Can I go Keto if I Don't want to lose weight?

Keto is not only about losing weight. Cutting carbs and sugars from your daily diet can improve your health and wellness while effortlessly taking control of your weight. As an athlete becoming fat-adapted will allow you to tap into fat reserves, speed up recovery, and extend endurance capacity.

Most people will lose some weight in the first few weeks either through water loss as glycogen stores are dropped and water is shed and/or through body fat being consumed as fuel.

If your goal is not to lose weight Keto can still be a great option for you. While calorie counting is not generally a component of going keto there is a function of BMR (basal metabolic rate) that will mean if you eat enough calories your weight will stabilise. This can be done by increasing fat, carb, or protein intake.

Another point to consider is the anabolic nature of a keto approach. On a standard diet high in daily carbs, when blood glucose drops through calorie restriction (missing a meal) your body will send out signals for more food, hunger pangs. If no food is presented muscle tissue will be broken down to metabolise the amino acids for energy, this is a catabolic state. There is some fat usage but as fat oxidation is not well used the process is slow and will not support the energy requirement.

As a keto-adapted (fat adapted) person in the same situation of calorie restriction, your body will seek out fat to convert to energy. This means blood glucose remains stable, there is no hypoglycemic state and no need to break down muscle fiber. You will maintain good energy, focus, and ability to work, train, and generally perform all tasks without the need to eat immediately or risk losing muscle mass. Keto is in essence a muscle-sparing state.

A great way to keep the gains is to use an exogenous ketone supplement after a workout and between meals. This is especially useful in the first month to 6 weeks of adaption, while your body makes the transition to increasing ketone production that will ultimately be your primary source of fuel going forward.