Questions for those without health issues

newbies
progress
(Cocker) #21

I’m in much the same situation…very lean apart from those last few lbs over my abs…attracted to keto to help get rid.

It turns out, due to the much decreased water retention and inflammation that carbs probably weren’t doing me any favours…

It’s the first time that I’ve actually been able to eat intuitively…previously I’d resigned myself to the fact that if I ate as I pleased then a yearly diet would be mandatory…I’m wondering if I can just keep up the training and the rest will take care of itself…if not, then I’ll probably reintroduce some kind of fasting: maybe just a single 36 hour one a week and ramp up from there if needed.

(David) #22

If you haven’t already read it, if might be worth finding the recent thread about the rate of calorie release from body fat, because it might help you make a decision about the way you want to do a fast off the time comes. Richard gave a pretty clear explanation about it.

(What The Fast?!) #23

specifically with the motivation of the stubborn 15-20 lbs, rather than those with a large amount of weight to lose!

(David) #24

Yes. There might be different experiences for some men from some women (or men from men etc).

There might also be a spectrum of people who do a lot of sport (endurance, lifting, hint etc) to those who do little.

Also another spectrum of young to old.

Then you might incorporate how fasting might be different for people without reserves of fat or with some reserves.

@richard, you might seriously consider getting in touch with the couple who run ketoconnect on YouTube if you are looking for guests.

Okay, going to shut up now. Getting a bit excited. :smile:

#25

IMO following the plan you are currently following will get you to the place your body most wants to be. Whether that is where your head wants it to be could be another matter. Sometimes you have to push your body past where it wants to be for optimal health if you want to get what your head wants re aesthetics. It depends what you are looking to achieve and whether the two coincide or not!

(What The Fast?!) #26

Yes! If this weight is what my body thinks is optimal, then i definitely want to push past it. But how?

#27

I think a game changing idea for me was when I began to understand that how we look on the outside is not necessarily an indicator of how healthy we are on the inside. A thread I read said something of this nature… “Those who get fat are the lucky ones. They are the ones who get an exterior indication of an internal problem. It’s those that stay thin but are just as sick that are shocked when disease happens.”

#28

Well I would definitely stick at it for longer before coming to that conclusion - minimum 6 months say? Remember, that once you get there you will have to sustain it so if you have pushed beyond your body’s ideal that will mean a constant battle forever. Is it worth it?

(What The Fast?!) #29

100% I’m committed to 6 months for sure. :slight_smile:

Here are my thoughts: I was overweight growing up (despite living in a household with 80%+ homemade meals), lost a bunch of weight through unhealthy measures during college as well as a few years after, and have spent the last 5-10 years fighting and fighting - working out (all different types), doing every diet imaginable, counting calories, etc - and my body weight has stayed within the same 5-10 lb range (which is about 15-20 lbs more than I’d like). I’m sure that I’ve damaged my metabolism through undereating and overtraining and I believe that keto will help fix that. (I believe I’m seeing internal changes - wacky shark week timing, heavier flow, etc.)

My HOPE is that within 6 months time, my body will finally start to “get it.” And THEN - release the extra lbs it’s storing because it starts to trust me - and trust that it’s going to get fed on a regular basis.

The patience game is difficult @Daisy - the scale has not moved at all, no change in the way clothes fit, etc. it’s tough to watch people having all kinds of results in such a short amount of time, and you’re sitting in the corner wondering what’s wrong with you or what you’re doing wrong. I have no kids, I have no health issues, I’ve eaten whole foods for years, all my blood work is normal - there are no extenuating circumstances to blame, so it just feels like I’m broken.

BUT!! I’m not going to be all mopey. I feel so grateful for my health and physical ability, these problems are nothing in the grand scheme of things. Small wins are what I’m focused on now. Ketone readings keep me motivated. Doing a big workout and not needing to fuel during it (did that this weekend was stoked about it) is encouraging. At some point, I just want the external results to match the efforts I’m putting in. Imagine studying for a test for months and months - and then finding out you failed…only to take it again, and find you failed again…and again and again - while other people who have barely cracked the book are passing with flying colors. That’s what it feels like to follow a diet/WOE to a “t” and work out, but not have any physical proof of it. I realize that what other people think shouldn’t count - but if you failed that test again and again, people assume you didn’t study (ie didn’t work out, eat right, etc). And dammit - I’ve been studying for years!

The reason I started this thread isn’t just so I have proof that keto will work for me, or to whine about my measly problems, but to be inspired by others who have stories like mine, and so that I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Stories like @Sheri_Knauer are so motivating to me! It makes me feel like keto won’t be just another diet that didn’t work for me. …you know?

PS I think I hijacked my own thread @mikki

(eat more) #30

i’ve heard the “body’s ideal” thing before but it confuses me…
isn’t extra fat/rolls…(even if it isn’t a person with a higher body fat %) an indication that it isn’t “ideal” or “optimal”…
like if all systems are functioning properly there would only be essential body fat with minimal storage “just in case”? (which i think takes care of the aesthetics for some)

(eat more) #31

i want to quote your whole post and say
YAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS!
i could have written that (just not as eloquently lol)
i’ve been studying my A off

threadjack:
i’ve been keto 5 months and now i’m really struggling for no apparent reason…
not with food or carbs…with my mental/emotional/energy/mood states…which is actually preventing/hindering me from working out like i once loved.
the mental/energy struggles totally trump my desire to look good naked (i still wanna look good naked tho lol)

even IF i fell out of ketosis for some random/unknown reason…getting back “should” be as easy as sleeping it off with how low my carb intake is (my protein/fat are on point)

i’m not doing anything “wrong” but i for sure feel that way

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #32

Yeah. Definately couldn’t be further from your situation. Vanity weight folks are not my people. JK. Maybe. Lol

(David) #33

I can understand the desire to look good naked. I don’t think it’s necessarily vanity. I want to get stronger by lifting weights at the gym. I’d be a bit put off if people called it vanity, but i could see how they might.

(eat more) #34

good gravy @Brenda

skinny/vanity shaming? (even joking or maybe not)

i think everyone wants to look and feel better given the chance…not having any medical issues or major weight to lose doesn’t invalidate the goals or the process

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(What The Fast?!) #35

From my perspective, it’s not vanity - I want to be (and look) lean and strong.

(David) #36

No argument here :smile:

#37

The thing is that if you are close to your ideal weight, weight loss will be mega slow. And if you are trying to push past into low body fat, sculpted abs and all that jazz, it will be excruciatingly slow. It is hard to tell without all the details and whether you are aspiring to a healthy body goal or the more sculpted, lower body fat, going to take much hard work to achieve and maintain body goal. You can obviously do whatever you want to do and no one way is the ‘right’ way but one is a realistic outcome and perfectly achievable IMO on this woe and the day to day that you have described. The other… I am not so sure and certainly have no experience of! My feeling and sense of logic says to me that to push past what is your body’s natural balance level will take manipulation of your woe to a place that is less than comfortable. Now that is acceptable for some people because the look they want is worth it. My guess is that you can’t have both sustainable, comfortable woe and sculpted abs but I could be wrong. I could also be jumping to conclusions about just how you want your body to look. We are all so different, it is impossible to tell. Your age, your genetics, how much you work out and what kind of work outs you do - so many other factors will determine what your body looks like.

(What The Fast?!) #38

@Daisy Thanks for the thoughtful answer! I’m not trying to be a fitness competitor. I’d just like my BF to be right in the low to middle end of the healthy range (19-22%; it’s about 26% today), look a little better in a bikini and be able to proudly wear a backless dress. :slight_smile: I think you’re right that it will take time - and I’ll be patient. I just love hearing about people who have had success - it’s something to strive for.

PS I have a picture of a backless dress on my vision board. :slight_smile:

#39

I have recently bought a FasciaBlaster. Don’t know if you have heard of them but I have seen great before and after pics where people have sculpted bits away. I bet you will get where you want to be before long. xxx

(What The Fast?!) #40

Oh man!!! I’ve seen it!! Please let me know your results!!!