Last ditch effort

(icky) #61

You have an amazing sense of humour! :blush:

And a great style and I love how courageous you are!

And I think you look fantastic.

I DO trust you that it’s not a body dysmorphic thing :+1:t3:

I certainly hope you reach your goal :+1:t3::+1:t3::+1:t3:

And at the same time I think your body is fine and possibly your body thinks so too :slight_smile:

You have my full support and I hope you achieve your bike riding goals!

And from a non-bike-competition perspective, I still think your body is fine as it is! :blush:

Along with everyone else I’ll try helping you think of ways to get rid of those last remaining bits of fat tissue.

I still think that ANY scan/ measurement that has you in the “obese” category is INSANE.

No matter how “flattering” your photos are, if this is our modern definition of “obese” then something is NOT right.

You have a waist and a really slim one at that.

IMO “obese” and a slim waist do not go together.

But what do I know :wink:

#62

Hmm - that’s interesting (about the scar tissue). I would think that a big weightloss in the past might factor into it all somehow as well.
Thanks for taking the time for that answer! I’ve loved watching your updates - love your energy and your perseverance - and have been rooting for you. I hope this DSK is the trick and that you get your whoosh soon!!

#63

I don’t know if this will make you feel better or not , but i checked out your Insta … and YOU LOOK FANTASTIC! You’re BMI can’t be right, you look in shape and toned ? Sorry if that isn’t what you want to hear, i hate it when people tell me i look ‘fine’ when i say i need to lose some weight.

(Tamara) #64

My OBGYN mentioned this website to me yesterday. https://fitnessgenes.com I just started Keto six weeks ago. I told her I was going to give it my best for one year before determining whether it works for my body. She gave me that website after saying that each body requires a different plan for nutrition and weight loss. Good job giving it your best.

(Alec) #65

A few more thoughts:

  1. The above for me seems important. Keto relies on satiety signals working. If yours aren’t for some reason, maybe this is the issue. I think you said you are going to try calorie/fat limiting for a bit… I guess that would be a proxy for satiety.
  2. Do you drink alcohol? Listening to the keto woman podcast last night, they suggested that there was a potential fat burning blocking mechanism involving alcohol.
  3. Somehow it seems to me that your body is blocking the burning of bodyfat. That’s what I am searching for. Have you travelled these paths already?

Bets wishes!
Cheers
Alec

(What The Fast?!) #66

I think that’s what is happening too, I just don’t know why or how it’s being blocked. I do drink occasionally but I’m not drinking for 3 months right now - I’ve done stints where I don’t drink at all to test it and it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Any other ideas about what could be blocking it?

I mean, I MUST be burning body fat right? I did a 57 mile ride yesterday, took about 4 hours, and my only pre-ride food was MCT in my coffee and a small fat bomb. I burned over 1700 cal - so my body has to be getting the energy from somewhere.

(Alec) #67

So, it can’t be alcohol. Hmmm…

You said you had a tummy tuck in the past. How much did you weigh at your heaviest? It seems you have lost a lot of weight at some point? How did you do that? Was it big time calorie reduction?

My mind is tending towards the idea of the body set point, and your body is clinging to this weight, because for whatever reason it wants to be this weight. I think the mechanism for that is the base level of insulin that you generate through both dietary and non-dietary mechanisms.

Do you lead a stressful life? Are you type A? You seem quite driven, so I suspect you are… but are you a stress head? BTW, these are not meant to be judgemental in any way, I am simply exploring this difficult conundrum, and these traits can make a difference.

You ask an interesting question about burning bodyfat during a 4 hr cycle. I am unsure about how much fat you can store in the blood from eating fat, and hence when you would have to start burning bodyfat. I would think you are right that if you are truly keto, then your body must be burning bodyfat on a 4 hr ride, as I would doubt there is 4hrs worth of storage of dietary fat. Anybody know?

Best wishes as always… BTW, don’t feel obliged to engage in these discussions if you don’t want to. I have come to your party very late. I suspect you have thought every thought I have had and a million more!
Cheers
Alec

(What The Fast?!) #68

I’m 5’ 2.5" My highest was 185 (in high school) - which by the way, is weird, because we ate whole foods growing up, never ate fast food, etc. Anyway, I was put on ADHD meds my junior/senior year in high school, which motivated me and kept me focused - I lost about 45lbs by eating the following, and nothing else, on a daily basis: banana for breakfast, apple for lunch, turkey sandwich on wheat for dinner - and working out. I’m fully aware NOW how unhealthy this is, but at the time (1999) I had no clue about nutrition, nor did anyone else around me. I yo-yoed in college and my lowest was 127lbs (again, not in a healthy way). I’ve been up and down from there, but the only other way aside from a GIANT caloric restriction that I’ve lost weight is through HCG (which is really just a giant caloric restriction). Hope this answers your question.

Yes, my job is stressful and I’m Type A - extremely driven. I thrive on deadlines and enjoy a bit of stress. What’s more stressful to me than work is the fact that I can’t shake any weight, TBH.

@collaroygal @anon67678559 @sugar-addict @Madeleine
Update on DSK - I weighed 149.7 today, just over my starting weight 6 weeks ago. Measurements show no change (well, down 1/2 an inch in one area and up 1/2 an inch in another). I posted new pics on Instagram today. There is a slight difference, so clinging to the program for now. :slight_smile:
@deeperstateketosis is the Instagram name.

(KCKO, KCFO) #69

I had just checked out the instagram pics earlier this morning.

The second week does show improvement in the back area. But honestly, you look so fit and healthy, so some of your hard work is shining through.

Hoping you see some more results on the scale with this program.

KCKO

(What The Fast?!) #70

Thanks - I took some pics WITHOUT the sports bra this morning but decided not to post them (mainly because I’m pretty naked…) :rofl:
The sports bra hides a lot - maybe I’ll have my BF take some from a different angle where I’m not trying to cover my ta-ta’s and take pics in the mirror from a weird angle. :slight_smile:

PS Thank you.

#71

One more question: do you measure in a lot of places? It can be really helpful! I know you’re six weeks into DSK but in case this is useful, here’s a nice list of spots to track:
Upper arms (both of them)
just above the breasts
bust
just below
waist
lower belly (at the hip bones)
hips/widest part of butt
upper thigh (both)
mid thigh (both)
calf (both)

(What The Fast?!) #72

I do thigh, belly button, chest, waist, hips, arms, calves.

#73

You’ll miss some back fat with those, though.

(What The Fast?!) #74

I like the idea of just below the breast - I’ll start adding that.

#75

I don’t think you’re being at all unrealistic in your expectations. I’m older than you(67), an inch shorter and my current weight after almost 5 months of keto is 137. I know I have at least 10-15 pounds to lose to look really “good,” so your goals make perfect sense to me. After losing 34 pounds and reaching an almost “normal” BMI, I’m still losing roughly a pound a week, and I’d be every bit as frustrated as you if I wasn’t! And my insulin started at 37 and is now still 13. I would question if possibly your insulin is too low? What does Dr Fung say about it?

I can’t believe that your prior poor eating habits are the problem. I spent my teen years off and on the popular 500 calorie per day diets, like many of us, but am still losing weight.

You seem to have a lot of muscle though(way more than me!), and I would really question that DEXA scan, since my BF is running around 31% right now, and you look like you have much better muscle mass.

You’ve worked at this so hard for so long that it seems there must be an underlying reason, probably a hormonal one. Have you seen an endocrinologist or had your female hormones checked- estrogen, LH, FSH, testosterone, etc? Your hormones can be out of whack even though you’re getting your period regularly.

I wish you luck in figuring this out!

(What The Fast?!) #76

Thank you for that - sincerely. What’s funny is that before keto, my cycle was perfectly normal. It went nutso after I went keto. After a few months, it started to be normal again, but then when I started doing a lot of fasting, it got even worse - it would be 2-3 weeks late, crazy.
I’ve had my hormones tested a few times now - sometimes blood, sometimes saliva - and all was normal.
I’ve also had several DEXA’s, so I don’t doubt the accuracy, as they remain consistent.
I did a bit of that super restricted calorie nonsense as well, along with HCG and some other things, but I’ve been working to repair my metabolism for the last few years and I’m confident that it’s healed now so I’m just as lost.

I’ve never heard of insulin being too low…is that a thing?

Thanks for your thoughts. :slight_smile:

#77

You’ve definitely covered the main bases. Don’t know about low insulin, hoping maybe the big guns can figure this out for you.

(Doug) #78

Well, for Type 1 Diabetics it’s certainly a thing, but we know that ain’t you, A. :slightly_smiling_face:

“Insulin too low” for the rest of us is always (as far as I can tell) in the context of metabolic syndrome/Type 2 Diabetes/Insulin Resistance where bad blood sugar control is the result, perhaps like “not enough insulin” or it not working well enough. Again, not you.

So I got nothin.’ Except a high-desert bicycle ride, winds higher than expected, and the dust is blowing in your face, and the road is uphill. Okay, just kidding, magic wand waved and you’re 12 lbs. less and the tailwind is 15 MPH, the road at sea level (Vegas is like 2000 feet elevation but let’s crank this fantasy), nice cool day…

In the end I have nothing but admiration. Your journey is of great value, even if the destination is as yet unknown.

(What The Fast?!) #79

This is the best thing I’ve read on the internet all week. :slight_smile:

PS based on the above comment and your response, this makes you an official “big gun.”

(icky) #80

So I assume @Alecmcq is asking this cos of the cortisol effects on insulin and BG?