Hello All!
I apologize for the long post…
I have been Keto since Aug 1 and I am down 30 pounds. I have been losing and gaining the same 3 pounds since the second week of October - about 8 weeks.
My endocrinologist put me on Saxenda in July. It is also known as Victoza - a type 2 diabetes drug. It increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin and leptin. It also causes your stomach to empty slower making hunger almost non-existent. I am aware of the major risks of the drug. The plan is to come off of the drug when the next 30 pounds are gone.
I have plantar fasciitis, so exercise is difficult sometimes for my feet (this is the reason she put me on the drug). I’ve had cortisone shots in both feet and had to purchase expensive orthotics. Standing for any period of time is painful - even washing the dishes. I have an exercise bike at home and it does not bother my feet. I have an app I like for spin. I know I should be using it more than I have been.
I am hypothyroid and my labs are all in the optimal range.
My gallbladder was removed in 2011 so it took a couple of weeks to transition to higher fat levels for keto.
I use the Ketogains macro calculator and Cronometer to track. I am a data person and need the structure to keep binging in check. In the beginning, it was very difficult to eat more than 700 calories because of the Saxenda drug. Over time I was able to increase my calories and stayed within keto macros. It’s hard to say if the weight loss I have experienced is from the extreme calorie deficit at the beginning or from when I was religiously tracking everything at higher calories. I was consuming the recommended 1300+ or so calories and burning at least 300-400 through exercise (fitbit tracker).
I usually try to keep at least 12 hours or more between my last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day. This is because I need to take my Synthroid on an empty stomach in the morning and the Saxenda takes that amount of time to empty food from my stomach.
Strict tracking and calorie deficits that worked in the beginning don’t seem to work anymore. Suggestions?
I am trying to decide if I should cut dairy and stevia, try a fast, or just jump back into strict tracking like I was doing before. I am also wondering if the Saxenda is the problem…
My main reason for being Keto is because Alzheimer’s runs in my family. My mother is in stage 7 and in a nursing home. Keto has gotten rid of my acid reflux and given me sharper short-term memory. I can also eat spicy foods again even though I don’t have a gallbladder.
I am 5’3", female 43 years old
starting weight: 218
current weight: 188
goal weight: 130 ish - depends on how I feel as it gets closer.
Any advice is appreciated! TIA!