One month on keto.. still not in ketosis 😞

(Sab) #1

Hi there!
My name is Sab, in my early 30’s.
I started keto on the 5th of Jan, so pretty new on this new lifestyle! :smirk:
I have about 25 pounds to lose and so far I’ve lost 5 pounds on the first week, water weight I’d assume… and nothing more ever since!

I am very serious in my diet. I am counting my food intake (around 1400/1500 calories per day) and control my macros to make sure not to exceed 15/20g of net carbs per day. I cut all carbs -except those in the veggies I ate (mainly leafy and greens).
I am also trying to control my protein intake (around 100g a day). The rest is fat! Mainly from olive oil, avocado, nuts, egg and cheese.
Lately, I tested my ketone on a keto strip and this was negative (it barely changed color). I also never got any keto flu symptoms.

I know that for some people it takes more time to get into ketosis and to lose weight. I am ok with that, I don’t want to rush. But I am wondering if I’m doing something wrong…
So I was hoping you guys could help me figure this out! Before I get discouraged!
Thank you! :blush:

(Bunny) #2

The Possibilities:

May want to increase carbs to over 20 grams up to 30 or even to 40 grams per meal and increase the protein up to 4.oz. per meal (this is the key adjustment {between the two} you have to experiment with, to find your ketone trigger). :slightly_smiling_face:

You may not be eating enough fat for the body to manufacture and utilize (in a low glucose environment) HGH (what actually burns the fat; oxidative breakdown i.e. ketones for energy) which increases DHEA levels at the same time.

How many times do you eat a day?

I only eat once a day if I do not exercise consistently!

Personally I use a glucose meter as a fuel gauge and only eat when the glucose number I am looking for gets to a certain level in contrast to my body weight, muscle mass and body fat!

I find metabolic switching back and forth from glucose to ketones (a fasting state) in periodic sequences more sustainable and much much healthier!

I really watch carb & sugar intake, forget about counting calories[1] and macros (absolutely useless info and unnecessary burden for keto in my opinion).

Supplements that will help burn fat faster:

  1. Kelp (iodine)

  2. Selenium

  3. Chromium

[1] CALORIES (units of energy)

UNIT OF ENERGY TABLE (per gram):

  1. CARBOHYDRATE 4 units

  2. FAT 9 units

  3. PROTEIN 4 units

(Bea ) #3

Hi, did you know selenium suuplement s causing Diabetics? You can find out more about it on David Mendosa s blog who died last year :frowning: he had big researches on Diabetics.

(Bunny) #4

Was he eating sugar? The introduction of excessive sugar will mess this up if he was doing Ketosis (LCHF)?

Not sure if he was a ketonaut?
http://www.mendosa.com

A (Belated) Tribute to David Mendosa

I still have some trouble coming to grips with the fact that on May 8, 2017, the Diabetes Community (D-OC) lost one of the Diabetes Online Community’s true pioneers and I’d say founders: David Mendosa (http://www.mendosa.com/ – for the time being, anyway). David passed away following a diagnosis of angiosarcoma in the liver – which is evidently a type of cancer. I think the fact that he passed away from something other than diabetes or its complications is a true testament to David’s belief of living life to the fullest in spite of diabetes, which need not impede anyone, in spite of being dealt a pretty lousy hand in the proverbial card game of life. He would have been proud that if something led to his death, it definitely was not diabetes. http://blog.sstrumello.com/2017/08/a-belated-tribute-to-david-mendosa.html?m=1

(Bea ) #5

he was diabetic of course he was keto.

(Bunny) #6

Was he deficient or taking excess, taking other medications or could have been exposed to other types of environmental toxins in his life time?

  1. Hepatotoxicity: The Adverse Effects of Drugs and Other Chemicals on the Liver Some of the exposed individuals developed cirrhosis and one developed angiosarcoma (56). Selenium deficiency and excess can both lead to disease. Selenium is an essential trace element, and a component of…

  2. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention
    Selenium, which has been shown to inhibit or retard carcinogenesis in both in vitro and in vivo studies …of a link between Thorotrast and angiosarcoma of the liver was published in 1947 (Macmahon et al., 1947)…

  3. Angiosarcoma of liver associated with phenelzine …On Jul 1, 1979 T K Daneshmend (and others) published: Angiosarcoma of liver associated with phenelzine. … Phenelzine (phenethylhydrazine; Nardil), a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, causes angiosarcoma of the liver in mice. We describe a woman who developed … Caution with selenium replacement. Article · Jan 1980…

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    6D58CC38-B7E6-4D9A-90C0-B5AA91751630.jpeg1242×509 171 KB

  4. Phenelzine (phenethylhydrazine) Human Health Effects: Human Toxicity Excerpts: /SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS/ Accidental or intentional overdosage may be more common in patients who are depressed. It should be remembered that multiple drugs and/or alcohol may have been ingested. Depending on the amount of overdosage with Nardil, a varying and mixed clinical picture may develop, including signs and symptoms of central nervous system and cardiovascular stimulation and/or depression. Signs and symptoms may be absent or minimal during the initial 12-hour period following ingestion and may develop slowly thereafter, reaching a maximum in 24-48 hours. Death has been reported following overdosage. Therefore, immediate hospitalization, with continuous patient observation and monitoring throughout this period, is essential. Signs and symptoms of overdosage may include, alone or in combination, any of the following: drowsiness, dizziness, faintness, irritability, hyperactivity, agitation, severe headache, hallucinations, trismus, opisthotonus, rigidity, convulsions, and coma; rapid and irregular pulse, hypertension, hypotension, and vascular collapse; precordial pain, respiratory depression and failure, hyperpyrexia, diaphoresis, and cool, clammy skin.
    [US Natl Inst Health; DailyMed. Current Medication Information for NARDIL (phenelzine sulfate) tablet, film coated (February 2011). Available from, as of March 7, 2013: http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=513a41d0-37d4-4355-8a6d-a2c643bce6fa PEER REVIEWED

  5. Selenium effective treatment against breast cancer, study suggests Date: October 20, 2014 Source: Texas Tech University Summary: Selenium, when attached to a monoclonal antibody presently used to treat breast cancer, has shown greater success in destroying cancer cells in a patient who has developed resistance to the chemotherapy, research demonstrates. Almost a quarter of a million people were diagnosed with breast cancer this year, while another 3 million are living with the disease.

Driving me NUTS! - Brazil Nuts and Selenium
#7

My own personal opinion for myself is that it is unnecessary to take supplements to ‘burn fat faster’, with intermittent fasting the fat is disappearing at an acceptable rate.

Sab congratulations on starting your keto journey. My one take on your situation is that you may be taking in more carbs than you think. They are pretty sneaky, at first I really had to study nutrition data to see how many carbs were in the things I was eating.

(Tammy Kidd) #8

Welcome to the forum! If you are using the urine strips to test, they are not very accurate. Maybe try to incorporate some Intermitten fasting.

(Bea ) #9

U can ignore it and keep using Selenium Supps buddy!! IGood luck.

(Bunny) #10

This is good stuff to know (buddy), that’s how we learn, however their is little evidence to support Selenium being the culprit…

More research needed!

Keto on & good luck buddy! :+1:

(Mike W.) #11

How do you know you aren’t in Ketosis? You may not be fat adapted yet but if your carbs are under 20g you are very likely in Ketosis. Check with a blood meter if you’re worried about it. Also it sounds like you don’t have much to lose so it probably won’t just fall off quickly. KCKO

(Stan Brooks) #12

My guess would be that’s where your problem may be. Remember calories in/calories out isn’t the be all end all. If your body doesn’t feel like it’s getting enough energy it’s going to hold on to what it can.

(Nancy ) #13

Do your clothes feel any different? Sometimes you are loosing fat and gaining muscle and your weight doesn’t change.

(Mike W.) #14

Also how much do you weigh? That sounds like a lot of protein if you aren’t strength training everyday.

(Karen) #15

I take a daily selenium. I read that that was a good idea with iodine and that there is less in the soil now. Now I’m worried Bunny. Should I stop?
I was taking it to support thyroid function.

http://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/metabolic-health/thyroid-regulation/Page-08
K

(Ken) #16

Let’s not get hasty. You experienced a five pound drop initially, and you’re probably right, it was a water drop due to glycogen depletion. If your strips changed at all, they did indicate ketone production. If you’re consuming salt, weight loss is easily masked.

Here’s the deal, it’s not a matter of merely being in ketosis, it’s being in lipolysis, of which ketosis is only one aspect, and certainly not the most important one.

The important thing is to follow the macros and not eat unless hungry. It sounds like your macros are good. Be patient.

#17

I’d go for 20g ACTUAL carbs, not net and the 100g per day of protein MAY be a lot depending on your body comp. Are you going by the 1g/kg lean body mass? or something else? 1400-1500 is NOT a lot of intake unless your very sedentary, is that the case? Also, nuts can take people out, especially at first. I’d drop them for now.

(Karen) #18

Yep sooooooo easy for me to over-eat nuts an you can have a sensitivity to some.

K

(Sab) #19

Hi Lucille. Thanks for your reply. You may be right, but I honestly don’t feel I overeating carbs. My carbs intake comes only from the veggies, avocado (about 1 per day) and nuts. Maybe the almonds are to blame… :thinking:

(Sab) #20

Not yet! :slightly_frowning_face: