4 wks in, haven’t lost a pound, nor an inch. Looking for less-obvious input or suggestions. Those google search results of things that may be preventing weight loss on keto have pretty much been ruled out.
I have stuck to a strict diet (carbs 10-20g, protein 50-60g, fat 75-90g) typically. The past few days, I’ve had no appetite but force myself to eat for the nutrients. I get between 800-1200 cal/day. I do strength training, weighted squats, deadlifts, etc., almost daily. I don’t have a ton to lose (15 lbs at most), so I didn’t expect for it to melt off like butter, but nothing?! Not even a little water weight? I want to cry.
Here’s where things get a little more tricky. I have some medical conditions that may be making things difficult. The first is a pituitary tumor (prolactinoma) which, based on studies I’ve found, leads people to carry more weight and have a difficult time losing it. I take a medication for it (Cabergoline).
Since the pituitary is tied to the thyroid, I also have thyroid issues but not on meds for it.
Here’s the rest of the list: kidney disease, inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia, hypertension (medicated), raynaud’s, and tachycardia. Hope I didn’t forget anything important.
I know some of the meds may make things a little more difficult, but after a month, I’m just feeling defeated.
Oh, and I was doing IF, but just started a new medication that requires that I take it with food in the morning. I’m a nighttime eater and struggle to eat throughout the day. Think I need to buckle down and force myself to eat earlier since I would have to break my fast for my medication?
Any help, anything at all, would be so appreciated. Thanks.
I Thought This Was Supposed To Be Simple
This doesn’t seem enough. What’s your height? If you have been undereating for a long while you may have suppressed your metabolism. With the exercise you’re doing it looks to me you aren’t eating enough.
Your meds MAY be triggering insulin which will prevent fat burning.
No simple solutions except be patient. Lots of folks with a variety of ailments have seen major improvements by being keto.
Have you had your insulin tested? Might show whether you are naturally (with the meds) high that would explain why you haven’t lost weight.
Only eat to satiety. Don’t force yourself to eat more.
Early on, exercise can be a stressor… give your body a chance to adapt first.
Don’t trust the scale. Most of the weight is water weight. I fasted continuously for days and gained “weight” - it’s meaningless. Give it time and use a tape measure instead.
I agree, you may be experiencing a stress response to the exercise, holding on to fat because your body needs more (protein or fat) and you’re fighting meds and general inflammation. I know it’s irritating to hear but one month in and only 15 lbs to lose along with the challenges you have doesn’t sound unreasonable. You may be someone who has to tweak things numerous times and stick with it for months before you get the results you want. Consider changes in your exercise routine (timing, days on/off, routine) and increase protein or fat to see how that works. Are you getting enough sleep? What’s your general level of mental stress. All stuff to consider.
The concept of LCHF is simple but our bodies are remarkably complicated, especially when they have been under the influence of processed foods for years or decades. Some people take longer than others before they heal enough to start releasing fat.
Our hormones are like the tumblers of a lock that safeguard our body fat. All of them must line up (insulin, hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin), our stress hormone (cortisol), among the most influential), before our body fat is released in a healthy manner. Eating the right food in amounts that don’t leave you hungry and remaining calm are the keys to your weigh loss success.
Measure instead of weighing yourself. Scales can deceive what is really happening to our body fat. When our fat cells release stored fat, they often refill with water. Trading fat for water may not move the scale but it can recompose your body.
In your case, I would think the primary keto goal would be inflammation reduction and healing. Losing 15 pounds would be way down on the “secondary, maybe it’ll happen someday” list.
Eat well for good health first. That’s where you want to be. The other stuff, like weight loss, can come later.
I also wondered about whether you’re eating enough. I know, in the early stages of keto, our bodies go through different times of being ravenously hungry and then not hungry at all. That’s kinda normal. Your body has to figure out a “new normal” with your new way of eating. You’ll get there if you hang in there.
Wish I had more to offer. In your case, I would hope for being close to a keto doc like Dr. Berry or someone similar, that could do some pretty extensive blood work and help with a plan from a keto perspective. Don’t know if you are close to any of the practicing gurus or not.
Good luck!!
Agree with everyone that if you have that much going on, you’re likely going to see health improvements before you see fat loss. Are you feeling better? any improvements in the symptoms from the various conditions?
And how is your sleep and stress? I love resistance work, think it’s absolutely amazing and that it’s unfortunately under used by women in particular. However, “almost daily” strength training on top of a lot of medical conditions might just be too much for your system unless your sleep and recovery are phenomenal. Exercise is a stressor, which is why it works so well, but it’s in the recovery time that we rebuild and get stronger.
and one more note: I know you said you haven’t lost an inch but make sure you’re measuring in lots of places and just keep track of those spots over time.
Your complaint isn’t against keto, it’s against calorie restriction, which we know doesn’t work. If you’ve cut carbs for 4 weeks, how long have you been restricting calories this much? If it’s been for a long time then you’ll have to be patient as your metabolism may be lowered.
I’m not sure how old you are, but given the workouts you describe you should be eating at least twice this much food, maybe three times as much.
I think you should go with your hunger signals for now. As your body becomes fat adapted it will get better at utilizing the new fuel source and then you will find you can eat more.
It sounds like your body has a LOT of healing to do. It could be that there will be healing that needs to take place before the weight can start to come off.
Keto is not just for losing weight. Its biggest benefit comes from the multiple health problems it can cure and/or put into remission. Give your body time. See if keto helps your health. That may be the most important for now.
I’m with @Bellyman, you have even more health issues than I did coming into keto. I have had improvement in all of mine. I was in renal failure for 10 years on dialysis. My nephrologist told me he wished most of his other patients would follow my example, and I wish that I had discovered keto much earlier in life before things got out of hand (amputation), and my whole kidney disease thing might have been avoided.
I got a transplant a year and a half ago and started to develop diabetes from steroids. Keto saved my butt there, that’s what brought me to learn about it. Focus on healing and improving some of the issues that you’re dealing with. 15 lbs is nothing compared to the other stuff you talk about. Keto has tumor starving potential and other hidden benefits to your body that you may not feel or see.
But you should find relief in most or all the inflammation caused conditions and as @CarlKeller said the hormonal system needs rebalancing before weight loss can easily take place. If you really want weight loss ease up on exercise and let your body focus on healing. I am not suggesting being lazy, two resistance strength training sessions weekly and daily walking are often suggested for people getting started.
The exercise + low calorie way you’re doing this isn’t working obviously, but it may just be better to go against your instincts and give this a try, reducing stress and eating well. Try to eat more fat and protein. It’s easy to up fat. Include more fat with your meals at the very least to add more fuel even though you might not feel hungry, you don’t necessarily need a higher volume of food. You need to eat more fats to get your BMR up and roaring. When you give more fuel your body will use more and also be more at ease about letting go of fat in a little while when you have days of less food. 
Hi
When you say you have thyroid issues, have you had your TSH, T3 & T4 tested.
If you suffer with thyroid issues then no matter what you do, losing weight can be very difficult until you have this under control.
I speak from experience as I have an underactive thyroid and Hashimotos which is an autoimmune disease.
I’m from the UK and the doctors refuse to test anything else but TSH, which is not adequate.
I wonder if your T3 thyroid results are low, hence you not losing weight.
Best wishes
I would say try OMAD with higher calories (little below maintain) and take ur meds at the sametime as u eat, then rest of the day nothing but water.
Also ur maintain is much closer to 2k than 1k, so eat up.
You seem pretty committed to health and fitness. Even if you haven’t lost “scale weight” (see others’ posts about that), just think of how much healthier this way of eating is for your body than anything else you could do.