Struggling to lose weight on keto

(Mariah Pleake) #1

I’ve been doing the keto diet for 2 months now and have only lost 15 lbs. I currently weigh 230lbs and my weight goal is about 140 so i have a long way to go. I’m trying to stay positive but it’s getting frustrating as I’ve only lost the 15 in total, and the numbers keep bouncing all around on the scale so I don’t even know if that’s accurate. Any tips from people who have lost 100+ lbs with keto would be so great!

(Stephanie Sablich) #2

Have you done other diets in the past that made you feel good, allowed your body to heal, AND allowed you to lose 15 lbs in just two months?? I bet not… I’ve certainly tried them all.

I try to remind myself that my body has a lot of healing to do, and the weight I lose, ESPECIALLY at the beginning (before fat adaptation) is an added bonus. Do you know if you’ve consistently been in ketosis?

Also… I’ll say this. A LOT of the people who drop weight quickly are men. Yes, it happens for women… but one of the things we know with obesity in women is that it REALLY messes with our hormones, which can take quite a while to figure out. I gained SIX pounds in advance of my period this week!

What non-scale victories have you seen? Do you feel any better? Even little things like feeling more in control of your hunger… that’s a WIN, right?

One other tip… do you do IF or EF? Because my insulin resistance is so high, that’s the only way for me to lose weight at anything but a REALLY slow pace.

(Renee Slaughter) #3

Hi Mariah and welcome
What you are experiencing is perfectly normal. Weight loss is seldom linear. Its not a straight line. When I first started I lost 25 lbs in 3 months. Then the scales hovered plus or minus the same 3 lbs. I didn’t know what to do. I stopped keto and all the other great benefits I received. Ended up back on SAD. Now I’m back and I understand stalls happen.
Have you tried fasting yet? You’re about at that point.
Regarding those who successfully lost 100 lbs or more. Type your request in the search box. Loads of success stories.
Keep calm and keto on.

(Alan Williamson) #4

You might try a program like the IDM program. https://idmprogram.com/

I would recommend talking to a coach or a professional there. These people have lots of experience so they should be able to find a strategy that will work for you. Otherwise, you will be wasting time chasing rabbits.

#5

I’m not one of those who has lost 100+ pounds, but there’s a thread for that and it might be good for you to just read and read (those stories, and other keto success stories) to get a sense of what has worked for a lot of folks.

Scale is helpful but only up to a point since what you’re after is fat loss more than weight loss, and the scale doesn’t measure fat loss. You’re relatively early in your journey and if you haven’t already, I would take measurements, since they’re a more accurate indicator of size (and fat) loss. Pick a few spots - upper arms, ribs, waist, hips, maybe thighs - and you may well see them change in weeks that the scale actually isn’t moving.

All that said, 15 lbs in two months is nothing to sneeze at! Congratulations :clap:

(bjørn arne) #6

I have been on keto for 5-6 weeks, with no attention of loosing weight, but i can tell by looking in the mirror that i have lost ALOT of weight. i think alot of it has to do with the fact that i eat leafy greens and vegetables for every meal but never as the main course. main course is usualy eather eggs, chicken wing, salmon, other fish, chicken, stakes and other meets with alot of cocunut oil. and i drink like 5 liter of water evryday and exercise every day.

(Steve) #7

+1 for getting enough water. Only a couple of weeks in on Keto, but if I don’t drink enough water (4.5 litres) I actually go UP in weight. Have to hit my 5.5 litres if I want to lose weight. (currently 291lbs - to give you an idea of the mass vs water ratio).
Started having a big salad as the start of my dinner. Has the added benefit that it helps satiate me, so I may not eat as much after.
Also stopping snacking between meals. No more grazing.

(bjørn arne) #8

the longer ive been in keto the less hungry i get. i try to stay bellow 2500ckal per day and less than 20g carbs. I prefer to eat brackfast in like 2-3 in the afternoon and again in around 8-9 in the evning. so only to meals per day, the meals are huge (mostly salat). but a big portion still! :slight_smile: thats one of the best benefits i think, i get up do my job then go to school and not have to worry about eating til i am home in the afternoon, with no discomfort.

#9

Pick an a pair of pants or other clothing that is tight as a measure. I went down a couple of sizes even as I did not lose any more weight. I lost 35 lbs initially (on top of 15 lbs I lost in the preceeding 4 months oanother diet, so about 50). I have been stalled since September but in sizes kept decreasing until November or December. Went from a 20 - 22W to a 14 regular. I am maintaining that although I would love to be a 4/6 I am not sure it will happen but I feel better so I am ok with that

Fasting helped me as well. I would do a 5 day fast and be able to maintain a 2-5 lb weight loss. I am not as interested in fasting lately but think when I am the weight loss will resume

#10

Wow - you went from a 20 to a size 14 without dropping scale pounds?

#11

I started a moderate carb moderate fat diet in early November 2016 which I had done many times before. I lost 15 lbs through February and then stalled. The 22W were tight in November when I started. By February I was about a 20W but could still comfortably wear the 22Ws. I started IF in March and then Keto in April (yes reverse order) I would say by the summer I was an 18/20W and had lost about 30 more lbs. By mid September I weighted what I do now more or less. I was a solid 18W and some 16Ws would fit. By November I could wear 14Ws and had a formal event in December that I bought a dress for a few days before. The dress was a regular 14. I tried on about 30 dresses and most were 14s, some 14Ws and some 16s. In certain styles I could wear a 12. The runner up was a 14W but in the end it was too big in some places and could not be sewn to not bag. All the clothing I bought at that time still fits. It is not loose and I have not lost any more weight

When I was shopping I had no idea what size I was so started with 16W only to have them not be right. I had not shopped because most of my clothing is stretchy, and I had clothing as low as 16W. That was the other thing that happened, I could wear my old pants and they were a little loose until November, then I realized that most were too baggy. Even the ones that had been too small when I was a 22W (they were 18s from a prior weight loss). I ended up donating most of them as I could still wear then but they looked ridiculous. I am smaller on top and had that experience with shirts from July to September. I was a 2X a year ago. Shirts that were an XL or XXL, bought cheap at big box stores, that were new at the beginning of the summer were baggy by the end even though I had only lost 10 lbs between mid July and mid September. I ended up not wearing all of them so returned them within the 3 month return period because they were too big. I am now more of an L

#12

Thanks for explaining all of this. So interesting how lbs and sizes don’t exactly line up!

AR

(Mariah Pleake) #13

I don’t see a difference in the way i look at all lol even after losing the 15lbs.

(Mariah Pleake) #14

What is IF and EF?

(Scott Telfer) #15

Use the acronym search :slight_smile:

(Hallgeir Olsen) #16

It means Intermittent Fasting and Extended Fasting :slight_smile:

(Stephanie Sablich) #17

I’d definitely look into it if you are interested in shaking things up :slight_smile: IF is intermittent fasting, EF is extended day fasting.

Here’s a link to a pretty good summary. I disagree with some of the things this author suggests, and they’re not a keto person, but it’s a good summary of the benefits of fasting.

Also, can you fill us in on your specifics? Are you consistently in ketosis? What are you eating each day? When are you eating? Those sorts of details are really helpful in getting assistance from the experts here.

A big part of this is trust… trust that the science lines us, that you feel better, and that the process is working. People go through stalls all the time, where their body seems to stop focusing on weight loss and instead focuses on something else, something internal that needs to be healed.

As women, we have a lot of other complications. What’s your hormonal situation like?

(Diane) #18

I found this quote from @stupidrobots that I’ve decided I need to reread often:

“There’s no such thing as a stall. Ok the scale might not be moving, but other things are happening. It’s my experience that the body doesn’t like to do more than one thing at a time unless it absolutely has to. It’s losing fat on your waistline, it’s gaining muscle in your legs, it’s fixing your organ damage, it’s regulating your hormones. Take measurements, take photographs, and weigh yourself last.”

His whole post is titled “What I’ve learned after 5 years, 80 lbs of fat loss and 20 lbs of muscle gain”. It’s concise and helpful.
(If I could figure out how to post the link I would :grinning:)

(Jana) #19

You’re getting great suggestions and support on this tread. Reading other posts is excellent advice. I am doing that myself and learning a lot.

I have lost 101 lbs, 63 on LCHF (3 weeks) and then keto since June '17. I have ‘stalled’ for weeks or even a couple of months at a time. When I changed my macros and slowly added IF and EF, I began to lose again.

I think it was Dr Perlmutter who said in an interview to figure the protein macro based on one’s ideal goal weight, not one’s current weight. (I forget the formula. Something like 1g per kg body weight. But I use my goal weight.) The carb macro is set at 20g or less. I also lowered my intake of fat, because I want my body to obtain more fat fuel from own body. These adjustments seemed to burn more body fat.

In another post I can share my progressive changes with IF and EF. Read how others are doing it. Maybe others can share how they use the IF and EF methods on this tread. Just apply what seems to fit your situation at this moment. Trust the process.

Best wishes.

(Garnetta Smith ) #20

This was so helpful! I am stalled and going up. I have wondered if I am feasting on too much fat, rather than allowing my body to use that which is stored. Thanks!