New and confused... (another one... šŸ˜Š)

(Lotta Rossler) #1

Hi everybody.
Iā€™m just about four weeks into my keto journey and thought I was doing quite wellā€¦ but since my initial weight loss of 3 kg I now have the feeling Iā€™ve gained again, and my weighing scales are kinda going up and down the whole time.

Iā€™m using the TotalKetoDiet since the start, but find it difficult to get all exact nutrients right as most of the saved food items are American, so Iā€™m taking it easy and sometimes estimate the amount of macros roughly.

The app calculated I can eat 1823 kcals per day, with 155 g fat, 83 g protein and 25 g carbs. Do those numbers sound right? On most days, I stay well below the 20 g carbs - mostly around 10 - 15 g or even less. Iā€™m not a big veggie fan, but love cheese, meat, butter, mayo, eggs and cream so Iā€™m in my elementā€¦ :smirk:

Iā€™m often doing a day here and there of intermittent fasting, but donā€™t really find it very helpfulā€¦ how long does fat adaptation usually last? Is it normal that weight loss stalls that early after starting keto? I know, itā€™s not all about weight loss - I do feel much better since Iā€™ve started, Iā€™ve had terrible bloating, mood swings and sugar cravings back on my ā€œnormalā€ eating habits, so Iā€™m glad that these are all gone. But at the same time I was hoping to loose some weight - more than three kilos anywayā€¦

Iā€™ve also noticed that Iā€™m constantly thirsty - and subsequently running to the toilet a lot as the water I drink runs right through me, but read somewhere thatā€™s normal? Iā€™m currently drinking approx 2-3 litres of water, plus about three cups of coffee or diet coke per day.

Iā€™ve used dipstick urinalysis tests at work (on three or four different occasions) and it showed ketones in my urine, but I donā€™t want to get too obsessed on all the scientific bits to be honest, as I wanna keep the whole thing ā€œlightā€/casual enoughā€¦ :laughing:

Iā€™d appreciate any comments ā€¦ lovely to be here!! Thanksā€¦

#2

Hello! We have a very similar situation - my keto journey is almost as long as yours, I also strugle with apps and all the american food :slight_smile: I canā€™t say if your macros and calories sounds right, because I do not know your weight and height. But I also had a period when my weight loss stoped and there was few times when in the morning I find that I gained almost a kg! So now I measure myself for few weeks and now I can see progress more clearly. Welcome and good to see you here!

Edit: oh and the thirst! I drink lots of water because I feel thirsty too. I do not know if this is normal, but now there is two of us :slight_smile:

(John) #3

Quite common. There is a name for it in the Atkins diet - ā€œPost Induction Stall Syndromeā€. The initial weight is mostly water that is stored along with your glycogen stores. Then it takes several weeks for your body to become more fat adapted, where it can burn fat easily. Then you start seeing weight loss again.

I am in that stall period right now and just continuing along with my eating and exercising as normal. I did Atkins probably 20 years ago so I remember the same effect occurring to me then.

#4

For the thirsty (dry mouth for me) issue: take 1/4 teaspoon salt throughout the day. I put it right in my water vessel and it works for Keto flu also. However, I find it makes my stool a bit loose. But better than constipated I think.

(Lotta Rossler) #5

Thank you all for your replies, great to hear from other newbies, and very comforting to hear that my weight loss stalling and thirst etc are normalā€¦ I kinda guessed it, based on what I read, but its always good to hear from others.

Iā€™m 164 cm and 66 kg at the moment, but according to my scales my weight is kinda slightly going up again, how can that happen? I also feel that Iā€™ve been slimmer a few days agoā€¦ but it might be only my head obsessing and water fluctuationsā€¦ not sureā€¦ Iā€™ve started the gym now and hoping thatā€™ll help a little, too - only got to go twice a week do far tho due to workā€¦ how long does that stall period last in the average person?

With the thirst, itā€™s not so much a dry mouth I have, but real thirst. Iā€™m eating loads of salt in my diet already, so donā€™t really wanna add anymore salt to be honest. And Iā€™m taking vitamin and mineral supplements, also, so I donā€™t think itā€™s my electrolytes which are out of syncā€¦

Going on a roadtrip / short holiday now next week, so thatā€™ll be a little challenge for me as weā€™ll be eating out a lot, and I wonā€™t be able to cook. Iā€™ll probably living off Cesar salad without dressing or croutons and loads of mayonnaise added, my staple in restaurantsā€¦ :laughing:

(Wendy) #6

Sometimes weight loss happens slower than one hope but it happens eventually if you need to lose.
Try dropping the diet soda. It can cause stalls for some. What kind of salt are you using? Donā€™t use white table salt. Sea or my favorite, pink hymalayin salt are healthier choices.
I was much thirstier in the beginning. I think my weight flunctuates with how hydrated I am and you may be experiencing the same thing. The Salt/water ratios will influence what the scale says but this is not the weight that really matters. The loss of fat is what we care about. Measure your waist, hips, thighs ect and watch for those areas to shrink. That is a much better indicator of fat loss.
Your feeling better Iā€™d suspect you are on the right track.

(Amy) #7

Iā€™m in the same boat, but not too concerned about it.
Iā€™m 4 weeks in, and havenā€™t lost any weight since the initial 7 lbs I lost after the first 1.5 weeks. However, while cleaning out my closet yesterday, I tried on a bunch of clothes that have been too tight lately and was thrilled to find that they now fit!
My weightā€™s been the same, but I dropped a dress size in the past 2 weeks. Iā€™m expecting that once my body composition finishes adjusting to the initial 7 lb loss, Iā€™ll go through another weight loss chunk.
I would back off on the caffeinated drinks and drink more electrolytes.

(Lotta Rossler) #8

Heyā€¦ yeah, currently Iā€™m having maybe about two cups of coffee a day and a diet coke, usually between two to three servings of caffeinated drinks in total. I know thatā€™s quite a bit, but at the same time Iā€™d say that speeds up the metabolism, too, no?

Iā€™m trying not to be too obsessive with the weight-loss, either, especially since I feel way better since I started itā€¦

How do you mean drink more electrolytes? As in the electrolyte replacement sachets, like diorlyte, which you can get in the pharmacy? To be honest, I donā€™t think I really need them with a high sodium intake and additional supplementsā€¦ Iā€™ve no cramps or dizzy spells etc, just an immense thirst!

#9

Why not white table salt? How is it different?

(Bob M) #10

Table salt does have iodine, but is devoid of everything else. Other salts have more minerals in them, although iodine is a tough one. Real Salt is supposedly not too bad.

(Wendy) #11

Hereā€™s something that came up when I googgled the difference. Not greatest advice as far as amounts but still a good comparison.

(16537c3991c3fc9593b3) #12

I read this article > Why scales lie : Keto reddit , I will copy the link hopefully it works ,if not just google the title "why scales lie :keto reddit , it should be the first link to pop up on google page . I am not sure how creditable this article is , it does claim a biology professor from Berkley explains why little or no change on the scale but it doesnā€™t give the name of the professor , however it does seem to a lot of sense. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjW3uqvifXdAhUHbq0KHaggAmYQFjAAegQICRAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Fketo%2Fcomments%2F2ijm07%2Fwhy_scales_can_lie%2F&usg=AOvVaw1XX7DDYcu9V4ZoXB1D0Q_T

#13

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing it.

(Jenny) #14

Table salt also often contains sugar. I know, right? Who knew?!

(Bunny) #15

Table salt looks scary

Table Salt: How itā€™s Made and Its Short Comings

Table salt is perhaps one of the most common household items and ingredients in cooking. In conventional table salt, the salt is processed to remove all ā€œimpuritiesā€. These impurities happen to be essential minerals needed for your body. After this ā€œchemical cleaningā€, whatā€™s left is 99% sodium chloride. Sodium chloride which is not in its natural form. As mentioned before, table salt is a highly refined product. Additives may be also added to prevent clumping and better the pouring process. Aluminum hydroxide is sometimes used, which deposits to our brains and is related to Alzheimerā€™s. The high balance of sodium chloride in table salt makes it easy for a person to exceed the daily intake limit. While our bodies need Sodium for survival, it also needs the other minerals which are removed from natural salt in order to make table salt.

(Wendy) #16

I liked this article but I had to chuckle when I read this: ā€œAs the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite.ā€ What is an imperceptible increase in appetite? If you canā€™t feel it, is it an appetite? :roll_eyes:

#17

I guess thatā€™s when you eat and donā€™t know it. :rofl:

(John) #18

Probably means that while you donā€™t feel hungrier per se, you might eat a little more when you do eat.

(Wendy) #19

Could be

(Ken) #20

After a month youā€™re fairly adapted, so you can eat a more natural, Lipolytic macro. Reduce fat and increase protein to 60 percent fat and 35 percent protein. That means your protein grams will be twice as much as your fat ones. Youā€™ll still be soundly Lipolytic, but youā€™ll be more sated and encourage your body to burn stored fat.