10 reasons the keto diet could be making you gain weight

The keto diet has been quite buzz-worthy as of late, especially since the high-fat and low-carb way of eating has spawned tons of keto-friendly products and online recipes. But while the keto approach supposedly has its advantages (some claim it lowers sugar levels and gives you improved energy), there are other disadvantages (we're talking a lot of fat consumption) to the diet that are worth acknowledging.

Yes, the keto diet is said to help accelerate weight loss, but if you aren't careful, the diet can actually lead to unintentional weight gain. To see just how you can gain weight on the keto diet, we spoke to expert nutritionists, dietitians, trainers, and medical professionals about all the sneaky ways the keto diet may be making you gain weight. Here are some things they recommend keeping in mind.

1. Your genetics are working against you.

"The keto diet may not be working for you if it isn't right for your body type and your genetics," nutritionist Dr. Elizabeth Trattner told INSIDER. To determine if keto is the right diet match for your body, Tratter recommended getting your APO-E gene tested, especially since she said this gene will help you discover how you metabolize fat. She also recommended looking into other possible genetic issues, as she explains that this will help you find the best diet match for your body.

2. You aren't taking care of yourself in other ways.

"No matter what diet you're on, not working out or sleeping enough will definitely make you gain weight," Dr. Trattner said. Food allergies and stress are other culprits of weight gain according to Dr. Trattner, as she said they allow for the secretion of cortisol, which causes you to hold onto weight instead of losing it.

3. You really aren't observing the keto diet correctly.

"The only way someone would gain weight on the keto diet is if they binged on high calorie foods for an extended amount of time such as full-fat dairy, avocados, coconut oil, fatty cuts of meat and nuts," board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Luiza Petre explained to INSIDER. To avoid sabotaging any progress you've made on the diet, Dr. Petre recommended being cautious of any low-carb foods, and consuming whole, real foods as much as possible.

4. You are consuming too many calories.

"Some will say that you don't need to have a caloric deficit in order to lose weight, but that's simply not the case for everyone," explained board-certified clinical nutritionist Sunny Brigham, MS, CNS. When you are consuming a high-fat diet, it's very easy to go overboard on the calories, Brigham said. To make sure you don't overindulge, she suggests tracking your food intake (with an app) for a few days to see where the caloric level is, and adjust accordingly from there.

5. You are having too many "cheat days."

"Many people observing the keto diet still have cheat meals or cheat days, and to be honest, this diet clearly doesn't work like that," registered dietitian Jenn LaVarderatold INSIDER. Just one day of eating too many carbohydrates can take your body out of ketosis, LaVardera suggested, which can ultimately threaten any weight loss you may have experienced on the diet.

6. You're not eating enough.

"The body will reduce the number of calories it needs when it's presented with a significant calorie deficit," said Kyle Kamp, registered dietitian behind Valley to Peak Nutrition. What this means for keto dieters is that the weight loss will stall or plateau, Kamp added.

7. You're missing hidden sources of carbohydrates.

"There are very few foods completely devoid of carbohydrates, and foods that are not readily recognized as a high carb food will still contain some carbohydrates," Kamp suggested. Case in point: nuts and vegetables, he said.

8. You're drinking alcohol.

"The carbs in alcohol are not doing you any favors on the keto diet, especially since you're only allowed a small amount of them," suggested Lyuda Bouzinova, ACE certified fitness nutrition specialist and co-founder of Mission Lean. Given that most mixed drinks (and beer) have extremely-high sugar and carb contents, Lyuda said you'll want to avoid them altogether when observing the diet.

9. You are eating too much fat.

"Anytime you are taking in more calories than your body needs, you will gain weight," explained certified Nutrition Coach Esther Avant. "Too much of any food can cause a person to gain weight, and fats are no different."

According to Avant, fats are the most calorie dense of the three macronutrient groups. Both proteins and carbohydrates have four calories per gram, she said, while fats have nine calories per gram. However, she stresses that this does not mean that fats are bad for you, but it does mean that eating a lot of them (which is usually encouraged on the keto diet) can contribute to your daily calorie intake.

10. You are eating too much protein.

"Too many proteins will stop your body from getting into ketosis due to a process called gluconeogenesis," explained fitness trainer Ryan Weaver. Gluconeogenesis, he said, is a metabolic process that transforms excess protein into glycogen and keeps your body reliant on the energy resulted from glucose. This can usually lead to unintentional weight gain, he suggested.

This article originally appeared on Insider. Follow @thisisinsider on Twitter.