The keto diet can be an extremely effective tool when it comes to weight loss. If you’re familiar with it, I’m sure you’ve heard the countless number of success stories and testimonials out there.

But what happens to a good number of people starting out with keto, is unfortunately the opposite – weight gain.

This can be extremely discouraging, and even disappointing. While many would assume it is impossible to gain weight while on keto, there are actually a lot of potential reasons for it.

In this article, I’ve laid out all of the most common reasons that could be behind your weight gain, as well as tips on how to get around them, and get your weight loss journey back on track.

Why am I Gaining Weight on Keto?

1. You’re not getting enough sleep

Did you know that not getting enough sleep has been linked to weight gain? A lot of people are totally unaware to the fact that a potential reason that they can’t stop gaining weight is simply because they’re not getting enough sleep.

Research has shown that in adults, getting four hours of sleep a night, compared to getting ten hours of sleep a night, results in a pretty significant increase in both hunger and appetite.

One possible explanation for this is the fact that sleep directly affects the main hormones that affect hunger and feeling full – ghrelin and leptin.

The increase in ghrelin in your system results in a spike in the sensation of hunger, while a decrease in leptin lowers the frequency in which our brain tells us that we’re full after eating. This combination is the perfect storm for feeling hungry after eating, which will inevitably lead to weight gain.

This is a fairly common reason for weight gain on the keto diet, because one of the primary symptoms of the ‘keto flu’ is insomnia.

Switching from a high carb diet to a low carb diet in a short amount of time can have a big impact on your hormones, the amount of sleep you get, and the quality of sleep you get overall.

If you’re finding that you’re not getting enough sleep, especially in the first few weeks of the keto diet, I’d recommend taking a natural sleep supplement like melatonin, which I get on sale over at Amazon.com

2. You could be retaining water

While a lot of people tend to experience an initial drop in weight when transitioning into ketosis from loss of water weight, sometimes you can actually retain that water, which can result in weight gain under the right circumstances.

The keto diet has a pretty heavy focus on eating foods that are generally high in sodium, while also notably making it a little more challenging to get the electrolytes that you need like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus.

This combination can create a pretty stark imbalance in your body’s fluid levels, which can easily lead to you retaining water, and even gaining weight if you’re consuming a lot of calories.

A lot of keto dieters in the beginning will not count calories whatsoever, and will just focus on hitting their macro goals, which is absolutely recommended. However if your body is retaining water and you’re eating more calories than you’re used to, it could be a concoction for pretty rapid weight gain.

Retaining water can cause problems in other areas as well, on top of weight gain, it can also lead to swelling in the hands and feet, and some digestion issues.

One of the best ways to balance fluids and avoid water retention on keto is through electrolyte supplements. I prefer ones that include all of the necessary supplements that you need in one place, like Keto K1000 Electrolyte Powder, which contains a healthy mix of all vital electrolytes and added nutrients.

3. You’re eating hidden carbs

One thing a lot of people don’t realize when starting out on keto is just how many carbs are in all sort of food. It doesn’t necessarily have to be starchy or sweet to contain carbs, and a lot of generally perceived ‘healthy’ foods still aren’t entirely keto-friendly.

That’s why it’s always important to do a decent amount of research into the nutrition facts behind everything you eat, especially foods like fruits and vegetables.

I like to use macro tracking calculators to monitor my keto macros because they help me stick to a schedule, and provide all of the information that I need so I know exactly how many net carbohydrates I’m getting each day, and will give me the right signals of where to cut back if I’m running the risk of getting knocked out of ketosis.

Right now my favorite calculator for tracking is Perfect Keto’s Macro Calculator, which provides a ton of insight and analytics to help me keep track of my keto goals and avoid hidden carbs.

Some common sources of hidden carbs that you may run into while on the keto diet include:

• • Certain cuts of meat and seafood
  • Sugar substitutes and alternative sweeteners like sucralose and maltodextrin
  • Condiments like ketchup, bbq sauce, teriyaki sauce, thousand island dressing
  • Nuts like pistachios, peanuts, and cashews

4. You’re consuming too many calories

As I mentioned above, there may be circumstances where even if you’re following the keto diet accordingly, you might still be consuming too many calories, which can contribute to a steady amount of weight loss.

Generally it’s recommended to focus on hitting your macro goals and not worry about the calories when first starting out, but if your body has adjusted to keto, and you’re eating a lot more calories than it was used to even before the keto diet, you may be giving your body too much fuel, which could be the cause of sudden weight gain.

A good rule of thumb when starting out on keto is to stick to a caloric intake of 2,000 per day, and put all of your focus toward making sure you hit your macros. However, as you get more fat adapted, you should feel comfortable with lowering your calorie limit to something that’s still healthy, but low enough to help prevent you from gaining weight at the same time.

A lot of keto-friendly foods, while great for our bodies, can be pretty high in calories. Healthy fats like almond butter, MCT oil, coconut oil, and avocado make for great snacks, but if they’re eaten in large quantities, they can contribute to weight gain pretty easily.

5. You’re consuming too much protein

This is a mistake that is very commonly made, especially among those who are brand new to the keto diet. With so many protein bars, powders, and supplements on the market, it can be easy to focus on protein when arranging most of your meals and snacks. But this can cause some problems in the long run, with weight gain being a big one.

For starters, protein supplements are super high in calories, which is an obvious problem if they’re consumed in excess.

Another big issue with too much protein is you run the risk of entering gluconeogenesis, which is a state in which your body has so much protein, and so few carbs, that it starts to process the excess protein into glucose, which can lead to huge spikes in blood sugar, and can definitely contribute to knocking you out of ketosis.

For the keto diet, you’ll want to stick to fat macro intake of around 70% of your total calories, with a moderate amount of protein, and a very small amount of carbohydrates. Following this ratio will make it much easier to avoid eating too much protein, and risking things like gluconeogenesis.

6. Your genetics may be part of the problem

Unfortunately, not everyone’s body’s are built for the ketogenic diet. We all have different genetic backgrounds, and some of us simply aren’t able to achieve the kind of benefits that keto provides.

If you are gaining weight on keto, and aren’t falling into the pitfalls of any of the other reasons laid out in this list, you may want to consider consulting a doctor or nutritionist for further information.

In order to accurately find out if keto isn’t a good match for helping your body lose weight, it’s advised that you should go in to get APO-E gene tested.

This test is important because not only will it help you understand whether or not keto is right for you, but it will also give detail into how your body specifically metabolizes fat, which can help unlock the exact steps you may need to take in order to lose weight, even if they don’t fit in with the confines of the ketogenic diet.

There’s definitely more than one way to lose weight, and you shouldn’t get discouraged if keto simply isn’t right for you. The best thing you can do is to give it your best attempt, and get your genes tested to help determine what the best option for you could be.

7. You’re having too many cheat days

This one is a tough reality, but I’m just not a fan of cheat days.

Don’t get me wrong, I get cravings for carbs just like anyone else, but I’ve had some bad experiences with cheat days, especially when I was first starting out with keto.

When I first came to this diet, I didn’t have the confidence that I could do it in the long term, I told myself that if I could do it for a whole month, I’d get a nice cheat meal, and that became a habit. Four weeks of keto, one day of cheating, and so on.

But what I noticed is that this wasn’t sustainable in the long term. It may have been that I was going too heavy on the carbs for my cheat meals, but I was in a constant state of the keto flu, and actually started to gain weight after some time.

Cheat meals have their place, and I wouldn’t want to try and discourage anyone from using them as incentives to hit your goals, but you should be careful about how frequently you give yourself them, and how many carbs you put into them. I prefer cheat meals that are a little carby, but still balanced enough to not knock me out of ketosis entirely.

8. Alcohol could be holding you back

Alcohol can be a fickle thing when it comes to the keto diet. While it is technically keto friendly, it does in a sense ‘pause’ ketosis, which can open up an opportunity for weight gain if you end up eating while drinking.

This takes place because alcohol is a unique substance. Many nutritionists casually refer to it as ‘the fourth macronutrient’, because it can’t be processed by the body in the same ways that fat, protein, and carbohydrates are processed.

Because alcohol cannot be properly processed or stored like other macronutrients, it brings the metabolic process to a halt, including halting other calories that were in the middle of being processed and stored.

More importantly, the body also halts the metabolization of fat, in order to break down the alcohol. This is what creates the pause for people in ketosis that are already fat adapted.

Under the right circumstances, if you’re drinking frequently enough, you could be losing all of the benefits that you’d normally get out of the keto diet, which could result in weight gain pretty simply.

Additionally, the carbohydrates that come from most types of alcohols aren’t doing any help either, and could contribute to not only pausing your ketosis, but knocking you out of ketosis entirely

9. You may be sensitive to new keto-friendly foods

Even though you might be following the ketogenic diet strictly, you still may be consuming foods that simply aren’t good for you personally. A lot of low carb, high fat foods can still cause sensitivities in large populations of people.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that keto isn’t right for you, but you may have to adjust which types of foods you’re eating in order to avoid these sensitivities and unwanted weight gain.

Food allergies are heavily linked to bloating, swelling, and increased weight gain. Additionally, a lot of food allergies don’t go fully noticed until one starts a diet as strict as the ketogenic diet, because the lack of carbs and other foods can help shine a spotlight on what’s actually causing the problem.

Also, when on the keto diet, it’s likely that you might be eating more of the foods you’re sensitive to than you’re used to, in order to compensate for the lack of calories that you’re getting from carbs.

Some common keto-friendly foods that cause insensitivities include:

• • dairy products
  • wheat protein
  • soy or whey protein powder
  • wheat starch
  • sugar alcohols
  • citric acid
  • soybeans
  • soy flour
  • modified cornstarch
  • sugar substitutes (maltodextrin, monk fruit)

If you think you may be experiencing an allergic reaction, you should talk with your doctor about getting screened.

10. You might need more exercise

Another reason that you might be gaining some weight on the keto diet is simply because you aren’t exercising enough.

Even though your body is fat adapted, there is still a baseline level of physical activity that most people’s body’s will need in order to effectively lose weight. After all, outside of ketosis, the general idea of weight loss has always been calories in minus calories out, and if you’re not burning calories through exercise, it may be the cause of weight gain.

As I mentioned above, a lot of people don’t worry all that much about calories when starting out on keto, which is the right way to go about it. But if you’re not careful, and at least getting 30 minutes of light exercise every day, those calories can still add up in the form of gained weight.

If you find that you’ve been in ketosis but are still struggling to lose weight, consider trying to at least walk for 30 to 60 minutes each day. It’s a great way to get your blood flowing, and help fight off against unwanted weight gain.

11. You’re not eating enough food

Just as you may be getting too many calories in, the keto diet can be a fine line to tow, as not getting enough calories can also result in unwanted weight gain.

If you’re not getting enough food, you can fall victim to a couple different types of conditions that can knock you out of ketosis, and reserve carbohydrates and glucose much more rapidly than your body usually would.

The first is gluconeogenesis, as mentioned above, which takes place when you’re eating too much protein, and not enough fats. A lot of people who aren’t eating enough food at all, may be consuming too much protein as their main source of calories, which can easily lead to gluconeogenesis.

The other way that under-eating can lead to weight gain is through starvation ketosis. If you’ve been in ketosis, and your body isn’t getting enough calories, your body can enter what is commonly referred to as ‘starvation mode’, in which your body processes what it can into excess glucose in order to hold onto body fat as if it were starving.

Making sure you’re hitting your macros, and getting near a 2,000 calorie daily intake is essential when it comes to starting out on keto.

12. You’re eating too frequently throughout the day

One thing that a lot of people don’t take into account is exactly how their frequency of eating might be affecting their weight gain.

For example, eating before bed has been proven to be pretty unhealthy for you – not only for the quality of sleep you get, but for your digestion, and the way that your body metabolizes food.

If you eat too close to the time you fall asleep, it’s likely that your body won’t process foods properly, which can lead to weight gain on its own, but it can also lead to a hungrier following day, and it can be a fairly easy habit to form as well.

One way to get around this is through intermittent fasting, in which you fast for a large part of the day, and restrict your eating to a certain window. There’s a few different types of intermittent fasting protocols that all have different benefits.

For the keto diet, I’m particularly fond of the Warrior Diet and OMAD (One Meal A Day). The Warrior Diet involves fasting for about a 20 hour period, and eating during a four hour period. The OMAD diet restricts eating to just one hour window each day, at around the same time of day.

You can check out my guide on the Warrior Diet here, and my guide on OMAD right here.

13. You may be fluctuating in and out of ketosis

A lot of the reasons above might be contributing to this reason. One of the biggest causes of weight gain while trying to follow a keto diet is because you’re not actually consistently in ketosis, but rather are fluctuating in and out of ketosis, which prevents your body from ever getting the chance to become truly fat adapted.

A precise way to always be sure that your body stays in ketosis is through measuring the ketones in your blood, breath, or urine. You can check out a guide I wrote on the best urine ketone strips here, as well as a comparison of the best blood meters and breath analyzers here.

To save you the reading, my top choice for urine strips is the Perfect Keto Urine Testing Strips for their low cost, high quality, and ease of use.

When it comes to breath meters, I prefer the KetoScan Mini Breath Meter, which is portable and easy to use while on the go. I picked mine up on sale over at Amazon.com

And for blood meters, my personal favorite is the Bruno MD6 Monitoring System, which can measure both ketone levels, and blood glucose levels, giving you a fully comprehensive view of your personal state of ketosis.

14. There could be an underlying medical cause

Lastly, there are a ton of different underlying medical conditions, outside of ketosis. A few of the more commonly experienced ones can include:

• • Hypothyroidism
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Menopause
  • Cushing’s Disease
  • Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
  • Congestive Heart Failure
  • Sleep Apnea

If you think that an undiagnosed medical condition may be contributing to this unwanted weight gain, it’s best to seek out an appointment with your primary physician, who will best be able to lead you in the right direction, rather than guessing out of all the possible conditions that could be causing it.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are a ton of reasons that might be contributing to potential weight gain while following the keto diet.

It’s easy to get discouraged, because the keto diet requires a lot of hard work, and you will of course have an expectation of rapid weight loss once you enter ketosis.

Fortunately, this article should serve as a guide for you to help narrow down what could possibly be slowing your progress down (or even reversing it) during your keto journey. Hopefully that with this reasons, you’ll be able to overcome whatever is causing this weight gain, and achieve the results you are after.