Advise About my Plateau After 11 weeks

(Nick) #1

Hello all.
I need some advice regarding the current plateau that I am stuck on. I’ve been on a 20g keto diet for 11 weeks now, and after the initial rapid loss I have averaged a 0.8Kg loss per week, which I am quite happy with.

However, last week my weight loss seemed to stall somewhat, and this week it has stopped completely. I am a little discouraged, because I’ve got used to standing on the scales each week and feeling joy at the loss that is being shown.

I’d like some advice about the plateau, and some suggestions as to what I may be doing wrong. Some encouragement would also be helpful as I feel really quite dispondent at the moment.

I currently weight 91.5Kg and I’m 180cm tall. I’ve been working on an 1862kcal diet, which is an approximatley 25% deficit to my basal needs with my activity levels.

My macros are:

  • 117g protein
  • 146g fat
  • 20g carbs

I track this religiously and keep within these (+/-3% on fat\protein) every day.

I’ve been doing intermittent fasting, with a 8/16 regime. I typically eat a 600kcal salad for lunch, 300kcal of carb-friendly nuts in the afternoon, and a 900kcal dinner. I don’t cheat or snack otherwise.
I don’t use any artificial sweetners or drink anything other than water or black coffee.

My extremeties are cold nearly constantly, and I frequently have very tired and worn out days where I can barely function. I do not believe that I could reduce my food intake any further without grinding to a halt.

My wait measurement has continued despite the plateau (1.5inches this week), although my chest and other body parts have also plateaud.

Can anyone please suggest what I’m doing wrong?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

I’m sure the ‘heavy hitters’ will respond more specifically. I’d just like to say that a lot of stuff happens when you start keto and weight-loss might be one of them, but it’s not a linear process. Short term ups and downs and remain-the-sames are irrelevant, what matters is the long-term overall trend. Don’t beat yourself, a week or two is not a stall! It’s a pause for something else to catch up. :slightly_smiling_face:

#3

In agreement that a week or two (or even 3) without movement on the scale is not a stall. Just KCKO and the results will follow. Your weight loss so far is quite great!

Some people do stall with nuts (I know I did). I got steadier results once I cut them (and other things) out.

#4

Sounds like you have a problem with expectations. :frowning:

It takes time to lose (or gain) a pound of fat (or muscle).

Most short-term weight fluctuation is a simple change in retained water and digestive tract contents. Especially early on.

For most, when they go into ketosis, the glycogen stores start to dwindle. Glycogen stores bind water to them, so when they dwindle, the water is released. So a lot of people lose weight quickly early on. This is mostly water weight, and called “the honeymoon phase” by some.

It’s also why some people can get the “keto flu”. As that water is released, it can sometimes cause an electrolyte imbalance.

My simple concept of keto is “Minimal carbs. Adequate proteins. Fats as needed (for satiety).”

The carbs and fats macros are upper limits. The proteins macro is a lower limit.

You want to keep carbs low because that’s what keeps you in ketosis. There are no essential carbohydrates.

Proteins are building blocks and essential to many bodily functions. You don’t want to shortchange them. If you are consistently very low on proteins, your body may start to use muscle tissue to get the proteins it needs.

The guesstimate of the fats macro can either be satisfied by what you eat or by stored body fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, guess which one is best? You should never be forcing yourself to eat fat just to satisfy some guesstimate of a macro.

Ideally, hunger should be determining how many fats (and thus calories) you need to eat. If you’re hungry, feed that hunger fats and proteins, but as few additional carbs as possible. Many people find hunger diminishes when they become fat adapted, so they don’t need to eat nearly as much. If you’re lucky enough to get to that point, be sure to prioritize your protein intake, so you get enough.

To me, that is one of the strengths of the keto diet. Carbs and insulin are no longer creating an artificial sense of hunger. The reduced hunger is also what makes keto more sustainable than other “diets”. I never lasted longer than 6 months on any other diet because I always felt deprived. That led to cheats. Cheats led to binges. And binges led right back to old eating habits.

#5

Hey y’all. I’m currently on a stall for about a month after loosing 110 pounds. I’m experimenting with different things trying to change up my routine as I have about another 60-70 pounds to go.

I’m curious about your cold extremities as I am experiencing this as well. My nose, fingers, toes, and upper gums are very cold. I was wondering if it’s just not eating enough but it’s hard for me to eat over 2,000 calories a day because I’m not that hungry (6’ 9” and currently 280 pounds). I keep standard macros but do use alcohol sugars, nuts, dairy, etc. Not diabetic and ketones stay around 0.7-1.5. I don’t cheat otherwise. Mostly concerned about the cold extremities I wonder if your stall is related in some way.

Anyway, congrats on your progress to date. It’s great to always look back at where you started and see how much progress has been made. Good work!

#6

This is late, but I lost 10 lbs then plateaued weeks 4, 5 and 6, then week 7, I lost 7lb. So keep going. When I lost 7lb in a week, I didn’t believe it, I weight on a large scale at a grocery store, I drove 10 miles to another location of that store chain and weighed myself again, that showed 1/4lb less.
As far as felling poor, make sure your are getting enough salt, I have 1 or two cups of bouillon broth daily.
I bought a Keto-Mojo to keep track of my Ketones, so I know I’m in ketosis. Once I was in ketosis, I just didn’t get hungry, in fact I’m having trouble eating enough calories. Make sure you are in ketosis!
I’m weighing and logging all food in Chronometer. It says I need 2034 calories, I’m averaging closer to 1500.
I started at 164 (26.5 BMI) and when I saw my doc, I was at 145 (23.4 BMI) He wasn’t concerned when he calculated my BMI. I could lose another 10 lbs, and still have a BMI in normal range.

(Kim) #7

Omg I’m in week 5 , lost 10 so far and nothing this week. I’m also 164. I’m just becoming concerned and read your post . Glad to know that you had a plateau so early like me . I will keep tracking I’m not cheating at all and will pray 145 comes around in a few weeks ! Did you change anything you were doing or no ? I recently added peanuts I read it inhibited someone’s weight loss idk.
Thanks for the info !

(What else is there to talk about?) #8

Hi Kim, usually when you close to goal weight, the loss will slow down quite a bit. It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong but it just seems to work that way. 10lbs in 5 weeks is great! You should be happy. Keep doing what your doing. If the peanuts are fit in your under 20 grams of carbs per day, go for it.