Am I doing something wrong....Help

(John Dawes) #1

Good day, i am in my 5th week of Keto… I came out of the gate quickly, dropping 25 lbs within the first 4 weeks. But now, it seems for the last week i am stuck on the same 25 lbs… Could i have stalled already? Am i doing something wrong? How do I kick start it again? A little more details about how and what am i doing:

I work nights, so i am up long hours. I sleep from 6am - 7am until Noon - 1pm.

When i get up i usually have a Keto coffee… Tablespoons of MCT oil, Butter, Heavy Cream.

Around 5 - 6pm - I eat my first meal.

Then around 10 - 11pm - I eat again. So from about 10 - 11 until the Keto Coffee, i’m fasting.

Usually no snacking in between, i drink water and i am following a keto food plan, so its pretty clean and probably around 1500 - 2000 calories for the day (although, i was told don’t count calories).

I try and walk and exercise at least a few days a week. With working nights, its not so simple. (thats the excuse im going with :slight_smile: ).

I am taking a Metamucil 3-1 fiber pill, cause i am noticing issues going regularly or too hard. No real carbs in these pills…

Just want to stay on track as stalling and not losing can quickly become dejecting… I do not have any cravings nor do i find myself hungry most of the day or night. Although, when i find myself thinking about food, its not about carb related foods, it now seems to be about keto friendly things…

one last thing, i do have a blood test machine, my ketones have been around 3.0. I just tested and also yesterday, both days said 3.0 exactly… (which again, i was told dont worry about ketones right now.).

My goal is another 60 - 75 lbs and i am trying to maximize it. I do know i am may need to become more active, but just looking for a little help on the food side… make sure i am doing the right thing and to find out how normal my progress is…

Thanks in advance, i know there are a bunch of you Keto Guru’s on this site, that will have some great insight… :slight_smile:

John

(Jessica) #2

After a few weeks of rapid drop, I experienced 1-2 weeks of nothing and then a woosh of a few pounds at a time. I would just be patient and reassess if you don’t see any other changes in a month. And changes aren’t always scale loss.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

Keto is a normalization diet. Lots of stuff happens simultaneously. Weight loss is often part of the process. But it’s not linear. The common experience as related on these forums by many is lose/stall/gain repeat.

If you lost 25 pounds in a month, that’s phenomenal. Don’t worry about a rest stop. You just burned the easiest to get at fat, the rest will come more slowly.

(Failed) #4

Constipation can be caused by not getting enough salt. I can’t stand drinking salty water, so I take salt tabs. I make sure to get ag least 4 g of SODIUM a day and it really helps.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #5

In addition to the sodium per @DeeCS to help maintain regularity, drink lots of water. If you want to cleanse your plumbing occasionally you can use MCT oil powder. Pure MCT oil does not seem to have this affect, only the powder form. Mix 20-25 grams into your morning coffee instead of or in addition to your other ingredients. Do this on a day when you can stay close to a toilet. This only works if you don’t use MCT oil powder on a regular basis. If you do that, your system learns to accommodate it. If you don’t want to use MCT oil powder, you can get the same result drinking a solution of Epsom salts. You’ll have to adjust the dose until you find a concentration that works for you. Yes, it tastes horrible! Do not do this often or regularly. You can become dependent on it, like people on SAD become laxative dependent.

Finally, on keto you can expect to dump less frequently. You are eating more nutritionally dense food and lots less ‘filler’ junk. So it usually takes a bit longer to build up enough bulk to stimulate a movement. After a while your system will get into a fairly regular rhythm based on your eating and transit times. There’s a big difference between constipation and less frequent movements.

(John Dawes) #6

As always, thanks for the insight and tips… I definitely will look into the salt + more water, MCT powder and learn to have a little patience along the way with this process. I definitely don’t feel constipated, although my stomach does feel a little hard. I was also told that if i want to stay with the Metamucil, switch to the powder vs the pills.

Again, thank you all! Means a lot for the quick responses and reassurance… along with so much knowledge and wisdom…

John

(Katie) #7

Well…installed too until I quit the fiber supplement. Get more salt and you won’t have a problem.

Now, from time to time I stall. I consider it a stall if I don’t lose weight for 2-3 weeks. Then I do an extended fast (72 - 100 hours). That usually kickstarts me again.

I notice you are eating about 10 in the evening, then again the next day about noon or 1. That is only 14 hours. Try to go at least 18 hours each day on the fast. Meaning you only have a 4 hour period of time when you are eating, Remember the goal is to keep your insulin levels as low as possible for as long as possible…every time you eat your insulin level go up.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #8

It really frustrates me that we have so many regulars here and this question is asked so many times but no one gets it or responds to it properly.

You are adapting.
Weight loss always drops off after the first month as it’s mostly water weight and not true FAT loss. You will always stall until your body becomes adapted and efficient at using it’s own body fat stores for energy.
Losing weight for 5 weeks and then not losing any in week 6 is NOT stalling.
A stall is longer than 4-6 weeks. Weight loss is not linear. It does not go down evenly over a number of weeks. Some weeks you will do everything right, and STILL PUT ON weight.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

Just to add to this, a stall is a minimum of two or three months with no fat loss. Fat loss is not linear, and a week with unchanged scale weight could be the result of a number of factors. It’s no more than a blip on the radar.

Furthermore, it is not unheard-of for people to gain muscle and increase bone density while at the same time losing fat, so your scale is by no means the only measurement tool to be using. Also keep checking the fit of your clothing. For example, my weight has been stable for a couple of years, but I can now wear a smaller trouser size than I could two years ago.

Do not confuse “weight” with “fat.” They are two different things. Your body weight includes your muscles, internal organs, and your bones, but you do NOT want them to become lighter. What you want, I am guessing, is to lose fat. Am I right? To put the matter in perspective: Would you rather look as though you’d lost fifty pounds and still weigh the same, or would you rather lose fifty pounds and look as though you hadn’t lost any weight at all? Think about it.

(Jessica) #10

thanks a lot

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #11

You are MOST welcome.

#12

Ciao Giovanni. Come sta?

That’s the extent of my Italian.

Your keto nutrition looks like it’s getting sorted out.

Plateaus in weight loss in nutritional ketosis are fabulous times and should be looked forwards to. But as noted, you need to know that you are actually stalled long enough in the weight loss to call it a plateau. In the wonderful plateau time so many non-scale things are happening in your health. You may be building muscle, and redistributing body energy stores. Clothes get looser or fit better, or thinking clears. You may feel the need to get out for that walk and say Ciao to your neighbourhood etc.

The mental clarity helps incredibly in elephant spotting.

So I was wondering, do you like your job?

(Marianne) #13

You’ve seen good progress so far. Some of your weight loss may be due to calorie restriction if you have stalled this early on.

The premise of keto is to eat - at least in the beginning (I’d say 2 months or more). I had never been one to eat three times a day, but when I started, I forced myself to (it wasn’t that much of a hardship - who doesn’t want bacon, sausage and eggs for breakfast!, in addition to delicious lunch and dinner) :laughing:

Metabolically, you need to fuel your body and not make it feel like it has to slow down to reserve calories because you aren’t eating enough or feeding it sufficiently, promote insulin reduction, and help it convert from burning carbs to burning fat. This takes time - thank your body and your liver for doing its best for all the years you ate junk and that you are going to take care of it for real now. Eat and enjoy your meals. Don’t count calories. Stay off the scale if you can (I detest the scale and don’t even know where our’s is.). Let time pass. It will happen - honestly.

(Scott) #14

Since I am at about 16 months on keto I still feel like I am changing, evolving and learning. I lost 25 pounds over several months and have only had minor losses after that. I am only 6.2 pounds from my perceived goal weight. I have played around changing things to see what happens. Adding exercise days, adding miles to my runs. adding workouts and now back to just one or two workout days a week. Workouts and running 25 miles a week take time that I need to be mindful of. So, what was the thing that had the biggest effect? Eliminating sugarless gum! When I did the math I was getting at least 15g of carbs daily (chewing kept my mouth from getting dry while running). Now I am amazed that I have maintained at 183 pounds regardless of the amount I exercise or not exercise. This is not a problem and I like it. To the OP just keep on ketoing and have fun playing with tweaking things when you feel like it. You are still early in this journey so kick back and enjoy the ride.