Plateaued after losing 20 lbs — stuck for 6 weeks now

Six weeks is definitely long enough that intervention makes sense. Let me give you a systematic approach.

First check: Are you actually in ketosis? After 3+ months many people find they can get away with more carbs without realizing they've crept up. Do a strict 5-day reset — get a blood meter and verify you're at 0.5+ mmol/L.

Most common plateau breaker: A 48-72 hour fast or extended intermittent fasting. When you fast, you deplete glycogen stores and force a deeper state of ketosis. Many people break weeks-long plateaus with a single 48-hour fast. Sounds extreme but it's very manageable if you're fat adapted.

If not ready for fasting: Change your meal timing. If you eat 3 meals, go to 2. If you eat 2, go to 1 (OMAD). The eating window change can kick things loose.

Also check: Are you eating too much protein? Excess protein can be converted to glucose (gluconeogenesis), which could be stalling you even under 20g carbs. Try reducing protein by 20% for 2 weeks and replacing those calories with fat.

Another angle: your body may have adapted its calorie burn downward. This is called metabolic adaptation and it's real. When you lose 20 lbs, you need fewer calories to maintain your new weight, so your previous calorie intake is now maintenance, not deficit.

Two approaches: (1) lower calories by 200-300 per day to rebuild the deficit, or (2) add exercise specifically resistance training — building muscle increases metabolic rate and doesn't depend on creating a calorie deficit through food.

Carb cycling has worked for me and others when stuck. One day a week eat 75-100g of clean carbs (sweet potato, oats). This re-feeds leptin levels and hormonal signals that tend to flatten during extended low-carb. Then back to strict keto. Counterintuitive but effective.

I broke my plateau with stress reduction and sleep improvement, not food changes. I was sleeping 5-6 hours and under a lot of work stress. Cortisol was through the roof and it was holding water and fat around my midsection. Two weeks of prioritizing 7-8 hour sleep and the scale started moving again. Don't underestimate this.

Going to try the 48 hour fast this weekend — I've been fat adapted long enough that it shouldn't be terrible. And Jen's point about protein is interesting — I have been eating a lot of protein. Will reduce it and see. Will report back next week.

One more thing — take measurements if you haven't already. Sometimes the scale stalls while your body is recomposing — losing fat and gaining muscle simultaneously means the scale doesn't move but your body is changing. Take waist, hip, chest, arm measurements weekly and you might be surprised that you're making progress the scale isn't showing.