Ugh! Can’t get back into ketosis!

(Erin ) #1

I have been trying to get back into ketosis for a month. I was 11 weeks pregnant, cravings for carbs SO bad I couldn’t stay in it, had a miscarriage a month ago and have been trying to get back into it this whole time. I only gained 3lbs while I was pregnant/off keto and lost it right away but am back to the previous stuck spot.

I know I don’t eat enough, it’s a problem but what I do eat is all fats, healthy fats and some protein. I checked my ketones with a strip yesterday morning, turned semi purple so tested with the blood monitor - .01 what!?

Then decided to go on a fat fast yesterday, granted I wake up late and work all night so I didn’t get to eat 2000 calories of it. But I did eat a lot of nuts, coconut oil, pork, cheese, eggs, bacon etc. This morning I did another blood check and literally NOTHING! The machine could only say low. :roll_eyes::expressionless:

I’m getting really frustrated. I’m about to go to the gym and do some weight training, maybe burn out whatever glycogen stores are left???

Could it take more than a month to burn out whatever was there from before? Could it be related to hormones going back to normal?

I don’t remember ever taking this long to get back into ketosis. I need to lose these last 10lbs that have been stuck this whole year! I don’t know how to push myself back in. I’m trying but it’s not working. Any tips???

#2

Sorry to hear about your loss.

Meters measures the difference between what was produced and what has been used, these are ketone bodies that are left over in your blood and are available for use. Low or no readings don’t necessarily mean you’re not in ketosis. How is your energy? are you crashing? Have you tried any fasting?

(Dena ) #3

How much is a lot of nuts? Depending on the nut, those can be carby. Just a thought.

#4

You could do a water only fast until you reach your desired level of ketosis. Then resume eating in a manner that maintains it.

(Bunny) #5

.01 and your fasting? That’s going to go up (e.g. 3.0) and down (e.g. .03) all day long, but that’s still ketosis, if it’s always low then you might be truly fat adapted and not realize it, you may never see high numbers again on a blood ketone meter which is good because your using the ketones more efficiently for energy and you won’t necessarily see all of them with a blood ketone meter either because they are being burned up for energy before they are detected (not floating around in the blood), and it looks like you may have been doing this a long time from your description and if true; at this point pee sticks will be useless at detecting ketones, you could test negative with the sticks one minute and then purple the next, then no purple, then pink…will drive you crazy!

(Erin ) #6

Thanks.

Well I thought to be in fat burning mode you needed to be showing ketones of 1.5-3 ? So you’re saying if I’m showing .01 that my body is just using them up?

I’m not crashing. I don’t feel bad or tired, I mean not more than usual. I work until 7am so it’s kind of hard to tell if I’m crashing or not lol.

I pretty much fast every day. I don’t eat until around 4pm at the earliest every day. The days I work I won’t eat until around 8 the next day if not later.

I usually only eat macadamia nuts but yesterday I ate some mixed I noticed have a little more carbs than normal.

(Erin ) #7

LOL it does drive me crazy!!!

If I were in ketosis though wouldn’t I be burning this fat??? I need to lose 10-15lbs!!! I will go down a couple pounds and then if I eat more than the usual or eat after a fast it just goes back up the couple pounds.

(Ken) #8

You’re fine. Yes, your body is just using them. Don’t chase ketone numbers, they’re just a secondary energy pathway of Lipolysis.

(Erin ) #9

If I do a water fast how long should I do it for?

Today I worked out which I haven’t done in a while so maybe that will shock my body a little. Usually when I work out the numbers go up on the scale, I’m assuming from water weight

(Erin ) #10

Ok so how do I lose the weight then, if I am fat adapted and it’s not budging?

(Erin ) #11

Do I need to eat more calories?? If I am only eating around 1000 would that stop me from loosing weight?

(Ken) #12

Increase protein to 35 percent, drop fat to 60 percent. Eat OMAD, and make sure you’re hungry when you eat. If you think you may be having metabolic issues, consider eating some carbs on the weekends. If you want to exercise a little, try taking a 30 minute walk every day or two.

#13

You’ve mentioned weight a couple times, your total weight is a pretty much useless number, have you been tracking your lean body mass and body fat? if not, it might be time to get one of those home scales, they may not be accurate, but they will let you see relative changes. While in ketosis it’s real easy to build more lean body mass without really trying. I would bet your lean denser body mass is increasing and your fat is decreasing.

#14

yes eat more calories, add them in fats. 1000 sounds way too low, possibly even below your bmr, that’s not a good place to hang out for long until your metabolism starts to make some changes.

(Bunny) #15

You might be burning dietary fat (1.5 etc.) in ketones (oxidized fats) also not just body fat!

See this post here:

(Erin ) #16

Yes thanks. I have a scale that measures everything. Body fat % stays the same.
I’m going to get a new one.

I think I’m going to switch up my fasting and start doing EF and on my off days try to get my calories higher

(Bunny) #17

Fasting: 4 types of Fasts and How Often to Do Each - Thomas DeLauer

7 Ways to Eat More Fats on the Keto Diet

(Running from stupidity) #18

No, you have a scale that spits out a number that pretends to be things. It measures your weight.

(L. C.) #19

Why is that? Dark purple 2 days ago, today so light pink (negative) I kept retesting/wasting strips- should I try a glucose meter? I have actually gained 5 lbs. In the last 12 days :thinking::upside_down_face:.

(Bunny) #20

5 pounds is probably fluctuations in water weight not actual body fat lost or gained?

I really like this statement (screen shot from video):

image
2B54DCE4-4A93-4560-901B-6FF21E38476B.jpeg1125×355 274 KB

This is awesome information:

image source: 5 Ketosis Mistakes That Make You Fat
Timestamps:
#1 Thinking Keto is a Low Carb Diet 0:52
#2 Eating too Many Hidden Carbs 3:12
#3 Dairy 5:13
#4 Eat as Much Keto Food Sources as Wanted 6:38
#5 Not Getting Enough Fat 7:55

See also:

  1. How much protein is excessive? How much protein is enough? - Dr. Jason Fung
  1. Autophagy: Intermittent fasting protein cycling (IFPC) - Naomi Whittel