Calling all slow losers!


#21

Is this better than fasting?

I know I do not get that hungry when fasting (with one cup of coffee with HWC teaspoon in the morning). After seeing your post I read about the diet and wonder if I would get hungry eating lean chicken and fish and salad


(Deb) #22

I guess you don’t know until you try. I think you eat 20 gms carbs/ 20 gms fats and the rest protein? It’s been a while since I looked at the specifics. I have Lyle’s ebook on my kindle at home.


(Jen) #23

@kate_88 Welcome to the forums, I’m glad you’re here and I’m really sorry you’re feeling so discouraged! I’m gonna head over and check out your post in just a minute.

Yes! I just found her last week and have been slowly making my way through her podcasts. VERY interesting to me, and so much of what she talks about rings true to me. I definitely need to get some blood work done and get started figuring all that out. The hard part is finding a doctor (I can afford) that will actually test for all the things she suggests testing for… and who will be supportive and helpful afterwards. I’ve known for years I have hormonal issues, but I have yet to find a good doctor who knows anything about hormones.

I didn’t measure (stupidly), but I have been taking pictures and using my clothes as a “measurement” and there have definitely been some good changes there. I try to tell myself that’s what really counts, but the stupid non-budging scale still taunts me.

@gardengirlkp Great suggestions… thank you! I’m definitely not walking away, don’t worry. Just feeling frustrated. I’ll get over it! :slight_smile:

Gonna check that one out tonight. Thanks for the suggestion!


(Linda Culbreth) #24

You are not alone - but look at it this way: without Keto how old would be right now? Same as with Keto. Okay, now for the biggie - how big would you be without the Keto? Do you thnk you would have lost the weight or perhaps gained some??? Keep going, Girl. It just may take a while for your body to figure out what to do…


(Polly ) #25

Hi Lost in Yonkers,
I too am struggling to lose weight and I know that I have been in ketosis for a while due to the urine test strips I use. I initially lost 4 lbs only to gain it back the next week. I realized some mistakes I made and started to track keeping fat at 70%plus, protein at 20% and carbs around 5% (there is a little leeway to make adaptations when needed). I read that MTC oil would help and started taking that and then did a 16 hour fast two days after a fat fast. The scale has not moved at all and I am getting discouraged.
I would love some help and/or advice in this manner. Does anybody have any insights?


(Polly ) #26

I too am post menopausal and am not having great success with any weight loss technique. I have a gastric sleeve as well and I continue to struggle. I tried the high protein/low carb diet for years. It is the one recommended when you have the gastric sleeve. Is it like this for most post menopausal women on keto?


(Andrew Anderson) #27

At times I’m thankful for my progress and other days it feels like a snails pace. I constantly have to remind my self it took me 20 years to balloon up and a few, days, weeks, or months will not reverse what I did to myself.
I have to take the global macro view of my progress instead of the daily micro swings.
Keto since January, lost some weight, lost some inches, and feel great. The scale swings by 5-10lbs day by day but the long term trajectory has been downward. I have to trust the process and KCKO!


(Edith) #28

You probably shouldn’t be using percentages for your macros. You should figure out your protein need based upon your lean body mass (I think it is about 1g per pound of LBM) and 20g of total carbs. Then eat fat to satiety.


#29

Erm, that is over a pound a week. That is brilliant.

The key word here is “seems”. People shout loud about big losses so they are the ones you hear most about. That does not mean they are representative of the average experience. Also factor in the difference in loss between men and women. The general pattern is that men lose faster and more to start with. It is frustrating as hell but we do catch up.

Slow weight loss is actually better for you as your body gets the chance to adjust as it goes.

It is worth checking health markers to make sure there is not something else impacting your progress. Remember it is not all about diet.

  • stress
  • sleep
  • mood and wellbeing
  • thyroid
  • age/hormones, menopause, etc.
  • fasting insulin and HbA1c
  • iron panel, B12, folate, D

Just imagine where you will be if you keep losing about a pound a week in a few months time? Chances are you will plateau at some point but your average could easily maintain 1lb as you have some in the bank already.

I lost half my bodyweight over 2 years. I had some weeks where I dropped a lot and months where I flatlined. I kept going by thinking of the bigger picture and just plodding along.


#30

Its 1 gram per kilo not pound so about half of your lean weight or ideal weight. Note ideal weight is higher than lean body mass because even at ideal weight you will have some non lean weight as most women will still have 15% fat or more even athletes


(Jen) #31

@Pollywog Nice to meet you. :slight_smile: Looking forward to reading what advice others have to give.

Yes I keep trying to remind myself of that… which is what led me to creating my post. I am sincerely looking for others who are slow losers so we know we’re not alone. Sometimes in the world of dramatic instagram posts and before and after photos, it can really feel that way.

Agreed.

I would agree with that except it hasn’t been a pound a week in reality. Almost half of that 14 lbs was lost in the first 3 weeks. Then it got progressively slower and now over the past 2 1/2 weeks the scale hasn’t budged. So you can probably see why I might think it’s going very slowly.


(KCKO, KCFO) #32

Have you considered using a treadweight app? The granddaddy of them is a website, trendweight.com, if you use a fitbit you can links to the websites, so no double entry needed. There are several iphone and android apps that also show your trendweight. It can really help when the scale is messing with your head.


#33

I get it, I really do. Check out everything else that could be having an impact to rule them out. Stress and sleep are biggies. I used to have stalls for months on end. It drove me nuts! Stop looking at those Instagram posts! They are a minority, not the norm. You will get there. x

@siobhan could you post your weight loss chart you shared on KKB? iT is a great illustration of what a more typical pattern looks like.


(Linda Culbreth) #34

Yes, stress and sleep are “biggies” among other things. Allergies, illness, are also stressors. Even weighing yourself is a stressor. Let’s not even mention bills and someone who cut you off on the road or, hummmm - a huge list. When we hit those rocky, rough, but seemingly straight places, it is time to decide to keep doing the right things and keto on. There is a pan of sizzling::bacon:: at the end of the path! It’s worth it!


(Polly ) #35

Hi Virginia,
I have been trying to do this without going to a doctor. How do I find out my lean body mass? It is more complicated than I thought. I have MyKeto Log on my phone and had the app calculate how many calories I need and I inputted what percentages I wanted. Then I try to stick to the numbers or stay under the calorie limit. Sorry for all the questions, I am a newbie and trying to figure this thing out.


(KCKO, KCFO) #36

Here is a good calculator for ketonians:

Remember your lean body mass includes things like bones, veins, teeth, etc. No just your muscles.


(Michelle Presnell) #37

9 mos it’s taken me to lose 30 lbs. it’s been a long hard trek, i’m still hungry even doing Keto, you’ve got this!


(Edith) #38

Hi Pollywog,

To determine my LBM I just used an online calculator that used my measurements. I know that is not as accurate as a DEXA scan but I don’t want to pay for that. I figured the measurements would give me a rough estimate. I picked a calculator that used several measurements instead of just height and waist.

Your LBM estimate will give you a good starting place for your protein but I’m sure you will still have to tweak the number. It seems it is better to err on the low side.

Good luck,
Edith


(Edith) #39

Dear Michelle,

I am three months into keto and the past few weeks I have been hungry all the time as well, even though I am in nutritional ketosis. Today I tried upping my quantity of animal fat. I think the plant fats get processed too quickly for me. For example, I made a bullet proof tea with coconut milk and MCT oil the other night. It was 200 calories of fat. I was hungry maybe an hour later.

Both my meals today were high is animal fat and they have hung in much longer. I will have to see what happens over the next several days to see if upping animal fat really does make a difference.

Cheers,
Edith


(Michele TP) #40

Hey Lostinyonkers,
I get it. I am 59 pre diabetic, and post menopausal. I have been using keto (under 20 grams of carbs) and IF (36 hrs 3x a week) and have been bouncing up and down on the scale. The NSVs are numerous–feel great, flatter stomach, but no real results. I drink more water, gave up nuts, exercise daily and cut way back on protein–nothing. I’m not giving up, but trying some new things like a fat fast next week. It is frustrating, but the alternative is worse, so I will slog along. I would be over the moon with an 8 pound loss!

What is most interesting is that I never seem to get into ketosis. The closest I got was at the end of a 4 day fast. I have even had blood testing with my doc and we are perplexed as to why my body wont shift into fat burning. What usually happens is that my blood sugar plummets to 49-50 and then I have to eat.