Have only lost 2% BF since starting keto in February

(Derek Hebeler) #1

I have been doing Keto since February and have been doing a 16:8 daily intermittent fast since April. I eat around 2500 calories a day which is what a calorie calculator suggested due to my doing intense workouts 6 days a week. I eat around 190 g of fat, 130 g of protein, and less than 20 g of carbs a day.

Despite this, I have lost only 5 lbs and my body fat percentage has gone down only 2%. In 6 months. This is so discouraging. Are some people just not meant to lose weight? Any advice on how I can break this plateau?

(Eli) #2

What’s your starting weight/current and what kind of exercises are you doing?

(Derek Hebeler) #3

I started at 195 and am at 190 now. I have been doing the insanity workout for the past two months

(Eli) #4

Yeah seems like weird predicament. I’d say cut the exercise, less protein, stricter IF and eat at a calorie deficit for a week or two. Not too sure though, maybe wait for some other opinions more qualified then mine haha.

(Derek Hebeler) #5

Not too sure how much stricter I can get with the IF. I eat from 1:30-9:30pm every day. As far as protein goes, I have tried and cannot seem to get below 20% of my calories from protein no matter how much I try.

(Eli) #6

Try lowering your meals per day. I’m assuming your fitting 2 or 3 meals into those hours, try to reduce it by one. I’m on OMAD atm only five weeks in because I’m just not hungry during the day anymore. General rule is, if your not hungry, don’t eat haha. I would just really try for a week. Focus on the diet alone and reduce calories and try to get your MACROS on point.

(Derek Hebeler) #7

That’s the problem. I can’t seem to ever get my macros on point. Seems like nothing I eat will allow me to hit my macros without getting too much protein or not enough calories or too many calories lol

(Eli) #8

Hmmm, so whats your typical meal and what do they come out to macro-wise? I think by just reducing meals you find it easier to hit those MACROS. You’ll be less likely to go above your 20g of Carbs and less likely to go above your protein goal.

(Derek Hebeler) #9

I listed my daily macros and cals I hit above. My meals are usually 3 egg frittatas with cheese and bacon with a spinach and ranch salad for lunch and I do rotisserie chicken or bun free bacon burgers with cheese for dinner. For snacks I’ll do hard salami and string cheese.

(Derek Hebeler) #10

I usually get 25% of my cals from protein and can’t get lower no matter what I try

(Eli) #11

Ah yeah man seems like your just eating too much in general haha. I’d say do some solid Intermittent fasting for a week or two. Limit to two meals a day with no snacks.

#12

There is no such thing as “doing keto”. You adhere a HFLC diet, but you may or may not be in ketosis. Ketosis isn’t a diet, it isn’t a feeling, it is a physiological state. So the first question is have you been in ketosis for the past 6 months? Too many carbs, too much protein, even too many calories keep some folks out of ketosis. Sleep, stress, and exercise also effect ketosis. When you’re tired of guessing, start measuring blood ketones and glucose levels.

Being both lazy and impatient, I found tracking food didn’t suit me, and severely restricting carbs wasn’t compatible with my lifestyle. Fortunately, there is another option. I’ve had good results by focusing more on when I eat, rather than what I eat. For people with an insulin resistance problem, extended fasting may be a viable solution.

(Derek Hebeler) #13

I track my ketones. Im usually around 2.5 mmol and I have been doing intermittent fasting for the past 3 months. I most likely have insulin resistance just based on the symptoms. Would you suggest a longer fast than 16:8 then?

(Derek Hebeler) #14

I’m gonna try to drink more water. I’ve been real bad about that and I know that’s a real big part of the keto and IF lifestyle

(Adam Foard) #15

With intensive training it is always good to throw in an easy week every month or two. Maybe do an extended fast during this easy week.

Have you been checking your ketone levels via pee strip or other meter?

Calorie calculators are notoriously inaccurate. They are very simple mathematical models taken from large data sets of people, and don’t really work for any individual. Sure it let’s you know that 6’5" man probably needs more calories than a 5’4" woman, but that isn’t always true under all environmental conditions.

A wise friend once explained to me that abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym.

Ideas:
Try some extended fasting. Feast/fast cycles actually increase your metabolism.
Stop measuring your food, but don’t feel obligated to clean your plate.
Stop when full.
Butter!

(Derek Hebeler) #16

I check with blood strips. Thanks for the advice. I’m gonna try cutting my cals by 500 and throw in a full 24 hour fast once a week to start.

#17

If you’re insulin resistant, tracking blood glucose is more useful than ketones because it can serve as a proxy for insulin. It can be used to determine your carb tolerance, identify any idiosyncratic responses to food that you may have (dairy and artificial sweeteners are common ones) and can alert when too much protein or calories are consumed.

FYI, BMR doesn’t have to be guessed. It can be tested by a machine that measures exhaled gases. The tests are available at places like university fitness labs, hospital wellness centers, and sports performance facilities. It’s usually less than $100.