How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight on Keto?

Are you looking for the perfect way to jumpstart your weight loss journey?

A keto diet might be just the fit for you, especially if you’re looking for a diet that takes numbers off not only the scale but also inches off your body.

A ketogenic diet burns fat by converting it into energy, which gives your body and brain a nice energetic boost. But how long does it take to lose weight on keto? Our experts explain all the facts about weight loss on keto.

Getting Into Ketosis

Once you start eating keto, how long does it take for your body to actually enter into a state of ketosis?

Well, this could be different for everyone. Some people might take longer, while others enter into ketosis faster.

Some contributing factors tend to be how many carbs a day you’re eating, whether or not you exercise, and how hydrated you are. The best way to get your body into ketosis in a shorter period is to reduce your carb intake to under 50 grams a day.

Entering into ketosis and staying there can take as little as 4 days, while others may find that it takes them a week or more.

If your diet is high in carbs before you start keto, you might find that it takes your body much longer to burn up those excess carbs.

Keto Weight Loss in the First Week

Once your body is in ketosis and you’re losing weight, you might notice a dramatic change in the first week. In fact, you might even see that you’ve lost almost 10lbs in the first week on keto. Shouldn’t that mean that you should look forward to losing 10lbs a week for your whole diet?

Well, not so fast. Keto weight loss in the first week of the diet tends to be water weight from burning off your excess carbohydrates.

This weight loss is quick in the beginning and will begin to even out throughout your diet.

After the first week, with a healthy diet and a good exercise routine, you should see a weight loss of anywhere from 1 to 2 lbs per week.

This is the CDC-recommended guideline for a healthy weight loss plan. Anything more is not sustainable and can be detrimental to your health.

In Ketosis but Not Losing Weight? 4 Possible Reasons

Have you been eating a strict keto diet for a while now but haven’t seen any changes in your weight loss process? There might be something else at play here.

Let’s look at all the reasons you could be in ketosis but not losing weight.

#1 Make sure you’re in ketosis

The first step is making sure your body is actually in ketosis. You can do this by testing your blood ketones and sugar levels.

Make sure that the number is within the range for ketosis. 

#2 Eating too many calories

The state of ketosis helps you burn fat and lose weight, but you might be countering that process by eating too many calories within a day. You should have a calorie deficit of about 500 calories to see a loss. So the smartest choice is to monitor your calorie intake.

#3 Consuming too many carbs

If you’re not careful in tracking your carb intake, you might accidentally be kicking yourself out of ketosis by eating too many carbs. Try a low-carb diet plan and cut back carbs to closer to no more than 20 grams per day for a few weeks and see if that helps.

#4 Not using supplements

If all else fails, you can try ketogenic diet supplements that help your body stay in ketosis for longer.

Conclusion

There is no exact answer, but the fat loss on keto can occur within the first few days for some people. The average weight loss rate is usually around 1 to 2 lbs per week after that first initial week. If you’re struggling to lose weight on keto, you might need to adjust your carb intake, as well as track your calories more closely.

Getting into ketosis can take a week or more, but don’t get discouraged. Just keep tracking your macros, be aware of your carb intake, and maintain a healthy exercise routine. Losing fat takes hard work and dedication, especially with keto diets.