Reassure a newbie?

(Kelly) #1

Ugh. I am in week four and feel fine except for wearing out sooner while working out (Crossfit 4- 6 days a week). My macros are 70, 25, and 5% and are spot on most days. My total carbs are around 20 grams a day. I had lost 13 lbs by the end of week 2, but now the scale is going up. Had a Dexa scan done before I started so I know my basal metabolic rate is 1650 calories. Need to lose some weight so I eat close to that or slightly under every day, because I burn more than that daily. Any thoughts on what I am doing wrong??

(Allie) #2

Do not restrict calories until you’re adapted. Body needs fuel to do what you want it to do…

(Kelly) #3

Argh…how will I know when I am adapted though? I don’t want to gain weight in this process.

(Allie) #4

You need to be measuring changes in ways other than the scale. Use measurements and judge by how your clothes feel. Keto changes body composition so even if the scale goes up, your body will like be getting smaller.

Adaptation takes different amounts of time in different people, there are plenty of threads already on the subject.

(Kelly) #5

I"m glad you posted this. I am in the same boat and getting very frustrated. I am in week six, chart macros daily and keeping carbs under 20. I lost 8 pounds in the first 2 weeks and have not lost a pound since. My weight goes up and down a pound but I cant seem to lose. I am an active person and additionally work out 4 times a week. I feel like I am doing something wrong bc I am not losing like I had hoped. I would like to drop 20 pounds. Any suggestions on threads to help explain more of the process would be so helpful. Thanks!!

(Kelly) #6

Glad to hear I am not alone anyway!

#7

There’s some good advice in these threads: New and a bit confused
When does the Magic start? Feeling down
Feel free to search for more!
Also about being fat adapted: Fat Adapted?
I’m still new myself, still learning! Good luck…

(Chris W) #8

If you are only monitoring a scale you will have a tough time if you work out. Your BF maybe dropping, and your lean mass is probably going up. I work out around 5 days a week, my BF was dropping my weight was going up and felt great for the longest time. At a certain poin though it does slow way down.

If you at week six are restricting calories at or below maintain you will slow your BMR down and it can slow or stall weight loss esp if you are more active. Another thing is to shake things up a bit, eat higher levels one day, the lower the next or higher for 2 or 3 day lower for 2, your body gets used to a static level of intake.
Depending upon your BF level your intake should be IMHO at or near your maintain weight point most of the time. If you keep your carbs low and are not IR or T2D and not fat adapted you will have a hard time putting on body fat, if you keep protein in the zone.

(charlie3) #9

One possibility is a lot of the early weight loss was water so you over estimated the fat loss. Then some of the water comes back and you misinterpret that. The only measure I trust is waist circumference.and how I look over all in the mirror. I track macros, calories and energy burned wiith cronometer. I’m not aware of an official rule book that says I can’t do that and be successful.

Something else to think about. It’s not just about what you eat. It can also be about when you eat. Monday through Friday I don’t eat between dinner and lunch the next day. Sometimes I’m hungry in the morning sometimes not. Then lunch and dinner can be bigger and more fun to eat. On saturday I don’t eat anything. Sunday is bacon and eggs and an early dinner then it all repeats the next week. I NEVER snack.

When I want to reduce fat I eat roughly break even calories all week and the fat burning is resered for the Saturday 36 hour fast. When I want to grow some muscle I eat a few hundred extra calories daily on the week days then burn about the same in body fat by eating nothing on saturday. Tracking food and activity calories helps with fine tuning.

P.S. I do 3 whole body lifting session a week, 60 minutes each. Three 30-40 minute steady state cardio sessions a week. Then, on week days weather permiing I walk 12,000 steps which is possible because I walk around the shop floor where I work plus I’m in motion for the entire 80 minutes of breaks and lunch time. 30% of my daily calories burned is walking, cardio and lifting. Walking is more caloriies than the other two combined.

(Kelly) #10

Thank you for the advice. I will try your suggestions. I think I need to throw the scale away and focus on the mirror and on the way my clothes are fitting.

(Kelly) #11

Just wondering how things are going? Any changes?

(Kelly) #12

I am down 15 lbs, but know that I have lost inches by the way clothes fit. Still do not think I am fat adapted though because I cannot imagine fasting! Waiting for the magic :wink:

(Jennifer ) #13

How much do you have to lose?

(Kelly) #14

Ideally about another 30 lbs

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #15

Nothing. It takes time to adapt to fat burning for energy, and you’re not there yet. Six weeks, maybe more.

(Kelly) #16

This is the start of week 6 so I will keep my fingers crossed !

#17

WEIGHT doesn’t matter, I can drink a gallon of water and weigh 8 more lbs, doesn’t mean I’m any fatter.