Why Can’t I Get Back Into Ketosis?

Recently, I had a woman tell me that she had found good success on keto.  Unfortunately, life happened and she ended up going back to eating the way she had for years and she regained her weight.  She was feeling tired all the time and just unhealthy.  What she said she wanted was to get back into ketosis to feel better again.  But, her body just would not get back into ketosis.  She said she did everything she had done the first time around, but it didn’t work.  She ended up feeling worse than before, and her doctor suggested she stop trying to do keto and just eat “healthier.”

There are several things that could be keeping you out of ketosis!

1. Not eating enough fat.  It’s not just about cutting out carbs, you also need to be eating enough fat in order for your body to clue in that it’s supposed to start burning fat instead of carbs for fuel.  If you don’t take in 70-75% of your calories from fat, you will just be depriving your body of the fuel it needs to function.  We have traditionally been taught not to eat fat, so unless you are tracking what you are eating, it’s likely that your brain is thinking you are eating more of it than you actually are.
2. Eating too many carbs.  Again, we are used to eating about 50% of our diet in carbs.  If we don’t track, it’s easy to get up over that 20 grams of carbs a day.  Once you get into ketosis, most people can do a few more carbs than that, but limiting to under 20 grams a day will help get you into ketosis.
3. Trying too much too fast.  You want to get back into ketosis as soon as possible, and I respect that.  However, if you go back to keto overnight, and cut your calories, and start intermittent fasting, your body can put the brakes on.  Sometimes your body needs a bit of time to adjust so it isn’t such a shock to the system.  It can go into panic mode and just go into starvation mode.  What happens in starvation mode?  Your body takes anything it can get and stores it away as fat.  So try a more gradual switch into ketosis.  Cut down on carbs and up the fat, but keep the calories about the same.  Maybe don’t do it all at once.
4. Hormones.  This can be a huge factor, especially in women.  Maybe your body isn’t at the same hormone level it once was, so what you did before isn’t working again.  Are your stress levels are up, which means your body is not in a good place to switch over.  Maybe you haven’t been sleeping.  Maybe you’re entering menopause.  This can affect your ability to get into ketosis quickly.

So, what can you do to help your body get back into ketosis?

1. Take a breath.  It can be incredibly frustrating to be doing what you think is right and not see the results you expect.  It worked before, so why isn’t it working now?  The more stressed you get about it, the less likely you will get into ketosis.  So, stop for a minute and think about what you can do to help your body out a little.  
2. Track your food.  We did an exercise a little while ago where we started tracking our food again, and it was astonishing what we found.  We thought we had it all under control, but we saw where we were sliding and where we could improve.  Tracking isn’t easy and it is time consuming, but if you are not able to get into ketosis, you are likely a little off track and don’t realize it.
3. Get exercise and sleep.  I know, easier said than done.  But exercise and sleep will help you to get rid of some stress and regulate your hormones.  Exercise helps you sleep.  Sleep helps give you the energy for exercise.  It’s a cycle of health.  Sucks, but it’s true.
4. Drink lots of water.  Water helps you flush out those excess carbs you’ve been eating and helps your body stay hydrated.  Again, keep your body happy and it will be more likely to switch into ketosis for you.
5. Try taking MCT oil.  We have never tried MCT oil, as we didn’t need it for getting into ketosis.  However, if you are truly having a hard time getting into ketosis, this might help.  It’s just an extra little kick start for your body.  

If you are truly motivated to do keto, remember that it is a lifestyle, not a diet.  It’s not all or nothing.  It may take you some time to get back into ketosis once you are out, but that’s okay.  Listen to what your body needs and sometimes it needs time.  In the meantime, keep your diet balanced – up your fat, lower your carbs and moderate your protein.  Ketosis doesn’t happen overnight but it will happen.  Just make sure you stay healthy while it makes the switch.

Wendy