A challenge to figure this out!

[Amy_Cavaness]

F/63 SW 214lb CW 207lb
I know quite a bit about food, nutrients, label reading, etc. I’m old(er) and been on various diets at times since I was about 12. I have never adhered to an eating plan as well as I have doing Keto since June 29. I blew my carbs only ONE TIME (July 4 party). I’ve used BP coffee, MCT oil, Cocoa butter, healthy fats exclusively. I’m using recipes from Carb Manager and scan ever label, count every almond, drink water all day, etc, etc. (I didn’t track part of Saturday but stayed on plan)

My progress have been excruciatingly slow since the beginning. No big 5 lb water-weight drop Just A total of 7.5 lb down on a good day. My ketones disappeared last week and I don’t know why. I haven’t lost an ounce since mid-August. Yes, I’ve lost some inches but I thought I’d be much farther along by now!

I’ve used Lakanto and stevia in my coffee but I’ve also had Crystal Lite, which I read more about last week and thought maybe that was the problem, so I drink only water and coffee now.

I’d really appreciate some help here. We re going camping/trail riding for my birthday next week and I’m not going to worry about Keto then, but when I get back, I MAY get back to it if I can find a reason to.

Thanks so much!

[amwassil]

Other folks who have lost significant weight/fat will show up to give you more specific advice. What I’d like to say is that keto is a metabolic normalization process not a quick weight/fat loss diet. Many folks arrive at keto filled with the images of pop mag covers claiming something like 'Lose 10 pounds per week on Keto!’ I even saw one recently that promised you’d lose 20 pounds over a weekend! Read about Dr Amazing’s keto miracle! It’s nonsense and if you have those kind of expectations you will be disappointed. Excess weight/fat is a symptom of metabolic disfunction. Fixing the metabolic problems comes first and generally fat loss follows, but not necessarily however you expect it. Since you’re old(er) and have been ‘dieting’ for many decades you can safely bet you’ve got some metabolic damage to fix that’s going to get fixed first if you stay the course. The fat will follow.

That said, be prepared to inform us exactly what and how much of it you’re eating every day. Folks will have to know that to advise specifically. Best wishes and welcome.

[Shinita]

If you lose inches, that’s great. It’s not always easy to lose fat at a good steady pace even if you have more than a tiny amount to lose and you eat very, very little as you seemingly do. Actually, it’s possible that you need to eat more, 1400 kcal surely isn’t enough for everyone with your stats, not even when losing fat - and we don’t even know your activity.
Maybe you eat something that interferes, I am very unfamiliar with it (it’s just about calories for me, it seems, not even macros) but I hear about such cases all the time. Sweetener? Dairy? So many things can interfere, I don’t know how something can have an important role but some people are sensitive to these things.

Do you feel the same as keto? Even with zero loss, I experienced keto feels a tiny bit better than my previous diet and MUCH better than some carbier woe. I stay low with my carbs even just for the other benefits (but not overeating is nice too. carbs make me hungry so I eat more than I need calorie wise). If our woe is sustainable, enjoyable and gives benefits, waiting for the fat-loss results may be not as hard…

[collaroygal]

Welcome to the forums.

I second what @amwassil said above.

Remember, it is low carbs, sufficient protein, fat to satiety. Also your body is trying to heal itself, it is about the hormones. Personally, I had been tracking for years, lifetime member of Weight Watchers, did the 40/30/30 diets for decades. Always gained it all back plus more. I don’t track anything now. After I went keto, learned what I could eat and what I couldn’t, then added in intermittent fasting and some extended fasts. I have been maintaining in at or below my original goal weight for over 3 years now.

Here is a site with some great information that you might want to visit, this link is a blog on fats specifically, but lots of other good stuff there as well like how to deal with stalls. Remember, it is low carbs, sufficient protein, enough fat to satiety.

Hope this is helpful.

Why not reducing fat to lose weight in a keto diet?

Well it is a good place to start for sure. Some of us can tap into those stores more easily than others. People forget they have stored the fat for a reason, to be used when food is not forthcoming. This article by Amy Burger really says it all you need to know anyway: Edit to add: I don’t like the advice to use commercial fat free dressings. I feel the oil you intake is extremely important to your over all health. If I want to cut out fat in dressings, I just use either a high quality …

[PaulL]

Welcome to the forums, Amy!

I’m going to rant a bit, so forgive me, please. Firstly, I venture to say that what you want is to lose fat, not weight. For instance, I suspect you don’t want to lose muscle mass, and you don’t want your bones to get more brittle; what you really want is to shed excess stored fat. Am I right?

Second, fat loss, which is generally part of the metabolic normalisation @amwassil mentions, depends on a number of factors, not just getting insulin down (which is the point of lowering carbohydrate intake). For instance, there are mechanisms to prevent the body from parting too readily with its reserves in the event of a famine, so if you cut calories, the body is more likely to lower the metabolic rate and put non-essential processes on hold (such as nail and hair growth) than to part with excess fat. So, somewhat paradoxically, the way to encourage your body to shed fat, on a ketogenic diet, is to give it enough calories.

Third, people who have persistently restricted their calories for a number of years before embarking on a ketogenic diet, often put on lean mass on keto, especially if they are eating enough calories. This can actually happen simultaneously with fat loss, which may pose a problem for people who care only what their scale is telling them. If you gain the same amount in the form of lean mass as you lose in the form of fat, the scale won’t move, and yet you are making process. Since fat is not as dense as lean tissue, it is possible to lose inches without losing pounds/kilos. This is why we advise using the fit of your clothing as another indicator of progress besides the scale.

Fourth, women’s hormones play a big role in these matters. Many forum members, who have lost a significant amount of fat, found that their hormones needed a while to re-regulate themselves, before their fat loss began. Hence our motto: Keep Calm and Keto On!

So as long as you keep your carb intake low, get a reasonable amount of protein, and eat fat to satisfy your hunger (i.e., let your appetite be your guide; it becomes reliable again, once insulin levels drop), you will most likely see the progress you want.

[Amy_Cavaness]

Thank you all. Such excellent responses! 2 reasons I decided to try keto: 1. so that if I caught COVID I wouldn’t die because I was fat (mortality rate linked to BMI) 2. To prove to myself that I can follow an eating program and not lose weight, just like I did on weight watchers!

I have lost some inches, to be sure, and am heartened to think that I might be building some lean tissue (at least my horseback riding muscles!) I’m sure my hormones and metabolism are crazy, tho my hormones were checked recently and are within appropriate range for my age. I’d love to think my metabolism will improve. And yes, I DO feel better eating this way, don’t really have a sweet-tooth any more and have found it surprisingly easy to say “no” to things I shouldn’t eat. I’ve realized the big difference is that I NEED to eat fat and plenty of protein to feel good! It’s why I was starving on weight watchers and not losing weight. I’m not losing much right now but at least I’m not starving and it’s fun to eat a steak and salad with blue cheese dressing!

I truly appreciate the support and information!

[PaulL]

Sounds as though you are doing just fine. Keep calm and keto on!