It’s a common frustration: couples start keto together, yet he sheds pounds at lightning speed while she feels stuck watching the scale barely move. Now, new research from Stanford’s Nutrition Research Institute sheds light on why men tend to lose more weight than women on the same ketogenic plan.
In this study, more than 300 overweight or obese adults followed a supervised keto diet for six months. On average, men lost about 16% of their body weight, while women lost around 11%. Both results confirm that keto works, but the gender gap is clear.
Researchers point out that a big part of this difference comes down to how body fat is stored. Men typically carry more visceral fat—the kind that wraps around the organs and burns faster when the body switches to ketosis. Women store more subcutaneous fat under the skin, which is more stubborn and slower to oxidize.
Hormones also play a role. Insulin levels and sex hormones like estrogen strongly influence how the body uses fat for fuel. For women, estrogen tends to protect subcutaneous fat as an evolutionary safeguard for reproductive health, making weight loss slower but not impossible.
The authors emphasize that this doesn’t mean keto isn’t effective for women. Instead, it highlights the need for individualized approaches. Some women benefit from adjusting protein intake, combining keto with strength training, or paying close attention to stress and sleep—both of which can influence how the body mobilizes fat stores.
Ultimately, this study reminds us that every body is unique and that there is no one-size-fits-all version of keto. Understanding how biology affects ketosis can help people set realistic expectations and build sustainable habits that actually work—without unfair comparisons or unnecessary frustration.
Source: Frontiers
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