I think I’m out, y’all

(Wendy Shank) #101

WOW, yay - that is some long-term determination! I thought MY weight loss was slow. I also was 148 or so when I started over 7 months ago, and now I’m 138. I’m just barely post-menopausal and am in the the process of reducing my levo/lio thyroid meds for hypothyroidism, s…l…o…w…l…y.

Of course, on the same diet, same foods (that I labor to prep & cook) – amounts adjusted for his size of course – my husband lost over 25 within the first 3 months, grr!!

I very often skip breakfast so IF’s are maybe 17 hours 4-5 days a week. However, if I have any appetite for breakfast I do eat it because it seems to make no difference in the weight loss rate whether I do or don’t IF (we have hens, so lovely fresh free-range eggs!) I also have perfected a sourdough einkorn/rye bread that I allow myself a half slice or so a day, which makes it all more tolerable. Bread is my favorite, and I think it’s too bad we cast all bread aside when the issue is probably much more the crappy American gluteny wheat rather than the fact that it’s made of grain. Ancients were eating real grain and doing just fine thousands of years ago. Just not the trashy grain we grow.

All that to say, way to go with the keeping on. I feels ya. And to jillian I do hope to see your progress story in future, as transitioning to a more modified on & off keto/paleo regimen is hopefully in my future as well.

(jilliangordona) #102

The only time in recent memory I had losing weight as when I spent two months in mexico and would often go most of the day not eating, but would eat carbs and sugar when I did eat.

My current hypothesis is adding more cardio. I have just been strength training the last year or so. I joined back to the local kickboxing gym, we shall see

(What The Fast?!) #103

I agree with this. I have major :poop: issues but when I eat some bread (1 slice of sprouted flax seed bread with 7g net carbs on big workout days), things seem to move much more smoothly. Can I get that recipe? I was just thinking that I wanted to try making a real sourdough with a real sour starter that takes several days to rise (no fast-acting yeast). Do I need a bread maker?

(Wendy Shank) #104

No, no bread maker needed, but you will need to get or start a sourdough starter. I used the King Arthur directions to startup a white flour starter about 2 years ago (see their website for directions), and I simply started subbing in more & more proportion of rye and einkorn flours to eventually replace the white flour. Now the starter feeds totally without any white flour. I use a mixture of whole-grain and the “white” einkorn. It ain’t cheap, by the way.

As for a recipe, it’s a “feels” thing, I’m afraid. Next time I make it I’ll try to remember to measure what I’m doing so I can write it down for the many friends who have asked for the recipe! I do it by hand without any mixers/machines. I’ve done it with and without added yeast. It rises a bit better in the oven if at the very end (the last rise, in the pan) I add about 1/4 t. of yeast. But it works okay without it too. (I also like the smell/flavor better with the yeast in it.) And I know, “yeast” is a misnomer because natural sourdough is really a type of yeast… but I’m using the word to refer to store-bought dried yeast like Fleishmans.

Late edit: scroll down if anyone wants the recipe – I added it below.

(What The Fast?!) #105

Thanks! I’ll google how to do a sourdough starter - I want to make a whole grain sourdough, which it sounds like what you’re doing. I’m a big believer that slow-rising bread/real sourdough gets utilized totally different in your body than the trash they sell in supermarkets.

(Wendy Shank) #106

Totally agree. Good luck! I would think you could start up a starter with einkorn, but not sure. It would probably just slow down the ferment since the sugars are lower (and I do find the einkorn version develops more slowly when making bread… it’s an all-day effort, or overnight plus a few hours a.m.)

(What The Fast?!) #107

I’ve never heard of einkorn, but I’ll look it up!

(Sam) #108

Hi Jillian
Personal question… Do you suffer chronic pain? I have endometriosis and I’m also on a very high dose of Vitamin D3.

(What The Fast?!) #109

image
Also, here’s an image of weight over the last year…I started keto at like 148-149. I immediately got down to 141 (mostly water, I assume), but then I suffered severe burns (second degree, from boiling water spilled on my chest, long story) and I imagine the stress of that prevented weight loss. You’ll see a few jumps - I gained when I went ZC and I gained again when I tried the Fat Burning Female Project, where you include more carbs (that’s the high point in September). The downward trend from that point on has been from fasting. Each time you see a bump from there was a weekend trip or vacation - we went to Whistler to ski a few times, Christmas is in there, and then went to Hawaii over NYE for a wedding. Apparently my social life is getting in the way. I always remain keto while I’m traveling and generally work out while I’m gone as well (in Hawaii it was hiking, surfing, paddleboarding; in Whistler it was lots of skiing). The only thing I do on vacay that I don’t do at home is drinking, but interestingly, I generally stay in ketosis because of all the activity.

I do think there’s been some body recomposition though. I didn’t take measurements when I first started unfortuately. I did get a DEXA a few months in. I got another after a month of ZC and had gained body fat (WOMP WOMP). I am planning on getting a new DEXA this week or next as well (and will report back).

Anyway - as you can see, fasting is slooooowly driving the number down. I don’t think I’ll drink terribly much in Cancun and I plan to be active on that vacation as well.

(jilliangordona) #110

I do not, endometriosis has been ruled out. My mother has it, so I am hyperaware

(Richard Morris) #111

Yes. We’d love that recipe too. Jules and I had a sourdough starter that we let die when we went keto. But I’m thinking that a regular sourdough for her might be something she would add in to her diet, too.

(Ryan Ashton) #112

What made you go keto in the first place and why did you stick with it for a year and a half?

Has it handled any of the issues that you had that made you decide to become keto in the first place?

Everyone is different and for some, just a few grams of carbs can pop one out of ketosis. If you’ve been doing any cheating then going in and out of ketosis will make you feel very lousy because you’re body will not be in an efficient fat-burning state and yet you’re also feeding your body too little carbs to fuel it. It’s that ketogenic no-mans-land where you’re not burning fat but you have no carbs to burn either - hence the low energy.

Another possibility is adrenal fatigue. Drink a lot of coffee? Have a lot of life stress and/or training stress? Have another blood test that check cortisol levels.

Do you have a food diary to share with us? I would be curious to have a look see.

In any case, good luck for the future.

Regards,

Ryan

You can't expect your body to let go of fat that it still needs
(Ryan Ashton) #113

The other possibility is that she was eating too many carbs for her body (possibly cheating here and there) and was going in and out of ketosis so the body didn’t become an efficient fat-burner but also didn’t have enough carbs to get energy from that.

(jilliangordona) #114

I don’t have a food diary. I measure blood ketones. I was always in ketosis and knew how many carbs I was eating.

(Ryan Ashton) #115

More importantly, how do you feel?

(Ryan Ashton) #116

No, not weird. I think that’s your body talking to you - telling you that you don’t need what’s in meat. Possibly. Or just some unusual aversion from a body out of whack.

I’m still curious about how strictly you’ve followed keto over the last year and a half.

(jilliangordona) #117

Very strictly, with a long stretch of zero carb.

(Ryan Ashton) #118

Do you or have you kept a food diary? Something you could share with us? I would be interested in seeing that and seeing if we can help with your goals.

(Ryan Ashton) #119

You see, the thing with blood ketone levels, is that if your body is using the ketones correctly then (as far as I understand it from feedback I’ve gotten from an expert in the field - Peter Defty) your ketone readings shouldn’t be in the 6-7 mmol/L range - they should be lower. It’s like your body is circulating these ketones throughout your blood and not doing anything with them. It sounds to me like something is keeping your out of ketosis even though your numbers are saying otherwise.

There is something wrong with the fat-burning engine. High cortisol?

(jilliangordona) #120

@Ryan_Ashton I’m aware of this. There are no secret sabotaging ingredients because I don’t eat anything out of a box.

I appreciate your help, but I can promise I do keto right. I haven’t always, but for most of my keto journey I had it right