Questioning This Choice

(Patricia Gregory-Danlake) #1

I’m in ketosis, lost almost 10 lb. in January, nothing since. Really need to lose weight and heard so many great things about quick weight loss with Keto plus other health benefits but am not experiencing any of it. Beginning to question if this is the right choice for me.

(Scott Shimabuku) #2

Maybe some women can chime in on this but from what I’ve read, some women have had a hard time loosing weight in the beginning because the body is working on balancing hormones. Don’t quit but maybe get some answers in this forum.

(Sarah ) #3

I admit I have a hard time with the idea that the only reason to stick with keto, is if it’s producing xyz instant results. It’s a way of eating, much healthier for some people, but it’s still just food. Do you feel any other improvement like moods or energy or skin or aches and pains? Did you feel healthier on your previous way of eating? For me, keto is night and day, as to how good I feel. Weight loss is important, but since I’ve now gone from zero and feeling like crap, to slow and steady and feeling good, I’m not about to change anything.

(Liz ) #4

My Keto weight loss has not been quick, but that’s not even the point for me anymore now that I know how poorly my body was faring before & how great I feel now.

Maybe visit the thread where folks are saying which conditions have been healed by going Keto & see if you see anything in there that you can relate to.

If you enjoy the food, keep at it a few months & see if you start to get some unexpected benefits that make it worth the long wait for pounds to drop. There’s usually a lot going on you don’t see besides weight loss where your body is healing & hormones are regulating.

This lifestyle is about insulin regulation so make that your focus & see if you get the results you hope for.

(Renee Slaughter) #5

In the beginning Dec 2017 I gained 5 lbs. WTH?. But the other benefits outweighed the very temporary weight gain. TD2 now reversed. Psych meds reduced. My disposition is so much happier. I love being me. Feb and Mar the scales are my friend and moving in the right direction. My goal is so close. My advice: keto is a marathon not a sprint. Trust the process, be thoroughly convinced that this is right for you. You can succeed. You will.

(Patricia Gregory-Danlake) #6

Thank you for all the encouraging posts. I did not have elevated blood sugar or other health concerns (outside of extra weight) and mood swings have actually gotten worse, however I see that there is some hormonal regulation happening, so I’m going to give it some nore time. Thanks again!

(matt ) #7

I’ll ask you the question that I ask everyone who is thinking about quitting:

What are you going do once you quit? Go back to SAD? That is what got you where you are in the first place.

Tough it out and let keto work its magic. It’s not all about weight loss. Your body has other issues that is considers more important to fix first.

#8

I started for reduced inflammation and lost about 12 to 13 lbs in the first 6 weeks. I’ve been stalled for the last 6 weeks. I’m assuming my hormones are all out of whack and are re-adjusting so I’m not real concerned at this point. I spent 20 years being obese so 6 weeks of no loss doesn’t really impact me much (I suppose I’ve learned to be comfortable in my misery of fat). I know I’m never going to stop, however, as my joint pain is significantly reduced and I feel better overall. I’ve also started craving sugars less (waiting for the moment I stop craving them altogether).

Something of note for me: I started drinking zero sugar Pepsi about 4 to 5 weeks ago which is coincidentally right around when I started stalling. It also made me crave more junk foods so I know I must be having some sort of insulin response. Decided to kick it down to 1 per week if I really want one. (Baby steps for me lol). 4 days in and already I can tell the sugar cravings have reduced again.

(Sarah ) #9

Look online for recipes for keto ade. Also look at any new supplements you are taking, that you weren’t before. Both those things can affect mood. Also c alorie restriction may be too much? Keto and calorie counting doesn’t seem to work very well. Some people (including me) do better when they increase their fat intake.

(matt ) #10
#11

Please list out your consumption over the past three days. Maybe we’ll see something and be able to offer some ideas.

#12

I’m chirping in because my take is a little different. It is possible to be in a state of ketosis and not lose weight. I think this is especially true in metabolically healthy people. You mentioned that you don’t have metabolic issues. Approximately 25% of fat people are FOTI. If the body already has good insulin sensitivity, eating LC won’t necessarily increase it further.

For me, losing weight is a short term goal, optimum health is an ongoing way of life (which includes WOE). For the former, I’ve found fasting is more effective, easier, and cheaper than eating LC. For the latter, I focus on food quality and personal preferences.

I’m insulin resistant, but it hadn’t progressed into manifesting health problems. So while not massively deranged, being premenopausal doesn’t put me in an advantaged state. Almost everyone will lose weight rapidly (compared to any alternatives) via fasting, the only question is dosage. I set a goal to go from 50% to 25% body fat in 6 months, requiring a weight loss of 65 to 85lbs. I’m a few weeks off target.

Optimum health has many components (ie. sleep, stress, exercise, sun exposure) that are as important or more important than diet. For any diet to be effective at maintaining health, it has to be sustainable. In order to be sustainable, I have to like the foods and it has to be flexible enough to fit into my lifestyle. Otherwise it’s a fad, not a WOE.

I would not enjoy eating within a daily constraint of 20g of carbs. And it’s not necessary for health or weight loss. There are other ways of accomplishing it. Find a WOE that works for your goals and your life.

(Lee) #13

This is so common that there’s even an acronym for it - PISS (post induction stall syndrome I think?). I lost 10 pounds my first two weeks and then nothing for an entire month. Then all of a sudden things started happening. But the scale will always fluctuate, especially if you are a woman. I’m a firm believer that our bodies need to start healing before we see the “real” weight loss. I know it’s frustrating, but just keep going - it will happen!
I am not a fan of the keto forums on reddit, but they do have a great FAQ with a lot of info about why we plateau. It’s very reassuring.

(Kate) #14

I’ve switched to just club soda and some lime when I want some bubbles. Splenda makes me crave sugar more- it’s a vicious beast!

(Jeanne Wagner) #15

@matt THIS!!!

(Moriah ) #16

my opinion is to focus on the insulin theory (Dr. Fung) and realize that your body is switching from carb burn to fat burn on Keto. Its seems to me that Carl and Richard said it takes like several months for your body to completely switch over and in the meantime, your body cannot access all of the energy from fat that it can after your body is completely fat adapted.
Also, it seems to me that either they or Dr. Fung says eating carbs (more than 50 grams) puts you back by 2-3 days. So, if you have had carb slips, that could be an explanation.
I personally do fasting. My goal is to heal my metabolism (thus loosing weight). I was doing 36 hour fasting every other day, I was on a plateau for a month and a half and started keto in there. I was unable to loose weight before this and it was very scary. Focus on the idea that this lifestyle decreases your risk of diabetes, joint issues and cancer (I was horrified to hear on the obesity code podcast that PET scans use glucose to “excite” cancer cells in order to get them to “light up” and detect them). What does that mean for people who eat carbs and have cancer? It sounds to me like cancer thrives on carbs.
try to focus on health benefits and healing your body, weight will come off as your body adjusts.

(Tom Seest) #17

I think it is really important that we question our choices. I try to question mine daily.

I would suggest that each of us maintain a list of why we are doing what we’re doing, and the potential benefits of staying with it, and then strive each day to learn the steps we need to take to make it happen.

Congratulations, and keep questioning your choices…Keeps it fresh and real in your mind…