Keto beginner needing motivation

(L) #1

please feel free to remove/delete my thread. Many thanks!

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #2

First, welcome :slight_smile:

Second, 3lbs in 3 weeks isn’t bad at all. It can take time to get fat adapted, and everyone is different. One thing is to NOT restrict calories.

Keep carbs under 20g and you should do fine (can’t promise the 30lb loss in time for the wedding though).

(Susan) #3

Welcome to the forum @Elb269

Keto is more of a lifestyle then a lose weight quick diet plan; it can sometimes be a month or so with no losses for some of us. Starting any form of new eating plan, most people will drop a chunk of weight initially; this is mostly water weight and the calorie restriction that every diet puts the person on at the beginning of starting it.

This might not realistically happen on Keto. Congratulations for your upcoming wedding though, that is lovely, I hope that everything will go as planned and that you have a fabulous day.

Keto is more of a slow and steady wins the race kind of thing (like the tortoise and the hare) and is more about all the wonderful changes that will happen to your body. Since you are doing a lot of exercise, this can actually be your body gaining muscle, which weighs more than fat.

Have you been measuring yourself? Sometimes we actually lose inches on our bodies, and our bodies transform, without the numbers on the scale actually moving.

If you keep your carb intake at 20 grams or less a day, have NO sugar (some people even stall with artificial sweeteners and have to stop using them as well), and have sufficient proteins, healthy fats, lots of water (which you are doing for sure with your 4 litres!) and keeping your electrolytes up, getting enough salt, then over time you will certainly experience a body transformation and weight loss. If you are looking for Keto to help you lose a bunch of weight fast; though, that might not happen. The other thing is; when we do lose weight fast, if we change and go back to eating carbs, our body will gain that weight back and usually more, pretty quick! Having been a yo-yo dieter for years, I am just trying to be honest and helpful here, not being mean or anything.

I really want you to succeed and stay on Keto, as it is the most awesome and healthy eating lifestyle. I am sure that you will feel this way too if you stick with it =).

(L) #4

Thanks guys!
Yes I’m making my peace with the fact my dreams of shedding that much in a short time are unrealistic and from reading so much on the forum my mind-set is definitely changing and I can see myself just shifting to adopt this lifestyle long term instead.

I did take some measurements 3 weeks ago but after getting on the scale I felt so glum that I don’t want to measure till I feel like I have made a bit more progress!

Steering clear of sweeteners and stuff as I don’t really have a hankering for any sweet stuff at the moment which is a novelty I’m enjoying! But thanks for the heads up on those!

Thanks for being so welcoming, looking forward to learning more as I go!
L

(Marianne) #5

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

For me, I’d get rid of the pee sticks and stop counting calories. If you are eating less than 20g carbs/day (and lower, if you can do so comfortably), and getting enough fat, I really believe you will be in ketosis. Feed your body and don’t skimp on your meals (don’t snack); if you feed it enough good, clean, healthy calories (protein, fat, clean carbs), you will lose weight. Seems counterintuitive to everything we have ever known from conventional “dieting,” but the science of keto and the way it works is different.

I counted macros in the beginning, to learn the approximate values of the foods I ate regularly and as a framework for my meals, but after that, I stopped counting macros. It was so much better. After a lifetime of dieting (without any long term success), I was sick of focusing most of my waking moments thinking about my “diet,” food, weight, etc. So much better to eat well, be happy and live your life. The weight loss will follow. It will surprise you how effortlessly it can come off. In nine weeks, you will see a difference. God bless.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #6

It can be discouraging if the scale number fails to change, but I put it to you that adding muscle and increasing the density of your bones is worth it. It is possible to do that and lose fat at the same time, in which case (since bone and muscle are denser than fat), you will notice your measurements shrinking, even if the scale fails to show a change.

Here are two questions you can ask yourself to get a handle on this matter:

First, would you rather look as though you’ve lost thirty pounds and have the scale show no change, or lose thirty pounds and continue to look the same as you do now?

Second, if weight is all that matters, why not have a leg removed? That way you could lose close to thirty pounds instantaneously and with no effort. :grin:

Seriously, however, even if you don’t reach your target fat loss before your wedding, consider sticking with this way of eating anyway. A well-formulated ketogenic diet promotes long-term metabolic health. Weight loss is actually only a side-effect. I suspect that, if you stick around these forums and do some reading, you will discover that eating the proper human diet (i.e., real foods and practically no carbohydrate) will greatly benefit your health.

(Val) #7

Congrats on your wedding. That can be a very exciting time… and a little stressful.

I wholeheartedly believe in this comment!!

I too maintain an active lifestyle and workout 3-4 days a week. When I started KETO I was soooo picky and watched the scale and watched the calories - like a nun in catholic school watching the troublemaker - ready to pounce and punish myself for straying even a few calories or hurry up and get a quick workout in to make sure my macros were just right. It felt toooo much like a diet and I was sooo rigid I knew it wasn’t sustainable for me and my mental health. So I just decided to STOP all that and just eat real food. Steaks and shrimp and seafood and chicken with some sautéed or roasted veggies on the side and of course doused in butter and salt.

I will tell you that I actually gained weight at like week 3/4 eating this way. But I was ravenous for fat!! Ate fat bombs, fatty steaks, fatty fish, butter on everything and in my coffee. I even licked the butter off my plate and fingers a time or two… and even contemplated eating a stick of butter - it looked SOOOOO GOOD!! I might have even had some coconut oil shots in an old college shot glass!! :grimacing::rofl:(but I won’t tell!!).

Then… it all changed for me about week 5 1/2. I naturally ate when I was hungry. When I wasn’t, I drank tea while my kids and husband ate their dinner. I didn’t feel like picking at their food or “taste testing” everything like I had before when cooking. Some days I eat breakfast early and skip the rest of my meals. Some days I don’t eat until dinner. I FINALLY understood what intuitive eating was and the weight started coming off here and there - not massive losses, but my clothes fit better and my waist was smaller. I also FELT better!! My skin cleared up and my hair grew like 3 inches - even my hair dresser commented on its length. The mental clarity is phenomenal too when working on projects.

If you are treating this like a normal “diet” - you will be disappointed!! And you won’t be able to sustain. At least I couldn’t. Treat it like a lifestyle!! And you will find more success. GOOD LUCK

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #8

Congrats on the upcoming wedding. I didn’t lose the scale weight as fast as I thought I should but I did drop two dress sizes in a couple of months. Measuring and using clothing to determine how your shape is changing is a great way to feel progress when the scale (which can fluctuate up and down day to day) doesn’t give you a reading you want. Because in the end it’s about how you look and feel in the dress, right? Not how much you actually weigh on the big day.

You’re welcome to post a couple of days of what and when you eat if you want us to look at it. It really helped me to discontinue the diet drinks (unless I am having a meal) and to have those long stretches between meals to let my body use my own fat for fuel and keep insulin low. Snacking can be helpful during the transition in the beginning but quit as soon as you can. Eat your meals, water in between, get restorative sleep and minimize stress. Best wishes!

(L) #9

Hey,

Thanks so much for your encouragement and advice!
I will try and relax the calorie counting and pay more attention to overall feeling than scale watching and take some joy out of clothes feeling a bit looser and things like that instead.
@PaulL you’re right, I would rather see and feel it in myself rather than on the scale.

@PetaMarie Here’s a bit of a snapshot of what I’m currently eating the last 3 weeks:

Morning - couple of black coffees (i’m doing 16/8 IF), on a Sunday I have a couple eggs and half an avo.
Noon - one of these or something similar: Roast chicken and veg with olive oil. Smoked mackerel fillets with lemon and spinach. Roast chicken and feta salad with a few peppers and tomatoes.
3pm - couple teaspoons of peanut butter or a large handful of olives.
7pm - one of these or similar: couple of eggs with cheese and half an avo. Chicken in cream cheese with courgette, broccoli, mushroom and spinach. Chicken thighs baked with oil and veg. Pork chop with buttery greens. Aubergine and mozzarella bake.
I only drink water now as I used to have cordial but saw it has sugars in it.
If I don’t feel totally full after dinner I have a slice of cheddar, some peanuts or a square of 90% dark choc (rarely choc).

I love veg and I don’t really want to cut it back. I eat onion, garlic, peppers, tomato, spinach, broccoli, courgette, mushroom, avocado (as a treat, it’s pricey), lettuce. Are these problematic for their carb content? It didn’t look it on my app but I am unsure. I did have sweetcorn twice but then found out it’s not good for keto so stopped it.
I also don’t really fancy fat bombs and don’t love adding oils to coffee but I’m happy putting it on my salads and in my meals.

My exercise for a week is an hour cycle a couple times, one intense gym training session, 90 mins football (soccer), an hours walk.

Especially interested in whether the vegetables are too high in carbs and what you guys would advise.

L

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #10

It all looks good but if you aren’t counting higher carb things like tomato, peppers, and onion, you may be eating more carbs than you want. I also eat veggies but keep the carb count below 20 grams for the day so I do monitor amounts. I’m also okay with slower weight loss because I want my skin to be able to bounce back during the process (which it is). If you are aiming for quicker and more, some might suggest you go zero carb, cut dairy, cut veg, etc. That’s a personal decision only you can make. Here’s a page for carb counts and more info:

(L) #11

Thanks for this link! That’s a great article!
I do count the carbs in veg as it’s my main carb source I think. I’m going to cut back on the onions and try to stick to more leafy greens and also introduce cauliflower - had never really been a fan in the past!

(Marianne) #12

Been there, done that.

:confounded:

(Marianne) #13

Yay!!!

:confetti_ball:

(Marianne) #14

I know - isn’t that amazing!