Losing slowly

(Sarah) #1

I started at 11 stone 6 weeks ago. 5 weeks in and I am down to 10 stone 8 but seem to have stopped losing. Does weight loss slow down after a while?
Also do you need to excessive amount of exercise with Keto to see results?

Thanks x

(Sarah) #2

Sorry should read 11 stone 5 I started at

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

You read a lot of nonsense in the popular press. Keto is not magic. It’s a process of metabolic normalization. A lot of stuff happens when you start to eat keto. There’s years/decades of metabolic damage that needs fixing. The excess weight/fat is just a symptom. Generally the process of normalization includes normalization of weight as well, but from time to time other stuff takes precedence. So weight/fat loss is not a simple linear progression. But over time, the general trend will be down. Stick with it and you will be OK. Welcome to the forum and best wishes.

(Sarah) #4

Thanks for quick reply.
I am not on Facebook so nice to find a forum. I have more energy and this is the first time I have changed my eating habits and stuck to something. I have more energy, no slumps in the day. My skin has cleared up and overall have more energy.
I dont need to lose a massive amount so appreciate may be slower x

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #5

There are many folks here who have been where you are and will eventually show up to offer their perspectives and advice. Generally, the less overall weight/fat you have to lose, the slower it goes away. But it does. Subjective experiences vary quite a lot, so I don’t place much on them. But if you have good experiences, they help to reinforce your determination to carry on. I started keto at the age of 71 and am now 75. It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I sincerely hope that someday you will think the same.

:+1:

(Sarah) #6

As long as can enjoy a gin, cheese and mayonnaise I will be sticking to it x

#7

Early on, many that go into ketosis lose a lot of water weight. That’s because the stored glycogen is being released. Water binds to glycogen, so as the stored glycogen dwindles, the water is released.

https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq#wiki_what_will_my_weight_loss_progress_look_like.3F

(Sarah) #8

This looks like a really helpful read so will have a look. Anything to keep my mind of work in the current pandemic. Not a great time to work for the NHS x

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

Yes, fat loss tends to slow down as one approaches the body composition our body is aiming for. You don’t give your height, but 10 stone 8 seems to be a good weight, no? Be aware that people who have skimped on calories for a long time may add lean tissue as well as shed fat, and this will confuse the scale. Keep track of how your clothes fit, as another indicator of progress.

You should not need to exercise at all to see results on keto. However, if you are feeling energetic and would enjoy exercising, feel free to do so. As long as you are eating enough to make your body feel comfortable parting with its reserves, your body will set your appetite to a level that will permit the burning of both dietary and excess stored fat.

(Sarah) #10

I am 5 foot 8. Yes I dont believe I am massively overweight but my clothes have become tight so wanted to get down to the weight i have been and feel comfortable at. I have always struggled with slumps in the day, bad skin, and this seems to have all stopped on keto and I like that I am not having sugar and think there must be health benefits to stopping all the rubbish i was eating x

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #11

If your clothes are tightening up again, that’s not encouraging, sorry. Take a look at what you are eating, and try to reduce your carb intake even further. It might help. Also be sure not to stint on food. The principle behind the ketogenic diet is that working with the body yields better results than working against it. So we work to evoke the healthiest hormonal response to the way we eat, with the goal of minimising insulin secretion as much as possible (a certain amount of insulin is required for survival, but chronically elevated insulin levels are damaging to the body in many ways).

In this context, the standard advice of eating less and moving more, unless handled correctly, can be counter-productive. We want to provide the body with enough calories to feel comfortable shedding its excess fat reserves, which means essentially eating to satisfy our hunger. With insulin low enough to no longer block the brain receptors that register the presence of other hormones, our appetite then becomes a safe guide to how much to eat. The body then sets our appetite, quite naturally, at a level that lets it metabolise both the fat in our diet and the fat in our fat cells (and fat has the added benefit of not stimulating insulin secretion above the minimum necessary for our survival).

So minimal carbohydrate, reasonable protein, and filling in with fat to satisfy hunger becomes the basic strategy. The rest is tweaking for maximum results.

#12

It’ll slow down at some point, especially if you’re getting near the weight your body wants to be, You don’t need (excessive) exercise but should definitely exercise since it’s good for you all around. I will say though that if “exercise” just means never ending cardio, yes, that’ll contribute to slowing down your metabolism. Tons of cardio makes you good at cardio “efficient” ie: less burn so you can go longer.

(Scott) #13

You always have time to lose weight. As long as you are eating healthy and not gaining just keep going. I like to have a long time window and graph (wi-fi scale) my weight daily. over the years I can see what small changes do over time, it is very telling.

(Sarah) #14

You all make great supportive points thanks. I see this as a long term change to my lifestyle no quick fix and weight loss is one element my all round general health is equally if not more important x

#15

Weight loss ALWAYS slows down as time goes by. When I started KETO 6 months ago I was losing about 2.2 lbs per week. The last time I checked (and I check less and less now), I was at about 1/4-1/2 lb per week. Some weeks I don’t lose at all. This is absolutely and totally normal. The best thing to do is to stop weighing yourself more than once or twice per month. If you are following the program, you will lose. Weight fluctuates day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute.

It’s always good to exercise, just for your overall health. As you start to feel better from eating Keto, you will start to want to move more. But when you exercise, you create muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. So, you might be getting smaller and firmer, but you might see the scale go up. This is one of the best reasons to weigh less often.

Finally we all have weights that our body likes. We may not like that weight, but what we want is inconsequential to the body. These are “plateaus”. You can stay at a plateau for days or weeks or months. I’m at one of my body’s favorite plateaus right now and my weight loss has stalled. That’s absolutely fine. My goal was to be down 25 pounds by the end of the year. I’m already there, so what’s the rush from this point on? If you told me, 6 months ago, that I would be 25 pounds lighter right now I would have rushed into the street screaming with joy. I’ve already won!

I have about 25-30 pounds more to come off to be in the realm of my dreams. I honestly don’t care how long it takes me to get there because I know that Keto will get me there. I might set my goal as a New Years Day 2022. But, really, why? I’m not hungry. I feel good. I look better. I’m stronger. In a month or so I’ll get blood work and see where that’s at. This isn’t a diet for me anymore, but a way to live my life.