Weight loss fail

newbies

(Karen) #1

Hello
I started the diet almost a month ago and am not seeing the weight loss I was hoping for. I am an obese 29 year old female and thought such and extreme diet would surely show results. I’m beginning to get discouraged since I have not cheated at all and am using an app that tracks my percentages of fat/protein/carb intake and I end the day with a good ratio. Wondering if the fact that I am almost 50% less of what I’m alloted for those numbers per day (i.e. I take in half the amount of fat/protein/carbs my app allows because i’m simply not hungry) allows.
I lost 6 lbs the first week (water almost all of it i’m sure) and then have only lost 1lb ± each week.
I am moderately active and generally burn the amount of calories I consume according to my fitbit connected to my app. I’ve even incorporated a 12-16 hour fast the past 4 days and haven’t seen a lot of results.
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE?


(Stacy Blanchard) #2

My suggestion is that you give yourself a month of no scale and you focus on seeing other positive outcomes. Weight tells a small part of what is going on in your body. I no that may be a challenge but sometimes more time is required to adapt. Focus on learning even more and making better and better food choices. The weight loss will happen, just be patient. Maybe you can find someone local to you that you can both lean on each other for help.


(Rob) #3

The diet isn’t as extreme as extreme calorie restriction and excessive exercise (per Biggest Loser). It is about resetting your metabolism from carb burning to fat burning and lowering your insulin resistance. You are 29 which suggests you should have more metabolic flexibility but obese at such an age also suggests there are other issues (e.g. PCOS?) - so… it may well take good time to make the internal changes that will result in weight loss and more importantly, better health. Losing 1 lb a week isn’t bad for a woman with a more complex hormonal system than a man’s. However you are probably confusing your body by changing fuels/lowering insulin, AND stressing it with exercise, AND freaking it out with IF, AND restricting it’s energy all at once. It is usually best to do only one thing at a time.

  1. I’d cut any extra exercise - the whole thing of what your Fitbit says you’re doing is usually way optimistic and really doesn’t have any clue how your body uses energy. Exercise has very little to do with weight loss and generally makes the body want more food.
  2. You may not be hungry or you may be used to calorie restriction and find keto satiating but it doesn’t mean that you aren’t starving your body and lowering or maintaining a low BMR. I would try to eat more to your allotment and trust the process.
  3. I would skip intermittent fasting for now but that might be the least disruptive thing.

OR you could just press on with what your doing and see if you can lose 1lb a week for a year or two. Maybe that is just how keto works for you. If you do, you are far less likely to yo-yo back than with other WoEs.

Best of luck with whatever you try.


#4

Did you measure yourself at the start? If not, do that now- you may find that even if the scales aren’t moving your measurements will- I’ve only lost a pound a week after the first week, but my waist is definitely shrinking!! That’ll give you the incentive to keep doing keto. :wink:


(Dan Dan) #5

You didn’t state that you gained any back so 9lbs in one month :thinking:

Most people would consider that a significant amount of loss a success what are your expectations?

How much do you expect to lose a month for it to not be a “Weight loss Fail” ?


(Jay AM) #6

Especially when you are first beginning keto, don’t count anything but carbs. If you are restricting calories while trying to live a keto life, you’re going to burn out fast, give up, and move on to another yo yo diet. Not only that but, anecdotal evidence from this forum shows newbies who restrict calories seeing no changes or even gaining weight.

A ketogenic way of eating is not about restricting anything but insulin spikes which we control by eating low carbohydrates and allowing our bodies to shift to burning ketones as fuel. It is not a yo yo diet. It’s not yo mama’s diet. It’s a way of eating that allows your body to heal itself with a side effect of weight loss. Your body does not care what arbitrary number you use to judge it by. All it cares about is taking the right inputs and being its best self. We have two sayings here, “keep calm and keto on” and “trust the process.”

There are two phases to ketosis and a ketogenic lifestyle.

Nutritional ketosis is phase one. Your body begins to produce and uptake some ketones while dumping the rest. It will still search for glucose to use as fuel. In this phase it’s not an efficient process. It has to work actively to get rid of stored glycogen, clean up excess blood sugar, and turn on the ability to use ketones.

Fat adaptation is phase two. Your body is efficiently producing ketones from intake and stored body fat and is also using them efficiently for energy. It takes around 6-8 weeks of strict keto to achieve for many but not all.

Basically, the whole point of doing the ketosis is to reach the fat adaptation. People who stop short won’t ever experience the true reason for the work they and their body have put into this metabolic shift.

The basic “rules” I go by and many others can agree with especially for beginners are:

*20g net carbs max (you might tolerate more but, starting out, 20g net carbs or less will get you into ketosis.)

*Moderate protein (1g-1.5g per kg of lean bodyweight is a good goal based on the 2 Dudes recommendations.)

*Fat to satiety (add fat to every meal and, if you are hungry, eat more fat. Don’t be afraid of fat. It is energy.)

*Do not restrict calories

*Drink plenty of water

*Get plenty of sodium and other electrolytes

*Do not do excessive exercise to try losing excess weight. You may notice decreased stamina in the beginning. Listen to your body.


(Karl) #7

Problem #1 is this isn’t a diet for most people here. It’s a lifestyle change, which for many reverses their diabetes. Treating it like a short-term diet to lose a few pounds is not why most people do this.

There’s nothing “extreme” about cutting carbs in my opinion. But a lot of people never get to the first phase of this ketosis business because they are still eating too many carbs. That’s why “percentages” are dangerous when counting macros, and why so many people point out the “20g carbs/day” number. 20g/day isn’t a percentage, it’s a hard limit you should be trying to stick to. Too much protein causes an insulin response in some people too, so you need to be mindful of how many grams-per-kilogram of body weight you’re consuming. This is also not a ratio or percentage - it’s a number that’s specific to your personal body stats.

You didn’t mention your current stats either - you might be a 140lb 5’10 person who just wants to lose 10lb for bikini weather. You might be a Type 2 diabetic with 100lb or more to lose. I can’t tell based on your post. Edit: Whoops, you pointed out you’re obese, i missed that. Ignore this part :slight_smile:


#8

You’ve gotten GREAT advice, so this is just another vote for everything above:

  1. take measurements because the scale won’t tell you much about the rate of your fat loss;

  2. take the long view: at the rate you’re going, you’re looking at a 50lb weightloss in a year, plus probably some really nice recomposition (so you’ll look better than 50 lb loss would indicate) and probably be dramatically healthier in ways that you can’t even anticipate now;

  3. be careful with exercise plus IF if you’re newly keto! both of these are great additions but not as a panic measure to force faster changes;

  4. restrict carbs but not fat for now; what you want is to regulate insulin and satiety signals, not freak out your body because there’s suddenly a drop in fuel.

I would just add that it would be great to read through success stories every day to get a more realistic feel for timeline (longer) and the profound changes that people experience (huge!).

Good luck to you!


(Jo) #9

So you ARE losing weight. Don’t get discouraged by the enormous weight losses that guys are posting on the forum. Women are different. Our hormonal balances are much more intricate and this way of eating is trying to balance all of that. It takes time for our bodies to work that out. It also may be a little early for a fast. I am waiting until 2 months in before I try that, I want to be a little more fat adapted.

I started 2.5 weeks ago. Have lost about 6 lbs in the first two weeks. I didn’t have a lot of water weight as I am taking a Blood pressure medication that prevents water to accumulate. My loss is about the same as you, a pound a week. I am weaning myself off the scale and will try to only weigh once every two weeks. Don’t become a slave to the scale.

Also, have you measured yourself? While I was not losing much weight my clothes started fitting differently, and when I measured by waist it had decreased by 1.5" in 2 weeks.

I hope this helps! KCKO.
Jo


(Karen) #10

Thank you for your suggestions Rob!
I do not come from a family of small people but I am the biggest of them.
I have not been incorporating excersize into my routine, but being a stay at home mother of two toddlers and working part time in retail has made it so I move around quiet a bit.

I am confused at the suggestion of eating more food past what I’m hungry for. everything I have read so far has said that only eat to satiety. But I dont want to starve my body out of energy either


(Karen) #11

I have Jules! and I have seen some results (1" on waist) nothing below that has changed which i have read is common for the diet (that it targets core more than lower body) Thank you for the reminder that not everything is about weight


(Karen) #12

Dan,
you make a good point. I think knowing how much I have to lose and knowing how drastically I’ve changed my eating lifestyle for this diet that I had hoped for at least 2lbs/week beyond initial water loss. but you are right.
Also, tried to call the title “weight loss struggle” but it was taken. I understand “fail” is a bit demeaning to myself


(Karen) #13

Wow, Thanks Jay!
That makes a lot of sense. I’m definitely not at the quitting stage (keto flu was way to awful to quit on a frustrated day)
I am not intentionally restricting calories or any other of the tracking foods, I am just eating to satiety. I have the “Carb Manager” app and I keep my percentages right (5,25,70) I just don’t eat the number of grams they suggest based on my weight
I have bought some Mio with electrolytes and could do better with being regular in taking it.
I have also added a multivitamin and fish oil to help my body adapt.
Thanks again


(Karen) #14

Thanks Karl for the response.
I am aware that numbers are just as important as percentages. I typlically take in 18-20 carbs a day (if i’m fasting 12-16 hours it can be as low as 5 carbs/day and that is just from vegetables).
I do not currently have diabetes (that I know of) but I have a family history of it and I had gestational diabetes with both pregnancies (one insulin dependent) so I know my risks are there.


(Rebecca ) #15

I have to say I personally am counting calories on MFP, but it’s less being concerned about the calories and more about keeping my macros straight. I think I eat too much protien and not enough fat if I don’t watch it. BUT, I am not sweating being way over on what I used to think was my calorie limit (and of course MFP still thinks I am over) What I am amazed by is that I can eat over by several hundred (not even including adult beverages if I have those. I don’t log them) and I am feeling smaller. Lbs are not dropping yet, but I am sure I’d be successful in measuring.

I think it’s pretty individual. If you are going to be way hung up on calorie restricting, then yeah, don’t log your food. But I find it helpful.


(Karen) #16

Thank you Madeleine for such a positive response!
I have incorporated measurements to my monday morning routine of checking weight.
I definitely will look for more success stories!


(Karen) #17

Jo, Great job on your success!
I have not noticed a change in clothes fitting but i have noticed my face looks a bit thinner and my measurements (which aren’t the most accurate i’m sure) indicate I"ve lost an inch on the waist and half an inch on my flabby biceps :slight_smile:
You are absolutely right that men seem to drop weight when they just think the word “diet”
Thank you for your advice


(Liz ) #18

I lose weight SO SLOOOOWLY and it was incredibly hard to be patient especially at the start but I think you are definitely on the right track so hang in there!

My fat adaptation didn’t even kick in for about 6 weeks, sometimes it can takes months! Your body is revving up the mechanisms by which it will burn fat for fuel instead of glucose and that takes some time. It’s happening at the mitochondrial level in your cells! It’s kind of amazing.

You may already know these tips but don’t skimp on fats at this stage, you are letting your body know what the new fuels will be. And try not to snack between meals, Better to add the snack food to your meal time. The fewer times you eat each day, the more successful you’ll be in keeping your insulin low which is the whole point of the Keto lifestyle.

Keep Calm and Keto On!


(Karl) #19

I say just keep at it. Eventually the cork in the bottle will come loose.


(Richard Neurouter) #20

Good Day,
I am writing in the hope of obtaining answers I am desperately in search of.
To begin, I am a 46 y/o male, 5’10” 250lbs with a sedentary lifestyle. I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea (dedicated CPAP user over 15 years), Hypertension, High Cholesterol, and Type 2 Diabetes (a1c 8.0).
My physician had advised me to see a RN Diabetes Counselor for nutrition and weight loss advise. Having followed the plan, I had basically little success.
Six weeks ago, after performing research, I began a ketogenic diet. Using the My Fitness Pal App and Samsung health, I religiously have tracked all food/water intake and activity (My BMR calculation is roughly 1800 no activity 2400 with activity for weigh loss.)
As I said, I have tracked this religiously. I need to admit, there have been days where numbers were not perfect. Based on 50 records My avg. Net Carb intake is 18.7g with a on time high of 28.7g and 10 total incidents over 20g. My Calorie intake avg. is 2000 and I burn avg 2400 kcal. I have been in ketosis since day 4 (Urine strips) and now consistently find my ketone level using Precision xtra between .5 and 1.9. I have made an active move to increase activity (basic walking) to 1-2 hours a day.
I have ceased old habits such as 4000-5000 calories and unknown carb intake from beer weekly.
I have lost 3in. an NO WEIGHT in 6 weeks
My initial blood sugars were great (80-100) , however for the past 2 weeks they are up to 130-150 with no change on my end.
I understand the “slow and long term” process, but the lack of any real result is crazy to me.
I returned to the nutritionist who admittedly said the were not an expert on ketosis, and they tell me to further reduce calories to 1800 and cut salt to 1500mg with increase exercise. They also say eat 30-40g of carbs a meal.
I like the food and recipes found across the net for Keto and am satisfied. I don’t mind skipping beer. Just can’t understand why no results beyond a 3 in (and that stopped 2 weeks ago.
Any help is appreciated.