Very slow loser

(Karen Perkins ) #1

I have been dieting for six weeks and have a last for 12 pounds. It took me about a month to lose any and then I lost about 10 pounds and stopped again. Now I’ve lost two more pounds but I seem stuck. I’m trying to do the keto diet I don’t know if I’m doing it right or not. I haven’t cheated one time in six weeks no bread no sweets. Can anybody tell me what I’m doing wrong?

(Amy Ramadan) #2

Would need some more information to know how to help!! Mainly, what does your diet look like, what foods are you eating, how many carbs are you consuming etc?

(Frank) #3

Also some personal stats would be helpful. Height, weight, goals, etc.

(Chris) #4

I can tell you what you’re doing wrong. You’re expecting miracles in a short time, and your mindset is a little off.

6 weeks is almost nothing, and you’ve managed to lose a big chunk so far. For a normal “healthy” dieter on a whole foods diet, a pound a week is considered healthy. Obviously some of yours is water.

You didn’t get overweight or unhealthy over 6 weeks, did you? Why then, would the expectation just be to drop the weight you want to immediately? You can point to the hundreds or thousands who seemed to just melt their extra fat off instantly, but you can’t compare yourself to them - you’re not them. Different body, different hormones, different food, different region, differing levels of health, you don’t know if they lost only fat or if lean tissues were included. It’s just so variable from person to person.

Step back, think of the big picture and long term goal, and don’t expect to just crash diet your way to health and lower weight. That’s how people fail and quit.

Keep calm and keto on.

(Ken) #5

You’re fine. A one pound per week fat loss is normal. You’re probably around that since some loss was initial glycogen. Think of it this way: if you lose around 60 lbs. in a year, it’s two five gallon buckets of fat.

(Karen Perkins ) #6

Thanks Dread 1840. I just can’t figure out of in Ketosis or not. The urine sticks say No.

(Chris) #7

The urine sticks stop working altogether when you adapt, they’re really not worth the money. I wouldn’t worry about trying to hit a ketotic goal of some kind, just keep your carbs low (total, not net, about 20g per day), and make sure you’re eating healthy fats (animal fats are the best) and you’ll get there!

(Karen Perkins ) #8

Thanks Ken, I’m proud of the 12 pounds I’ve lost. I’ve got 52 more to go. Does fasting work?

(Ken) #9

I’ve never Fasted, except for OMAD. IMO, fasting during initial adaptation can speed elimination of derangement and get you used to burning fat. After adaptation it’s important to make sure you’re hungry by the time you eat.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #10

Absolutely fasting works, it’s the magical key.

You are in the PISS period, post induction stall syndrome.
Look at this graph, you will stall approximately from weeks 3-6 or 8 until you become fat adapted.

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(Karen Perkins ) #11

Thanks Katie. How long is the fasting period?

(Jane) #12

You can fast but it will be harder until you are fat adapted. Better to let it happen naturally, which it will, once you start burning fat efficiently.

Your hunger will diminish and you might forget to eat a meal. Then you can start skipping a meal and eat 2 meals a day. Once you are comfortable with that then try an extended fast of 24-36 hours. An easy 36-hr fast is to just not eat one day. You quit eating after dinner and break your fast the morning after the day you don’t eat.

Maybe you can make it to lunch - 42 hours!

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #13

You can fast for however long you like.
Janie covered it pretty well.
Most people who aren’t fat adapted start doing 16:8, then progress to 20:4, then 24 hours between meals which is called OMAD (one meal a day), then when your hunger is eliminiated you can attempt a longer fast of 48 hours.

(Leah Ann Garza) #14

Wow, this may be the best posts yet! Explained so much!

(Karen Perkins ) #15

I know this is going to sound like a dumb question to all of the Keto smart vets, but I have to ask, what is the point of fasting?

(Charlie Kathopoulis) #16

:joy: PISS period … I am going to steal that

(Charlie Kathopoulis) #17

Karen it is to help people keep their insulin low - if theres no food coming in, we don’t get an insulin spike, which in turn helps people who are hyperinsulanaemic or suffer metabolic derangement. Dr Jason Fund explains it in this video if you’d like to watch …

(Jane) #18

Like @Charlz said - keeps your insulin low so your body can access your fat stores. With no food coming in your body has to pull from its own fat stores for energy.

It sounds impossible and scary when you are coming from a high-carb diet where you are hungry all the time and would be ravenous by the end of the day if you didn’t eat all day. But you will see… I didn’t try my first fast until 6 months on keto when I had a real stall so no rush.