Not losing... too little calories?

newbies
(Reagan Weiland) #1

I started keto almost three weeks ago. The first week I lost ten pounds, great. The last two weeks I haven’t lost any more. I gain and lose every other day. I am about 120 pounds over my goal weight. I am on my feet most of the day but haven’t implemented an exercise plan. I’m eating 1250 calories a day 75% fat 20% protein and 5%carbs. I did the keto urine strip and according to them I have been in ketosis since week one. Thoughts as to why I’m not losing anymore?

#2

The first weight you lost was assuredly all water weight. Fat loss will take longer. In the first few weeks it’s normal for your weight to fluctuate as well, so I wouldn’t sweat it. 1250 calories does sound low, so maybe up it and see how that works. The most important thing is to only eat when you’re hungry and to eat until you’re full when you do.

(Reagan Weiland) #3

Most of the calculators that I use say I should be eating like 1500 calories and that is after a 30% deficit, it just seemed like a lot. But I know fewer calories doesn’t always mean more weight loss.

#4

Correct. Don’t go by what a deficit calculator tells you, is my advice. Learn to listen to your body. Once you’ve removed the thing that’s blocked your satiety signal, chances are your body will learn to let you know when it’s full and that you should stop eating, unless you’re seriously metabolically deranged. Your body doesn’t naturally want to overeat, and as soon as it knows it’s not going to be starving, when it has nutrient-dense food, it’ll start letting your fat go, so long as insulin levels are low.

(Allie) #5

If you must use a calculator, set it to maintenance as a deficit is not necessary and is potentially harmful (especially when starting out on keto).

(Janelle) #6

Even when you get to your ideal calories, remember that 1 or 2 lbs a week is healthy and good. Some people definitely lose more but some just don’t. Oh, and that waffling around with up and down, that’s totally normal (if frustrating - some say don’t weigh but I still do). So for my pound a week, M-Sun it’ll be like, same, same, down a little, up a little, down, down, same. Start over.

(I’m female, 5’9” and have another 65 lbs to lose - I eat around 1,700 - 1,800 calories per day with 20ish whole carbs, around 120-140g of protein and the rest fats. I see a doctor and he helps me determine my macros.)

(Carl Keller) #7

Hello Reagan and welcome.

It could be any number of reasons: stress, too many hidden carbs (are you tracking?), not eating enough or eating too little (not being hungry and not being stuffed is the goal. Fat and protein macros are a guide, not a commandment), snacking or your hormones just need more time to adjust to burning fat. Some people need a month or more to knock down their insulin resistant walls and heal the damage that eating poorly their whole life, has caused.

My advice is to stop counting calories and fat/protein grams and let satiety determine how much you eat while limiting your carbs to 20 or less. You can still make ketones at higher than 20g but I find that to be a good honest number that showed me good results on the scale. Also, try to relax and ignore the scale. Weight loss depends on keeping cortisol (the stress hormone) low. If you focus on the positive things that have happened to you since starting keto and continue to eat right, good things on the scale are bound to happen, sooner or later.

I’ve read lots of anecdotal stories where a person lost little to nothing in the first month, but they stayed on plan and eventually, the fat damn broke. So much depends on how much healing your hormones require.

(Ken) #8

Don’t eat unless you’re actually hungry. Forget the calculators. Go by what your body tells you, it takes weeks for any metabolic slowdown, and it usually happens after you’re adapted.

(Scott) #9

My wife and I started at the same time. We both lost water weight at first and then she stalled. I keep on losing weight. I have been in a stall and she started and continues to lose. Men and women seem to be a little different when it comes to how we lose weight on a keto diet. Stay on plan and let your body adapt, it takes some time.

Oh and neither one of us counts, measures or limits calories, only carbs. We eat at meal times until we are full.

(Melanie Rowe) #10

I also have over 100lbs to lose. My weight kept going up and down at first. I would gain 2, lose 1. Lose 2 gain 1. For the first 2 months I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere with the scale. But I noticed changes with how my clothes were fitting. I was recovering faster after my workouts. And as I entered month three the weight started coming off. I usually have a calorie deficit between 500-1000 calories per day. But 1250 does sound very low if you are getting quality, healthy fat. If you are eating Dirty Keto, you may not get very far.