It's not working


(Elizabeth Jane Berney) #1

Hi everyone, so glad I have found this forum. I am quite frustrated. I have been following keto for 3 weeks now and lost 2 pounds. I am only about 10 pounds overweight so I didn’t expect miracles but nothing happening. I am drinking lots of water, exercising and according to the breath analyzer, have been in ketosis (.02) for at least 2 weeks.

I had been using the “KetoDiet” app to get the right combo of protein, fat and carbs but it’s been keeping me in my head trying to get the right macros, rather than in touch with my hunger and body.

I do snack on nuts at night so know I need to cut that out. Any suggestions?
– I feel like I’m the only one who does 3 weeks of keto and barely loses weight!


(Tom Seest) #2

Probably not the only one. I gained 4 pounds during my first three months of Keto. In some cases, we are just too hormonally deranged and things take longer. I’m not saying this is your case, but I’m just saying you’re not alone.

You’ll probably have others like me just pop on and tell you hello and wish you the best.

If you continue to eliminate things, you’ll eventually figure it out. The nuts sound like a great place to start.


#3

Hi Elizabeth,

The macros can sometimes be more confusing than not. Keep your net carbs to under 20 g, make sure you’re getting enough protein for your size and activity level, and the remainder can be fat. Once you’re fat-adapted, you can cut back on the fat and hopefully your body will use its own stores.
Yes, last 10 can be tricky! and yes, cutting out the nuts should help (both because snacking is problematic and because nuts will often stall people).

Watch as you drink lots of water that you’re gettin in adequate electrolytes (sodium in particular). Water will flush those out.


(Robert C) #4

This might be what you think / want.

But, your body, based on stress, sleep, current hormone profile and exercise, might think the “extra” 10 pounds are important for your survival (and will hold on to them even under pressure from you).

Right now is not the time to worry about weight - instead, you are 2 weeks in to an approximately 2-month (or maybe 3-month - if you keep eating nuts) journey to fat adaptation. After your body has learned to burn its own fat for fuel (i.e. is fat adapted), you will have an easier time moving your weight where you want (might need meal skipping if significantly lower than where your body feels safe).

Getting things like sleep, stress and exercise (not too little or too much) dialed in might make your body feel more comfortable going lower without pressure from you.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #5

Welcome! Glad to have you aboard!

A ketogenic diet is first and foremost about metabolic health. Not to minimise your desire to lose weight, but that will come as a side effect of getting your metabolic health straightened out, so be patient with your body.

Some thoughts come to mind: First, the rapid weight-loss stories that make the news are all about people who had lots of weight to lose. And even they slowed down once they got to the final 10 pounds, so the last pounds to come off are going to come off slowly. Then there is the issue of getting our body to agree about whether losing those ten pounds is a good idea, lol!

Another thing people sometimes experience is body recomposition, in which the abundant resources of a well-formulated ketogenic diet often prompt the body to add muscle and bone density, while at the same time shedding fat. So keep track of how well your clothing fits, as well as what your scale is telling you.

The most important part of the diet is keeping carbohydrate low enough that your insulin level can drop and stay low for most of the day. Protein should not be excessive, but it does need to be adequate. We recommend in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass a day. A good rule of thumb is that an ounce of meat typically contains 7 grams of protein, so if you wanted 70 grams of protein, you’d eat 10 ounces of meat, and so on.

Don’t fear fat on this diet. The effect of fat on insulin is so minimal that it can basically be ignored. So that makes it a safe source of calories, to replace all the energy you are no longer getting from carbohydrate. You can safely fill in with fat to satisfy your hunger, and if you do that, your body will adjust your appetite so that it can take some calories from those ten pounds of fat you want to lose.


(Susan) #6

Welcome to the forum Elizabeth.

Since you only have a small amount to lose, it could take a bit longer for it to come off. You will be benefitting from the goodness of Keto though still, so just be patient!

I would eliminate the nuts for now though; and try to do a window of at least 12 hours no food and then 12 hours where you have 3 meals for now until you are fat-adapted =). Then your body will tell you when you are hungry and you can adjust that accordingly =).

You will get there, try not to worry =).


(Kirk Wolak) #9

Lizber,
YMMV and Every Body is different.

I have to be 5g or lower of TOTAL Carbs to get into ketosis. I have an article that may help you: The Levers of Power (What to Measure, What to Control) to avoid stalling/stalls

Also a 0.2 or 0.3 blood ketone level is NOT ketosis for me. If you are new to ketosis, it should be higher. Test your blood a lot. Before and after eating. Both ketones and Glucose. FOR ME, your blood tells no tales. It tells you what fuels you have available, and quickly if you are getting knocked out of ketosis.

Get in touch with your body, and slip some fasting in there. Only eat at meal times.
And PLEASE… Whatever helps you, PLEASE Post it for others.

About the 15th time I read “I gave up dairy and the weight-loss started” I realized it was one of the levers for SOME PEOPLE.

The easy people don’t need the help or support. WE (The strugglers) do! And we WANT things to be true (like sweetener in the BPC is okay). Except I have 3 people who cannot lose weight if they add various sweeteners to their BPC. One if they add the HWC… (YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary).

Add some walking since you are in shape. If I walk 5-10 miles in a day, and fast, I can get the ketone/glucose profile of 3 days of just fasting in one day! WOW. And it’s just walking. That’s when I listen to podcasts and books on tape.

Please stop snacking. Snacking IS EMOTIONAL EATING. Either have a meal, or nothing. Especially to get started. I can put away 1-2 POUNDS of macadamia nuts if I allow myself to snack on them. (That would be in a SINGLE day. The handfuls get bigger in every pass).


(Pamela) #10

Hey, fellow newbie, it seems like something similar is happening to me. I’m doing balls to the wall keto and exercise and I’m “only” down 8 pounds in 40 days. Well, like someone else said, with all that exercise, you are bound to be adding muscle. You are changing your body for the better! Stay the course.


(Not a cow) #11

Wow, the levers of power thread that you posted is awesome. So much detail in there! I found it extremely helpful in many ways. Thanks Captain


(hottie turned hag) #12

This is why!
I’m 114, need to get to 100 and I am s t a l l e d #FML :unamused:

I had rapid losses until 122lbs then it sloooowweed waaaay down.

I had to do a bunch of tweaks to get losses again:
eliminating almost all veg
eliminating all cheese
eliminating all nuts
IN addition to the once/24h OMAD and many 48h fasts.

Trust me us smaller gals struggle to lose.


(Elizabeth Jane Berney) #13

Wow what wonderful support! I am so appreciative of your expertise and wisdom! A client of mine sent me a link of Dr. Fung on intermittent fasting. So I stopped eating at 5:30 PM & dropped 1.5 lbs yesterday. wow!

Liz Berney, Ph.D.
Berney Associates, LLC

www.berneyassociates.com

301-518-5715

Awarded Top Speaker, Speakers Platform, 2016

Master MBTI Practitioner

On Call Faculty, Center for Creative Leadership

Adjunct MBA Faculty, University of Maryland


(hottie turned hag) #14

Good going.
Fluid losses happen fast when you do IF, I’ve found. I diurese like mad the longer I go between meals.


(Kirk Wolak) #15

Yep, after sunset you can produce 150-200% your normal insulin response for the same food. I think it is the body trying to store it before you got to sleep.

And consider this. EVERY TIME YOU EAT, you release SOME insulin, which can turn off your fat burning for 2-24 hrs!

Finally, the last few pounds are the hardest to lose. For everyone. Because your body REALLY likes the buffer it gives it. Lift Weights (Body By Science / Slow Slow is the fastest, and it’s once a week for 20 minutes or less!)


(Kirk Wolak) #16

I will comment that TOO much exercise is a Stressor. Producing a Cortisol Response, which WILL push Insulin, which will stop fat burning… Especially if you are starting.

It’s hard enough to get your body to do Keto without killing it.

Curious what are your blood sugars, and ketones like the AM first thing, and then I encourage measuring after exercise!


(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #17

I would agree - this reflects my own experience with running, gymming and swimming. As a type 1 diabetic I don’t produce my own insulin, but I find that cardio exercise greatly pushes up my demand for insulin. Last time I ran 5k I started with a sugar level of 5ish and ended up 11+ (mmol/l, UK measurements).

For me, with cardio, the ‘low’ hits 6-8 hours later.

Weights, though - that’s different. A brief rise in BG, then a sharp fall not long after.

Aerobic vs anaerobic - the difference is interesting.

So I guess this pattern is mirrored in people who do make their own insulin?


(Heather Meyer) #18

whoch veg did you stick to?


(hottie turned hag) #19

Cabbage and sweet potato past 3 weeks as I’m switching it up to lose the last 10-15lb (have been stalled at 115 for months. fml.) but for ages on keto I had cabbage, bell peppers, olives, lettuce, pickles, scallions (not onions), celery.


(traci simpson) #20

That’s not in ketosis. 0.5 and higher and you will be in KETOSIS.


(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #21

She did say "according to the breathalyzer " so we really have no idea where her blood ketones are.