One Week in

(G Slo) #1

Hi guys. I’m on day 9 of keto. So far I’ve lost 9 pounds. At this point I feel a settled mentally and I have a routine going that works. I haven’t incorporated working out yet because I want to make sure I’m fully educated and comfortable before I get into that. However I have trouble with two things.

  1. I’ve already hit a plateau. I’ve looked this up and realize it is very common and most people have said to just keep going and it will go away and come back every now and then. The app I use to measure is Carb Manager. If I go to the setting, it recommends I lower my macros as I lose weight… Something about that doesn’t quiet sit right with me, wouldn’t I starve myself eventually?

  2. I can never reach my calories even though I reach my macros?

I’m male, 23 years old, 5’11, 182lbs.
I consume 15g grams of carbs a day (give or take a gram or two), 73g protein and 90g of fat.

(Allan L) #2

There is no such thing as a plateau at only 9 days, weight loss should be measured over weeks not hours.

This does not sound like a lot of food for someone who is potentially not fat adapted yet.

Pre-fat adaption you have to feed your metabolism orally.

Post fat adaption your metabolism can get its energy from your body fat, so then you can start orally reducing your food.

Starving yourself before you are fat adapted will only slow down your metabolism and your body will try and conserve fat, not burn it.

Correct, this is important, but we’re talking every 20lbs or so, not 9lbs. The less body fat you have the fewer calories you need, and the more muscle you have as lean body mass the more protein you need. So once a month or so to recalculate your macros.

(Ken) #3

Your nine pounds was mostly, if not all, glycogen. Now, you’ll be losing fat.

(G Slo) #4

Thanks for the info guys. Alan I am just following the macros I was given when I entered my measurements + exercise level. Is there a better way?

(Allan L) #5

I put your measurements into a calculator, guessing 20% body fat and this is what I got! With a 20% deficit in calories for weight loss.

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Pre-Fat adaption its best to feed your metabolism orally so that it does not think you are starving itself and slow down.

Post-Fat adaptation you naturally reduce what you eat and when you eat and your metabolism can feed itself from your body fat.

The keto diet is not about calorie restriction, but about insulin stability.

Weight loss is also a poor measurement for success on a keto diet, as you reduce insulin your body starts repairing itself by building lean body mass etc so weight will stay static but clothes will feel baggy.

As you are also only 23 you will not be that insulin resistant so the weight loss should be fairly quick and rapid. But don’t starve yourself!

#6

Thanks for the recommendation on Carb Manager - I like that it connects with Apple Health.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

There is no need to count calories eating keto. The essential is to keep your carbohydrate intake as low as possible to avoid stimulating the secretion of insulin, which among many other things is the fat-storage hormone. Keep your protein moderate, and make up the calories you are no longer getting from carbohydrate by eating fat to satiety.

Your actual caloric intake is not nearly as important as keeping your insulin level low, so that you can metabolize your stored fat, and not have to store more. If you eat fat until you are no longer hungry, your body will signal when you have given it enough energy for it to accomplish its purposes. If you shortchange it of calories, it will respond by lowering your metabolic rate and skimping on other processes to cope. As you lose stored fat, of course, more of your calorie expenditure will have to come from what you eat, but if you keep eating fat to satiety, you will never need to adjust your calorie count; the process will be automatic.

(G Slo) #8

So what you’re saying is that I should consume fat to keep up with my calories even though it’s not necessarily about counting calories?

Also I am dairy free (very lactose intolerant)…
So the the bulk of my fat I’m getting right now are from avocados, meat but mostly MCT oil. Is there any more appetizing way. Bulletproof coffee is not appetizing at all.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

I’m saying don’t count calories at all. Let your fat intake be dictated by your hunger. Eat to satiety, then stop, and don’t eat again until you’re hungry (in other words, don’t eat simply because the clock tells you to).