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How much weight do people lose on low carb?

January 29 2016 by in About Diet Doctor, Surveys
 

Over 7,000 people have signed up for our two-week low-carb challenge [update January 2017: now over 80,000 people. Update July 2019: now over 850,000 people], and now it’s time to check out the results.

Above you can see the weight loss results from the people who have finished and filled out our survey.

The most common result is losing between 3 and 6 pounds (around 2 kilos) during the two weeks. Pretty good results when you can eat as much as you want, no hunger required. Even though some of it, of course, is likely water weight. One person in ten lost more than 9 pounds (over 4 kilos) in the two weeks.

We’ll keep improving the challenge to make it ever more simple, delicious and effective.

The challenge starts every Sunday. Sign up for free here: Take the 2-week keto low-carb challenge

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21 comments

  1. 1
    Adrian
    January 29 2016
    Add more recipes!!!!!
    Reply: #2
  2. 2
    Reply to comment #1 by Adrian
    Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD Team Diet Doctor
    January 29 2016
    We aim to add three more recipes every week from now on. ;)
  3. 3
    Elizabeth
    January 29 2016
    For people who stay on the diet, I think it would be a great inspiration to have a follow up of their results every month or so. The initial 2 weeks is an adjustment period. I think when others see how many of each new group manage to stay on the diet and their results are posted it will help them to continue and help others to sign up.
    LCHF is the easiest weight loss program ever and it is wonderful how good I feel eating this way. It has become a lifestyle for me.
  4. 4
    BobM
    January 29 2016
    I always thought it took a month or more to really become adjusted to the diet. And it took me years to fully adjust, including believing it to be true. For instance, even though I now eat as much fat per day as I can, I still look at food and think of how fatty it is. 30+ years of eschewing and demonizing fat does that to you.

    It'd be interesting to do an analysis as to why the 14% of people who did not lose or gained had that outcome.

  5. 5
    Belle
    January 30 2016
    In March 2013 my husband invited me to a cruise. Wow wonderful but....my dressy clothes didn't fit anymore and I didn't want t o buy a bigger size for this occasion, so...I HAD to lose weight!
    Google gave the solution and I found Zoe Harcombe and dietdoctor.
    Three months later I fitted in my long skirt and "old" cocktail dresses.
    I lost 7 kilos in total and now, three years later my weight is still 52 kilos, slimmer than ever!.
    Not bad for an 80 year old!
    If I can do it, you can do it!
  6. 6
    chris c
    January 31 2016
    I can't remember how long it took me to lose 15 kg, but I know it was far less time than it took to put it on, which I only did thanks to a dietician and her infernal low fat diet. I've maintained around the same weight now for 11 years, on around 50g carbs/day. My blood glucose is now mainly normal, as are my trigs and HDL. LDL and BP have taken a bit of a beating in the last year though as I went hypERthyroid and am currently I suspect a bit overtreated and hypOthyroid.
  7. 7
    Hazel
    February 20 2016
    I have no scale so didn't know until recently when I had eye surgery and was weighed that I've lost 65 pounds.

    I feel great. I eat "off the LCHF grid" very rarely, meaning perhaps one small bite of good bread with lots of butter in a restaurant maybe every 6-8 months, or splitting a slice of great cheesecake with a friend every two to three months.

    Those examples may sound not credible but I've been low-carbing since 2001 and have gotten used to eating ON the LC grid. I notice constantly how much better I feel if I follow my metabolism's needs rather than what my eyes urge me to splurge on. Fasting for 18 hours per day made me feel even better (and the last few pounds disappeared). Hunger for me is so rare as to be non-existent.

    I treat fruit as candy, don't eat it. Once I got over that hurdle-of-misunderstanding (fruit's NOT good for my blood sugar), LCHF became much easier. My veggies are mostly leafy greens. I mix sour cream and heavy cream for salad dressing. How can life be better than this?

  8. 8
    Sharron Arnold
    March 12 2016
    Hazel, Thankyou for the really simple salad dressing. I struggle with plain salad greens and your cream dressing makes it really appetising!
  9. 9
    Vala
    August 31 2016
    Why is the garlic bread labeled Keto while the bread buns are moderate? Same recipe exactly except for the garlic butter and second time in the oven that is added in the Keto labeled recipe.
    Do the carbs evaporate in the oven the second time the bread is in the oven or is the difference due to the garlic butter? and if so can I eat the buns with butter to make them Keto?
  10. 10
    Mary
    November 26 2016
    I lost 13lbs in one month by cutting out all carbs. I felt amazing and I plan to start it up again!!!
  11. 11
    corina
    January 8 2017
    omg i already lost 7 cm waist in this first week and about 2 kg
  12. 12
    Jenny
    January 13 2017
    I have lost 3kg in the first week of a diet cutting out all carbs. Am not on any web sites or clubs etc and am finding my way with the meals. But just the loss in such a short period, is enough to energise me to stick to it. Hope it carries on. BUT now I will have carb days occasionally. Thanks guys.
  13. 13
    Carrie Cassidy
    January 15 2017
    Started a lcfh diet plan on monday and already the scales are saying iv lost 5lb. I know most of that is water weight but since eating a high fat diet I am able to control my hunger to the point I have also fasted intermittently for around 16-18 hours per day over the last two days. I can not tell you how excited I feel about this way of eating. I'm eating eggs and bacon every morning and I'm having cream in my coffee. I'm cooking with butter and eating cheese without feeling guilty. At the moment I am staying within 1200 to 1500 calories per day. I still don't believe you can eat all you want. Im sticking to 15g carbs for the next week or so then I will slowly introduce some nuts and berries to my diet. My partner and work mates are sceptical but can't wait to prove to them that you can eat fat and lose weight.
  14. 14
    Yay
    January 18 2017
    I've been on a strict diet of just meat, veggies, eggs, butter, avacados, healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil and whipping cream for my coffee (which I still drink about 3 a day), and no sugar whatsoever and I've lost about 20 pounds this month so far, easiest diet I've ever done, I can't believe I've been eating about 6 or 7 pieces of bacon with eggs and cheese for breakfast almost every day and still losing weight, my whole life I was told butter and bacon are 2 of the worst things you could ever eat! Haha
  15. 1 comment removed
  16. 16
    Mark
    March 27 2017
    I've lost 30 lbs in 3 months on the LCHF diet only 10 lbs away from my idea weight at age 39 I feel a whole l better. I'm definitely going to use this diet again in the future.
  17. 17
    Greg Nichols
    July 9 2017
    I am 38 and weighed 356 lbs when I started keto on 4-17-17 and lost 16 the first week. Then 5 lbs the second week and have averaged about 2 lbs a week since. It is now 7-9-17 and i am down 46 lbs total. 11 weeks in and i now weigh 310 lbs. Im hoping to lose 4 this week just so i can say 50 lbs in three months. If not, i should be there in 2 weeks. Ive never felt better and never feel bloated after i eat. Also I no longer crave anything sweet or starchy. This is the best results ive ever seen on any diet. I now have energy ive never experienced before. And look forward to my new healthy life
    Reply: #18
  18. 18
    Reply to comment #17 by Greg Nichols
    Carrie
    July 10 2017
    Awesome! How much are you exercising? I lost 10 lbs the first two weeks, and I've lost nothing the last two weeks. Don't know what changed?!
  19. 19
    Grace
    July 17 2017
    First time in my life I had ever gained 12 pounds. Three days ago I went low carb 20 grams aday and have lost three pounds I assume water weight I feel so run down and headachey almost a pass out feeling just dragging myself around Is this Keto flu thing.?What to do to ease the horrible feeling?
  20. 20
    Lyndsey
    October 12 2017
    Grace, I read somewhere if you have a cup of soup or a bouillon cube in hot water it helps with headaches, as you experience these due to sodium loss.
  21. 21
    Theodor
    January 30 2018
    I am struggling to loose because this food tastes so good, that I have not managed to stop in time I guess. To large portions still is my weakness. I eat one to two meals a day and do not feel hungry, and the scale sais the gain has stopped and weight trend is slightly decreasing. I better make smaller portions of these very tasty meals you give receipes on, to realy start loosing some weight ??
  22. 22
    Chris
    June 13 2019
    I started a low-carb diet about 3 weeks ago. It was not planned and it was not done with prior research. Like most bad habits I've kicked, it started with a simple mind-change. I want to loose some weight. I'm 56 and weighed in at 220lbs to start. My wife offered to buy a bathroom scale but I said no. I don't want to be looking at it every day. This is going to be a lifestyle change. My previous life-style had me overweight, the new one has to just be simple.
    I've cut out all bread, pasta, and starchy foods. More salads. Lots of sparkling water (SodaStream with no flavoring aside from a slice of lime). No more wine (used to be 3 glasses a day). Vodka and soda if I want a drink.
    It's not been a chore; it's a healthy choice.
    I was at the doctors the other day and decided it was time to check the scale. I'm currently at 201.5lbs. I lost 18.5 lbs in 3 weeks. No time for celebration. Again, life change, not short term objective.
    I feel better, clothes fit better, I have more energy.
    I'm not going to keep digging, just maintain the course.
    I'm not looking for a miracle or instant gratification. This is again, a change in the way I live my life and hopefully the benefits will slowly emerge and maintain.

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