I’m almost 5 months into this WOE. I’m one of those lost souls who hasn’t lost much weight at all. Less than 5 pounds. I’m trying to accept that part but something that’s really bothering me lately is my facial skin. I’ve always had very good skin. No blemishes, or rarely and very soft. While I can’t say it’s definitely keto, it seems odd. My skin feels very dry and I’m having weekly blemishes. I’ve read in the past that things such as hormones are stored in fat. Possibly meaning I’m chewing through stored fat. Wondering what else it could be.
Hormones are definitely stored in fat (so is other stuff… I think there was a post on here from someone who noticed pot-like effects - from some old smoking - when he was burning fat). Did anything else coincide with the change to your skin?
I think I could handle feeling a little stoned over this…ha! I am a pretty routine driven person. My keto has been pretty much the same since I started. I am not eating or drinking anything new. I havent changed any soaps or detergents. I’m drinking enough water and eating enough fat. I’m really stumped and a little annoyed. I’ve never been super happy with weight but at least I had soft skin! doh…
hmmm… but no sudden drop in waist measurements (or something that would indicated extra fat-burning? I like the theory that you’re burning through some stuff - then at least you can see the skin change as a good sign ).
Hopefully others will come on with more helpful replies!
I have sworn off the scale and measurements for a while since my keto has not yet lead me to fat loss. It serves to frustrate me more than anything. The only thing that has changed is my ketone production. I used to show over 2.0 on my blood meter daily for the first 4 months. Lately, I rarely get over .6 or so on my blood meter. Also trying to view this as a good thing since I have read the more fat adapted, the better your body gets as using ketones and produces less. Thanks for your input, much appreciated.
This could be keto rash? Megan recommended a slight carb uptick through a daily serving of berries as well as several daily servings of diluted apple cider vinegar and topical ACV applied daily as well. 2T ACV in a cup of water for the topical solution. See if that helps.
@collaroygal I’ve had that thought. I also have some tiny bumps on my arms. Unfortunately I already do a handful of raspberries almost daily and I also do a tablespoon of acv every morning. I haven’t tried topical though. I may try that. I drink a lot of water. Maybe 100 ounces or so a day.
If your skin can handle it, try topical. I get so many compliments when i do a few days here and there. But I have had chemical peels throughout the years so my skin is used to it.
Hang in there. I had periodic breakout before keto due to all of the junk I was eating. About 5 months into keto it got sooooo much worse. Seemed like a new breakout daily. It was so bad I almost quit keto. I decided to kcko. It was worth it. It lasted about 3 months. Now a year or so later I have the best skin I’ve had in my adult life. So my advice is to hang in there. Also, I’ve been a slow loser. Try to think of non-weight related reasons to stick to it. It’s definitely worth it in the long run.
@Bubblegurl that’s encouraging. It’s definitely worse than it’s been my entire life, which makes it so weird. Specially hearing how keto gives some better skin. Having great skin before keto and then this… Is a low blow on top of not losing weight! I’m sticking with it for sure… Even not losing, I haven’t gained. Which is better than the past.
My skin is breaking out also. Do you think as you lose weight on keto, the fat you burn releases long held toxins??? Could that be the reason some breakout so much while losing on keto?
That is a possibility. How long have you been keto? If a short while it is more likely. Have you read the post above about Megan Ramos’s advice (posted on Sept. 18) on how to handle keto rash?
Can I ask how much you have to lose? It doesn’t look like you have a lot from your avatar. Maybe that’s why it’s coming off slowly (?). You still haven’t lost your sense of humor.
I have noticed drier skin on my face since keto, and I drink approx. 80+ oz. of water a day, probably double what I used to drink. I am more diligent about moisturizing now, something that I rarely did before. Hopefully I will see a difference.
Never tried it but some people on here have recommended an “egg fast” to break a stall. If you like eggs, maybe that is something you could consider.
Hi, I’m was 68 when I started. Post partial hysterectomy, yrs ago. Arthritic joint pain, lethargy, etc was all part of daily routine. From 222 last July/August I weighed 152 this morning, Sept 12, 2019.
I had tremendous energy and painfree days after first couple of months and up til abt 3 months ago. Only negatives (after I figured out my electrolytes) were that I woke every day with a bad headache and extremely dry mouth, regardless of how much water I drank. And despite my very much improved intake of vegetables, berries, good protein, etc, over the year, in the last 6 months, I have been losing a tremendous amount of hair, my nails are splitting and won’t grow, and my skin is terribly dry. Plus all my skin is just hanging and wrinkled! My face makes me look 15 years older! Its awful. Though I feel good, I look sick, and my friends assail me with comments of concern and alarm. I learned that estrogen is stored in the fat, and I lost my butt and my breasts when I lost this weight, (my stomach flab is hanging on for dear life, however! Anybody want to start a gofundme for surgery? Lol) My body basically sags like a sharpei dog’s neck! Though I walk every other day and work out twice a week, its not changing. I’m now 69 yrs old. I feel weaker all the time, like my muscles are gone too. And my loss has stalled, making me think its all I can lose. So is there any hope for me? Or will I have to get fat again to get my hair back? Im serious, I’ve lost abt 2/3rds of it. And I’m told my uterus is atrophying!!! Help!!
@GoHabeesha It sounds like you have many of the classic symptoms of starvation and dehydration.
It would be important to get a sense for how much food (and what combination of macronutrients) you are eating. Are you tracking such things? If so, please do share. If not, I would strongly recommend that you start doing so.
Meanwhile, I would also strongly encourage that you increase your eating of fat and proteins. Hair loss, nail damage, feeling weak … sounds like your metabolism is grinding lower and lower. Are you hungry? Are you depriving yourself of eating satisfying fat/protein foods?
As for hydration, drinking water is not enough when you’re losing so much weight as you have. You also need to keep your electrolytes up. In fact, drinking lots of water without keeping your sodium and magnesium levels up can really throw your whole body off kilter (headaches, hypotension, dry skin/mouth).
I’ll step aside and let others weigh in, but my advice would be (1) eat more fat/protein and (2) make sure you’re getting plenty of salt in your food (ideally sea salt for additional electrolyte content).
Yes, this was my thought as well! Water will flush out precious electrolytes, so lots of water + not enough sodium, magnesium and potassium is going to seriously dehydrate you. I don’t know if that’s the only issue, but it could certainly explain the dry skin and mouth and the headaches.
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