Slooow going (six weeks on keto)

(Joanna) #1

Greetings fellow keto peeps,

I am a 40 year old female, 5’3" tall, with 40 pounds to lose. I’ve been on keto for six weeks and I have lost only a few pounds (2-3). According to “Ruled me Keto Calculator” my macros should be: 1,487 calories, 122 g fats, 77 g protein, and 20 g carbs (net).

Ketosis: When I started six weeks ago ,I got into ketosis in the first week or so (I don’t recall exactly when) but I felt great (lots of energy and a great mood), didn’t have hunger like before, didn’t obsess over food, etc. The first couple weeks on this diet I felt so good. I went through the initial keto flu in the beginning and then about a month in with muscle (leg) cramps–at that point I started taking electrolytes and a magnesium supplement and all was good. Now I’m six weeks in and I still feel good and test for ketosis with the urine strips, but there’s been little, if any, weight loss.

Disclaimer: I have not been doing a good job with regard to three areas: 1) Tracking Macros - I track sporadically, rather than regularly, using LoseIt. I tend to track during the weekdays and am good with my macros though my calories end up kinda high (1,700-1,800) - higher than what the calculator puts me at. 2) Alcohol - I have been drinking wine and vodka/club sodas a couple times a week and often on the weekends (cut out alcohol since this weekend to see if that’s the culprit) since it’s calories and I understand it pauses ketosis. 3) Stress - I’ve been under a ton of stress and I’m meditating and sleeping well, so I’m trying to manage it this way, but I know cortisol is a real thing.

Now…Perhaps you’ll see this and say - NO WONDER. The non-tracking and/or the drinking. And that makes sense. But…and without sounding like a whiny little baby, what about the drastically different way I have been eating these past six weeks? I would have thought that cutting out bread, fruit, rice, pasta, etc. and not eating processed, packaged, refined foods, would have made more of a difference wrt weight loss, especially considering I have a lot of weight to lose. But I am feeling much better and I know that Keto is a lifestyle. I picture myself continuing on this, but it is still a little frustrating even though I know my slack-arse areas are likely the cause it.

Is there anyone out there who was in a similar situation? Six weeks on the diet (not perfectly but still very different than previous way of eating) without losing much weight if any at all? Do you find that you are able to fine-tune this to work over time so that weight loss actually happens …That’s what I feel like I’m doing now with removing the alcohol and upping the tracking. I read “the Obesity Code” and am considering IMF since I’m fat adapted…maybe that will help break me out of this…

Thank you very much, in advance, for your feedback!
Joanna

(Renee Slaughter) #2

Hi Joana,
Welcome to the forums and keto.
There are several issues here so I will address one of them. Stress. Cortisol raises when we’re stressed and hoards belly fat. No weight loss until the body perceives its safe to do so. I will try to link Dr Eric Berg’s video on this subject.
Now what to do. Keep up your relaxation exercises. Address the alcohol issues it does matter. Weight loss does happen on keto, be patient. Keep calm and keto on.

(Renee Slaughter) #3

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLVLP-bhbxACbxj5PYAXMjjcDfLlmjcrKy&t=48s&v=RR1f8bNQQNc.

(Renee Slaughter) #4

Hope this helps

(Heather Miller) #5

@Joanna11 Hi and welcome. Relax and as we say Keep calm and keto on. There are lots of things happening as you transition to being a fat burner and the scale is the worst indicator we have of what is happening. How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Throw the scale away for a while.

Your control over food has greatly improved so just enjoy it. I can almost guarantee your health is better. We base so much on the scale and it just doesn’t matter. There are lots of heavier fit people and skinnier unhealthy people. Enjoy your journey and keep going.

As far as the things you are doing in regards to alcohol etc. This is your journey and only you can decide what is right for you. Is losing weight your ultimate goal, being healthy, enjoying a drink? You know what the alcohol does, you know what tracking does… make the decision based on what is right for you! Weigh the pros and cons and move on. The control over all of it is how we win.

Good luck and KCKO.

(Allan L) #6

For some people weight loss is slow to happen and when it does its slow to come off.

6 weeks is about the time when your body should be more fat adapted than not so your food intake should soon naturally start to decrease.

Removing snacking and alcohol will help.

IF or OMAD are good strategies. Its all about insulin stability and whilst carbs are the biggest culprit protein also causes a insulin response so fasting for 16, 18 or even 23 hours a day helps stabilise insulin in addition to the keto diet.

Being in ketosis does not equal weight loss. You can lose weight without ketones or visa versa but keeping carbs below 20g is a way to stay in ketosis and appreciate the health benefits of ketones.

The keto diet really comes into its own once you are fat adapted and you stop feeling hungry and naturally reduce your food.

Carbs is a limit
Protein a goal
Fat a guide.

Once fat adapted hit your protein, keep your carbs below 20g and then fat to satiety.

Weight loss will happen in time but weight is a poor measurement of success on a keto diet. Body & clothes measurements is much better to monitor.

I am 5’11 tall and 1,500 - 1,700 calories is about my natural daily intake. I don’t monitor calories, rather macros, but the online tool also calculates calories so thats why I know this.

(Liz ) #7

I agree with what was said above & I want to add you are doing great and on the right track! For me, it took a full six weeks just to become fat adapted then I lost about 5 pounds a month which felt REALLY slow & I was so impatient but it’s 10 months out and I’ve lost 45 pounds!! Keto is a months long thing, not a weeks long thing. Like you I made little adjustments as I went, as I was ready. You’ll definitely figure it out & you have the right attitude so hang in there!

I have been effectively stalled on the scale since November 1st but I went down a jeans size without changing anything, except I added more extended fasting, so things definitely happen that don’t show up on the scale! KCKO

(Jen) #8

My story sounds like yours…about the same age, about the same to lose and similar height. I’ll be 6 weeks this Sunday. At the 4 week mark I lost 6 pounds (I was actually disappointed with all the “omg I lost 10 pounds the first week!” claims). I only weigh every 2 weeks so I’m not sure how much I lost weeks 5-6. The one thing I question is your macros (or mine?). I use the Carb Manager app and my macros give me 76g fat, 61g protein and i always stay below 20 net carbs (I even try to stay below 20 total carbs but sometimes that’s hard). I think I usually sit between 1000 - 1100 calories fully satiated (today I was more hungry for some reason so I hit 1200). I don’t see how our macros would be so different. My starting weight was 176 so maybe that factors in if you’re not around the same weight. Macros baffle my usually intelligent mind for some reason. I have found that different calculators give you different macros so I’m kind of weary about whether I myself am even using the right numbers.

I think the KCKO saying really applies…especially when you’re new. I do know for myself that I have to track every morsel that hits my mouth (at this point at least) because I have always been a habitual snacker which will derail me every time.

I also have to say that my husband has dropped the same amount of weight as me (in half the time) and he’s not tracking or even trying full keto and he’s 4 years older than I am…grrrr. I think us ladies tend to lose more slowly.

Good luck with the journey! We’ll get there at the pace our bodies dictate :o)

(Sue Johnson) #9

I’m about 5 weeks in. I lost 10 pounds the first ten days and then NOTHING. I laugh out loud actually as every day I weigh myself and it is the same number. How is that even possible? My weight has always fluctuated from day to day. I suspected my body thought I was starving, so was holding on to everything it could. I have now been only counting carbs and eating more fat and calories to offset that. I am pretty sure I’m not fat adapted, because I’m hungry all the time. :frowning:
I think as I enter this next month, I am going to switch it up. I do IF, but maybe I’ll try and go back to OMAD. I had to stop because I eat 7 cups of greens a day, but I need to split that up. I’m also going to start exercising regularly. I am just waiting for that adaptation to happen!!

(Candy Lind) #10

I was going to say - “I hope you took pictures and measurements!” If you think about it, I’ll bet you will notice a few of what we call NSVs (non-scale victories) besides the first markers of ketosis (energy, clarity, etc.). I lost slowly at first. I’m still losing slowly. The scale is going the right direction - I’ll take it! You seem to have things in hand, and know three things to “tweak” already to get your desired results. KCKO!

(Graham Robinson) #11

I started 5 weeks ago now and lost 8-9lbs in the first 2 weeks. I was 22st 9 but now 5 weeks in it seems to have stopped at 22St 1lb. I’m not sure why, i know a lot of the initial weight loss is water and i have stuck to the same food as when i started, (fryups every breakfast or eggs etc) .Definitely NO snacking, not even interested in snacking now but can not seem to get below 22st.

Exercise is a problem for me at present as my right knee has arthritis in it and very painful to walk after a short distance. I will stick with it for the moment but i would love to see some more downward movement.

Graham

(Joanna) #12

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who responded. The information and encouragement and personal stories you’ve shared are incredibly appreciated!

(Ruth) #13

I am RIGHT there with you and I’m trying not to be frustrated. I have about 60 pounds to lose, and I am tracking calories and macros religiously. I lost about 16 pounds in the first two weeks and then, I think a combination of things happened and I started gaining weight. A pound here and a pound there. Nothing horrible, and it was only for a few days, but it really screwed with my head. And I KNOW it wasn’t true weight/fat gain. I started exercising a lot more and I incorporated some spaghetti squash (which I love too much), I cut out red meat for awhile because I just got sick of it, and I don’t think I watched my servings well-enough because I watched my protein get higher and my fat get lower and I think the combination of all those things slowed me down. Since that happened, I’m being much more careful and I’ve started intermittent fasting (18/6), so I expect everything will go well. So, if I gain, or stall and I’m doing all the right things, I know that non-scale rewards will happen…

And I know it’s wrong. I know it’s against everything everyone has said… But I just really need that number to go down on a somewhat regular basis.

(Renee Slaughter) #14

Hi Ruth,
Maybe my story will help. I start keto Nov 2016. Tracked everything. And yes I lost 25 lbs in 2 months. The first month nothing. But I kept at it. Fast forward to the present. Restarted keto Dec 2017. In Dec I gained weight. WTH. then it started coming down overall. Its easy to get caught up in results via the scale I wanted it to move faster. But keto isn’t like that. Weight loss is slow after your initial water weight loss. Check out the section on the forum Non Scale Victories. Change your focus. How are you feeling. Measurements are a great NSV. But keto works. Just keep calm and keto on.

(Michele) #15

It’s a challenge to not be focussed on the weight only. My biggest NSV I think is no longer being driven by carbs. I can smell hot popcorn and it doesn’t bother me. I can look at cake and icecream and go ‘meh’. They are changes I couldn’t buy.
Go into the chiller section of your food market and line up 9lbs of butter. Then see how much that is. In reality you may only have lost 8-8.5 of fat and a wee bit of lean body weight. That is still a mighty achievement. If you put 9lbs of butter in a basket it’s heavy and that’s what your body is no longer carrying around. Perspective is important, numbers often don’t mean much until we see what those numbers really represent.

#16

Wow! I know this post is late but all of this sounds like me and I’m about ready to give up

(My Favorite) #17

Please update how you are now. I’m just like you: at 6th week, about your age, female, and so much wine lover. It would be helpful for me to hear from you. I started 165 now between160-163 up and down for 6 weeks. My friends told me I look shrunk but it is discouraging when I’m on scale. But yes! As you stated I feel GOOD from my day 1, I don’t want to go back to non keto life.

p.s- I really appreciate your writing here my frustration had dissolved when I read your story. :sweat_smile:

#18

Oh right now I have the flu so I’ve stalled again I’m sure it’s the sugar in the over the counter meds so I’m bloated & constipated :weary::weary: Glad to hear you resolved?? Another post noted on how the effects of maldextrin from the water enhancers so I plan on dropping them too. Take Care!!!

(Joanna) #19

Wondering how you are doing? I’m posting an update. Still slow going wrt weight loss in a sense but it’s definitely still going :smile: great blood test results…(pasting my post from today in Health/Tests below)

Since starting keto a year ago, I’m down 25 lbs (20 more to go), no longer “obese” BMI, and, best of all…

Finally (after ten years of high triglycerides even at a lower weight than now) I have triglycerides in the normal range and a Tri/HDL ratio of 1.9 (was as high as 7.6!) I’m also no longer pre-diabetic (A1C).

While I’m happy I’ve lost weight and am confident I’ll lose more, I’m even happier about the blood test results. Keto isn’t always fast weight loss, but it’s the only way I’ve (and as I understand many others) have ever lost weight and felt SO much healthier – more energy, mental clarity, etc at the same time – that I actually enjoy and plan to stay with for the rest of my life. Don’t feel defeated if your weight loss or blood results are slow to show results. As they say on here, Keep Calm and Keto On. Thanks to everyone thus far for the incredibly helpful and encouraging support and information on this wonderful forum!!!

(Doug) #20

:sunglasses: Good stuff, Joanna. :slightly_smiling_face: