Hello! I am new to the Keto/IF lifestyle but have been doing really well… heading into my 4th week of Intermittent Fasting with Keto on the days I eat. So far it has been so much easier than I thought it would be and i have no problem not eating and following a Keto diet when I do. I feel great! And so far I have lost 23 lbs. I have not been diagnosed diabetic or pre diabetic but with my lifestyle, diet, and recent weight gain i feel i was heading down that road fast!
I work nights and work a compressed work week (3 to 4 days a week) so i started fasting during my work week then eating 1 keto meal a day on my days off… I have kept my carbs extremely low on eating days usually between 6 to 11 net grams per day. So essentially I am doing 72 to 96 hour fasts + 3 or 4 23:1 hour fasts per week. I know its is pretty agressive for a newbie but I am doing well with it… have not even been tempted to cheat! Suddenly this week i gained 4 lbs back? Not sure what happened. Is this normal? I am desperate to lose weight and really want this to work! I have tried traditional dieting many times before and always end up losing 25 lbs then it stalls until i give up and gain it back. I really dont want that to happen this time.
The only possible things i can think of are that I am having a hard time eating enough calories in 1 meal and possibly that i have been under a lot of stress lately (personal life stuff not keto or fasting related)… anyone experience this? Any tips for overcoming it? I do monitor my glucose and keytones and have been in a keto range of 2-4.2 for the last few weeks straight so I am not dropping out of Keto.
Thanks!!
Need some words of wisdom
First of all, stop worrying! You are doing fine. The progress of fat loss is not linear, and you will have bumps in the road. It is also possible to put on lean mass while losing fat, so unless you have some indication that your gain is all fat, there is nothing to worry about. Realistically, you were probably retaining some extra water when you stepped on the scale. Use the fit of your clothing as an indicator of progress, along with the number on the scale. Lean mass (especially bone) is a lot denser than fat, so it may make the scale tell us a higher number, but it doesn’t generally make our clothes fit more poorly (unless we are body builders, of course).
The scale I used to track my weight loss like to lie to me. I can get on the scale, get off it, and get back on and weigh somewhere between 20 pounds less and 20 pounds more than the first reading. I can also manipulate the reading by where I place the darn thing on the bathroom floor, and also by how I stand on it. I remember a point, three years ago, when the scale held steady for a couple of weeks, and then, one day, I stepped on it and it read 20 pounds less. That’s what we call a “whoosh.” I also remember when, two years ago, I suddenly weighed 32 pounds more than I had the day before. Strangely enough, my clothes still fit the same. But it did take about three weeks for the scale to slowly return to the previous number.
So the point of all this maundering is simply to say, relax, Keep Calm, and Keto On (KCKO)!
Thank you!! I guess i just need some words of encouragement… it was a steady decline until today so i guess i freaked out a little due to past experiences with “cutting calories”
Hi Tracy! I am a newbie too, you are about one week further along than I. 
My protocol is very similar to yours also.
I am weighing myself every day, and then averaging those numbers for the week. As you know, water weighs a lot and it ebbs and flows.
To get a real recording of my progress I have started taking pictures in yoga shorts and sports bra from the side each week. (And a waist measurement.)
I don’t mind what my “weight” is, I just want to look the way I want and achieve my health and fitness goals. 
The scale is just one data point among others. And probably the least significant.
Yeah, don’t do that. Eat to satisfy your hunger, so you don’t put your body into famine mode. You will “cut” calories automatically if you listen to your appetite.
A woman’s monthly cycle can affect the ups and downs of the scale. Please keep that in mind.
I found my lowest weight for the month would always be the day before my period started. Then my weight could pop up five pounds over the next two days.
Other things affecting the scale could be a lot salt the day before or maybe didn’t have a bowel movement that day.
Also, you’ve lot a lot of weight in a short period of time. More than likely the weight loss will slow down to 1-2 pounds a week. That’s normal.
Many people suggest weighing once a week or even once a month so that they don’t stress over the daily fluctuations.
Finally, be careful with all the fasting. No food means no vitamins and minerals. You don’t want to develop nutrient deficiencies. You also don’t want to slow your metabolism.
Thanks Edith!! Actually i do only weigh myself once a week… but i was on the last day of my period too so that could be part of it. The weekly fasts were more triggered by my schedule and that fact that if i eat in the middle of the night (i work graveyards) i get horrible heart burn and acid reflux so bad it feels like it is shredding my throat… it doesnt matter what i eat or how much. I can eat the same foods during the day with no issues so i figured i would use it as an opportunity to fast during my work week… i work 13 hr shifts so if i eat when i get home… i am basically going right to bed and didnt want to do that either… i also have a lot of problems with deficiencies from working nights … of course vitamin d… plus iron, B, etc… so I am taking precautions during my fast. I dring electrolyte powder everyday and continue taking my multivitamin + calcium,d, etc… my first week i got a terrible headache and this has helped during the last few weeks.
Thank you for your insights and support! I am feeling better about it now!
Ha ha… yeah i know that now. I now know the damage i did when i tried dieting before by calorie restriction… i could lose 25 lbs easy then it just stopped!! I am right at that mark again so i got nervous when the scale needle went up!! I have just been praying that IF and keto works for me!! I want my life back so bad that I will stick with it!
Thanks Ella!! Nice to meet a fellow newbie!! I have thought about taking measurements in addition to weighing myself and will likely start doing that as a sanity check. I too am not as concerned with the number the scale spits out but for now it has been my only means of tracking progress… i am 6 ft tall so i have to lose about 25 lbs before i really start noticing a difference in the way my clothes fit so it can be frustrating waiting for tangible results!! I feel better being able to talk it out with others on this journey! I think it will do wonders for my motivation and keep me sane during the bumps in the road!! Thank you and wish you all the best in acheiving your goals!!
@Ellacosew These are the words of wisdom.
One’s weight simply reflects how much the earth’s gravity is tugging on us. It says nothing about what is being tugged.
I can understand the fasting on work days… but remember that regular fasting works best with regular feasting. Megan Ramos (Jason Fung’s right hand ‘man) says that one meal a day is good for maintenance but not great for weight loss long term. So maybe up it to two big meals a day on eating days? Worth a shot.
You’re working so hard to get to your goals! I wish you good health and that you lose the weight that’s bothering you!
The lack of vitamins and stuff, or anything in general related to our health: sometimes we don’t feel it immediately, but later we may regret some abuse we’ve done to our bodies.
Example: I was told dancing classical ballet and doing gymnastics was good to me. It was, until my herniated discs and urgent surgery. Running is good for me… it is! But I did damage my knees in the process. Mind you, I still run, so I know what it is to self-destruct sometimes…
Anyway, I’m just saying all of that, because I’m wondering: is longterm, long fasts good for us? I don’t know the answer. Perhaps it’s super healthy. Perhaps it isn’t. Just be careful. It may seem good now, but cause some irreparable damage to you. Read a lot about it, just to make sure it’s ok.
As for the weight gain… could it be a sign fasting so much isn’t that good?
I agree with the member who talked about hormones and cycles. I also put on pounds during my “period”… even though I’m on menopause. It’s like my body can’t forget those traumatic days!
Women and men are very different when it comes to weightloss and hormones… somethings may work wonders for men, but be bad for women.
Good luck!
Good point! At my age, I forget about cycles, although I know my body is still affected by those tides and the moon.
I used to have terrible heartburn and reflux, especially if eating later in the day. Now, with keto and intermittent fasting, that is a thing of the past! I’m glad you brought it up, because it hadn’t dawned on me! I weigh once a month. I started June 22. So, about 5 months. I’ve lost 38 pounds. But it definitely slowed down after the first couple months. I also learned that not eating enough was slowing down my weight loss. Anyway… your clothes know the score, and the way you feel… emotionally and physically. You got this!
Awesome so far. You are doing very well. It is normal for your body to gain and lose. I personally remember a gain of 2-3lbs in a day. Keto is NOT a low calorie eat program. You are replacing carbs for fat. This can be particularly hard because fat does such a great job of satiating. You are never hungry. Stress can raise cortisol levels and raise blood sugar. When I started I had a DEXA Scan (gold standard) for body composition and when I stopped. I knew specifically how much fat and muscle mass I had lost. I also measured my blood ketones every morning. Ketones were always higher after IF. Having reached my goal weight, I now use the weigh scale just to see the number, but rely more on my belt holes. I continually eat low carb 90% of the time. From M-F 16/8 but carte blanche on the weekends. Good luck,
I want to thank you all for your kind words and advice… it has really helped me! I am feeling much more confident and know that if I just go with the flow and make adjustments as needed i will be successful! I am glad I found this forum… it is comforting to hear real people talking about the process and what trials and obstacles they have overcome. Thank you so much!