When Keto Doesn't Work
What to Do When Nothing Works
The truth is, keto is not for everyone. Some women, and many high-intensity athletes, will not find success on keto. No one way of eating works for everyone and although keto can be amazing for some people, if you feel terrible on keto and have tried for months to fix it, it simply may not be for you.
The main thing to do when keto isn’t working is to try the most obvious solutions. As covered in Keto 101 and Keto 201 make sure:
You Have Been Patient: You have given this time to work. You have not just stalled in your weight loss for three days, you have had weeks of no loss (or gain).
You Have Eliminated the Possibility of Food Sensitivity: You have read the food sensitivity section in Keto 201 and have worked to eliminate this as a possibility. Food sensitivities are sneaky, don’t assume because you do not feel like you have a food sensitivity that you don’t. Ironically, we often have an unnatural craving for what is affecting us negatively, thus we subconsciously fight to keep it around and in our diet. Take an objective view and make sure you are not sensitive to something if you are having issues.
You Are Not Stressed Out: You are sleeping well and feel calm most of the time.
You Are Accurately and Completely Tracking Your Food: You are logging every gram you eat and you are nailing your known-good ketogenic ratio and macronutrient thresholds.
You Are Not Fighting a Mineral or Vitamin Deficiency: You need help to figure this one out for sure but it is worth knowing since you will have the issue with/without keto.
The Unfortunate Truth of Keto
Turns out, Keto does not work for some folks, perhaps even lots of folks. And, even if it does “work” they are left with new, persistent issues after the fact. This happened to me. Sure, I lot a ton of weight on keto, but the damage to my body was not subtle, especially damage to my gut. And, my story is not unique.
Since writing this website, and going through over a year of post-keto issues, I’ve put together a guide about what I think is a smarter, more sustainable way to approach weight loss. For all of the details of my experiences post-keto, click the button below to learn about a life beyond keto: