possible only in its absence.
• It makes you feel satisfied and full. With no cravings for carbs and sugar it’s very easy to stick to the plan. Once you become keto adapted, all the cravings and hunger will be gone.
• It changes your habits in the long run. This is not a temporary “diet” but a permanent change of eating habits. That’s why its results are permanent as well.

How Long Does It Take To Lose Weight On A Keto Diet? Quicker Than You Think!

How fast you will be losing weight on a ketogenic diet depends on many variables, such as, your age, weight, activity level, basal metabolic rate (BMR) or daily caloric intake. However, on an average you can expect to lose:

• 2-6 pounds (or 1-3 kg) in the first week. This is mostly water which you drop once you restrict carbohydrates. That’s because carbs encourage your body to hold on to water (and cause water retention).  
• 1-2 pounds (or 0.5-1 kg) per week once you get into the optimal fat burning mode known as ketosis. That’s when fat becomes the main energy source for your body.

In the special ABC Keto guide to ketosis, you can learn more about what ketosis is and how it works.

These numbers are, of course, not universal and are only to give you an idea of how fast it is possible to lose weight on a keto diet.

How long it takes to lose weight on a keto diet depends on you mostly.

The number of lost pounds can go way up or down depending on the above variables and how you approach your keto diet.  Here is how you can influence your keto weight loss rate:

• Are you serious and persistent when it comes to the keto diet?
• Do you cheat? If you do, are these cheat meals or rather cheat days?
• Do you work out? If you do, what types of exercise do you do and how often?
• Do you do carb refills? If you do, how often?
• Do you do intermittent fasting together with a ketogenic diet?

These five above factors can either make or break your keto diet. Keep them in mind and remember that they are totally under your control.

There are also four universal rules (or facts) you need to remember about in relation to losing weight on keto. Beware of them not to get frustrated or give up if the effects are coming slowly. Here is what you need to keep in mind:

• The more you weigh, the quicker your weight loss will initially be.
• Sooner or later you will hit the ketogenic weight loss plateau, which is normal and happens to everyone.
• The stricter your keto program is (the less carbs you eat), the more weight you will be losing.
• If you don’t have much weight to lose, your weight loss will obviously be much slower.

Check out the article with more case scenarios and example calculations of how fast you can lose weight on a ketogenic diet.  

How To Do Keto Diet To Lose Weight (Instead Of Maintaining It)

Initially, the keto diet was used to cure epilepsy in children who did not respond to several different seizure medications. The success rate was so high that it’s become a standard therapy for epilepsy.

Besides helping control seizures, a keto diet also cures type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.  Most diabetics can discontinue their medications after a few months on a keto diet. Awesome!

Not only is a keto diet great for weight loss but it is also a cure for many conditions like diabetes or epilepsy.

The weight loss effect initially was only a nice “bonus” to the medical effects of this eating plan. However, for several years a ketogenic diet has also been used as an extremely effective weight loss tool. More and more people are becoming aware of its effectiveness every day.

So how do you do a keto diet to lose weight? What is the difference between a keto diet for weight loss and for health purposes

• A keto diet done for medical purposes is usually stricter, includes weighing and measuring foods to match the desired macros and calories, is made of 90% of fat and allows less than 20 g of carbs.
• A keto diet for weight loss is usually made of 65-75% of fat, does not necessarily involve measuring all the foods or counting calories, occasionally allows for carb-ups and in some cases allows for more protein (25-30%).

I assume that most healthy adults and my website visitors want to use a ketogenic diet as a weight loss tool and this is what we are focusing on here on ABC Keto.

Make sure to read the extra guide of how to lose weight on keto.

Keto Weight Loss Macros That Work Like A Charm

Macros on a keto diet are rather strict as most of your calories must always come from fat. However, there are at least a few adjustments you can make to speed up your weight loss even more.

Here is what you can do to specifically target weight loss on your keto diet:

• A ketogenic diet starts from below 50 g of carbs a day. If you lower your carb intake even more and eat below 20 g of carbs a day, you will be losing weight more quickly.
• Once you get into ketosis, you will be using fat for fuel. If you lower your fat intake a bit (to 65% or 60%) when in ketosis, you will force your body to use more of your own body fat.
• If you are on a slight (10-15%) caloric deficit, you will be burning more fat. A keto diet is the only diet that lets you restrict calories without feeling hungry all the time. Aim for 15-25% caloric deficit. Keep in mind that many people lose weight on a keto diet even without restricting calories.

The keto weight loss macros I suggest to start with are 65% of fat, 25% of protein and 10% of carbohydrates.

Read more about how to calculate your own perfect keto macros for weight loss in this guide.

What To Eat On A Ketogenic Diet To Lose Weight (Effortlessly)

A keto diet is about inducing the state of ketosis which is simply burning fat for fuel instead of sugar. This metabolic state is the most desirable state to be in when it comes to weight loss and fat burning.  

Some foods will help you enter ketosis faster and lose weight more quickly. Here is the short cheat sheet of what you should eat for the maximum keto weight loss:

• Avocados which are high in electrolytes (specially potassium) that are essential for weight loss.
• Chia seeds which are full of fiber and have almost no net carbs. They will make you feel satisfied and improve your digestion. Without efficient digestion, you won’t be losing weight.
• Coconut oil which contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that will help you boost ketone levels. More ketones in your blood mean deeper ketosis and even more effective fat burning.
• Fatty fish that are full of omega-3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation in the body. The less inflammation in your body, the more effective your weight loss will be.
• Eggs which are highly nutritious, relatively low in calories, protein-rich and very fulfilling. Make sure to eat at least two eggs a day.
• Leafy green vegetables (lettuce, kale, spinach, broccoli) which you can eat in huge amounts, feel satisfied and which provide all the necessary nutrition.

[figure showing the best foods to eat on a keto diet to lose weight.]

To discover even more examples, read the full ketogenic diet food list for weight loss.  You may also want to visit the keto foods section to learn more about what products to consume on this eating program.

Burning Fat On Keto… Is Almost Inevitable And Here Is Why

The purpose of the ABC keto weight loss section is to teach you about the weight loss process on a ketogenic diet. Successful weight loss is nothing other than efficient fat burning and this is what we are focusing on in this part of the guide.

Burning fat on a ketogenic diet is highly effective and almost effortless. That’s because this diet puts your body in the state of ketosis which is simply burning fat for energy, instead of glucose.  

If you have been running on sugar your whole life (and most people have), you will need to become keto-adapted at first. Your body will have to build new machinery to switch from using glucose to using fat.

The adaptation process may take anywhere from a few days up to a few weeks and you may not feel very well during this time. The keto adaptation symptoms are similar to the flu symptoms and that’s why we call it the keto flu.  However, once your body adapts and the keto flu is gone, you will become a real fat-burning machine.

Do you need to boost your motivation to start a keto diet? Just keep reading and learn more about its almost miraculous fat-burning effect. Here are a few basic facts about burning fat in the context of a ketogenic diet.

Does Keto Burn Fat? Yes, It Does! 

Most people new to the ketogenic diet are wondering if this eating plan can really help them burn fat. If they knew what you are about to learn, they would immediately start the program rather than waste their time thinking and analysing.

The truth is that a keto diet burns fat and does it very efficiently.

Here are a few important facts regarding fat burning on a keto diet:

• You are in the state of ketosis, which means that you are now using fat for energy (instead of glucose).
• If you are keto-adapted, your body is more efficient at using and burning fat. It means that you will be burning your own body fat much quicker than people on a standard diet.
• Visceral fat loss on keto is greatly increased when compared to other diets.

Not only does a keto diet help you burn more of your fat but it also changes the way your body gets energy from food. You are no longer running on glucose. You are now running on fat. It’s like running on jet fuel.

So definitely YES. This eating plan burns fat and in most cases it burns fat faster than other eating plans. Keep reading to learn more.

How Does Keto Burn Fat? Almost Automatically & Miraculously

The process of fat burning on a keto diet is relatively easy to understand. I like to explain it the way Dr. Jason Fung, a world-leading expert on low-carb diets and intermittent fasting, puts it. Fat burning is a binary process, since there are only two states your body can be in:

• Fat burning (fasting)
• Fat storing (feeding)

It’s either one or the other. What makes a keto diet so effective is that you are in the fat-burning mode most of the time. On a standard American diet you hardly ever burn fat. You are constantly in the feeding (fat storing) mode.

You can burn fat only if the level of insulin is low. Insulin levels are low only if you don’t eat carbohydrates or fast. The moment you eat (especially carbohydrates) insulin spikes. Once its level rises any fat burning stops and fat storing begins. To burn your own body fat, you need to spend more time burning than storing fat.

On a keto diet your insulin levels are low, so you are in the fat-burning state most of the time. That’s why most people experience accelerated fat loss on keto. 

I am sure you now better understand how a keto diet burns fat. Let’s now calculate how fast you can be burning fat on this eating program.

How Fast Does Keto Burn Fat? Faster Than You Think

Are you wondering how fast you can expect to burn fat on a keto diet? Let’s make a few simple calculations and distinctions.  

First, you need to remember that losing weight doesn’t always equal burning fat. You can lose weight without burning fat (you are probably losing water weight). You can also burn fat and even gain weight (you are probably building muscle).  

 You need to burn 3500 calories more than you eat to burn 1 pound of pure fat (about 0.5 kg). To burn 2 pounds of body fat (about 1 kg), you need a deficit of about 7000 calories. How do you burn these “extra” 3500 calories? Here are the three ways in which you can do that:

• You can run a marathon.
• You can create a daily deficit of 500 calories and you will be losing about 1 pound a week.
• You can go on a keto diet.

The first two methods are neither easy nor sustainable over a long period of time. You cannot run a marathon every week. Nor can you function on a caloric deficit for a longer period of time. Even if you do, your metabolic rate will slow down and you will gain all the weight back sooner than you think.

However, if you do a keto diet (and combine it with intermittent fasting), you can expect to easily lose 1-2 pounds a week. That’s possible because a keto diet lets you use your fat reserves for energy instead of running on glucose from food you eat.   

Keep in mind that this is an average fat-burning rate and it can vary depending on your age, sex, activity level and many other factors.

How To Burn More Fat On Keto (If You Want To Speed It Up Even More)

Even though “by default” a ketogenic diet is the most powerful weight loss tool, you can still make it even more effective and speed up your body fat loss.  Here are the main tricks that will help you burn more fat on keto:

• Combine it with intermittent fasting (click to go to the intermittent fasting section).
• Consider doing longer (24-36 h) fasts from time to time (but only if you have some experience with fasting).
• Exercise 3-4 times a week (but don’t overtrain).
• Keep carbs below 20 g (the stricter your low carb diet is, the more effective it gets).
• Cheat once or twice a month (not more often).

Once you use the above tricks, you will become a real fat-burning machine. You will see for yourself.

Keto Diet And Exercise (And Which One Is More Important For Weight Loss)

Will exercising help you burn more fat? How about your sports performance? WIll it suffer on a ketogenic diet? These are the two most important points to make in the context of a keto diet and sports.

Exercising will help you burn more fat but its overall impact on fat burning is a bit overrated.  Sorry to say this but exercise accounts for only about 15% of weight loss and your diet for as much as 85%.

Unless you are an athlete intensively working out 6-7 times a week, the takeaway for you is:

• Focus 15% of your energy, persistence and self-discipline on physical exercise.
• Focus 85%  of your energy, persistence and self-discipline on your keto diet.

Note that the above calculations apply to most people who aren’t very physically active and whose aim is to lose weight.

If you are an athlete (just like me) and you burn 600-1000 calories from exercise every day, the impact of sports on your weight loss will obviously be greater.  What’s more, athletes whose main goal is body composition and sports performance can also use a keto diet to help them achieve their goals.

Endurance athletes (runners, cyclists or triathlonists) who are keto-adapted will absolutely crash all the competition during races. I am a living example of that. I best you will also be amazed at long-term effects of keto on your physical endurance.

Exercise roughly accounts for only 15% of your weight loss results.

To sum it up, not only can you exercise on this eating plan, but your sports performance will most likely improve. However, during the first weeks (known as the keto adaptation period) you may feel weak and your endurance may be lower.

Learn more about keto diet and exercise in the special guide for athletes or those who want to add exercise to their weight loss program and get the maximum results.

Keto Weight Loss Menu… What To Eat To Lose Weight

A keto diet is probably the only eating plan that almost “automatically” makes most people lose weight. In many cases you don’t even need a caloric deficit to lose weight on this program.  Many thin people don’t want to go on a keto diet because they are afraid of becoming too thin. And rightly so!  

Not only are keto weight loss meals delicious and healthy but they also let you lose weight.

However, if weight loss is your main goal and you have a history of dieting or disordered eating habits, you may still want to boost the keto diet weight loss effect.  All you need is a decent keto weight loss menu plan that’s adjusted to your needs and goals.

Here are some of the top three keto weight loss meals you can eat regularly:

• Two or three scrambled eggs with butter and one avocado. This meal is rich in protein and healthy fats. It only has  2 grams of carbs net. It will keep you satisfied for hours and let you get into the fat-burning mode (ketosis) faster.
• Keto coffee (with butter and coconut oil) with cocoa powder and cinnamon.  Keto coffee in the morning or early afternoon will let you put your breakfast off until later. The later you eat your breakfast, the longer you will be burning fat.
• A slice of keto bread with lard. The favorite delicacy of many people in Europe looks and tastes the same in the keto version. The only difference is that it’s full of nutrients (protein and healthy fats) and doesn’t spike your insulin.

Click here to get to know more examples of the ketogenic diet weight loss menu with additional comments and nutrition information.

Keto Weight Loss Food List (Foods To Help You Burn Fat)

Some keto foods promote weight loss more than others. If you know what foods to eat more of and what foods to eat less of, you will increase your weight loss rate and achieve your target weight sooner.

At the beginning of your keto journey, you will be more likely to crave carbs or sugar. That’s why it’s important to eat foods that will keep you satisfied for hours and let you go through the adaptation period smoothly.

These are some of the top keto weight loss foods.

Some of the top keto weight loss foods include:

• Avocado which is full of nutrients and only has 2 grams of carbs net. Avocados are also very rich in potassium. You can freely eat 2-3 of them every day.
• Kale which is both low in calories and very high in nutrients. You can eat as much of kale as you want.
• Coconut oil which is rich in MCTs and boosts ketone production in your body.
• Chia seeds that have trace amounts of net carbs and are full of fiber. They are ideal components of, for example, keto-friendly pudding.

Check the full ketogenic diet food list for weight loss to discover even more examples.

Keto Weight Loss Meal Plan (How To Plan Your Meals For Maximum Weight Loss)

You already know that a ketogenic diet is the best weight loss tool you can have at your disposal. However, if you have been dieting for years, have “broken” metabolism or suffer from insulin-resistance, it may be a bit harder for you to lose weight.

You need to become healthy and introduce some balance into your eating habits before you can lose weight. Only a healthy body can lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.  And that’s what you should be aiming for.

With that in mind, you should plan your meals on a keto diet in such a way as to provide all the necessary nutrition for you body. You must feel satisfied and full most of them time. Once you do that, you will start losing weight like crazy. Trust me.

The basic example keto weight loss meal plan should fulfill the following criteria:

• 2-3 meals per day and no snacking in between. Ideally, you should aim for 2 bigger meals a day and one huge keto coffee.
• You should eat at least 2 cups of vegetables with each meal. They provide most nutrition, vitamins, minerals and fiber. You should eat raw, fermented and cooked vegetables.
• Eating protein is important in any weight loss program. If your want to lose weight and exercise a lot, 25-30% of your calories should come from protein. For example, if you eat 1600 calories a day, your daily protein intake of 30% will be 120 g.
• You cannot avoid fat. Nor can you eat tons of it. Ideally 60-70% of your daily calories should come from fat. On the above example of 1600 calories,  65% translates into 116 g of fat a day. You shouldn’t eat too much fat because you still want to use your own body fat for energy.
• You should start your day with coffee to boost up metabolism and increase fat burning. It can either be black coffee or keto coffee.
• Do not create any caloric deficit in the beginning. Your body will have to adapt to the ketogenic diet at first and you don’t need to put even more stress on it by reducing calories. You will think about creating a caloric deficit once you become keto-adapted and hit your first weight loss plateau.
• Make sure not to eat above 20 g of carbs net a day and beware of hidden carbs.

These are the general guidelines for preparing keto weight-loss meals.

Check the guide to creating the keto meal plan for weight loss to discover more tips and example meals.

Vegetarians Can Also Lose Weight On Keto (Here Is How)

On a regular keto diet plan, you eat quite a lot of meat. Fatty meats are, after all, your main source of protein/fat and your diet is now composed mainly of fat and a moderate amount of protein.

This, however, doesn’t mean that vegetarians cannot go on a keto diet and successfully lose weight. They can do a keto diet as long as they eat the right meat substitutes. Basically, it’s again about providing all the necessary nutrients. If you do that eating only vegetarian products, you are OK to go.

Tofu is one of top meat replacements on a keto diet.

Here are a few basic meal substitutes for vegetarians on a keto diet:

• Tofu (make sure it’s non GMO) which is a good source of lean protein. Make sure to eat it with at least 30 g of fat.
• Peanut butter which has a perfect 2:1 fat to protein ratio. But be careful and don’t eat too much of it.
• Eggs and fatty fish (like smoked mackerel, salmon or cod).
• Protein powders but make sure to eat them together with at least 30-50 g of fat. If you eat lean protein, you will spike insulin.

Check the example vegetarian ketogenic diet plan for weight loss with more meat substitutes and example meals.

Keto Weight Loss Recipes (Especially For Those Who Want Increased Fat Burning)

Since most people lose weight on a keto diet whether they want it or not, most keto recipes you can find here on ABC Keto will help you in your weight loss journey.

Of course, there are no rules without exceptions and some keto meals are very “calorically dense” and contain tons of fat. That’s the case especially with many keto cakes and desserts.  If you go overboard with these meals, you can stop or slow down your weight loss.

That’s why I want you to start your keto journey from the meals that will not only help you lose weight but will keep you satisfied for hours and suppress your appetite. These meals are usually bigger, less “calorically dense” and full of nutrients.

ABC Keto gives you special weight loss recipes to help you burn even more fat.

The number one meal and meal replacement (for your breakfast) is of course the keto coffee.

Mare sure to browse all the best keto diet weight loss recipes and get a head start in your keto journey.

Keto Diet And… Weight Loss Problems (And Quick Fixes)

A keto diet is without doubt the most effective weight loss program on earth. Recent research shows that you can burn fat 10 times more quickly on a keto diet than on a standard American diet. And that’s whether you exercise or not.

However, you can still stop your weight loss or even gain weight if you aren’t sticking to the most important keto diet rules. A keto diet can create wonderful results but only if you aren’t making any of the fatal mistakes.

Avoiding the most common ketogenic diet mistakes is especially important at the beginning of your ketogenic diet weight loss journey before you become fully keto-adapted. Below are the top four weight loss problems on a keto diet, their possible causes and fixes.  Make sure to study all of them.

No Weight Loss (May Not Be Entirely Bad)

Are you not losing weight on keto? Or you are not losing weight but losing inches? This is a very important distinction to make.

If you are losing inches but not losing weight, this is actually good. It means you are burning fat and building muscle at the same time. You are up for a great body.

However, if you are neither losing weight nor inches (fat), you may need to introduce some corrections and make sure you aren’t making any of the fatal keto mistakes.

If you aren’t losing weight on keto, make sure you aren’t committing any keto mistakes.

The top four keto diet mistakes include:

• Eating hidden carbs. Most “diet” or “fat-free” products are full of hidden carbs that will stop your weight loss and kick you out of ketosis. Did you know that a typical “fat-free” yogurt has about 30 g of pure sugar? This is more than your daily allowed carb amount.
• Eating too much dairy. Not full-fat dairy such as milk contains lactose (milk sugar). One glass of milk has about 15 g of carbs which is about 75% of your daily allowed carb intake. You get the idea.
• Eating too many nuts and nut butters. Nuts are OK on a keto diet because they have a lot of good fats and are rich in protein. However, some nuts (e.g. cashew) are relatively high in carbs (about 30 g) plus it’s very easy to eat tons of nuts without even noticing. Know what it means? Usually huge calorie surplus and getting kicked out of ketosis.
• Going overboard with sweeteners (and actually sustaining your carb addiction). Some sweeteners (like Stevia or erythritol) are more OK than others (like aspartame or maltitol). However, they can still cause insulin response and thus stop any fat burning. What’s even worse is that they sustain your sugar addiction instead of letting you free from it.

Read the full recovery guide of not losing weight on keto with more possible causes, fixes and extra tips.

No Fat Loss (Something Wrong Is Going On)

What if your scale is going down but visually nothing is changing  and your body fat stays the same? This may mean you are not losing fat but water or, worse, muscles.

If you are not losing fat on keto, you are certainly doing something wrong.

Dropping lots of water in the first one or two weeks of your keto diet is completely normal. It happens to everyone who drastically restricts carbohydrates. That’s because carbs retain water and once you flash them out of your system the water will also go away.

The real problem begins when you start losing muscles instead of fat. This indicates that you are doing something seriously wrong and aren’t in ketosis or anywhere near. In that case you should check if you aren’t making one or all of the most common keto diet mistakes.

If you are losing fat but losing it slowly, don’t panic and be happy. You are going in the right direction and simply need to be more patient.

Gaining Weight (Sometimes Happens On Keto)

99% of people who go on a keto diet will be losing or at least maintaining their current weight. It’s actually quite difficult to gain weight on a keto diet but it’s not impossible. If you make one of the fatal keto mistakes, you will be gaining weight instead of losing it.

If you are gaining weight on keto, you must be making one of top keto mistakes.

Here are the top three reasons why people gain weight on a keto diet:

• Cheating way too often (and having cheat days rather than cheat meals). It may take you anywhere from 24 hours up to a week to get back to fat burning (ketosis) after a huge carb cheat meal (or a cheat day). What happens if you cheat twice a week? Do the math and you get the answer.  
• Eating way too much fat. It’s more difficult to gain weight if you eat fat instead of carbs. But if you eat like 2000-4000 extra calories from fat a day, you will indeed be gaining weight. 1 g of fat has 9 calories (while 1 g of carbs and protein only have 4 calories), so it’s relatively easy to eat thousands of calories if you are consuming pure fat.
• Usually “accidentally” exceeding the allowed 20-30 g of carbs a day and never really entering ketosis. The whole point of a keto diet is to induce ketosis. If you eat more than 20-30 g of carbs a day, you will be still burning sugar (not fat). You don’t have to count calories on a ketogenic diet but you have to count carbs and beware of the hidden ones in particular.

Don’t worry too much if you are gaining weight on a keto diet. You must be making one or more of keto mistakes. You just need to correct and keep going.

Here is the full guide on gaining weight on keto with more tips, fixes and advice.

Weight Loss Plateau (That Happens To Everyone & How To Deal With It)

Have you hit the weight loss plateau? Don’t worry. Everyone sooner or later experiences the keto weight loss stall. The thing is to keep on, be patient and introduce slight corrections if necessary.

Weight loss plateau on a keto diet can but doesn’t have to mean you are making serious mistakes.

Losing weight is not a natural condition for your body which will do all it can to make you NOT lose weight. Your body quite easily adapts to any dietary or activity changes and in response either slows down or speeds up your metabolism.

Your task is to only do the things that can help you keep losing weight and burning fat without slowing down your basal metabolic rate (BMR).  

Here are the top four things you need to be doing/not doing to avoid or overcome the weight loss plateau:

• DON’T GO INTO EXTREMES by further reducing calories (a deficit of more than 30%) if you are already on a deficit or overtraining (workouts more than 4-5 times a week).  Not only does it put your body under extreme stress (and increases the stress hormone cortisol) but this almost always has the opposite effect.
• BE PATIENT and keep doing what you are doing. If you don’t have much fat to lose any more, your weight loss may stop even for weeks. And that’s OK.
• SLEEP WELL. Remember that sleep is vital for your recovery. You need to sleep at least 7-8 hours every night to recover well. If you are sleep-deprived and fatigued, you will have trouble losing weight. Sometimes it’s enough to add one hour of sleep every night and you will start losing weight again.
• GETTING KICKED OUT OF KETOSIS. Many people after doing a ketogenic diet for some time forget about some simple but important things like avoiding hidden carbs (and always reading food labels). Make sure you aren’t committing any of the top keto mistakes (click to view the full list).

Make sure to read the full article on the keto diet plateau.

Keto Diet Weight Loss Results… Estimates Of What You Might Expect Once You Transition To Keto

Wondering what results you can expect if you go on a keto diet? What results can an average person achieve on this eating plan?

Here are the top long-term and short-term results of a keto diet:

• IMMEDIATE EFFECTS:  losing water weight in the first week, discovering new tastes and flavors once you start eating real foods, mental clarity and improved cognitive function, calming your stomach
• LONG-TERM EFFECTS: steady and usually permanent weight loss, less hunger, no cravings for carbs or sugar, body composition improvements, regulation of blood sugar and insulin levels

Average Weight Loss 

Wondering what weight loss rate you can expect if you go on a keto diet? Want to know if you can get your ideal body before summer?

Your weight loss rate ultimately depends on your context, that is, your age, activity level, goals and your dieting history.  However, if you are a regular person who has some history of dieting and is only starting out on a keto diet, I can share with you the following average numbers:  

• You can expect to lose 2-6 pounds (1-3 kg) in the first week. This is usually only water weight because you depleted your carb reserves and carbs retain water.
• You can expect to lose on average about 1 pound (0.5 kg) per week once you get into fat burning and assuming that you still have some extra fat to burn.  

Read more about the average weight loss on keto diet to discover more examples, facts and tips.

Everyone wants to know how much weight they can lose in a week, two weeks, month, a year or… an hour. Below are some of the most common time frames and results you can expect.

Initial Weight Loss

Unless you are doing some fatally wrong, you will be very happy with your initial weight loss on a keto diet.  That’s because in the first days of a keto diet you will burn out all your stored energy reserves (like glycogen in your liver and muscles) and drop water weight.  

Carbs retain water so water will also go away together with carbs. That’s why you can expect to lose 2-8 pounds (1-4 kg) right at the start of your keto journey.

Unfortunately, it usually takes a week or even more before you get to your fat reserves and switch to real fat burning. However, this initial weight loss is a great motivator for many people.

One-Week Results (Most People Get)

You have been on a keto diet for a week. Awesome!

This is what you can expect to happen:

• You have dropped a few pounds of water weight and feel super motivated.
• Your stomach is calm. Any bloating or gas is gone.
• Your energy level is up and you need less sleep. You wake up fresh even before the alarm clock goes off.
• You may start to experience the keto flu if you are addicted to carbs and have been eating lots of sugar your whole life. During this adaptation period you may have headaches and other flu-like symptoms (read the ultimate keto flu guide).
• The average weekly weight loss on a keto diet is about 1 pound (0.5 kg) assuming you still have fat to burn.

If you are in the first week, make sure to read the full guide to keto weight loss in the first week to discover more symptoms and tips.

One-Month Results (Most People Get)

You have been on a keto diet for a month. Congratulations!

These are the results you can expect:

• Some serious weight loss is happening. Not only did you drop water weight but also burned quite a lot of fat.
• You clearly see body composition improvements and are ready to take before-and-after pictures to motivate others.
• Your hunger and cravings for carbs have totally disappeared.
• Your keto flu is gone and you are feeling awesome. Your energy levels are all time high.
• You are highly motivated and think about sticking to this plan for life.
• The average keto diet weight loss after one month (including the water weight) is about 6-10 pounds (3-5 kg).

If you are in the first month, make sure to read the full guide of the ketogenic diet weight loss in the first month to discover more tips and advice.

How To Maximize Results (And Achieve Your Goals Quicker)

I have already said that many times but I need to stress it once again. The keto diet is the best weight loss tool on earth and most people get insane results with it.  However, if you have a history of unsuccessful dieting, binging and starving yourself, your weight loss may not be as quick as you want.

Here are a few tips on how to maximize fat loss on a ketogenic diet:

• Eat 2-3 meals a day and don’t snack in between. The fewer times you eat, the less insulin (the fat-storing hormone) you spike and the more fat you burn.  
• Do intermittent fasting (click to view the full guide on IF) or prolonged fasts from time to time (if you have some experience with fasting).
• Exercise regularly and, ideally, on an empty stomach. Don’t overtrain though because your body will be clinging to your fat stores even more.  
• Sleep well and remember about recovery. If you are stressed out and your level of cortisol is high, you won’t be burning fat. Chill out, recover and watch your weight drop.

Check the full guide on how to maximize fat loss on a ketogenic diet and achieve your target weight sooner.

Keto Weight Loss FAQ… The Essential Questions & Answers You Don’t Want To Miss

Below you will find the list of the most frequently asked questions about losing weight on a keto diet with short and to-the-point answers.

Below you will find the most common keto weight loss questions and answers.

How Long Does It Take To Lose Weight On Keto?

It depends on how much weight you have to lose and what your ultimate target weight is. Most people are able to their dream body within months and up to a year. You can expect to lose about 1-2 pounds per week on average on this eating program.

Is Ketosis The Only Way To Lose Weight?

No, it’s not. There are tons of different weight loss programs and diets which can also help you. However, a keto diet is one of the most effective ones and the one on which you aren’t hungry all the time.

Do You Have To Be In Ketosis To Lose Weight?

Nope. All you need to lose weight is caloric deficit and a keto diet helps you create one quite easily. Note that if you are in ketosis you will be burning fat and losing weight more effectively.

What Should My Ketone Level Be To Lose Weight?

To lose weight most effectively and burn fat, it’s best to have ketone levels at around 1.5-3 mmol/L. This is the optimal ketosis recommended for maximum weight loss.

Do I Have To Exercise To Lose Weight On A Keto Diet?

No, you don’t. Many people lose weight on a keto diet without exercising. However, if you want to maximize your results and tone your body, exercise is highly recommended.

How Many Calories Should I Eat To Lose Weight On A Keto Diet?

Usually it’s enough to simply eat your daily caloric needs. That’s because on a keto diet you eat different products (mostly fat and moderate protein) and they don’t make you gain weight.

Is The Ketogenic Diet The Healthiest Way To Lose Weight?

Yes, it is as long as you do it properly and provide all the necessary nutrients for your body. Only beacon and eggs won’t do. You need plenty of vegetables as well.

Is Ketosis A Safe Way To Lose Weight?

Not only is it safe but it’s also long term. However, if you are on any prescribed medications or you are diabetic, you need to consult a doctor at first.

Is Keto The Fastest Way To Lose Weight?

Besides longer fasts (during which you don’t eat anything), a keto diet is probably an absolute winner.

Can You Be In Ketosis And Not Lose Weight?

Yes, you can. That can happen if you exceed your daily calories and instead of eating 1500 calories you eat 2500.

How Long Should You Stay In Ketosis For Weight Loss?

That depends on how much weight you want to lose. However, you usually need at least a few weeks before you start to lose weight very quickly.

Can You Lose Weight On Low Carb Without Ketosis?

Yes, you can. However, ketosis has really many cool health benefits you may want to reap. What’s more, if you are in ketosis, you will be losing weight more quickly.

Should You Count Calories On A Keto Diet To Lose Weight?

In most cases you don’t have to count calories once you are in ketosis. You will not feel hungry and you will almost naturally eat less than your daily caloric needs.

When Do You Start To Lose Weight On Keto?

In the first week you will drop a lot of water weight (even 2-4 pounds). Real weight loss and fat burning usually begins from the second week.

Is The Ketogenic Diet The Best Way To Lose Weight?

In my opinion there are three best ways to lose weight: keto diet, intermittent fasting and longer fasts. If you combine these three, you will have the best weight loss tool on earth.

Do You Have To Be Keto Adapted To Lose Weight?

No, you don’t. Most people lose a lot of weight even before they become keto adapted.

Bonus Weight Loss Resources… If You Are Hungry For Knowledge

The Internet is full of various weight loss resources. You will find millions of books, websites, courses, programs and other how-to-lose-weight materials. Unfortunately, 99% of these resources give you outdated or simply false information.

Don’t let them mislead you and learn only from the right sources that will help you lose weight effectively and permanently. One of such totally free resources is… you guessed it. ABC Keto.

Study the below extra keto weight loss resources to boost your motivation and effects.

If are still hungry for knowledge, I have a bunch of bonus weight loss articles for you here. The first part contains articles that will help you boost motivation. The second part are the articles with some essential tips & tricks that will let you be even more successful.

Knowledge is power. Keep reading and remember to share your keto weight loss success story so that others can get inspired.

Weight Loss Motivation (And How To Boost It Nicely)

Ultimately your success depends on your motivation. If you are motivated enough, you can overcome any obstacle, plateau or difficulty. If you aren’t motivated, nothing will make you stick to your eating plan and you will give up soon.

Since you are reading this, I assume you are highly motivated. That’s great. Here are a few extra weight loss motivation resources to help you stay on track:

• The in-depth guide on how to stay motivated to lose weight and weight loss motivation in general.  
• Weight loss motivation quotes if you want to get inspired or inspire someone else.

More ABC Keto Resources (You Don’t Want To Miss)

Knowledge is power and key to your success. Take a look at other in-depth tutorials available here on ABC Keto.

• About Keto Diet to master the basics & get a head start on your keto journey
• Keto Foods  to know what to eat and discover the most delicious foods in the world
• Keto Recipes to start cooking the healthiest and the most tasty meals on earth
• Intermittent Fasting  to discover a secret weight loss and health tool our ancestors used

Help ABC Keto Improve (Thanks In Advance)

Do you think that something is missing on this page? Have you found some mistake or typo? Do you want me to write a bit more about some ketogenic diet weight loss aspect?

This section (as well as the whole ABC Keto) has been created for you and its purpose is to serve you. That’s why I want you to help me make it as cool as possible.

Feel free to leave your suggestions. You can either leave me your comments or contact me directly. I would love to hear from you.