Need advice 😫

#1

Doing Keto for over a week and have lost 2 lbs, then gained it back! I’m following it strict! Drinking lots of fluids. Walking. What can I do to jump start my weight loss?!? Getting discouraged :sleepy:

(*Rusty* Instagram: @Rustyk61) #2

Rome wasn’t built in a day!

(Alec) #3

Deb
Welcome to the team!

Please give us an idea of what you are eating and we’ll try to help. Also what your starting weight is, and your height.

Don’t get discouraged, this keto thing takes time, it is not a crash diet. You will get used to eating low carb and it will be for life. You have plenty of time. Relax, and keep reading the posts on these forums, you will learn so much.

KCKO, Keep Calm and Keto On!
Cheers
Alec

(Gabriel G.) #4

I tell myself this all the time…

It took me years and years to get here. It’s going to take me a while to unwind all this damage.

Hang in there!

(Ron) #5
(Anjum) #6

I had to double check and make sure I wasn’t reading my own post. I am about 9 weeks in and last week was right where you are. The advice I received was to forget the scale and measure yourself instead. I thought I was at a stall but was measured today and in 3 weeks I lost 3 pounds, and 3/4 of an inch on my waist. Just give it time. Keto is a healing process. It’s not a quick fix. Good luck.

(Alec) #7

This. And this again.

(Lisa D) #8

Only over a week? and 2 lbs could be the fluids. I’d say keep the calories consumed to under 1300 (I know a lot of folks will say that is too low - but that is what I am doing - keep your macros around 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs - and exercise or move. I’ve been on Keto for only 2-3 weeks and I’ve gained two pounds but feel amazing, tons of energy, and good mood. First 10 days were REALLY rough, felt weak, dizzy, lightheaded and tired. Got through that and feeling great! Hoping the muffin top starts going away and that I will start fitting into my tighter clothes soon! Anyway, don’t get discouraged Deb, give it time - Lisa

(Ron) #9

Eating at a deficit before you are fat adapted is not a good idea for many reasons. The first priority of the body when you change to a healthy LCHF diet is to heal all metabolic damage that has been done of the many years of eating a SAD diet loaded with sugars. It also has lots of inflammation to begin the healing processes. In order to do this it need as much fuel as it can get. Restricting this fuel will slow and hinder the process. Another reason to consume high fats are because you are trying to train the body to accept fat as it’s main fuel source instead of glucose. After the body depletes all the glycogen stored in all the storage cells you want it to use fat and if there isn’t enough dietary daily fat consumption the body will slow down metabolism in an effort to conserve energy. Even though you will lose weight, you will not be able to maintain it because the metabolism will match the lower fuel requirements and you will stall, When you try to eat a little higher level of food your weight will skyrocket back up because of the slow metabolism. In starvation mode your body will also feed on protein in the muscles for energy and you will experience muscle loss.
When you become adapted and the body chooses fat for fuel over sugar then the body will burn dietary fat and after that excess stored body fat. You maintain a high metabolism and the weight falls off.

@PaulL explained it best -
There are three macronutrients: fatty acids, protein, and carbohydrate. Carbohydrate stimulates insulin production, and insulin is the hormone that causes fat to be stored in the fat cells (adipose tissue). At the level of carbohydrate consumption recommended by the U.S. government, most people’s bodies produce insulin at a very high rate, forcing most ot the carbohydrate to be stored as fatty acids in the adipose tissue. To mobilize excess stored fat for metabolism, therefore, we have to find some way of lowering our insulin level. The good news, however, is that the body’s daily requirement for carbohydrate is 0 (zero) grams.

Protein stimulates insulin production, but at about half the rate of carbohydrate. Since we absolutely require protein in our diet every day, we need to eat enough protein to avoid malnutrition while avoiding eating too much (for one thing, that way lies ammonia toxicity). For most people, a good range to eat is 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass each day.

Fat hardly stimulates insulin production at all, so to give our bodies the calories they need, it’s the only really safe macronutrient to eat. The reason we say “eat fat to satiety” is that doing so allows the body to tell us how much it needs; for most people, a few weeks of eating a well-formulated ketogenic diet is enough to restore satiety signaling, a sensation by which we lose interest in eating for a while. So there is no need to count calories, because the body decides what it needs, and all we have to do is eat fat until we stop being hungry. For most people entering ketosis, eating fat to satiety leads them to spontaneously limit their calories to around 1500 or so a day. But there are verified records of study participants eating far more than this while still losing excess fat, so don’t worry about how much you’re eating. When given an abundance of calories the body ramps up the basal metabolic rate and even finds ways of wasting calories, whereas limiting calories runs the risk of giving the body the impression there’s a famine on, and it needs to conserve energy at all costs.

(Lisa D) #10

Thank you for this and yes, I hear what you are saying and logically agree. For many many years I’ve been TRYING to eat 1300 calories per day (not loaded with sugar and carbs but allowed it - lots of popcorn with parmesan for dinner0 and although I strive for 1300 now on keto, I usually end up at 1400-1600 because the fats are much more caloric. I do keep to 75% fat, 20% protein, 5% carbs in my macros, however and usually around 100g fat, 70g protein and 20g carb (total) — for now it works for me and I’ve been feeling on top of the world. (though have gain 2 lbs) I lift weights 2-3 x per week and do cardio 2-3 day on the non weight training days - with Sunday being my completely down day. I know everybody is different and I don’t think I will maintain this TRYING to be at 1300 but until I leave for my vacation on July 14, I am going to keep trying to do so. Its very hard to maintain that during Keto which is why I usually end up at 1400-1600 cals per day. I’ll report later the results when I start eating more calories :slight_smile: As a newbie, however, I do appreciate all of your knowledge and advice!!

(Raj Seth) #11

Fabulous that you are “unable” to keep it at 1300. I don’t track anything (other than limiting carbs) and
Eat when hungry
Eat till satiated
Don’t eat when not hungry

That’s Keto eating to me!
Keto for Living
Keto for Life

(Allie) #12

Way back when I still believed tracking and calorie counting was a good idea, I struggled to stick with the 1650 I was aiming for… please do not limit calories, you will harm yourself.

(Lisa D) #13

Thank you! That is my ultimate goal - at 52, I think it’s time to stop that nonsense. I will get there!! :muscle:t3:

(Lisa D) #14

How marvelous!! Keep it up Raj!! Lisa :muscle:t3:

(Lisa D) #15

still trying to relearn my hunger cues and when i’m truly hungry or just eating out of habit (ie. still struggling with nighttime tv snacks) that was my afterwork long day - 1.5 hr traffic commute each way… decompress method. popcorn with parmesan / it’s amazing to actually NOT feel hunger. i’m learning. i’m here to learn and stay. for life. thank you for your guidance!!! :raised_hands:t2::revolving_hearts::heavy_heart_exclamation: