Keto Round 2; Wish me luck!

#1

I was 6’ 1" and 158 lbs when I graduated high school. I’m now 53 years old and ~240 lbs. My goal is <200 lbs.

I first got introduced to keto as The Atkins Diet in 1998, while working on an out-of-town assignment in Vancouver (e.g. 3 restaurant meals/day, 4 days/week, all reimbursed!). I went from 212 to 195 in 3 weeks, and lost >20 lbs total over a few months. It was easy because 4 of us were competing to see who could lose the most weight, and we were eating our meals together and comparing notes daily.

25 years later, and here I am again. None of my friends or family will do keto with me, so I’m here!

I started one week ago, and I’m down only ~2 - 3 lbs, but I’ve been in continuous ketosis since Day 3. I monitor every time I pee, and I have never not measured some level of ketones.

I’ve been diligent about keeping my carbs below 22 g a day, although there have been a few question-mark meals, such as a plate of gyro meat and tzatziki at Chicken Maison. I’ve seen gyro meat listed as anywhere from 0 to 7 g of carbs per serving, and I had 14 oz. that meal. But I have never dropped out of ketosis.

Wish me luck!

(Alec) #2

Good luck, and I hope you go well… 3lbs in a week is just fine!

Some advice (if you want it):

  1. Don’t worry about “being in ketosis”, that’s not the point. The point is to burn fat.
  2. Keep carbs as low as possible, not just below 22g. The stricter you are the easier it will be to lose weight.
  3. Exercise is not required on keto, but IMHO is so good for you in general is worth adding to your new regime if you can.
  4. Don’t get hung up on macros in general, just prioritise eating fatty meat and eggs, keep everything else to a minimum.

Best wishes and good luck!

(Geoffrey) #3

I will add to what @Alecmcq had to say, don’t set a goal of a certain weight. Set a goal of getting healthy and let the weight optimize itself. You might be surprised at your results. I was 225 lbs, 6’ and 67 years old and I originally set a goal of 180-185 lbs. As I learned about weight optimization I decided to just let my body do what it wanted to do or what it was best for itself.
8 months later I’m at 170-173 lbs. That’s lighter than I was in high school. If I had stayed with just reaching a set goal I might have just quit at that level but by just letting it go where it wanted to go I was greatly surprised.
Good luck sir.

(KM) #4

And we’re nearly all here doing keto (or carnivore) with you! Welcome!

(Jane) #5

Welcome to the forum and good luck!

(Marianne) #6

Keep up the good work! 2-3 lbs. in one week is great. You’re body will just keep losing steadily as long as you keep the carbs low and feed it regularly so your metabolism doesn’t slow.

I’d think about ditching the pee sticks. At some point, they may give you a false reading that causes to question whether or not you are in ketosis or “doing this right.” If you keep the carbs around 20 or under, you will be in ketosis.

Good luck - keep us posted!

#7

Thanks!

Are false negatives or false positives more likely with the pee sticks?

If I start getting negatives I’ll come right back here and ask why :rofl:

For now they’re my constant reminder to keep on track :smiley:

#8

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(Robin) #9

First, welcome!
2 pounds a week would be 104 pounds a year! What sounds slow is actually perfect. Most of us once starved ourselves to lose a lot of weight quickly… just to quickly gain it all back. You can maintain this! It may go fast or it may stall at times, but it’s the trend that matters most.

I personally would avoid the scale completely or only check it every couple of months. It can often mess with your mind and morale. Your clothes and how you look/feel are better indicators.

Measure yourself, and then check that occasionally. You’ll be blown away.

You got this!

(KM) #10

:wink: You probably know, but be sure to check the carbs in that sauce.

I use the pee sticks to keep me on track. What you need to remember is that it’s not an exact measurement of what’s happening in the moment. It’s a measurement of how much excess ketone you’re producing, and for me I’d say the measurement is probably about 6-12 hours behind (in other words, if I eat a pizza for dinner, two hours later I’m still going to be “peeing pink”, but there’s no way I’m actually in ketosis.)

If your stick is pinkish at all, then you have at some point in the near past been producing ketones, more than your body used. That’s basically all the stick is going to tell you, but it is confirmation.

#11

Cholula has zero carbs!

Three eggs, 2 oz. of shredded cheese, 1 Tbsp of butter, 1/4 avocado, coffee, cream, and 1 Splenda packet. < 5 carbs total.

(Jane) #12

Looking good!

(KCKO, KCFO) #13

You are off to a good start. Lots of support here for you.

A think it would be good if you took pictures now and take them throughout your weight loss. Results do not always show up on a scale.

You did it before, so you can do it again.

#14

Yup! I’m taking a daily photo every morning, in the same spot, in the same position, with the same lighting. If I do this correctly, I’ll be able to make a time lapse GIF when it’s all done.

But none of this is remotely ready for public consumption yet :smiley:

#15

Here’s a $24.50, 7 carb lunch:

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I could probably get away without the 3 carbs in the sauces (web page has carbs per oz, but the packets are 0.75 oz/ea), because these nuggets are really juicy and tasty.

[please, no political commentary on CFA; this is about carbs!]

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #16

You’ve already received plenty of helpful comments. Let me just add a couple of points:

  1. If you feel symptoms of what is called keto/Atkins “flu,” it’s symptoms of not getting enough sodium, so eat a bit more salt.

  2. Don’t listen to advice to cut calories. When we eat low-carb, our insulin drops, and that is what permits the fat loss. Lower insulin also permits our appetite hormones to work properly, so we can afford to eat enough to satisfy our hunger. That makes the whole process much easier.

(Think of a bear trying to put on fat for the winter, by eating berries in autumn: the raised insulin keeps her hungry, so she can keep on eating and putting on fat. During hibernation, her insulin drops, and that fat can then leave her fat cells and nourish her body while she sleeps. And then in spring, her insulin is still low, so she can eat to satisfy her hunger without getting fat.)