Three years ago I went on a eat less, move more plan and lost 73 pounds. Last November I started a slide and gained back 20 pounds. June 1 I decided to start Keto. I was doubtful, but am surprised at how well I took to it. I do IF, eating only from 12-8 each day. I keep firmly to a 75-20-5 macro. I just redid them and they came up the same. I do light exercise (getting over a back injury). I cook almost everything from scratch, and minimize pre prepared foods. I never have anything like Atkins bars or Lilys chocolate. I take an electrolyte supplement. I’m not much of a drinker, so if anything, I probably could drink more. And I am having bathroom issues. So I think I’m doing really well. Except on the scale. I lost 14 pounds at 3 weeks, and since then, 17 days, I have gained 2 pounds. How long do I give it before I give up?
Stalled - Tried Everything
Are you only doing keto to lose weight?
If you are doing it for the other health benefits then it isn’t a case of giving up, because it is a longterm lifestyle change.
As for how long stalls can last… um… how long is a piece of string?
I wouldn’t even call it a stall til the scales don’t shift for 6 or more weeks.
That probably isn’t what you want to hear. Sorry.
Thanks for the reply. Initially it was only for losing weight. Its only after I started and did the research that I realized the other benefits. I guess I’m just tired of being overweight and a little childish being so impatient.
We all do, which is why we link to it often! 
Seriously though, I think you’re doing fantastic. You actually sound like you’re doing everything perfectly right from the start. Just keep rockin’ it!
Never.
Anyhow, I just listened to this video, and it may be helpful. Notice the emphasis the Dr places on tip # 1
KCKO
Just thinking outloud, but have you taken account of the fact that because your now lighter your Basal metabolic rate has come down? It’s a very loose indicator of course but at the end of the day you’ve lost some of yourself from when you first started so if you are still eating the same amount of calories as when you began you may just need to lower them a little again?
Me and my friend are both about 5" 7" he’s being going a while, me two months, he’s lean and mean, he says his average calories is about 1500 on a normal day.
Me personally I’m trying to take approximately (very lazy counting) 1200-1400 and I’m on One meal a day (lunch) and I seem to lose again on this; had a few days with two meals and stabilised again (I think that’s a good sign btw; that you can easily stabilise weight loss).
Other than that, I note you didn’t mention an Extended Fast, so maybe it’s time to try a 24hr+… my 2.5 day fast was hell of a challenge, ultimately one of the best and sometimes most difficult things I’ve done in a while.
Dr. Berry MD also talks about this (“eat less”) here concerning a fatty liver and gradually reducing sugar intake to heal the fatty liver before going keto especially eliminating high-fructose corn syrup HFCS (directly forming visceral fat around the liver {and other organs; sub-internally including skeletal muscle tissue and externally; around the organ} and mid torso section of the body).
I think (my opinion) this is the correct way to eat before starting a ketogenic diet (“but am surprised at how well I took to it“), I also think this is really really important concerning the prevention and formation of gallstones before starting a higher fat LCHF diet and slowly introducing more saturated fat (with subsequent sugar reduction) because what ends up happening is people will end up with a fatty liver and NAFLD IR diabetes and/or gallstones and will unknowingly assume and jump to the conclusion that it was the ketogenic diet and/or Intermittent fasting IF that created this WOE or problem without realizing it was what they were doing before going keto that actually caused the problem to begin with? When it is saturated fat that triggers the release of bile and low fats dry up bile. Its the lack of bile that causes gallstones and previous amounts sugar intake that created the fatty liver…
Before you put your body in a state of burning ketones for energy, it IS NOT A CURE ALL for previous damage but slowly introducing it and maintaining it can prevent the damage that caused it?
Try not to worry. As women we tend to hit plateaus more often than men (though some men do as well). I hit my new low 11 days ago and now have lost and gained the same 4 pounds. It’s very frustrating but just trust the process. It will work. Try and shake things up maybe? If IF is easy for you, maybe try a day or two of OMAD. That might help you break through. That’s what I am aiming for today and tomorrow. Otherwise, if you have been restricting, eat more. Try a couple of days of three meals. In one of the 2dudes podcasts or maybe it was The Obesity Code, Megan Ramos talks about “switching things up” so you can keep your body guessing. That helps some people get unstuck.
KCKO AND GOOD LUCK!
Hi Fran –
First of all, don’t give up. A 12lb loss in five+ weeks is pretty good by any measure. Power through the stall. Look at stalls as the “price of success.”
I’ve had a similar experience. I began keto on May 15 and lost nearly 40lbs, but have stalled and gained back 4-5lbs. Been eating right and being very active. No cheats. I know its water weight.
I don’t know enough about your situation, or even the nuances of keto for that matter to tell you what to do, but what I’ve been doing is changing lots of things up. I sense my body is adapting to my good habits and slowing things down.
For example, I’m trying to eat a bit more to keep my BMR up. I’ve added HIIT training in place of longer walks. I’m lifting weights more frequently. These are new changes I began incorporating this week. So far so good.
But even with the stall, I’m beginning to notice some real changes in my physique and the fit of my clothes. So I accept that my body needs to “rebalance.” 35-40lbs is a lot to lose in eight weeks.
Good luck.
It’s called PISS. Post induction stall syndrome.
It’s a carry over term from Adkins, but it applies here too.
When you start Keto, you deplete your glycogen stores, which is 75% water. As your body starts to adjust to this way of eatingand you replenish your electrolytes, the body will again hold onto a bit more water. Usually about the 3rd week in peoples weight slows, stalls or even rebounds a bit.
But that doesn’t mean you aren’t still losing fat. Take measurements. You may be very pleasantly surprised.
[quote=“flb1011, post:4, topic:48222, full:true”] I guess I’m just tired of being overweight and a little childish being so impatient.
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According to Dr Berry’s video, I have everything going against me: woman, over 40, insulin resistant, and on Depo. During the 6 months I was really focused on weight loss, the longest “stall” I experienced was 3 days.
I make no apologies for being impatient. It drives me to pursue efficiency in most of my undertakings. Achieving my health goals is no exception. I don’t measure macros, count calories, or any other inputs. I track output- my body’s response (to food, exercise, sleep, stress).
There are two ways to create nutritional ketosis, by controlling WHAT we eat or controlling WHEN we eat. Both are effective (according to Dr Fung, when is a bit more effective than what). Its a matter of figuring out what best fits your lifestyle.
Here’s what I did:
Phase 1- Eat one meal a week (OMAW). My objective was to fast for as long as possible, as much as possible, while still fitting into my normal life. I only ate when my social calendar required it. Although I dub it OMAW, I was flexible, it turned out to be every 4-10 days. The meal (by nature of being a special occasion) was usually not prepared by me, and rarely LC. I was in a continuous state of deep ketosis (BK > 3) and the meals did not hinder it. The weight loss was rapid and thus not sustainable for more than a few months. Ideal weight can be reached faster than metabolic derangement can be repaired. Hence, phase 2.
Phase 2- The eat whatever I want ketogenic diet. My objective is to have sustained periods of time at low insulin levels. I eat whatever I want during a feeding day, but I do not eat again until my body has “processed” the food. This is determined by BG (as a proxy for insulin) measured with a glucometer. Every morning I test my BG. If it is under 85 mg/dL I will eat that day. If it is over 85, I will fast until it drops below 70. The length of time this takes varies (from 1-5 days) depending on what and how much I ate. Eventually, I hope to reach the point where I can eat anything I want everyday and still have good numbers.
My life doesn’t revolve around food. I make healthy food choices most of the time, but there are no forbidden foods. Maintaining a state of ketosis is a tool, not an ideology or way of life. What both of these protocols have in common is simplicity, flexibility, and effectiveness. Ultimately, that’s what I care about.
One more thing: The primary reason I think some folks have a hard time adhering to a HFLC diet over the long term is its restrictiveness. Eliminating wheat, rice, pasta, fruits, potatoes, legumes, etc makes it difficult to have ordinary/common meals. Fasting increases meal flexibility while still getting results.