Soooo Discouraged.. please help :(


(Edith) #42

Stalling after the initial weight loss actually has a name. It’s called PISS, post induction stall syndrome. I think it is aptly named since we all get pissed off when it happens. It is very common. Just because the numbers on the scale aren’t dropping doesn’t mean your body isn’t working hard making positive changes.

Also, the psyllium husk could be making you retain water. And, according to Phinney and Volek in their book, “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living,” water can cause weight to fluctuate +/- 2 pounds possibly masking a pound a week weight loss. Their bottom line:“the standard scale is a lousy short-term tool for monitoring your diet progress…”

Good luck,
Edith


(Michelle) #43

@Kate_88 - I finally found a doctor to treat my sluggish thyroid and it’s done wonders for me. I was always “in range” so the standard doc says, “you are fine”. But, the reference high range was 4.5 and I was at 3.5. Finally found a doc that said I’m not hypothyroid, but it’s just not optimal. So, she’s got me on .5 gram of nature-throid and it’s helped me immensely.

Please try and find a naturopath to help you with your hormone and thyroid levels. That may do the trick and 2 months before wedding is plenty of time to get this on the right track.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #44

In all of Dr. Phinney’s lectures I’ve watched, he always stresses how important it is to eat fat to the point of satiety, while keeping carbs low and protein moderate. He also says that if we get stuck, we should first reduce the amount of carbohydrate we’re eating, and second increase the amount of fat. If we eat fat to satiety, our body will tell us when to stop eating, so it’s not necessary to count calories at all.

In one study, participants lost weight even without any reduction in calories; in fact, one guy even lost a considerable amount while eating 3500 calories a day. Keto can seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense when you take the science behind it into account.


(Ellen) #45

Chin up hun, it will get better! I lost 10lbs in the first 3 weeks, but nothing over the last 3, BUT I’ve gone down a size & half, the scales don’t tell you everything, measure yourself and you’ll probably seems inches have dropped off. KCKO! xxx


(Carpe salata!) #46

As I understand it, eating the fat to satiety turns up your thermostat so you stay warm and your resting metabolic rate is higher. You don’t have to do that every day, every few days should keep the thermostat running high too. Just see how you respond. n=1

I have been doing OMAD with a regular small meal. Today I wasn’t sure if I was at satiety, so I had some extra … 2cups of tea with a big teaspoon of HWC in each, a slice of butter, ~2oz of Camembert cheese, ~1/3 cup of mixed nuts. I’m pretty sure I hit satiety now. :smile:


(kate) #47

Thanks for that… it means a lot.

I’m beyond discouraged now. I was 255 on September 1st… now 258… eleven days later. I am seriously ready to give up. How in the hell is it possible that I have now only lost 3 pounds in a month and a half? I hit my macros within perfect range daily! I’ve literally decreased my daily calories by half! Switched from potatoes to coconut oil!!! There is no hidden sugar! Yes, my peanut butter powder is sugar free (PB&ME)

I’m ready to rip my face off… and just start eating everything in sight. This has been one of the biggest letdowns of my life. I had 2 and a half months to really make a change before my wedding day… but nothing… I’ll look like an absolute pig anyway. Even after spending all this extra money, throwing out food, depriving myself, this is a whole new level of depression. I’m literally in tears.

I give up.

Thanks for your help.


(Khara) #48

Sorry to hear you’re so discouraged. This is at least the 2nd time you’ve mentioned your calories are significantly less than they were before you went low carb/Keto. I just want to make sure you understand that calorie restriction is NOT why/how this works. It is quite possible your body thinks you are starving and is thus hanging on to the weight. Do you feel hungry, or do you eat to satiety?
Also, the scale is often not encouraging. 3 pounds can easily be water. You’re doing intermittent fasting. It’s quite possible you’re gaining lean mass. Look for info from Megan Ramos on this.


#49

What @KBG said. If you feel like eating everything in sight, go ahead. The only thing is make sure it is fat. The other day I made the eggnog recipe someone posted recently. It was a 16 oz of HWC, a cup of coconut milk, 2 tablespoons of swerve 4 eggs and some other things. I meant to only drink one glass but I ended up drinking the entire thing (honestly was not that great but I am told if you let it sit overight it is much better). Other than feeling a little too full I had no bad effects and ended up starting a fast the next day. Since I do not weigh myself during the fast I have no idea but I felt fine the next morning and did not feel bulgy or bloated and my clothes felt the same the next day.

Stop focusing on calories, this diet has nothing to do with calories or even macro percentages, stop tracking everything. The main limitation is carbs. With protein do not eat it to excess. Do not go for that 3rd or 4th piece of chicken like on a high protein diet. As for the first two pieces, stop weighing it and just eat a normal serving. With fat, limit fat bombs and nuts, especially macadamias but otherwise enjoy and eat until you are satisfied. Then stop.

At this point since you are ready to give up anyway, you have no downside to trying it this way but stop counting calories


(Crippie) #50

One thing I think is important I saw mentioned only once and just briefly.

From what I have read and heard, women have a longer “adaptation phase”. Mostly due to the difference in hormones, women take longer to sort of balance everything out in the beginning, check out the Femail episode of Carl and Richards podcast. It talks a bit about it. In many cases men will lose weight quickly and then taper off, where as women seem to level out while their hormones adjust and then suddenly start dropping quickly a while after starting. And everyone is different, you just need to do what your body needs to do, listen to its signals and don’t stress about it remember the “keep calm” part of the KCKO mantra. Just keep it going and your body will tell you what it needs.


(kate) #51

I just want to be clear that I studied Ketogenic Dieting for a month before starting. I really appreciate everyone’s help, advice and insights. I am absolutely aware that this isn’t a calorie based diet… I totally get that. I keep bringing up the calories, only as a reference point because I have literally gone from 2500 to 3000 per day in mostly stachy carbs (rice, sushi, chips, cake, chocolate, squash, beans, lentils, quinoa, cookies, bread… I was a vegetarian)…down to half that…this was a natural byproduct of following my macros. So I’m really just expressing my complete and utter frustration at having lost NOTHING in a month… after going from a carb consuming machine… to now 20g per day max… and adding all these “healthy fats”… I’m furious and mystified at the same time… if I was 180lbs and only 15lbs away from my goal… ok… I’d get it… but I need to lose EIGHTY POUNDS… WTFFFFFF??? It makes no sense whatsoever.

It’s incredibly confusing… some say eat more fat, which would mean going above my daily fat macros… the next person says that hearing me mention nut butters, coconut oil, etc… makes them think I’m eating TOO MUCH fat… the next person says try fasting 20 hrs per day… I’m already doing 16… that would be torture… this all feels like a nightmare. It works for everyone but me apparently. I’m cursed, I swear… what an unbelievable disappointment. So much time, energy and money wasted…

I will be a massive pig on my wedding day… a month and a half wasted on this. We’re getting married in a month, and I’ll probably be the same effing weight I am now… which was the same as week one… or heavier. I am glad it works for you guys. Maybe because I’ve been a vegetarian for 30 years my body thrives on healthy vegetables, some higher carb, this just doesn’t work for me… maybe it was all a mistake. But I’ve done “eat what you want, only when hungry, stop as soon as satisfied” and lost AT LEAST 2 or 3 pounds per month. Usually more like 5 to 8 pounds per month… and that was eating pizza with big salads, sushi, stir fries and curries with rice, veggie wraps with chips, cake, muffins, bananas… so this really makes NO SENSE…

Is it possible my body just doesn’t like keto?

Thanks


(Ernest) #52

Seems to me like the problem is the goal. You are getting married in 2 months and your weight loss expectations are set way too high. Keto is great but it’s not magic.
Wedding preparations plus starting a new way of eating = STRESS.

AND the scale has to go. That thing brings out the worst in people.


(Marcus Hayes) #53

Hi, I know how frustrating it can be but it has been said before, and that is for a good reason… no scale, and eat to satiety! Calorie deficit is probably one of your biggest downfalls now along with IF; you may be trying too much to begin with. I recommend you lose the scale, fill up the plate and eat until you are full and do that until you notice your clothes begin to fall off… it will happen you must have patience and faith… it will happen!


#54

Just my two cents here, I haven’t lost much weight on keto at all, I have gained a lot of other things from it though and I am not going back. What I have done to lose weight is fasting (4 - 5 days at a time), I use fasting to lose weight and keto to keep it off. But keeping in mind that when I am not fasting I always eat to satiety, keeping prot moderate (aprox 50gr) and total carbs to under 30gr (all carbs coming from green leafy or cruciferous veggies, and a cherry tomato or two every now and then). Because going too low cal can also slow things down, making your body hold on to everything (in my humble experience). Slow and steady wins the race, check out this post, it takes a while for your body to adapt, heal, and reset. Keto is not a fad fast acting diet, it might be fast at the beginging for some people, but not for everyone, specially us women.

Like you, I have lost a lot of weight with diets (like CICO), and fast, until the stall comes and then it always comes back on (on top of having damaged my metabolism), so I wouldn’t go back to doing that even if they payed me.

Oh, and also, take your measurements, going just by the scale is not the best sometimes. Good luck on your big day!!


(kate) #55

If hoping to lose 10 to 15 pounds in 3 months of keto… before your wedding is having too high expectations, then I guess I’m guilty.

The success stories are very misleading then, because that would be less than a pound per week.

I don’t think my expectations were unrealistic at all.


(Ernest) #56

It can be done once you are adapted. Right now your body is going through changes.
But you have to give it time and patience.
Everyone is different.
If you are dead set on losing those 15 pounds, go all out and switch to one meal a day.
Trick the body into submission.

Best of luck, I know first hand how wedding preparations get stressful.

I still think you should ditch the scale. Find some old tight fitting attire and try that on once a week. Judge your progress by how they fit.


(kate) #57

“If you are dead set on losing those 15 pounds, go all out and switch to one meal a day”

This is where I get truly lost… most ppl are saying I need to eat more… and ditch the IF… it may be too much all at once… then another tells me to eat once per day?

My head is going to explode.


(Lee Jones) #58

Whey protein is insulinogenic so I’d drop that from my routine and see if it changed anything.


#59

Not sure if someone else mentioned this yet, but I would try an alternate source of protein (pea maybe?). I’ve read quite a bit about the whey protein spiking insulin.


#60

All of the advice you’ve seen here sounds all over the map for a reason – different things have worked for different people here. There is no one size fits all. That’s why if you had more time, you could be experimenting with yourself and you’d learn what works for you.

I’m going to agree with Ernest about trying a longer IF or even extended fasting if you’re able. I totally get the wedding stress, too! Been there!!! But seriously, you can’t rush this. I lost a fair amount of weight very quickly on Medifast a few years back, so if you’re in a hurry, maybe that kind of thing can work for you. It’s also somewhat low carb – though pricy.

But I hope you understand this – I’m now here and on keto for a reason.

Yes, I gained it all back and more while trying to eat “healthy” after Medifast. Keto is a long-term solution, not a short-term one. And almost everyone here has done some amount of self experiments to make it work for them.

Keto is right for you if your question is: where do you want to be a year from now? Or two, or three?


(Ernest) #61

Well IF is not for caloric restriction. Even though it seems that way.
It helps keeping insulin out of the equation as long as possible, among other benefits.
It’s easy to put away enough calories in one meal on Keto.

But again, this is what I meant by giving it enough time. That way you can experiment and find your sweet spot.
I do one meal Mon - Fri and freestyle on weekends but never more than two meals a day.
Do I count calories? Nope, I just eat a bunch of egg yolks and fatty cuts of meat.

I see you don’t eat meat. Whey protein shakes will spike insulin quite similar to carbs.
That could be an issue. Can you eggs instead of the shake?
Don’t be a slave to counting calories and macros BUT at the same time you need to experiment and find what works for your body. Eat big, enjoy your food and watch things happen.