Troubleshooting advice for a newbie

(Dana ) #1

Quick background, I’m just under 5’7" and started at 186lbs, 6 weeks ago. I already had a very strict diet due to an allergic disease I have (over the last 2 years) so becoming keto was a matter of cutting out rice,potatoes, gf flours, fruit, sugar, honey and cereal.

In the first 2 weeks I lost 9lbs, but then I gained it all back and so did a fast (62 hour, felt great, didn’t overeat when ending it) and now I’m at 182.

I just thought I would have lost more weight by now?

What I eat on a typical day- 2 fried eggs, 4 bacon and a handful of green leafies or scrambled with mozzarella. 2 bpc.
Skip lunch or have the unwich from jimmyjohns/chipotle (chicken, lettuce, peppers, cheese, guac)
dinner is usually chicken thighs/salmon/beef in the cast iron with Brussels sprouts or steamed cauli rice.

Sometimes I snack on olives, macadamia nuts or pork rinds. And sometimes I skip breakfast and/or lunch. Rarely I will have some keto cookie (cream cheese, butter, almond flour, swerve) or a very small individually wrapped piece of dark chocolate (4g carbs). (That happened 2x in 6 weeks. And I had some blueberries and HWC 2x too)

I have good energy, actually went to the gym for the first time in years! But I don’t look any different at all :worried:

Tips?

(AnnaLeeThal) #2

Hi Dana waves

First off…I think you are doing great! The fact that you feel good and have better energy levels make me think you are doing it just right and likely need some more time. It’s frustrating for when you want weight to come off.

I know there was one episode on the podcast where someone (a woman) actually continued to gain weight at first for several months before she started losing!

The fact that you could complete an extended fast makes me think that you are fat adapted.

There are a lot of smart people here who will have good advice for you. Mine? Keep calm and Keto on!!

(Jason Webb) #3

I’m inferring from your profile pic and name that you’re of the female persuasion. Have you taken a listen to the Femail episode of the 2dudes podcast? They go into detail regarding hormone balance and how sometimes it takes a bit of time before you hit a balance point and your body feels ok to start dropping stored fat. I would also not put so much stock into the scale #, but look to how your clothes are fitting and waist measurements as a guide to progress. Above all, I’m encouraged by the following:

This is where I would want to be!

I say KCKO.

#4

Yea, that’s a down side of reading these forums. I thought the same thing. I’m like really big, ton’s to lose, thought it would fall off quickly from what every one said. But, I’m 3 mo in, lost 30 pounds so far and pretty much that was all in the first two months.

But, I guess I’ll keep clam and keto on. I think I’ll just start hitting the scale once a week. The cortisol from the frustration of not losing quicker is probably not doing me any favors.

(Joni) #5

Hi Dana - I just started on the 1st, so I don’t know why you stalled to be quite honest. But you and I are roughly the same size and height. I really would like to lose 20lbs and hoping it will come off fairly quickly too. This worries me. But my Doc who recommended this diet actually said for women he didn’t recommend fasting (at least initially). Keep your metabolism going by eating the fat throughout the day. That being said, I have listened to some podcasts but read a lot. I have NOT read the podcast for women. I will do so now. But I do appreciate your post because it helps me have realistic expectations. I am still having the Keto flu, but look forward to having tons of energy. All the best - JSW

(Sally) #6

Hiya. The only advice that I would give is to throw your scales out and just eat what’s you know you should. All too much I see paranoia over those dratted numbers when we should be focussing on our health and eating whole foods

(Jason Webb) #7

30 down in 3 months is awesome. Take that number to any weight loss or diet group and you would have a bunch of jealous people. If you’ve been stalled for a month, maybe it’s time to experiment. Add some more fat for a few weeks or subtract. Dairy? A bit more exercise? I also wouldn’t set foot on a scale more often than once a week at the minimum. I know it’s motivating to see the number go down, but the scale is one of the worst tools for measuring your health.

#8

Lots of great advice from others already.

I’d like to add one thing…check the amount of grams of protein you are eating. Perhaps target no greater than 0.5 g protein per pound of lean body mass. Also, make sure to eat your protein with lots of fat. If you eat protein alone, or with little fat, it can create a strong insulinogenic effect (spike insulin secretion). For example, your dinner with meat and vegetables…add some herbed butter sauce or homemade mayonnaise to make it extra fatty.

(Dana ) #9

Thanks! I’m am hoping I am eating the proper amounts of things, and was worried that I wasn’t because I haven’t seen much weight loss at all (4 lbs total) I’m also wondering if it’s the dairy, that is something I added back into my diet full time when going keto.

Would you say that a good amount of protein is the 4oz/deck of cards quantity or is that also mainstream bunk? I do better with visuals verses abstract.

#10

Have you hit up the keto calculator yet?

#11

3 oz in deck of playing cards, which equates to approx 21 grams protein from cooked meat. You probably saw a picture like this:

It’s easier to estimate grams protein from foods like eggs and canned tuna…just read food labels on packaging.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #12

The key is to tweak one thing at a time, ideally, and see what happens. That requires a lot of patience, and I’ll confess I’m not always the best at practicing that.

Things to consider:

  • Reducing Protein intake
  • Removing Dairy
  • If you are sure you’re fat-adapted, try intermittent fasting (perhaps 20 hours fasting with a 4-hour feeding window) being sure not to reduce overall calorie intake (you don’t want your metabolic rate to drop).

The other thing to remember is that plateaus are pretty normal. Sometimes your body needs to consolidate your wins, and get ready for the next hill.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #13

The general guidance I’ve heard used is 1-1.5grams of protein per kg of lean body mass. The problem with visualizations is that not all protein sources have the same amount per oz.

(Genevieve Biggs) #14

I know it’s difficult to hear/read this, but remember the damage/weight gain took years. Keto is the best fix, but not a quick fix. The beginning woosh is mostly water and cleaning out the bowels, only a portion is fatloss. Some stall for 6 months before losing any fat, and then the loss is steady after that. All the fat you’re now intaking is essential for healing years of damage. Healing > fat loss, because weight gain is a symptom of deeper issues. Once the deeper issues are resolved, the fat will come off. :slight_smile: So don’t worry about quick fixes, because Keto will get you there. :sunglasses:

(AnnaLeeThal) #15

A food scale is a helpful tool. That way you can know exactly how much protein you are getting.

(Jessica) #16

About every 6 weeks I stall for a few weeks, see a 4-5 pound whoosh and then resume ~2 pounds/week.

(Dana ) #17

Well my 8 year old son just said "Mom, I think you must be hungry. Because this (gesturing around my midsection) is quite a bit smaller.

So I guess things are chugging along nicely :slight_smile:

(AnnaLeeThal) #18

Ohhhh!!! NSV!