Day 6 and 2 pounds up

#1

First weigh in and feeling really down after reading stories of significant losses in the first week. I have gained 2lbs in 5 days on keto. I’m following the recommended macros to the letter. Under 25g carbs every day and 1650 Calories as directed for my weight and height. Fat and Protein on target. I have to say I feel like I am eating more than normal and have been concerned about this. Any thoughts or similar experiences?

(Polly) #2

Welcome to this forum @Hypat1a

Tell us a little more about yourself, and we may be able to offer some advice. How tall are you? What do you weigh? How much do you hope to lose? What did a week’s menu look like before you went keto? What have you eaten during your first week of keto eating?

#3

5 ft 11 200lbs aiming for 175. 53 yes old. Very varied diet trying different foods. Dinners-No red meat but chicken or fish, made with sauces from low carb ingredients e.g. coconut curry and low carb veg. Lunch example turkey bacon eggs, spinach and cheese omelette, breakfast usually greek yogurt, made some chocolate fat balls and some berries if enough carb points available. I eat between 11 and 7. Following all rules and calculating/ weighing everything. I have researched this extensively.

#4

If you went from eating whatever you wanted down to 1650cals your body may just be holding on to anything it can. I wouldn’t worry about it and stay the course. Make sure you’re getting enough protein and don’t force tons of fat where it doesn’t belong. Ketosis is from the lack of carbs not from drinking bacon grease. Only thing I saw I’d be iffy on is the greek yogurt, may be fine but can screw with some people. Don’t forget a 16oz glass of water will put a lb on you until you do something with it. Use the scale as a trend, but remember it’s not the whole story. Measurements are good to have.

#5

. Thanks for the advice. I would actually say I ate less calories on average before trying this. I struggle to eat thex1650 Calories recommended. Regarding fat intake I have read mixed messages. Some say that fat intake level needs to be kept up…

#6

It’s always good to eat as much as you can while still loosing, otherwise you wind up in the calorie trap. Being 5’11" at 200lbs that’s probably just fluctuation weight.

Some think keto is a contest to see how much fat they can needless add to stuff, I don’t get it. There’s definitely people not eating enough to support their hormones and be healthy as fats are essential and we needs them… but then there’s just the other side of it. I personally can’t loose fat if my fat intake is much over 80g or so, doesn’t matter what the rest of my macros wind up being. I can loose with my carbs at 100g, but not with my fat cranked way up. Took me a while to figure that one out. A couple years of trial and error show you a lot about yourself and then you look back and want to slap yourself for not seeing what was right in front of your face the whole time.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #7

With only 25 pounds of fat to lose, it is likely to take a while. The last pounds/kilos come off much more slowly than the first 100 do. Also, the progress is not linear, but full of ups and downs. You haven’t been keto long enough to need to worry, just keep on, and give the process plenty of time.

Women often need a time of re-regulating hormones before fat loss can really begin. Also, people who have been restricting calories for a long time sometimes find that the body takes advantage of a ketogenic diet to add lean mass, even while shedding excess fat, so be prepared for your scale not to move in the expected way. Pay attention to how your clothes fit, as an additional marker of progress. After my weight stabilised, I went a year with no change in weight, but found, twelve months later, that I could now wear trousers that didn’t used to even fit over my butt. So weight was stable, but body composition changed. That’s progress in my book!

#8

So, more than 2 weeks in and still lost nothing. Weight fluctuating within about 2Ibs day to day. Still following the same rules. Hope this doesn’t sound pathetic but found myself crying on the scales. Keep reading stories of amazing weight loss through keto in the first few days and it seems nothing will shift my jelly belly that I am so self conscious about. Perhaps everyone is different. I was not particularly high carb before starting keto so maybe I wont get so much of a sudden change. I bought keto urine sticks and they do show me in low ketosis. I feel a bit nauseated sometimes with the diet but otherwise fine physically.

#9

It’s still normal enough. Even when I miraculously definitely have a proper deficit every day, I don’t see results for weeks, it’s normal for many of us.
The amazing fat-loss mostly happens with people who has more to lose. And age, gender, personal differences matter a lot… But I saw quite big men struggling with fat-loss, so many things may interfere, sleep, stress, certain items…
A slower fat-loss may be masked with natural bodyweight changes for a while… Or your body does something else first, it’s a complex system, who knows?

Be patient. If nothing happens for a while, maybe eliminate certain items from your diet if you can. Especially the carbier ones. But for now, I would wait a bit more. Your body experienced a very drastic change, maybe it needs to sort itself out…?

Previously you wrote you ate less before. It’s possible your energy need is small for your stats now (slowed down metabolism), it explains the lack of loss but you need to eat properly to quicken it again. If it won’t happen, I would think you have a naturally slow one but don’t talk about such a dire case, I definitely wouldn’t eat much less for a while even in the case when it’s the final solution, your body probably really needs the nutrients now and use them well. You probably get better just not smaller right now. It should happen later. You totally should lose with 1650 kcal eventually but there are odd cases and slowed down metabolisms. I went below 160lbs eating 2000 kcal without exercise (not on keto but it doesn’t seem to matter in my case), even if your metabolism is naturally much slower than mine, 1650 kcal definitely seems a low enough number… But as I said. There are odd cases. But it’s too early to think about that. Maybe I shouldn’t even have mentioned it…

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #10

Firstly, what you want to lose is fat, not just any random body mass. You especially don’t want to lose muscle mass or bone density. So if you’ve restricted your caloric intake for years, it is not unheard of for the body, once we have switched to a ketogenic diet eaten to satiety, to put on lean mass at the same time as shedding excess fat mass. This confuses the scale, so keep track of the fit of your clothes as well as your weight.

Second, it is possible that you are extremely insulin resistant and therefore need to cut carb intake further. Dr. Stephen D. Phinney, the researcher who defined the term “nutritional ketosis,” advises people who are feeling stuck to first cut their carb intake even further, and if that doesn’t work, to eat more fat. You might not be eating enough calories for your body to feel safe shedding its fat reserves. Eat to satisfy your hunger, don’t intentionally restrict how much you eat.

Third, eating the wrong type of fat can hamper metabolic health. Avoid the industrial see oils (sunflower, cottonseed, canola, corn oil, etc.) and use the traditional cooking fats: butter, bacon grease, lard, and tallow. These last are much higher in saturated and monounsaturated fats. We need only a small amount of polyunsaturated fats, and too much of them can cause inflammation and insulin resistance.

(Khara) #11

I think it’s a matter of your really not having a large amount to lose and being a middle aged woman. Unfortunately it seems it just slows down for us starting at about age 40 and like has already been mentioned being closer to goal weight with less to lose is just slower than someone with a significant amount to lose.

Try and find some patience. Keto for sure isn’t a quick fix. Just live and let time go by. You are only 2 weeks in. This really is a lifestyle change with many health benefits. It does sound a bit like maybe you’re forcing higher caloric intake than you feel hungry for? I’d suggest being careful with that. Try just eating to satiety. Eat when hungry and stop when full. Some people struggle with this but you may be able to do it. Give yourself and your body time to learn and adjust. Give your body time to heal. Good luck.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

I would even go so far as to change “full” to “satisfied.” As a carb-burner, I regularly filled my stomach to the literal bursting point and was still hungry. On keto, I find there is a point past which I don’t want more food, even though there is plenty of room for more.

In this context, it may well be significant that, as a French professor of mine once pointed out, Americans say “I’m full,” but the French say, “J’en ai eu assez” (I’ve had enough).

(Edith) #13

Your body has to adapt and learn to burn fat for its fuel. Your body is also probably not used to eating fat. I would suggest listening to your body. Don’t force yourself to eat a certain amount of food because some macro calculator said you are supposed to eat a certain number of calories. Eat until you are satisfied and don’t eat again until you are hungry. Keep the carbs down at 20g. Have fatty protein with every meal.

Some people are very hungry when making the change to keto and need fat bombs. Some people lose their hunger. Eventually, your body will figure things out. I think as you become more used to eating higher fat and your body learns how to use its new fuel source, you may be able to eat more.

(Ken) #14

Don’t eat unless you are actually hungry.

Don’t weigh yourself for at least two weeks.

This is the major adaptive phase, your body is going through major adjustments.