Having trouble balancing macros

(Hannah Conway) #21

I use stevia as a sweet er in my tea. When i make fat bombs i use swerve.

(Hannah Conway) #22

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this is what today looked like. I went way over on protein and since i added veggies just a small amount of kale i went over in carbs. I did have a fat bomb for dessert though bc i was craving chocolate in the worst way

(Joey) #23

@Snolepurd Okay, I’m going to take another run at this conundrum you’ve got…

1 - How is your sleep? Are you getting enough?
2 - How is your overall stress level? Are things going reasonably smoothly in life?

Both a lack of sleep and/or an elevated stress level can readily elevate insulin levels, suppress leptin, and increase ghrelin - all of which could work against your feeling satisfied with what you’ve eaten.

Anything worthy of further consideration here?

(Joey) #24

@Snolepurd On another angle, looking at your CarbMgr screenshot, I must say, putting aside whether 24g of net carbs is enough to kick you out of ketosis (probably not), the fact that you’re only eating 1500 cal might be part of the problem… Why are you eating so little? I assumed you were eating closer to 2000+ cal and were concerned you still weren’t getting enough to satisfy yourself. You’re not eating enough to fuel your body - and it’s not surprising that it’s hungry.

I know this is hard to fathom, but I can attest through personal experience that although I tended to eat 1400 or less calories in my early weeks of keto (I was amazed at how little hunger I had after switching to fats from carbs), it didn’t take long before I grew concerned about having my metabolism slow down.

So I intentionally starting upping my calories closer to 1900-2000 (which is still “light” by most norms given my size) … and you know what happened? I lost even more weight and my energy level ramped up further because I was giving my body more fuel.

So, to recap …

1 - Sleeping enough?
2 - Stress getting the better of you?
3 - Are you able to narrow your eating window (e.g., 18/6 hr) to let insulin decline?
3 - Since you’re hungry, you ought to eat more (fat!) - you’ve already got plenty of protein (which can also boost insulin levels) and pushing a bit on the carbs at this stage. Fat, please!

(Susan) #25

If you try 20 grams or less of carbs, NO Sugar, no artificial sweeteners at all (they stall many of us, and even make many people gain weight), adequate proteins, enough healthy fats and calories! lots of water and electrolytes and you should be good and lose weight. The artificial sweeteners in that French Vanilla Creamer is probably what is messing you up, and 7 tablespoons of it a day, eek. That is likely the culprit for why you are hungry and not losing weight… artificial sweeteners are dangerous and can cause a lot of trouble for many people.

(Hannah Conway) #26

I get my 8 hours of sleep. The stress is another thing though. I have depression and anxiety and am on Lexapro for it.The lexapro might be affecting my weight loss. I’ve had trouble losing weight ever since I went on SSRIs. I’m a single parent of a six-year-old and I have almost no time for myself which is a reason why I don’t hit the gym.

(Hannah Conway) #27

Sleep in is 8 hours, im on a SSRI for ancoety and depression and I’m trying doing in a 8-hour window which I could do most days but even that sometimes my schedule doesn’t allow. I do have the nut pod creamer in my tea in the morning but I usually don’t eat until anywhere from 9:30 till noon and then usually stop eating between 5:30 at 6:30. How do I increase my fat without increasing my protein? Mind you I hate avocados

(Hannah Conway) #28

What am i suppose to put in my tea then? I cant drink cofffee so i drink tea and i dont like the taste of tea without creamer and sweetner. Without caffeine I am a royal biatch to everybody around me and just miserable all day.

(Hannah Conway) #29

Also im trying to eat 1407 calories because thats what the app said i should be eating. But how i suppose to do that when im suppose to eat so much fat?

(Hannah Conway) #30

I was eating 2000 calories. But I started gaining weight back when I was eating that many calories even though all those calories were from fat. So I was trying to stick to the amount of calories that the app was recommending.

#31

This might be worth looking at. If you don’t like the taste of coffee or tea without creamer and sweetener, you probably need some palate adjustment. Plenty of folks Keto successfully while putting things in their drinks, but if you try a few weeks with simpler foods in general just to tone down the stronger flavors you might find that it’s easier to understand and respond to your hunger.

There’s a guy who has done extensive studies hyper-palatability of foods and how they influence hunger and satiety, and based on what he’s learned, he keeps his family’s meals very simple. Good, whole food but not a lot of added flavor. (I don’t remember who it is or whether he’s LC, but he was pretty convincing on the palatability front).

Most people on this forum who move to simple whole foods (with keto macros) find that their palate adjusts and they begin to really appreciate a different level of flavors. It just takes time.

(Susan) #32

You could buy Heavy Whipping Cream -I use the Lactantia 35% whipping cream. Many of us use that in our coffee/tea. It is very rich and creamy, you can even beat it with a hand mixer to make it frothy. I have done that, and even added a pinch of vanilla extract too.

This is sticking to Keto, and no sugar or sugar substitute.

Do not limit calories to 1400 that is too low, the carbs being 20 grams or less and the sugars/substitutes are all you should be restricting, not your proteins or fats.

(Allie) #33

You may be well advised to lose that addiction to sweet tasting things. Go without, try heavy cream and a dash of natural vanilla, your taste buds will adjust and you will feel so much better.

Stop limiting calories. Carbs below 20g, fat & protein to appetite - it really is that simple when you’re first starting out. Tweak in future if need be, but for now let your body get used to doing what you want it to do.

(Joey) #34

@Snolepurd My heart goes out to you as the pressures you face must feel very significant right now in your life. It’s entirely understandable that balancing a major change in diet would be another big challenge on top of everything else.

Depression and anxiety can have a significant effect on our metabolisms (cortisol, etc.) and medications are known to further compound how our body deals with the things we eat. [Carrie Brown - now one of the “2 Keto Dudes” - helps keep a focus on this particular topic, so if you haven’t listened to the archived podcasts, consider this].

Plus, being a single mom of a 6 yr old can be both a joy AND an exhausting role (under any circumstances!) so this certainly adds to the mix of challenges you currently face.

My suggestion, with respect to keto, would be to pace yourself in your expectations. First and foremost, I would encourage you to address keto eating as a way to enhance your health and to fortify your energy and perspective on life. Yes, weight reduction is almost inevitable compared to a high cab eating pattern, but this will come in time. In your situation, with meds, stress, hormones, life schedule and priorities, the weight loss may not be the first thing you see - so don’t fuss too much about this for now.

I would highly recommend, again with respect to keto, that you S-I-M-P-L-I-F-Y your situation as much as possible without getting too carried away about things…

  • Keep up that “eating window” pattern you’ve set for yourself (i.e. noon’ish to 6’ish). No doubt that’s been helpful. You’re avoiding the ill effects that constant grazing style of eating that many people succumb to. Good for you!

  • Please increase your fat intake. You should not try to live life as a hungry person … both you and your son deserve better. I’m concerned that by limiting your overall calorie intake, you’re slowly encouraging your body to slow down. That’s the opposite of what you need, i.e., more energy to lift your spirits and satiate your hunger. Since you hate avocado and want to avoid adding excessive protein while increasing fats, consider modest amounts of nuts (pecans) and hard cheeses in moderation, but I wouldn’t worry too much about the protein thing for now at least.

  • Identify and curtail those stealthy carb sources that spike insulin (yeah, excessive use of sweeteners can derail your body’s ability to stay in ketosis, so that’s worth a careful look).

  • Do consider ways to help manage stress. I know it’s easier said than done, especially with being spread thin as a single mom, but if you can work in some time for “me time” that relaxes and recharges you, that’d be great. E.g., yoga, meditation, light exercise, stretching, tai chi, dance, brisk walks, etc. Some of these things you can do with your child, others are more just for yourself.

  • Please be patient about the weight loss side of things. You’re off to a great start. If you can muster just a bit more control over what you’re eating and don’t let expectations of “those excess pounds suddenly melting away” you will slowly but surely feel better. And, in due course, will also likely begin to see some weight loss when your body is ready to head in that direction.

Meanwhile, please don’t let yourself live in a hungry state of undernourishment. That’s not going to get you anywhere you’d want to be.

Best wishes and please keep us posted.