Trying to lose weight after years of crash dieting and low-carb diets but keep stalling. Need some testimonies and support

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(Hannah Grace) #1

I’ve been dieting on and off for about 5 years now. I lost 70 lbs. initially with super low-calorie dieting and the infamous HCG diet (I would lose about 20 lbs. each round and then gain some back after and have to lose it again, this went on for several years) and then tried to maintain it helplessly, gaining and losing the same 15 lbs. every year while doing low-carb diets for a few months, then stalling and going back to eating carbs and around and around I went on this ridiculous cycle.

Then one year I was trying desperately to lose weight for an event so I started doing a pretty much zero carb diet and in a week and a few days I lost 10 lbs!!! I was shocked and thrilled because it had been a couple years since i had seen weight loss that fast and consistent. Tragically, I went to this event and didn’t follow my same diet well at all so I gained back that weight and went right back to my routine of losing and gaining the same weight. Fast forward 2 years later and I’m now 35 lbs. heavier than that lowest weight after zero carb.

This year has been really stressful and busy and I just kind of let go at the end of 2017 and gained 20 lbs. over the year. I spent about a month of eating no grains, no fruit and not very much veggies either but I just kept losing the same 5 lbs and gaining them back. Now I feel stuck because I’ve started eating carbs again because I couldn’t stand how tired, stressed, cold and sick I felt on the low carb diet but my weight hadn’t gotten any better and I’m so done. PLEASE tell me someone else has been through this and gotten past it. I will take any ideas I can get. I know my body is probably not in good shape after all this crap I’ve put it through but I’m still holding out hope that keto can work miracles for me even after all these years. I exercise about 5 times a week either doing a 30 minute workout on youtube or walking for an hour to and hour and a half.

I need some encouragement because I doubt keto a lot since I’ve stalled so many times while eating low-carb but I know there’s gotta be something I can do to start consistently losing again. I’m so sick of gaining and losing the same 15 lbs. Not only do I need to get back to my lowest weight but I also want to get even lower than that.

If you’re still here and reading, THANK YOU! And hopefully you might be able to relate? I’ll take whatever I can get, people. :slight_smile:

(Anjum) #2

Hate to sound like a moron - here goes sounding like one. Low carb on its own may not get you to where you need to, but low carb HIGH fat can. Carbs are an easy source of fuel for your body. The moment you take that away, you have to give your body an alternative fuel source. FAT. It takes a week or so, depending on your age and extent of carb consumption on your diet, before your body learns how to use fat as fuel. Once your body burns fat for energy, you will need to adjust your diet accordingly to burn stored fat.
Get a carb app - it will calculate your macros based on your weight goals. YOU CAN GET PAST THIS. YOU CAN SUCCEED at turning the corner to better health and a better life. Persevere my friend. I tried every diet, sunk so much money into nutritionists NOTHING worked - except KETO. Good luck! :hugs:

(Natasha) #3

Could this be an electrolyte issue?

#4

The key to success in life, is to design it so it plays to your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses. Said more poetically by the Greek aphorism, “know thyself”

To be successful losing weight, and more importantly, maintaining weight loss, build a system that works how you are (not how you wish you were). My background is different than yours, but I’ll share what I did.

ABOUT ME: I am impatient. I always seek efficiency- the least amount of effort that will accomplish the desired result. I have little willpower, but a lot of discipline. I could never adhere to a restrictive diet plan over the long haul. Food/diet/WOE doesn’t play a central role in my life.

WHAT I DID: I lost 65 lbs over the course of 7 months, mostly by fasting, eating on average, once every 4-10 days. Many times, the meals weren’t LC. I did this because fasting is the most efficient way to fix deranged metabolism and because the weight came off quickly, keeping me motivated. I lost another 20 lbs (and reached normal BMI) over the next 3 or 4 months eating a lot more frequently.

CURRENTLY: I typically eat within my (tested) carb tolerance, but not always. There are usually a few days a month when I go off plan. My plan is based on my blood glucose, I don’t eat on days when my morning BG > 85. This means if I eat decadently, I may to have to fast for a couple days. If I eat low carb, I can eat everyday. I’m now focused on body recomposition, weight fine (even low) but I want lower body fat. I have a backstop- a weight threshold that I don’t myself to raise above. On a couple of occasions (including a hospitalization) over the past year, I did hit it and needed to fast until I was below it.

SUMMARY: Fasting is simple, can be done anywhere anytime and is effective. Most importantly, it allows me the dietary flexibility I need to be sustainable for me over the long run. I hope its clear how I designed a system that works according to how I am wired. Unless you’re exactly like me, don’t imitate what I’ve done, create a system based on how you’re wired.

(Amy Ramadan) #5

I think your title says it all!! After years of yo-yo dieting, look at all the ups and downs your body has been through!! I’m thinking your body just needs the to adjust!!! Seems like you may need to do some more research and get your head in the game as well! Keto is great for all sorts of ailments and a great way to lose weight as well, but you need to give it a chance!! You didn’t gain the weight overnight and therefore will not lose it overnight. Aim to consume 20 net carbs or fewer per day and go from there!! Have confidence in yourself and focus more on becoming healthier, rather than focusing on weight loss and you will get there!! You got this!!! :blush:

(Hannah Grace) #6

Thank you so much. I really have to keep remembering to keep a positive mindset because it’s so hard to imagine losing 40-50 pounds when you can barely keep off 5! :confused: But I love your mindset and it’s very encouraging so thank you for that :slight_smile: <3

(Hannah Grace) #7

This is extremely interesting!! I tend to be very disciplined when I know something is going to work but it’s hard for me to stick at it for a while if I’m not seeing results. I like the idea of fasting but I tend to be an all-or-nothing person and I feel like it’s not going to help me resolve that issue. However, thank you so much for this because it’s really making me think and I’m very similar in wanting things to happen as efficiently and quickly as possible. :smiley:

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #8

How much total weight do you need to lose. Those “last” 20 lbs can be the hardest and fussiest. Those with a lot of weight to lose tend to drop more quickly. Those who are here seeking to lose the last 10-20 lbs can find difficulty, sometimes because what we want to be our desired weight to be isn’t what our body determines is right for us and fights it.

(Hannah Grace) #9

Oh my goodness thank you!! This is really helpful. I’ve seen a couple people mention that if you have yo-yo dieted in the past, you’ll probably need a much higher fat content to get your body into fat-burning but I wasn’t sure because then others will say to quit eating so many calories or “you don’t need to eat a lot of fat because your body already has fat”.

This makes sense, though, because no matter how little carbs I eat (no veggies, very little dairy, no grains or fruits) I don’t feel the same energy and drive that I used to feel from eating high-fat, like you feel like you can conquer the world and your body is a fat-burning machine or something. :slight_smile: Maybe this is what I’m missing, eating enough fat to get my body out of it’s harboring every last bit of fat

(Hannah Grace) #10

Oof, I wish it was just my last 20 lbs. :confused: I got to a weight where 20 lbs less would have been perfect but now that I’ve gained back weight I need to lose at least 30 before I’m even back in a normal weight range.

(Hannah Grace) #11

Maybe! Do you have any advice on that? I’ve heard people mention the importance but I guess I should research it more than

(Anjum) #12

In my experience, Keto is not a one size fits all. This is not a negative however, I have found helpful tips on various threads here. Try everything and find what works for you. Keto is a silent worker bee fixing what ails your body. Many experience non scale victories before the bulk comes off. I found I felt so much better. I didn’t realize how crappy I was feeling, until I began to feel better. Drink lots of water - initial weight loss is water weight. Remember that even 1/2 a pound a week is better than no loss at all. Measure your waist, thighs and chest to get an accurate loss idea. And ask questions, many here have a wealth of knowledge, experiences they’ve had, that will help.

(Amy Ramadan) #13

Focus on smaller goals, one thing at a time!! Rather than looking at the whole picture, a 40-50 lb loss, set smaller goals, once you reach that goal, set another!! For example, your first goal could be to meal plan, prep meals and rid the house of foods that may trigger a binge. Once you achieve that, set a goal of being more active, or losing 5 lbs!! Smaller goals are loss intimidating, allowing you to stay focused!! Baby steps lol

(Hannah Grace) #14

Yes!! Thank you so much. Every word of encouragement helps :slight_smile:

(Hannah Grace) #15

A 1/2 pound is definitely good progress as long as I feel better. I just really miss that super-human feeling I would get once my body was burning fat for fuel but I rarely feel like no matter how little carbs I’m eating so I’m hoping that increasing my fat intake will help with that

#16

Yo-yo dieter here :slight_smile: Tomorrow is my 6-month keto anniversary and I have to say, this is the best decision I’ve done. Since teens, I was always up and down 10 pounds and then I quit smoking 3 years ago and gained, I think, 15kg.

I tried by making better choices, IF, exercising off bad choices, constantly worring how to make my meals “smarter” then ending up in a bag of chips and feeling horrible the next morning, etc…a horrible cycle. After my weight didnt change for 6 months, between 78 and 80kg, I decided I had enough and began my keto journey.

The first two months were rough - keto flu, digestion, learning how to read labels, making mistakes, correcting mistakes, weighing, reading, listening to pod casts, etc. I’m also histamine intolerant and I think my body needed longer to get its act together from years of inflammation and auto-immune responses. And then you learn what triggers you (snacking, hunger, etc) and correct it…KCKO.

Now? I never want to go back- I weigh 66kg (i think I weighed that in high school), I eat without all the psychological games we play with ourselves, I keep my diet simple (meat, veggies, eggs, butter, olive oil, coconut oil and cheese) and look forward to seeing what my body can do in fat-adapted state.

You can do this, just repeat it to yourself until your head catched up :slight_smile: Take pride in making smart choices at home and be strict when eating in company, stand up for your body and don’t blame the circumstances for cheating :wink: I used the trick “maybe I can have some, I’ve been good for a month”…always a mistake, it just sets you back 10 steps.

And the one line that really hit home (joe rogan’s show with layne) - stop treating yourself with food, youre not a dog!

(Natasha) #17

If you type ‘electrolyte’ into the forum search bar, it will bring up the topics that discuss that. I know that for me, (especially during the first month or so) if my electrolytes are out of whack, I feel rotten. Good luck finding the answer that works for you :grinning:

(Ken) #18

You’ll never be successful at losing weight and keeping it off as long as you view yourself as “dieting”. You have to make a fundamental lifestyle change to fat based nutrition. Then when you occasionally eat carbs it merely becomes an exception to your pattern rather than the rule, as it really takes going back to a carb based pattern to regain fat.

(Hannah Grace) #19

Thank you so much! I like that idea for sure

(Hannah Grace) #20

Thank you thank you thank you!!! :smiley: I absolutely love hearing these testimonies and it’s so encouraging! I’m looking forward to this more with each reply, ya’ll are awesome!