Help no weight loss but in Ketosis and under 20g carb

(Russ) #1

Hi , any help greatly appreciated . Me and my partner are doing a Ketogenic diet together . Me personally am doing great I feel better I’m losing weight my only gripe is it’s expensive but this ain’t about me , I’ve lost 3stone 9lb since Feb from 18,12 too 15,3 so I’m happy however my partner is not so happy .

Her starting weight was similar however her macros are different to mine where as mine are generally 72,25,3, hers are 60,38,2. She doesn’t cheat at all on carbs rarely above 6g actually and her calorie intake is similar to mine also 1200 ish .
She is type 1 diabetic but her insulin has been reduced significantly to fit in with a Keto diet . The first week she lost 9lb ( assuming water weight ) but ever since she just seems to lose 2lb then regain it however she’s only been doing this 3 weeks . I’ve looked at possible reasons why she isn’t losing weight and all of them she’s doing correctly apart from the macros but there not terrible . She now weighs herself everyday despite being unhealthy but mainly to check the fluctuation , it’s mainly put on 2lb lose 2lb .

Her eating habits are 2 eggs a day the occasional sugar free red bull ,maybe 1 a day actually but mainly steaks fish leafy greens etc she isn’t keen on sausages or bacon or really high fat meat but she does cook in butter or olive oil , the lean meats explains the macros . She’s losing patience but I know it can be fixed as I’ve read numerous stories of failures turning to success . Her activity level is sedentary. Is this all based on the fat/protein ratio ? I’ve read not the case … also if makes any difference her ketones are way over 4.0 mine are always 0.5 :man_shrugging: But I’m not the one with a issue . She drinks plenty of water too and I’m desperate for her to succeed please can you give her some solid advice ( I’m assuming up fats if that’s the case how ) with nuts or cream in coffee ? . Or is it a case she will be losing fat but adding water weight and when fat adapted fully this will sort itself out . Excuse my poor grammar I really should of listened more at school in my English lessons .
FYI she’s 33 ,5ft 5inch , body fat 33% and 272 pound . Please help or reassure or something . Many thanks to you all

#2

Hi Russ,

Many folks will probably come on to give specific advice - probably about upping her fats and making sure that she’s not eating at too much of a deficit until she’s sure she’s fat adapted (which she probably is after 4 months, but I’m not sure how T1D might change that timing).
Women lose more slowly than men, and your story - of a couple starting at the same time and the man dropping weight right away and the woman not - is very typical! Often women will see changes in the beginning in terms of health and size (is she taking measurements?) but the scale just doesn’t move as fast.
Type 1 folks can be very insulin sensitive (which is great!) but not if they’ve eaten carb-heavy diets over the years, so she might have significant insulin resistance to overcome, and that will take time. That she’s been able to reduce her insulin is SOOO good, and in any case is the first step to losing fat.
Are you sure your numbers for her are correct? 272 pounds at 5’5" doesn’t seem like it could possibly be 33% body fat.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #3

Is she taking measurements? I had a period where I actually gained a little but my size was going down.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #4

Sugar free or not, Red Bull has no place in a healthy diet.

(Ashley) #5

I think in moderation it’s fine. I have one sugar free energy drink a week and don’t have any side effects. I wouldn’t do it everyday. And actually haven’t had one for a few weeks now but it’s okay occasionally.

(Ashley) #6

I’m 5ft 2 and 220 lbs and I am like 40% body fat I’m not quite sure if the 33% would be correct even with the given height. I may be wrong though. Also I would try more fats tbh it seems quite low. Moderation with drinks is key for me at least. Having one daily stalled me. I have one a week fine.

(Ashley) #7

She will fluctuate. I’ve averaged about 15 pounds in a month. So give it time. Which is quick for women. Her body will figure it out. 3 weeks in 11lbs down is great. It won’t just fall off. Takes time.

(Lonnie Hedley) #8

How you and the OP are figuring % could be different. I just guess based on pics online. So, my guess is 12-14%. However, people around me say I have to be in the single digits. At 6ft and 138 lbs, they could right but when I compare my shape to pics online I don’t agree. Body dis-morphia could also play a part. I remember seeing posts from people who were shorter and heavier than me and saying they were 15% body fat and I’d think, “there is no way”. But, someone explained that different people also have different composition. If the shorter, heavier person had more muscle, it’s very possible they could be close in BF% to me.

So, perhaps at 33% the OP has more lean body mass?

(Russ) #9

Hi probably wrong on body fat , used some online calculator . So could be way off , sounds like we probably are . Do you think it’s the macros then ? The sugar free drinks ? Or just not enough time ? . I know if I drink lots of Diet Pepsi my urine strips measure negative but I assumed that was just because the urine strips are not accurate when consuming lots of fluids in a short period of time . However I don’t think out of Ketosis is her problem at all . I seem to be out of it a lot but I’m still losing weight .

(Ashley) #10

Yeah that’s why I said I’m not sure if that’s correct but it could be. I only know a round about amount because I just used a doctors office measurements, so even mine could be slightly different or incorrect. I don’t think you’ll ever truly know unless you go to a place to get proper measurements and a body scan.

(Lonnie Hedley) #11

Yep, I definitely would like to get a DEXA, but you know…life. Just too busy to worry about my BF%, especially when I’m extremely lean. It’s not really a concern/priority right now.

(Ashley) #12

It could be a combination of too little calories, to many diet sodas, or just time in general. She’s three weeks in. Everyone fluctuates while fat adapting. I do think 1200 it too low imo. Maybe try more fat, less sodas. Eat til full is always my rule. Eat more fat than protein at each meal.

(Ashley) #13

Yeah I also would like to when I get down to a goal weight. But I wouldn’t do it now because it doesn’t make sense when I have a lot of body fat to lose. One day though will be fun!

(Darlene Horsley) #14

Agreed. It’s pretty much a chemical crap storm in a can.

(Ashley) #15

Maybe try different types of meats as well. Now that I’m fat adapted I prefer the fattier meats like burger and such.

(John Squires) #16

I had a work colleague who was thin, toned and beautiful. Our team went to a local circus and several of us did the ‘guess your weight’ thing where you win a prize if the guess is off by more than five lbs. she stepped forward. He sized her up and then talked to the audience that had formed. “You guys are all thinking 120; maybe 125.” “This girl has lots of muscle and little body fat.” He guessed 145. She weighed 152. She was a bodybuilder and had competed for a couple years. She gave up because so many of her competitors were taking steroids. Beautiful, beautiful girl. I never got to see a friends VHS tape of her competing, oiled up and sporting a small bikini. She worked very hard to get her body in shape.

(karen) #17

It’s possible that at 38% she’s eating too much protein. Could she cut off a couple of ounces of steak and add a couple ounces of butter, or add a creamy / buttery sauce to the fish? – I find it helpful to consider my keto journey an experiment, knowing that some things I try will be greatly successful and some will be utter failures. There’s no harm in mixing things up, each of us is different and the only way to really know what works for us is to experiment.

[For myself, a 5’1" 55 yo female, my ‘eat to satiety’ keto days don’t show more than maybe half a pound of loss a week, sometimes no loss at all, but when I do a 3 day fast, I will take off a pound of fat. (the scale will bounce down maybe 5 pounds and then come back up again, but the 1 pound stays off.]

(Troy) #18

Yes…by getting a DEXA, puts it in to perspective and reality
And not just by looks😁

I say this from experience recently
I Had a DEXA
Then 45 minutes later, I went to get a inbodyusa scan

My bf% was just about double on the DEXA :sweat::flushed:
I was ok w that
It was more of an accurate reading

All for fun