Hi all,
So I’m needing a little encouragement. I’m about 3 weeks into keto and I’ve been pretty good about tracking my macros - which is an accomplishment in and of itself for me. I don’t have a blood ketone meter but I do have the urine strips (not sure if those are worth anything) and according to those I am in ketosis. I do have a glucose meter and my blood sugar has been pretty good, in the 90’s. I’m sure I have some insulin resistance so I know it could be lower, but I’m pleased with that for now. I do some exercise about 3 times a week, combo of weights and cardio. Thing is I haven’t noticed any pounds lost or clothes fitting any different. And I have a lot of weight to lose, I’m about 320 pounds right now (Female, 5’8", 36 years old). It’s just really discouraging because when you have as much weight to lose as I do, you expect it to come off a little fast in the beginning. Especially considering how different I’m eating. I do feel like I have a little more energy, I’ve noticed some joint pain I had has gone away. And I’m happy for that, I’m not ready to give up. But the weight is a big deal and it’s bumming me out. Am I expecting too much too soon? Thanks for the input.
Needing some keto encouragement and/or advice
I think you are on the right path, and the healing has started so just let that happen, You will feel better as the weight starts to come off. You body on real food will finish healing and then find out it is not getting the easy glucose and will have to start making its own, so Keep Calm and Keto On, Just let it happen, you didn’t gain them pounds in a month you will not get rid of them in a month either.
I’ve seen a lot of people reply with another question. “What are you going to do? Go back to eating the way that got you to this point?”
As @Alley said, it took 36 years to get where you are. Give it more than 3 weeks before giving up.
No, I know. I get what you’re saying and I’m not ready to give up. Sometimes it just seems like my body wants to hold on to the weight and I wish I understood why. This is not my first attempt at weight loss by any means. I just like to hear that other people have had this same experience. I read so many keto success stories of how the pounds just drop off and it’s exciting. But when that doesn’t happen it’s hard not to get a little bummed. But I know, I know - results not typical, I can’t compare myself to other people.
Hello. Using your stats that you provided, I’ll leave some personalized info below as well as my general recommendations for all newbies. These things will help you make sure you’re on the right track with everything you’re doing for the best possibility of success. Also, as far as fast loss goes, that’s water weight on keto. If you didn’t have a ton to lose in water weight to begin with, your loss will be slower. And that’s fine. We want fat loss ultimately.
Below are your macro and calorie recommendations as calculated with https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com . I had the setting set to sedentary, middle protein, 0% deficit. If you have questions, feel free to ask and I can explain and answer anything I’m able. And, I know these numbers look quite high. To give context, I’m 5’11 350+ (I don’t use a scale so not certain on weight) and eating to hunger has me averaging 1800-2200 calories a day. My first week was over 3000 calories and my 2nd and most of 3rd were at 900. I eat to satiety and stop.
2408kcal Daily Calorie Intake (this is not a limit, ultimately we want effective hunger signals to tell us how much to eat but, until you get to that point, this is a sort of goal to try and get up to but not force unless you are consistently undereating.)
20g Carbs (3%, 80 kcal) (most people count in net carbs which is total carbs minus fiber. This is a limit, try not to go over.)
123 g Protein (20%, 492 kcal) (this is a soft limit, going over or under occasionally is fine)
204 g Fat (77%, 1836 kcal) (this is not a limit. Eat fat to satiety. Fat provides energy and keeps you feeling full between meals.)
We have a few sayings here, “keep calm, keto on” and “trust the process.” Keto isn’t a quick weight loss diet. It’s a health gaining way of eating with fat loss as a side effect. If the scale is an unhealthy obsession, put it away for a couple of months or give it to a neighbor you don’t like.
There are two phases to ketosis and a ketogenic lifestyle.
Nutritional ketosis is phase one. Your body begins to produce and uptake some ketones while dumping the rest. It will still search for glucose to use as fuel. In this phase it’s not an efficient process. It has to work actively to get rid of stored glycogen, clean up excess blood sugar, and turn on the ability to use ketones.
Fat adaptation is phase two. Your body is efficiently producing ketones from intake and stored body fat and is also using them efficiently for energy. It takes around 6-8 weeks of strict keto to achieve for many but not all.
The basic “rules” I go by and many others can agree with especially for beginners are:
*20g net carbs max (you might tolerate more but, starting out, 20g net carbs or less will get you into ketosis.)
*Moderate protein (1g-1.5g per kg of lean bodyweight is a good goal based on the 2 Dudes recommendations.)
*Fat to satiety (add fat to every meal and, if you are hungry, eat more fat. Don’t be afraid of fat. It is energy.)
*Do not restrict calories
*Do not exercise excessively
*Drink plenty of water
*Get plenty of sodium and other electrolytes (search for ketoaide here in the forums)
Also, the fat to satiety is important. Don’t feel you need to meet a certain fat requirement. If you keep carbs low and protein moderate, add enough fat so you are no longer hungry. Don’t eat fat just for fat’s sake. You do want your body to use it’s own fat stores and not just the fat you are getting from your food.
I also was very lacks on any rules, ate because I like to, got very well fat adapted, and did not worry about any numbers. Do not have a scale, did not test blood or urine.
Big thing was stop carbs and add fat, after no longer felt hungry at normal meal time started missing meals. now after 5 months real results only happened in last 2 and only OMAD or TMAD now and when it is two they have to be in a 8 hour window max. Just don’t get hung up on numbers and counting and stuff, nothing can go wrong we are eating the right things.
Yeah, this is kind of how I was too. Too often though I see people here that are restricting something importsnt or have no clue what to satiety means. I tracked in the beginning to get used to the food and once in a while double check but, I don’t even weigh myself now.
I was one of the lucky ones, I like rules so much, only when breaking them. All my life eat salt, fat, red meat, no veg oil, eggs everyday, if a Doctor said don’t I did. So really i was pre diabetic due to grains, so the transition was easy for me.