KCKO - trying not to lose the faith! :(

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science
fasting
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(Sophie T) #1

Hi All, Advice and Direction much Appreciated!!

I’m 4 weeks in and only 3kgs down on the scale and 4cm smaller around the belly button - where are my wonderful keto results?!! Here are my current details:

36-year old female
Height: 5ft 4
Weight: 100.9kg
Ketone strip & breath says I’m in ketosis.
16/8 IF (Lunch usually about 2pm and Dinner at 7pm - no snacking or keto desserts)
1x Fat Fast @ 3days
Chemist electrolyte tablets
2.5-3L water
Supplements: Magnesuim, Calcium, VitD, Marine Collagen
Exercise: Compound exercises and HIIT @ 150-250 calories burnt per session, twice a day
Sleep: 7-8hrs

Macros over last 3 days:
C: Thurs - 02…Wed - 02…Tues - 04
F: Thurs - 73…Wed - 82…Tues - 21
P: Thurs - 24…Wed - 16…Tues - 74

New thing:
Acne and skin bumps on the back of my neck in last 5 days - any idea why?

Going to trial:

  • No lemon - having read the forum, I was drinking 1 lemon a day thinking that was a good thing
  • Doing a 5-day Meat, Fat & Cheese Fast
  • No butter in my BPC
  • Lower cheese intake
  • Cardio in the morning during fast & muscle building in the evening before dinner
  • Little more water

I put on 2kg since Tuesday - why?! I’m trying to be focussed and not lose myself to the scale, it’s hard though.
Shall I try some adrenal support supplements?
Do I need more water? Is this extra weight from water?
Should I drop the protein?
Am I trying too hard?!

Thank you all in advance! :smiley:

#2

These are great results, I think you should keep up the great work! Not sure why you are disappointed with this progress???

(Sophie T) #3

Oh ok! Thank you! I was expecting a more dramatic initial loss.
My disappointment is most likely from social media keto transformation influence and comparing myself to my fiance which I know I shouldn’t be doing either of.
Thanks :slight_smile: that is encouraging

#4

Think of this as the long game. Keto is about so much more than weight loss, especially in the beginning. Put the scale away for awhile, keep up the good work and trust the process.

(Liz ) #6

I agree, you are doing great! 4 weeks is early days in keto. Especially for women who lose differently than men. Also there’s likely a lot going on unseen, healing, hormone adjustments (could be the cause of the acne, or the release of estrogen stored in fat) and other changes. Keep going, keto is different every month. Relax, enjoy your food, try to keep your insulin low. KCKO

(Karen) #7

Welcome Sophie!

Hadn’t thought about the lemon thing. I follow a lot of what Eric Berg has to say. I’ m trying to clear out my arteries with natural citrus.

K

(Sophie T) #8

Thank you @Keto6468, @LizinLowell and @Rian - appreciate the support, this is what I needed. Does anyone recommend adrenal support supplements? @Keto6468 I have learnt about most of the keto way from Dr Berg too.

(Candice) #9

You’re energy intake is very low. With the macros provided it’s less than 900 calories on your eating days after fasting three days a week plus exercise. This doesn’t appear to be a healthy or safe approach. If your body thinks it’s unsafe to lose weight, it will keep what it has.

(Sophie T) #10

Hi Candice, I only did the 3-day fat fast once, it’s not every week. However, from today for 5-days I was thinking about doing a Zero Carb Fast.

My calories to match the macros over the last three days are:
Thurs: 1,364
Wed: 1,428
Tues: 1,378

What do you reckon - still increase my calorie intake?

(Candice) #11

No, that looks great. I was calculating off the macros provided in OP (didn’t realize that was a fast). I messed up my diet for a little bit eating too little, wasn’t hungry so I didn’t eat (also didn’t lose weight). Dr. Fung and Megan Ramos provide really good info for fasting, if you haven’t checked them out already - they have been on multiple podcasts and have blogs posts on IDM website.

Sometimes unfortunately this process just takes time. Not helpful, I realize. Keep up with measurements other than the scale and how you feel. Weight is the easiest to check, but also very unreliable. I wish I would just throw my scale out. You’re doing great! Take stock of your achievements so far - the goals YOU accomplished - celebrate yourself. You’ve got this!

(Sophie T) #12

Awesome, thank you @Oksandrat. I will google and check out those names you mentioned and yes, I must also remember not to eat too little. Looks like the theme in these answers are positive - it’s really reassuring to know I’m on track. I shall take the small victories and KCKO! :grin:

#13

Stress is also a way to hold onto weight. If your results are adding a little concern and anxiety it might be slowing you down. Just keep it up and the results will follow!

KCKO

(Candy Lind) #14

@SophieT Sophie, I started out eating 1050-1200 calories and trying to “do” keto, and I wondered why my progress was so slow. This was when I weighed in the 275 range (5’-5", 63 yo). When I found this forum, I decided I needed to increase my caloric intake and increased to 1300-1350. The scale took a nosedive! I went along with that for a while, Then, I decided to try increasing again, to 1500. ANOTHER NOSEDIVE. :open_mouth: I usually IF (intermittent fast - ie., skip meals) 16:8 or 18:6, and I change up the calories sometimes, too - higher some days, lower on others depending on what I’m eating and when. It sometimes pays to keep your body guessing.

I guess what I’m getting at is, if you’re not feeling/seeing any changes, scale, or non-scale, change something up. Try increasing calories for a week. Maybe you’ll have the results I did. This time last year, I would NEVER have believed I could be eating 1500 calories a day and still be losing weight!!!

(Sophie T) #15

Thanks Candy, that is great to hear. I had considered this option - it goes against logic so is hard to grasp and maintain - but I’m definitely going to change it up!! Watch this space. Congrats on your changes too :smiley:

(Sophie T) #16

haha absolutely, I was trying not to be upset about it knowing that it might affect the stress levels but I was kidding myself. I’m definitely much happier for taking the punt to write on this forum - thank you for your advice :smiley:

(KCKO, KCFO) #17

Not sure where you got this idea. Lemon and lime juice in small quantities is ok. In fact Megan Ramos has stated in one of her videos that she takes @2 TBS of lime juice daily to prevent build up of uric acid. That is a very good thing on this WOE. If someone in the forums was slamming lemon/limes they are mis informed. No you don’t want to walk around eating them, but some juice from them daily is fine. Just don’t add any sugar to it.

Your weight loss is a good thing. That is a short period of time to loss so much. Not sure why you think you have to exercise 2x a day. HIIT is not great for you when doing weight loss, it is for cardio health, do you have an issue with your cardio health? Or are you still stuck in CICO mode?

You did not mention your salt intake, most newbies are way under in salt. It is vital to get your electrolytes correct, salt is key for doing that. Maybe drink some ketoaide,

All the best on your weight loss journey.

(Sophie T) #18

Hi @collaroygal, thanks for your message! With the lemons, it was more about the amount I was drinking; for one whole lemon, it came to 10 calories at 3.2g of carbs - I was looking at things to change up. The forum was suggesting for someone to cut down to a smaller amount per glass. So what you wrote there about 2tbsp would make sense. I’m not saying lemon is a no no.

I exercise twice a day for 15-20 minutes at a time because I have a goal I’m working towards and I enjoy it - it’s also for my mental health. From much of the reading I have done, it suggests that walking, as well as compound exercises, are great for Keto. The interval training I do measures a good amount of cardio on my fitbit as well as fatburn. What do you mean by 'stuck in calories and calories out?

I use Himalayan pink salt, sometimes in my water and also on my food - as well as the vitamins and electrolytes I take. I have seen the homemade ketoaide on this forum

(Penelope) #19

Those ARE your wonderful keto results! Enjoy them. Appreciate them. Keep Keto and you’ll get more results.

Other people’s results are other people’s results. You have to work with your metabolism - we are not all the same.

Having said that, I do understand your frustration. These are big changes you are making!

(Vincent Hall) #20

Just a comment on the Chemist electrolyte tablets. I’m bought some for my ill wife who is not keto.
I sipped a taste and noticed it was very sweet to me. Ingredients had glucose in.
\v/

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #21

You’re working out way too much.

HIIT doesn’t require two-a-days. You just do your twenty minutes, take a shower and revisit in two days. HIIT is about doing more metabolically in much less time. Only worry about the calories burned in a HIIT session as a measure of progress. Not as a caloric measure. The gear at the gym is not that great for it and you will have an afterburn effect. That the whole reason to do it.

Similarly, without getting too deep into your resistance training, you are not at a place where two a days will be useful. You have to allow the muscles a chance to rebuild. That means alternating muscle groups (“squat day” vs “deadlift day”) so as to allow growth and recovery. If you’re doing a full body circuit or sth similar, maybe lift MWF with HIIT TTS and rest on Su (or even both S days).

With this schedule of work, your body’s systems will want to hold resources. That would include body fat as an energy reservoir.

Also, do your weight in pounds. You’ll feel a greater sense of accomplishment at six and a half pounds than 3 KG. :wink: