Why doesn't ketone lose its balance after a few days

The stagnation of weight loss in the early stage of ketogenic diet is often related to factors such as water balance, fat adaptation period, insufficient calorie deficit, implicit carbohydrate intake, and metabolic adaptation.

1. Water balance:

Rapid weight loss during the initial ketogenic stage mainly comes from water loss. When the body exhausts its glycogen reserves, significant weight loss occurs with the excretion of glycogen bound water. After about one week, the water metabolism will be re balanced and the weight change will slow down, which is a normal physiological phenomenon. At this point, body fat is still breaking down, and it is recommended to evaluate the weight loss effect by measuring changes in waist circumference with a tape measure.

2. Fat adaptation period:

Switching energy supply mode requires a 2-4 week adaptation period. The mitochondrial ketogenic enzyme system is not yet fully developed in the ketogenic state, and the efficiency of lipid oxidation is temporarily reduced. At this stage, there may be a "window period" in energy metabolism, manifested as a weight plateau period. Continuously maintaining a daily intake of net carbohydrates below 20g will gradually increase the body's fat utilization efficiency. 3. Excessive calorie intake: A high-fat diet can easily lead to hidden excess calories. Nuts, cheese, and other high-fat foods have a high calorie density, and excessive consumption can lead to total intake exceeding expenditure. It is recommended to use a food scale to accurately record, with women consuming 1200-1500 calories per day and men consuming 1500-1800 calories per day, maintaining a calorie deficit of around 20%.

4. Hidden carbohydrate interference:

Hidden carbohydrates in seasonings and processed foods can interrupt ketosis. Soy sauce, Douban sauce, and other soy sauce can have a sugar content of 5-10g/100g, and some sugar substitutes can still trigger insulin reactions. Strictly check food labels, choose natural animal based ingredients, and control daily net carbohydrates below 5% of total calories.

5. Metabolic compensation mechanism:

The body resists sustained weight loss by reducing resting metabolic rate. Research shows that after 3 months of extremely low-carbon water diet, basal metabolism may decrease by 100-300 calories. It is recommended to use the carbon water cycle method, with 1-2 days of moderate carbon water supplementation per week, or to activate metabolic flexibility through intermittent fasting. Breaking through the ketogenic plateau period requires a systematic adjustment of strategies. Ensure 2-3 liters of drinking water daily to promote ketone body excretion, and supplement electrolytes such as magnesium, potassium, and sodium to prevent metabolic delay. Combining resistance training to increase muscle mass and improve basal metabolism, using 16:8 light fasting to enhance cellular autophagy. Regularly monitor blood ketone levels to maintain an ideal range of 1.5-3mmol/L, and consult a nutritionist if necessary to adjust the proportions of the three major nutrients. Note that women may have a short-term weight gain due to water and sodium retention before menstruation, and it is necessary to judge the effect of fat reduction in combination with the long-term trend.

Comments (0)

Leave a Comment
Comments are moderated and may take time to appear. HTML tags are automatically removed for security.
No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts!

About the Author
Senior Expert

Contributing Writer

Stay Updated

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest articles and updates.