I started Keto 7 weeks ago at 148lbs. I lost 5lbs in the first 2 weeks and since then have been up and down 4lbs but not staying down! I did IF for a week, mainly 18:6 but at the end of the week weighed 140.4 lbs. I have been doing a Fat Fast for the last 4 days, today being day 5. So last Saturday I weighed 143lbs, Sunday 139lbs (started fat fast), Monday 138.4, Tuesday 140.4 and today 139. 4. I know I shouldn’t weigh myself everyday but I would find it very disheartening if I weighed once a week and no change or gone up. I tried Keto last year and at this stage I was losing every week. I went from 140 lbs to 122 lbs in 7 months and then fell off the wagon in March ( I had an injury and have been off work since. I am going to KCKO but just wondering what I can do to start losing weight instead of going round in a circle. I am 50 years old and 5ft 5. I started off following macros to lose which were very low and after advice from the wonderful people on this forum I switched to maintenance macros … will I stop the FF and go back to maintenance macros? HELP🙃
Stuck!
With weighing, it’s fine (IMO) to weigh every day. Just make sure that it’s at a consistent time of day (I do mine as soon as I get out of the shower in morning), and then look at your average over the week. That’s the key: you’ll fluctuate every day but overall the average for the preceding 7 days should be lower than the 7 preceding them. So you’ve lost 8ish pounds in less than 2 months. That’s more than 4lbs a month; 1lb a week. That’s great progress!
Stick with it. Focus on avoiding carbs (spot check by counting), getting in good protein, eaten with enough fat that you feel satiated.
I’m not sure if this is helpful, but I have found tracking macros consistently has been the only thing that’s really worked for me…
Otherwise the scale just tends to fluctuate like crazy!
Thanks @MrMartyJones and @juke88. I was 138.2 today. It would be great if I’m not up again tomorrow. I use MFP to track my macros which helps. I just feel that I’m going round in a circle with the 3lbs that I have lost/regained in the last 5 weeks and it has been a very different journey to my last Keto adventure. Just a question - at this stage should I keep following the macros for maintenance or switch to the macros for lose (as per ruled me calculator)
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YOUR MACROS
How much should you be eating per day?
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1246 calories
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93 g fats
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20 g carbs
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83 g protein
Based on your inputs, we suggest you eat: 1246 calories. From those, 93g fats, 20g net carbs, and 83g protein.
Thanks guys
Ah ha! Trick question! The answer is “neither”. Here’s the thing about these “macro calculators”: there are 20 different ones and they’ll give you 20 different macros because they only know a formula, they don’t know YOU. Your body is unique, made up of a unique balance of hormone levels, unique body fat %, and a unique resting (or “basal”) metabolic rate. Those factors (and more) determine your unique daily caloric “needs”. Therefore it can’t tell you how much fuel to put in because it doesn’t know how much fuel is being used.
The BEST guidance that I can offer is this: especially during the first few months of keto, forget about trying to meet macro limits/goals. Start with THE most important part: 20g of carb or less (this number is also unique, but it’s a great guideline to start at). Track those because they’re tricky. They’re in sauces, they’re in seasonings, they’re in your gummy multivitamin, they’re in fruit, they’re in your drinks, etc etc. Make SURE that you’ve got those down as your first priority.
Protein is the second most important. Again, the recommendations can vary wildly but it’s somewhere between (I believe) .75g/kg-1.5g/kg (where “kg” is lean body mass; not total mass). Protein is super important. So you’ll want to get enough so that you aren’t losing muscle mass and aren’t hindering your body processes.
Lastly is fat. It helps you feel “full” quicker and for longer. You can basically use it to replace what you previously would have eaten as carbs. Just eat fats (usually, or at least, often those come through meats/proteins, so go for the fattier version of your meats. Eat a ribeye instead of filet mingnon. Eat chicken thighs with skin instead of grilled breasts. Eat bacon instead of…well just eat bacon for its own sake. You want to eat unitll you’re satiated. I personally have trouble with knowing what this is, but I basically look at it as the level right above “I’m still hungry” but two steps short of “I’m completely stuffed.”
As far as tracking, I’m very much a fan of data so I enjoyed (and it’s probably a good idea in general) keeping a log of what I was eating at first. It helped me learn the macro profiles of the different foods I was eating and it kept me mentally engaged in my new way of eating. However, I always look at it in the passive sense of observing how the macros line up with my weight, rather than manipulating macros to affect weight.
Now! All that said, if you truly hit a stall (more than 4-6 weeks of NO loss), then you can look back over your data and readjust (mainly just the fat macro but some people also adjust protein) down. Just be careful in restricting your cals/macros because with less fuel to burn the body will slow down that unique metabolic rate and burn fewer calories.
At quick glance, your macros look fine to me, but it’s really up to you to determine how you’re feeling.
Hope that helps!
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me such a detailed and extremely helpful answer! Much appreciated . It makes total sense. I also have trouble with knowing what satiated is. TBH I don’t think I’ve ever eaten until I’m nicely full while doing Keto., I’m always still hungry after eating. This is because I try to stick to the macros and I plan each day’s meals and weigh everything so that don’t go over.
I think there is a good chance that the above has happened… Also I struggle (mentally) with eating so much fat but I do like it so I’m improving rapidly! Thanks again. I’ve taken your advice on board… wish me luck