Stalls and when they break... I've been wondering

(Brian) #1

I was reminded of a saying. It goes something like this: “If you have a cold, you can go to the doctor and get medicine and you’ll be better in about 7 days. Or you can stay home and nurse yourself back to health and you’ll be better in about a week.”

I don’t think any of us who have been keto for a while haven’t had stalls in our weight loss (at least for those for whom weight loss is one of the goals.) It’s natural and normal. Weight loss isn’t linear. Plus there are a lot of other things going on in the background.

So the question came to mind, how often do people go to heroic measures to end a stall that’s been going on for a month or more that would have ended itself in about the same time had they just kept on ketoing on?

Maybe there really are times when we have to shake things up a little. Change can be a good thing with how we get our exercise so changing of eating can be a good thing, too. That may happen (?) with those who eat some things seasonally more naturally than those who basically have anything their heart desires from the grocery store at a moment’s notice. People who depend more upon local produce or maybe things from their own garden or farm might be less inclined to be eating a lot of things out of season, and that would mean changing things up as the seasons roll by.

Anyway, it was just something I wondered about. I’ve not done a lot of “shaking things up” mainly because I’ve been busy with life. Seasons are changing, though, and I am noticing that some of the things I’m eating do change with the seasons. For instance, when tomatoes first came in, I couldn’t get enough of them. Now, meh, I might have a slice on my hamburger, otherwise, I’m good. Asparagus was great while it was in season but it’s not in season anymore and I’m not eating as much as I used to.

I could go on, but the point is, the diet does change, even if it’s not sudden or traumatic. And I’ve noticed a couple of times that I’ve been in a stall, it kinda takes care of itself and resumes the downward trend all by itself if I just keto on.

Anyway, those kinds of thoughts rattle through the ol’ gray matter once in a while. Not sure if they’re of any value or not but they still rattle through. :wink:

(Erin ) #2

I would like some tips too! I’ve been stalled for 3 Months! Nothing is changing it. When I tried to start a work out program I was up 4lbs and stayed that way, then said forget it and stopped lol. I’m not sure how to get through it. Fasting will only put me down a lb and then once I start eating the following day I’m back up. Not sure, do we just try eating the same exact foods every day?

(Bunny) #3

Never stalled (just a little stall when I first started until I figured it out) just had to cut back on the fat and protein and do intermittent fasting/eating once a day and eating more omega 3’s and get the right homeostatic balance going with the wheat grass juice (powdered), non-fortified nutritional yeast, chia seeds, flax seeds in fat bombs (very little MCT oil in one batch 2 Tbs.) or sometimes vegetable shakes and soaking in a bath tub full of ice cubes, slowly adding more and more ice cubes over a period of weeks and months, now I am part penguin!

I thought it would be impossible to take a bath in nothing but ice, I was wrong!

(Jane) #4

Everyone is different but I was stalled out for 3 months also. Eating basically the same thing every day, in a rut. Body had found an equilibrium.

I’d never fasted so I thought I would try that. Other that IF because I am never hungry when I get up so one or two meals a day within a 6-hr window.

I was traveling for my job and would be gone 2 weeks. No access to a scale. I did a 96-hr “fat fast” by eating one block of cream cheese per day.

The next week I did a 96-hr water/black coffee fast. Didn’t have my little breathylizer toy but my pee sticks turned really dark purple at the end of my water fast. Spent a lot of time running to the bathroom as I was peeing a lot.

I was down almost 10 lbs when I got home. I had refed a few days before so not sure what my lowest was but I kept all but 2 lbs off.

Now, having said that… I did a strict 72-hr water/black coffee fast 2 weeks ago and didn’t lose an ounce LOL.

(Brian) #5

I guess when I first posted, I was kinda musing over my own situation over the last couple of months.

Maybe 2 months ago, I can’t remember exactly but could go look, I posted about making a new low at 215 and followed that up by saying that I KNEW it would not stay there, that it was like a kid sticking the big toe in the water and recoiling. Sure enough, back up into the low 220’s.

But I’ve been busy. I haven’t had a lot of time to spend counting macros, planning fasting, looking closely at the food groups, whatever. So I’ve ketoed on, just like I had been.

The weight kinda stalled there in the low 220’s as if to say, “I’m not goin’ anywhere.” OK. So you can be there, I have other things to worry about.

Interestingly, this week, I’ve had several days back down in the 2-teens, today being around 217. But the thing of it is, I’m not trying. I’m not worrying over anything. I’m not fasting. I’m just calmly ketoing on. And it looks as though the stall has taken care of itself, which is just fine.

So maybe that gives a little background for where that initial post came from. I do wonder about stuff like that.

Wishing all good success, whatever their goals!

:slight_smile:

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #6

I am guilty of this.
But lately my attitude has changed.
Though I never had a large stall, just the post induction stall stage (PISS).
I know that I have not been losing weight as fast as I could have been due to poor choices, much like this.
People say when you are stalling to eat some carbs, it’ll bring on a whoosh, but that whoosh would of come regardless in a day or two when the fat has been removed from the cell and the water is flushed. So I can agree that way of thinking has been detrimental to my progress. I am within 8kg of my goal weight now and fasting is becoming harder for me.

One thing that upset me during Keto was that everyone talks about ketosis, but they don’t really discuss what changes need to be made when you are approaching fat adaption, such as reducing your fat intake to allow your for your body to provide those energy needs etc

(Robert C) #7

This could be about stress - your body wants to hold on to fat when stressed (from what I have heard on podcasts). You got to a low then you mention you got busy and rose up to above 220 then said recently you are back down below 220 and mention you are not worrying. Of course, only you will have any idea if you had some stress (extra exercise, boss problems, SO problems etc.) that recently lifted.

(Short224) #8

I could so do this I eat it right out of the package thank you for the idea :slight_smile:

(Brian) #9

It’s possible. There are always things changing on that level, different things happening, various events from personal to community. I haven’t really taken note of anything particularly stressful or anything dramatically changing in stress levels but that doesn’t mean they didn’t change. In general, life is pretty good in most areas. There are always things that poke and prod but that’s just life. Very thankful to have a really good thing going with my wife of 17+ years, that means an awful lot to me. She’s my gift from above. She’s my best friend. I can’t remember a seriously cross word between us, ever. And I like it that way. :slight_smile:

(P.S. … and just because there’s a little snow on the roof doesn’t mean there’s not a ROARING fire in the basement! LOL!! :smiley: )