Help figuring out what's going on

(Liz Santiago) #1

I started keto January 2021, by May I had lost 50 pounds. During the summer, my mom came to visit and I fell of the wagon a little bit but I still manage to lose weight. The thing is that I started full again in August but I have been struggling to lose like before. Up until May I managed to lose 2 pounds a week and now I am just losing 3-4 pounds a month, but the thing is that I am eating the same things I ate when I was losing 2 pounds a week. What could be happening?

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Fat loss slows as we approach the weight our body considers appropriate. Dr. Phinney commented in an interview with Richard (which they recently re-ran on their podcast) that people typically lose fat amounting to around 25-30 percent of body weight on a ketogenic diet, and then the body seems to stop losing.

While it is probable that you are doing nothing wrong, “carb creep” is a thing. So if you’d like to post what your diet looks like, people could take a look to see if there are any possible culprits that might be sabotaging you. Also, if you are eating any processed foods, it is always a good idea to re-look at the ingredients and the nutrition panel from time to time, in case the manufacturer tries to change the formula without telling anyone.

(Robin) #3

I personally think that after the initial burst of weight loss, 3-4 pounds a month is great. Means I’m doing the right thing. Even just 1-2 pounds a month. You can always try something like occasional fasting to try to jumpstart the process. But for me, with only a few pounds to go, slow and steady winds the race. Maybe not weigh very often, as they can mess with your head. Just work the plan. You got this!

(Allie) #4

Sounds completely normal to me. There will be times you gain slightly too so be prepared for those, but the scale isn’t always your friend, I prefer to buddy up with a simple tape measure when tracking fat loss.

#5

You seem to lose at a good pace, I don’t see any problems here… Unless you are such a huge extra fat that it seems not enough… It’s probably not the case but it would be still normal to lose at a slower speed than 50 pounds earlier.
My cute fat-loss totally stopped when I lost weight… I gained back some due to stress and now I can’t lose doing definitely more than in the past but well, years passed and my body isn’t exactly the same. Of course, way less time passed for you but our body still can change, it’s quite complex.

#6

3-4 pounds per month is a completely healthy, normal and sustainable pace of weight loss by almost any measure. Congratulations!

#7

Do you track what you eat? Our metabolic rates change, if you don’t track you don’t see it happening. Your diet, activity levels all come into it.

(Marianne) #8

I think 3-4 lbs./mo. is great, although I’m sure you would like it to be quicker as you had experienced that before. Time passes so quickly. If you are eating to satisfaction and comfortably able to maintain your WOE without cravings and cheating, then your weight loss can add up quickly after several months and you will be on track to reach your goal at some point. Maybe try to be happy with the journey (and that you can maintain this lifestyle relatively easily vs. the torture of conventional dieting), instead of focusing on the destination (rapid weight loss or reaching goal weight).