10 reasons why the keto diet could be making you gain weight (2024)

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Your genetics are working against you.

"The keto diet may not be working for you if it isn't right for your body type and your genetics," nutritionist Dr. Elizabeth Trattner told Insider.

To determine if keto is the right diet match for your body, Tratter recommended getting your APO-E gene tested, since the gene affects how you metabolize fat. She also suggested looking into other possible genetic issues to help you find the best diet match for your body.

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You aren't taking care of yourself in other ways.

Diet alone is not enough to offset other habits that affect your weight. Exercise, sleep, and stress all play into the bigger picture.

"No matter what diet you're on, not working out or sleeping enough will definitely make you gain weight," Trattner told Insider.

Food allergies and stress are other culprits of weight gain according to Trattner. Stress in particular is associated with higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which causes you to hold onto weight instead of losing it.

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You aren't observing the keto diet correctly.

Although the keto diet requires you to cut out carbs dramatically, it allows you to replace those carbs with foods high in fat and protein. When it comes to fatty foods, it's possible to overdo it.

"The only way someone would gain weight on the keto diet is if they binged on high calorie foods for an extended amount of time, such as full-fat dairy, avocados, coconut oil, fatty cuts of meat, and nuts," board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Luiza Petre told Insider.

To avoid sabotaging any progress you've made on the diet, Petre recommended consuming whole, real foods as much as possible, as opposed to processed foods.

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You are consuming too many calories.

When you are consuming a high-fat diet, it's very easy to go overboard on the calories, board-certified clinical nutritionist Sunny Brigham told Insider.

To make sure you don't overindulge, she suggests tracking your food intake (with an app) for a few days to see where the caloric level is, and adjust accordingly from there.

"Some will say that you don't need to have a caloric deficit in order to lose weight, but that's simply not the case for everyone," Brigham added.

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You are having too many "cheat days."

If you want to have the occasional carb-laden cheat day, the keto diet may not be right for you.

"Many people observing the keto diet still have cheat meals or cheat days, and to be honest, this diet clearly doesn't work like that," registered dietitian Jenn LaVardera told Insider.

Just one day of eating too many carbohydrates can take your body out of ketosis, the metabolic state where you burn fat for energy instead of glycogen. Maintaining ketosis is the cornerstone of the keto diet, and it's not easy to get there — which is why one day off the wagon canthreaten any weight loss you may have experienced on the diet.

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You're not eating enough.

While you don't want to overeat on the keto diet, you also need to consume enough calories to keep your body burning fat.

"The body will reduce the number of calories it needs when it's presented with a significant calorie deficit," said Kyle Kamp, registered dietitian behind Valley to Peak Nutrition.

What this means for keto dieters is that the weight loss will stall or plateau if there's a major calorie deficit, Kamp added. Your caloric sweet spot will vary based on your weight and gender, so consult a dietician about what calorie intake may be right for you.

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You're missing hidden sources of carbohydrates.

Cutting out carbs is central to the keto diet, and that doesn't just apply to obvious sources of carbohydrates like bread and pasta.

"There are very few foods completely devoid of carbohydrates, and foods that are not readily recognized as a high carb food will still contain some carbohydrates," Kamp suggested.

Case in point: nuts and vegetables contain enough carbohydrates to throw off your diet if not consumed in moderation, he said.

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You're drinking alcohol.

Although the keto diet allows for some alcohol consumption, many alcoholic beverages are full of hidden carbohydrates.

"The carbs in alcohol are not doing you any favors on the keto diet, especially since you're only allowed a small amount of them," said Lyuda Bouzinova, ACE certified fitness nutrition specialist and co-founder of Mission Lean.

Given that most mixed drinks (and beer) have extremely-high sugar and carb contents, Lyuda said you'll want to avoid them altogether when observing the diet.

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You are eating too much fat.

Some people may interpret the keto diet as a fatty free-for-all, but that's not the way to lose weight.

"Anytime you are taking in more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight," explained certified Nutrition Coach Esther Avant. "Too much of any food can cause a person to gain weight, and fats are no different."

According to Avant, fats are the most calorie dense of the three macronutrient groups. Both proteins and carbohydrates have four calories per gram, she said, while fats have nine calories per gram. This doesn't mean that fats are bad for you, but it does mean that eating a lot of them can contribute to your daily calorie intake.

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You are eating too much protein.

Bacon and eggs may look like keto staples. But just as you can overdo your fat intake, there's such a thing as too much protein.

"Too many proteins will stop your body from getting into ketosis due to a process called gluconeogenesis," explained fitness trainer Ryan Weaver.

If you have a lot of excess protein, your body will undergo glucogenesis to transform it into glycogen. But as you may remember, glycogen is exactly what you're trying to avoid to keep your body in ketosis — so anything that reintroduces it into your metabolic cycle is counterintuitive to weight loss.