Upgrades for week 3

(Karl L) #1

Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know yet. Despite all the great info here I’ve made a few mistakes. So, starting yesterday (Monday), I’m doing the following:

  1. I put my scale in the guest bedroom, with the door closed. I’ll weigh myself in about a week. When it was right outside the bathroom I couldn’t resist stepping on it several times a day. (Yeah, I know. You guys already told me this!)
  2. I’m easing up on trying to find keto-friendly sweets. Week 1 I made a bowl of chocolate mousse almost every night. So, 1/2 cup of HWC, 1tsp of cocoa and 1(heaping)tsp of powdered Splenda. Perfect right? Not exactly. Week 2 I dropped the Splenda in favor of liquid Stevia drops. Perfect! Then I learned about carbs in HWC. On the nights I wasn’t having the mousse I’d have SF jello with canned whipped cream. Ugh… I’m dumping my favorite diet ginger ale in favor of water. Overall I just think I’m making harder to beat the cravings by ingesting a steady stream of sweet-tasting stuff. Plus, while I don’t have any type of diagnostic equipment yet, I could very well be triggering an insulin response even with artificial sweeteners. (Yeah, I know. You guys already told me this!)
  3. I’m riding my bike, but I’m not worried about epic distances or setting PRs. That can come after my body gets used to the new fuel source. (Yeah, I know. You guys already told me this!)
  4. I really like bourbon and scotch - actually I really like IPA’s and stouts too, but you know… I’ll be limiting my whisk(e)y drinking to my Thursday night cigar group.
    That’s a lot of variables for my N=1, but still interested to see what changes I notice this week.
(Mike Glasbrener) #2

I really like your self introspection/diagnosis!:grinning: Vices get easier and easier to let go as you progress. I’m personally scared of artificial sweeteners. But that’s my hang up. Thus I use none. Aspartame now gives me a massive headache ~90 minutes after consuming it. As non-Keto I never experienced that EVER! That made it easy to give up the occasional diet cola.

(Duncan Kerridge) #3

You’re right about the sweeteners / sweet stuff, I found it easiest to just eliminate anything sweet or desserty for a couple of months to break my sweet craving. I do occasionally make desserts now but maybe only once or twice a week as I don’t crave them anymore.

#4

It’s all a learning experience and most of us have hits and misses along the way when first finding your feet. The approach you’re taking is great and you’ll continue to work out what is best for you by trying different things along the way…some you’ll keep in your Keto repertoire, others you’ll discard…keep up the n=1 approach and you’ll do just fine. Looking forward to hearing from you in a week or two on how these small changes go. :+1:

(James storie) #5

This sounds like a great plan. I believe many people make the mistake of trying to replace all of their addictions with other “safe” options. I went cold turkey for almost a year before I even attempted to make a keto treat.

(Karl L) #6

Week 3 update: i stuck to my plan pretty stinking well, but I just pulled my scale out of hiding and was disappointed to learn that I only lost 1/2 lb. that’s 6.5 total. 5 week one, 1 week 2 and 0.5 week 3. Belly measurement is unchanged as well. I still feel like crap on the bike, and I’m hungry by mealtime.
So far, the results of my N=1 experiment are not indicating success.
However, I plan to KCKO

#7

Patience… you may want to try upping your salt and fat intake this week and see how that goes.

(Karl L) #8

Another week of pretty strict keto eating, added salt, plenty of fat and a couple of bike rides…and I gained a pound. Belly measurement unchanged. My N=1 results indicate this WOE doesn’t cause weight loss.

(Andrew Anderson) #9

Weight loss isn’t the only thing keto does. It is a great side effect that comes in spurts for some. There is internal repair that may take priority over initial weight loss.
Have you had a chance to read the Obesity Code? It helps outline the impact of insulin on weight. Changing up eating routine with forms of fasting and feasting can be beneficial.
It took me many years to gain my weight and I expect loss results will not be immediate. Read some of the posts on weight loss stalls for great advice!

(Karl L) #10

Thanks Mr A. I’ve read a lot: Taubes, Phinney & Volek, and tons of stuff online. I’m convinced that a ‘well formulated ketogenic diet’ is very beneficial for my overall health, but am still a bit disappointed to have not lost much weight.
Even if I’m missing some ‘hidden carbs’ or have an insulin response to the occasional artificial sweetener, I still have had no refined sugar, baked goods or starches for 30 days. To the best of my knowledge I keep to about 20gms of carbs a day, 100-125gms of protein and 150-200gms of fat. I’m also adding salt to almost everything and drinking 24oz of keto-ade most days.
I’m hesitant to try my first fast as I’m still feeling hungry before meals.

#11

Hmmmm…without knowing your lean body mass it’s just a guess…but I’m thinking that your protein might be a bit too high?

(Karl L) #12

Maybe a tad; I’m 195lbs with a BMI of about 29. But I’d hate to think that being a few per cent off on my macros would keep me from losing weight.
I am dipping my toe in the shallow end of the IF pool; BPC for breakfast and nothing after dinner (15/7ish yesterday). Skipping eggs and sausage will drop my protein for sure; yesterday was right around 70gms.

#13

You’d be surprised. Some people are really sensitive to very small changes in macros. I think targeting a max of 70g a day based on the figures you’ve shared is a good goal…give it a try for 2 weeks and see what happens!