I hesitate to push “send” because I don’t think you’re going to appreciate my words - BUT… maybe you just need a bit more patience. I started at 224 on Jan 14 this year. I then bounced up and down the same 3 pounds until the end of Sept. In the 7 weeks between the end of Sept and today, I’ve lost 21 lbs. There’s no rhyme or reason; I think my body just finally got with the program (or my insulin levels finally dropped. Whatever).
Please don’t give up - good things are happening and the scale really isn’t the most important measure. Truly.
I’m one of those people who didn’t have a lot to lose, and haven’t lost a lot. Been Keto since the middle of July, and have only lost 7 lbs.
I have to agree with the posters who have said hormones are possibly the cause. At your age, you might be having some irregularity in your periods anyway. Some people just have an awful year or so before menopause, so this might have been happening anyway. But I hear that Keto messes with your regularity as it is straightening out your hormone levels, so this might be a natural byproduct of Keto.
I bet you feel better in other ways, so you may as well Keto on, and just see what happens.
Someone above mentioned Phinney’s diagram on Virta’s website which talks about how you’ll be eating a lot less fat as a percentage of your calorie intake when you’re burning body fat. So your diet will look high protein.
Peter Attia talks about how a sizeable minority of his patients don’t respond well to keto. He specifically worries about lipid hyperresponders. But you also have people who just don’t lose fat on such diets. Don’t believe the dogma that this is necessarily right for everyone.
Your intro story is colorfully entertaining! VERY colorful indeed. It does convey your frustration really really well. I worked on a trading desk for 3 decades, and have heard way more colorful prose than what you got - so bring it on!
I read it twice, but I didn’t see a clear description of your body composition / shape changes. (and yes I read the para starting with “You know what I’m starting to feel like?”
You may very well be recomposing - fat down, lean body mass up. This would show up in body reshape and not necessarily on the scale.
I also read
So - What the everloving [spoiler]FUCK[/spoiler] are you complaining about? When all say this is not a quick weight drop diet, but a new WOE/WOL - it really really is true… The health benefits are worth their weight all by themselves… If you told me I would gain weight on keto, but get all the side benefits - I would still do it and weigh in at 350# happily!
That said - possible scenarios -
1- your body could be holding on to fat as learned behavior from past yoyo dieting
2- you may need to up your energy intake (best to do this with fat) to convince the body to raise its BMR, and be less greedy about holding on to fat reserves - kinda like drinking a ton to make your body not retain water…
3- Extended fasting: works, almost by definition. If you don’t eat for days - you WILL lose fat… Read the blog on idmprogram.com for guidance…
I gotta go make dinner - I’ll post more when I get back
I feel your pain. I [spoiler]fucking[/spoiler] feel your pain. Notice how I did that? Certain genteel folks on here (I’m certainly NOT one of them) would appreciate it if you blur your most colorful epithets. But I’m certain you feel a little better after that most auspicious rant. I just might memorize it!
Stick with us, darlin’, and we will help you find your way through the fire swamp.
Not one single person here is exactly like another, and NOTHING you’ve read is gospel for everyone. If you’ve read this far, you can already see contradictions to some of the things you said. You may know the secret to the RUS’s, but they might still sneak up & take a bite out of your arse. A different route might work better for you.
My first impression is that you might be too consistent. If you are doing 18:6 every single day with approximately the same caloric intake (and good macros), change things up. You already have some suggestions here for that. I will add this:
Do a three meal big-eating day. Then don’t eat again until you’re really hungry (hopefully that’s a good 24 hours or more if you really ate big). Then maybe go back to 16:8 for a day or 2. Try the same thing again, only try going 48 hours before eating after the “feast” day. Keep changing things up. SOMETHING will eventually work. If not the suggestions here, then something else. In the meantime, enjoy those other health improvements you mentioned.
Now, get a blank piece of paper and a big box of crayons, and design your very own KCKO tee shirt. You deserve it.
With your menses so screwed up it screams hormones imbalance to me and that can [spoiler]fuck up[/spoiler] your weight loss, for sure.
Not picking on you but 16:8 isn’t much in the way of a fast to kickstart weight loss. I ate that way before keto and kept gaining weight. Skipped breakfast and didn’t eat after dinner.
You should be able to comfortably cut it in half and do 20:4 or ADF and just skip a day of eating by now.
And I agree with the advice you have gotten already - mix it up.
Question - how many gms a day of fat and protein do you typically eat in a day? Not % - actual gms.
Love the rant and I can identify 100%. At. 165, are you sure you need to lose any weight? I always thought my ideal weight was 135 to 155 and my doctor said 170 would be about right given my muscle mass and bone mass. At 170 and 5’ 6”, I will definitely have fat, but the doc thinks I won’t be able to get lower than that. I figure I will be dead before I see 170 again, lol, but I share that with you in case you have not considered that your body might want to be 165.
It sounds like keto has provided other benefits, so that is excellent.
ava_ad0re
(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja )
#17
Weight loss is a side effect of Keto.
Judging by all of those wonderful things you are experiencing, keto IS working for you, just not in the way that you want it to.
You may have pre-existing metabolic issues that need to be repaired first before weight loss could happen? I am sure a lot of other people can provide some helpful advice regarding this one.
You know, I tried on several responses to that lovely rant, but . . .
I guess I’m just too grateful for the little things keto has given me (the delicious foods, metabolic health, the energy to do normal tasks around the house, no longer having to worry about diabetes, stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, getting to keep my toes—you know, minor stuff like that) to really care.
Things I would consider if no weight is being lost in the future. I will point out a few things to consider here:
Source of micronutrients
Types of fat consumed in %
Protein cycling
Nutrigenomics (polymorphism genotype testing)
What foods affect female hormones (caloric partitioning)
EXAMPLE 1: “…Did you know that super low-carb diets aren’t ideal for these conditions and, in some cases, may cause or exacerbate them? Women in particular tend to have more carb requirements than men, particularly when women are in their fertile years. Not all carbs are bad, and we need to remember that in our current epoch of carb phobia. For example, flaxseeds contain 3 grams of carbs per tablespoon (all of which are fiber), and may reduce hot flashes in menopausal women.2 While flaxseed is primarily rich in fatty acids (4 grams per tablespoon), and has a small amount of protein (2 grams per tablespoon), many on low carb diets skip it in favor of fatty acid sources that contain no fiber at all (coconut oil or butter). Fatty acids can be healthful, but the body functions best with some carbs, preferably slow-burning carbs. Even low-carbers need fiber to regulate the function of the intestines and reset estrogen, as I describe in my book, The Hormone Reset Diet. This is where quality and choice come in: vegetable fiber is best. …More
EXAMPLE 2: “…A small percentage of the population will find that either a Paleo or Keto diet will curtail weight loss and negatively affect their body composition due to a unique polymorphism they may possess. Researchers have been scrambling to understand the metabolic workings behind obesity as a problem that extends beyond food and activity, and discovered a strong association between the APOA2 gene locus and energy intake. The APOA2 gene encodes for apolipoprotein A-II (APOA2), the second most abundant protein of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles and a regulator of triglyceride and postprandial metabolism. Transgenic animal models have shown APOA2 to be a potential indicator of cardiovascular disease risk, although studies are still inconclusive. APOA2 plays roles in cholesterol efflux, HDL remodeling, and cholesteryl ester uptake. There are also associations between serum APOA2 concentration, alcohol intake and body mass index (BMI). More recently, as the field of nutrigenomics expands, researchers have found a direct link between APOA2 polymorphisms and obesity, but with one unique caveat – the clinical outcome is only expressed in the presence of a high saturated fat diet. Homozygous minor allele (CC) carriers of the APOA2 m265 gene showed higher energy consumption, macronutrient intake and anthropometric traits (namely, a higher BMI) in the presence of high saturated fat intake. Since both the Paleolithic and Ketogenic diets are naturally high in healthy saturated fats such as coconut, palm, and animal fats, the expected outcomes of these diet plans would not be seen in individuals with the APOA2 polymorphism. …” …More
EXAMPLE 3: Background: Weight loss success is determined by genetic factors, which may differ according to treatment strategy. Methods: From a multidisciplinary obesity treatment program involving dietary advice, psychological counseling, and increased physical activity, 587 subjects (68% female; 46.1 ± 12.4 years; BMI 39.9 ± 6.3) were recruited. At baseline, a blood sample was drawn for DNA isolation. Genotypes were determined for 30 polymorphisms in 25 candidate genes. The association between genotypes and weight loss was assessed after 3 months (short-term) and after 12 months of treatment (long-term). Weight loss was categorized as ≥5% or & 5% of initial weight. Results: The G/G genotype of PLIN1 (rs2289487) and PLIN1 (rs2304795), the T/T genotype of PLIN1 (rs1052700), and the C/C genotype of MMP2 predicted ≥5% weight loss in the first 3 months. The C/G-G/G genotype of PPARγ (rs1801282) and the T/C genotype of TIMP4 (rs3755724) predicted ≥5% weight loss after 12 months. Subjects with the combination of PPARγ (rs1801282) C/G-G/G and TIMP4 (rs3755724) T/C lost even more weight. Conclusion: Polymorphisms in genes related to regulation of fat storage and structural adaptation of the adipocytes are predictors for weight loss success with different genes being relevant for short-term and long-term weight loss success. …More
EXAMPLE 4: “… The majority of the pre-packaged foods found in the grocery store have been through this process and fortified with folic acid. This is bad news for people with theMTHFRmutation. People with this mutation are unable to rid their bodies of folic acid. It builds up, blocking folate receptors and wrecking havoc. This build up is known as folic acid toxicity. Most lab tests do not distinguish between folic acid and folate when measuring blood levels. If folic acid intake is high, the results may show an individual has adequate amounts of folate. This is misleading as the individual actually has high levels of unusable folic acid, with little to no folate. This situation can cause the body to believe it is malnourished and result in unnecessary storing of energy (weight gain). …More
We have another thread where someone complained about us being one of the rudest forums they’ve ever been on, and I’m about to prove them right.
Okay, I read this last night and decided to wait, quite frankly, because I was out of likes and I needed to wait so I could like everyone’s excellent advice to your hallucinogen rant. Dead fairies, really?
Honestly, I had to read it several times to figure out what you were trying to say, and I think I’ve figured it out. Your scale’s not budging.
I read this last night and woke up at 3:30 this morning, thinking about how to respond to you. WHY DO I EVEN CARE? IT’S 3:30 IN THE MORNING AND I’D RATHER BE ASLEEP, BUT I CAN’T.
Why the inserteverybleepingcursewordyoucanthinkofhereandsmooshthemalltogetherfordramaticeffecttoemphasizeyournextstatement can’t I stop thinking about this post and just go back to sleep?
@JackieBlue, I’ll be honest, usually when other women post a question on this forum I abstain from responding, because I know I’m not an expert on female biology, and I can’t even begin to explain why someone’s not losing weight when it’s just melting off of their significant other. But something about you resonates with me, and I think your smartass rant needs a smartass response.
STOP, STOP, STOP IT RIGHT NOW! Stop comparing yourself to your husband, and his weight loss. You know as well as I do women are better than men, and you keep getting your panties in a knot because he’s lost more weight than you?
News Flash: MEN AND WOMEN ARE DIFFERENT!
I’ll bet you can tell me a million things you’re better at then your husband, but you get all whiny over the fact that he can look at a stick of butter and lose weight, but you can be the strictest keto SOB out there and not lose a single pound in three months. Really, Jackie?
Here’s my theory. (Never cite this, because I will deny I every said it.)
God made women smarter than men.
Being smarter sounds good, but it comes with a consequence. To counter this intelligence, He had to make their bodies a hot mess of craziness. Deal with it.
So what do you really want here, your husband’s weight loss, or your intelligence?
Question: What weighs more, a pound of fat, or a pound of muscle?
Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, let’s get practical. Really Jackie, three months, 16:8 (I don’t even call that fasting), butter infused ice cream, what the hell? You’re tougher than that! Ditch the fancy, whancy keto ice cream and lasagna and go primal with eggs and bacon, or just bacon! (God, I hope you love bacon.)
If you think losing a few pounds is really more important than ALL the other benefits you listed above, then I highly recommend the advice other women have already suggested. Switch it up.
It sounds like you’re too regimented in your schedule. One thing you’ll often read around here is, you’ve got to trick your body so it can’t figure out you’re trying to lose weight. You have to mix your eating schedule around so your body can’t decide to hold onto your fat rather than start burning it for fuel.
You say you have 20 lbs to lose, well guess what? You can go 24 hrs without eating. I don’t even want to hear about your weight again, until you’ve done a 24 hr fast. After you’ve done that, show me how tough you are, and do a 48 hr fast. I dare ya!
There are tons of threads here with fasting advice, and I suggest you read a few, if you have questions about going past your 16 hr “fasting” window.
Great to hear from you, Jackie! Even if it’s like tripping on acid. You know I love you, because I don’t talk like this to just anybody. (You woke my ass up at 3:30, don’t forget.)
I don’t think there is any objective right or wrong here. There is being sensitive to other people’s preferences, but then there’s also an aspect of, “Well yes - that’s how real people talk.” And I think we’re all ‘real,’ there, to some extent, despite all the conditioning stretching back behind us in a four-dimensional trail.
Great post, JackieBlue. (I’ve been to Arkansas many times.) No ruby slippers there but plenty of interesting characters.
Perhaps longer fasts and opening the infinite book of hormonal interactions for you, as in several comments above? Yes, it can be a rabbit hole, but that ring of dead fairies needs something in its center. Or get yourself safe behind cold iron to ward off evil spells.
Strike me dead; I’ve already had a good life. Nothing would please me more than a few months hence seeing you say, “Hey, it’s working.”
Yet this cold rice thing - potatoes act the same way, but it’s still a small percentage of the starch that becomes “resistant” and I think this is what you are talking about. Potatoes can get to 3% or 4%, and the study I’m seeing has rice only getting to 1.65% - this was cooled for 24 hours at 4°C and then reheated. Cooling for 10 hours at room temperature brought the figure to 1.3%, and the ‘control’ rice that was just cooked was at 0.64%.
I agree with Darren (and all the other wonderful advice on here.) Just try a couple of weeks of eating nothing but whole foods. Don’t cut out almost all processed foods, cut out all of them. I am not a cook, stellar or otherwise, but if I were, and started making all the keto treats, I would be in definite trouble! Great to hear from you again, and keep us posted.
I worked on a trading desk for 3 decades, and have heard way more colorful prose than what you got - so bring it on!
all by themselves… If you told me I would gain weight on keto, but get all the side benefits - I would still do it and weigh in at 350# happily!
I don’t think there is any objective right or wrong here. There is being sensitive to other people’s preferences, but then there’s also an aspect of, “Well yes - that’s how real people talk.” And I think we’re all ‘real,’ there, to some extent, despite all the conditioning stretching back behind us in a four-dimensional trail.
