I’m 6’5 and started my weight loss journey in January. I was 360 pounds. I hit a plateau at 330. I decided to go keto and started on September 12. I have dropped 20 pounds already. Is this kind of weight loss normal. I am a little concerned because I have never dropped that much weight that fast? Not to mention my appetite is almost non existent?.
Keto Quick Weight Loss
MarkGossage
(bulkbiker)
#2
It’s probably the initial “whoosh” as your body sheds water weight that excessive glucose causes to be stored.
It will very likely slow down pretty soon.
Eating food that is satiating often leads to appetite suppression enjoy it!
MarkGossage
(bulkbiker)
#4
Enjoy it while it lasts… it will slow down…
But in the meantime enjoy weight loss while eating great food.
It has been a revelation to many of us who have tried restricting calories and “low fat” approaches how much easier and pleasant it is to drop the pounds eating steaks and butter!
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#5
You are likely to lose a fair amount of fat fairly quickly, then the last twenty or thirty pounds will come off more slowly. The whoosh phenomenon is not limited to the initial stages, and it can indeed be startling. There are a number of explanations for it floating around these forums, but I don’t find any of them particularly satisfying. The only thing we can really say so far is that it happens.
The key to fat loss on a ketogenic diet is to keep carbohydrate intake low, so as to lower serum insulin to a level that permits fatty acids to leave adipose and other tissues to be metabolised, either in the liver to ketones (partial metabolites that can be further metabolised) or in muscle and elsewhere (muscles prefer fatty acids, whereas many other tissues prefer ketones).
But there are other mechanisms that affect whether the body will retain or shed excess stored fat. Deliberately restricting calories is dangerous, because the body will slow the metabolic rate and hang onto its reserves when in famine conditions. Given adequate (or perhaps somewhat excessive) intake, the body does the reverse, increasing the metabolism and even finding ways to waste energy. Hence the recommendation to eat protein and fat to satiety.
Many of the strategies that work better on a ketogenic diet are the reverse of those advocated by the current governmental nutrition guidelines. Don’t fear fat; it has the least effect on insulin of the three macronutrients. Fear carbohydrate instead. Stick to saturated and monounsaturated fats (the ones that are solid at room temperature, such as butter, lard, and tallow); polyunsaturated fats in any kind of quantity tend to cause metabolic damage and systemic inflammation. Don’t worry about cholesterol; a lot of the new data suggest it was an error to start to fear it. And so forth.
There are apps available on the Web that purport to determine your energy needs and tell you what and how much to eat. Most people don’t need them. Keep track of your carbohydrate and keep your intake low; the rest you can safely leave to bodily mechanisms that regulate appetite and intake. Be sure to get enough salt, and drink to thirst. That’s about it.
Lionheart38
(Thomas)
#6
My calorie intake for the first week was extremely low and even with adding healthy fats and proteins I still find my calorie intake to be low and no real appetite. Im still shedding weight and concerned about if I am getting adequate nutrients or if im loosing muscle? I have been having muscle spasms as well?
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#7
If you are eating to satisfy your hunger, you are probably fine. There is a big difference between deliberately shorting your food intake, and stopping eating because you are not hungry.
The only potential problem is that some people who have restricted their calories for long enough, have permanently slowed down their metabolisms, and it can be very difficult to rev them up again. Give yourself at least a couple of months of ketogenic eating before you even think about worrying about this stuff. Much is likely to sort itself out, and there is plenty of time to deal with the rest later. For now, keep your carbs down, eat fat and protein to satiety, and keto on!