What if Keto Just Doesn't Work for Everyone?

(What The Fast?!) #21

Yes - I just started doing the Carb Nite Solution, which is basically keto for a week, then one night of carb-loading. Rinse and repeat. If that doesn’t work, I may try doing a version of Paleo…essentially I might just switch to a whole foods diet and drop the high fat.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #22

I just bought Dave Asprey’s book on the Bulletproof diet. Some of what he quotes as science is inaccurate, as I understand it, but there’s no denying that what he did worked for him. And he has lots of useful points to ponder. Once I finish the book—and finish looking at the studies Ted Naiman mentioned—I’ll feel in a better position to look around and see what to try next.

#23

I don’t do diets - I think that eating is so much more than just about numbers. It’s a mind body connection. I’m not saying that this is relevant to you - this is just my experience. I truly believe (yet I might be wrong) that we can hold onto fat depending on what kind of psychological base we’re starting from. I think there’s some truth in it though. High stress, anxiety - higher cortisol and hormonal imbalances. There’s something very strong about how we feel and think that can influence our bodies. But it’s also more than just food or numbers, as food is only as good as the environment it’s grown in - and it’s true for us too. Chemicals in our homes and self care products can actually change estrogen levels etc. So it’s more than just food I think. You can have numbers down perfectly, but if you are stressed, breathing shallow, high chemicals in the environment - I think it all plays a part!

Sorry to hear that what you want isn’t happening. That can be so frustrating.

(KetoQ) #24

Can certainly agree with your “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it approach” with respect to diabetes, even if it comes at the expense of not losing, or stalled weight loss.

It can be easy to get carried away in thinking that everything has to be perfect or optimal. Diabetes, blood pressure and artery health are some of the real important things to take care of. The weight loss and aesthetics are gravy, although they are important for self-esteem and quality of life.

(Jamie Marie ) #25

Ive been listening to The Keto for Women podcast the past week or two. She has some interesting insights that you might find useful. She’s all about finding the right version of keto for each individual.

#26

I’d be gobsmacked if the same diet did work for everyone! We’ve all encountered that ‘well it made sense on paper’ stuff which didn’t seem to apply to us :exploding_head:

If CNS doesn’t give you the results you want then I’d say that’s a good idea. You’ve followed all the ‘rules’ to the nth degree & it simply hasn’t worked for you so perhaps a more intuitive approach is the key. You know the science & you’re very in touch with your health & body so maybe some mutual trust is needed - trust your body & let your body trust you. Best of luck.

(Ashley) #27

What are your stats height, weight, ect? I’m no expert but I’m just curious if you have a decent amount to lose or what not. I lost 40lbs fast but have been stalled for a few months now. I’ve done some carnivore but have gave up, this week I’m going full carnivore with higher protein to see if there’s any difference. Way I look at it, I have a lot of fat to lose so high fat for me isn’t helping me burn fat. From what I read if you have a lot of fat you don’t need the extra fat on plate. Just till full.

(Bunny) #28

I am sure you know all this stuff already but is it possible you could have missed anything on this proposed top ten list?

Maybe try a Postprandial glucose test?

10 Reasons Why Your Belly Is Not Shrinking on Keto (Ketogenic Diet) In this video, Dr. Berg talks about the 10 reasons why your belly might not be shrinking while doing ketogenic diet plan.

  1. Not doing it correctly – Some people are just trying it halfway and doing it partially. If you have slow metabolism, you probably have to bring your carbs down to 10g/day. We must counter that slow metabolism. Carbs: 20 to 50g Protein: Moderate Amount (Between 3 to 6 ounces / Day) Large Quantities of Vegetables: Fat: In the beginning consume more fat to allow yourself to go from one meal to the next. But as you start getting into it, you have to cut that fat back. Links: A. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx_8f_YulKg) B. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-SOmLTahfI
  1. Not doing Intermittent Fasting – Eating triggers insulin. By doing intermittent fasting, you will greatly accelerate the results and decrease insulin bigtime. Start doing 3 meals then 2 meals by pushing the breakfast forward to the point where you are not hungry in the morning and then take the lunch and dinner together to the point where you want to go one meal a day.
  1. It is working – 1-2lbs / week – It is working but working slowly. A healthy person can lose is 2lbs a week. An average person can lose 1lb / week. The goal is to get healthy then lose the weight. Focus on other indicators like energy, tolerance for sleep, memory, focus and inflammation.
  1. Fatty liver – The capacity to make ketone and growth hormones work is going to be less. Improve this fatty liver – You need to get some choline, a type of B vitamins that strips off fatty liver. The body will have to get rid of the fat in the liver before the fat underneath your abdomen area.
  1. Gaining Muscle Mass – If you are female and menopausal, chances are you are getting a lot of atrophy or loss of muscle. In the process, muscle by value weighs more than fat so you will find no loss of mid-section and yet you are getting stronger.
  1. Not exercising correctly – Exercise is not the big tool to help you lose weight but it can really help increase growth hormone, toning and a little bit of weight loss. “High Intensity, Low Duration” – *Short little burst of high intensity full body exercise is the best.
  1. Bloating from food – If you bloat from the vegetables that you are not used to consuming, or too much fat, that can make your stomach stay big. Modify the type of vegetables that you consume and make sure that you have no bloating.
  1. Other Health Problems – It can inhibit your ability to lose weight because as you get healthy sometimes the body will focus on other problems first before losing the weight. Get rid of all the weak links of your body and focus on that.

Examples:

A. What’s Really Behind a Sluggish Thyroid Problem

B. Hypothyroid Supplement Tips:

C. Most Thyroid Issues Are Secondary to Other Problems

D. Iodine, the Ultimate Healing Trace Minerals for Cysts, Thyroid, PCOD and more

  1. Medications – All have side effects of preventing weight loss. In fact, a lot of the symptoms of medication will develop more insulin resistance which increases more insulin.
  1. Stress – Sleep – Lack of sleep can severely inhibit your ability to lose your belly.
(Roy D Rushing Jr ) #29

I don’t doubt at all that keto doesn’t work for everyone. I’d be willing to bet that there isn’t a diet or WOE that works for everyone. I’d be very interested to know what’s going on with your body that all the approaches you’ve tried haven’t yielded anything though. I also don’t have any doubt that there is something that WOULD work for you. It’s just finding it that’s the problem.

(KCKO, KCFO) #30

Andrea, good luck with the carb load night protocol. You exercise enough that that might help you.

I don’t think any one diet is for everyone, I also don’t think keto’s strength is weight loss, it is more of a weight normalizer. I didn’t lose the last 20-15 lbs. on keto until I started following Dr. Fung’s fasting protocols. And that is what has kept me at goal and mostly a few more lbs. under. I know that even fasting and keto has not given you lasting results.

My vegan friend has shown me you don’t have to eat animal products AND you can eat grains and be successful. Some of the carnivores here and over on MFP have shown me, for some fiber is not required.

I really hope you find the right path for your body. I do think your injuries, demanding physical exercise, and all the mixing up might be stressing out your body still. Have you tried meditation, to lower your stress? You seem to be a Type A person.

Keep searching and know some of us will be here to cheer you on, no matter what you have to do to get to your goal.

(roxanna) #31

I may have mentioned this to you before, but the lowest weight I’ve ever gotten to was when I had a 1x/week cheat day. This was pre keto but I was eating low carb. What I didn’t like about it was that I felt out of control on the cheat day, so it’s not something I would want to return to. But it was definitely the best for my weight loss.

#32

I think it is one of two things, either it is the set point as others have mentioned. I have a cousin who is part of a family of thin people. Her mom is very careful with what she eats, my cousin has always been a few pounds overweight. Not heavy but with a belly and maybe a size 10 at 5’3 or so. My guess is she would love to lose 20 lbs but no more than that. Her dad is thin, one of her sisters is naturally thin, I think the other is a careful eater like her mother. Everyone is over 50 but they have all been the same since their 20s. My cousin says that she can diet 14 different ways and she loses 5 lbs and then gains it back. Same if she indulges. This is the weight her body wants and that is it. That may be your case.

The other thought is have you ever added up your calories taken in and calories burned? For example I would imagine, keto aside, that weight maintanence for someone your size is 2000 calories per day. Then add in exercise in an average week. This bumps it up to 2500 (guessing completely). Maybe it really is too much exercise, too few calories. Have you ever taken a full month off exercise?

Meanwhile I really have at least 50 lbs more to lose and the anniversary of my stall will be next week. Still I love the satiety and I did lose 37 lbs last year (over 50 all together). Sticking with it but I do have T2 in my family history

(Angela) #33

Keto is great in getting people off junk food, but for folks that need to lose some pounds and already eat pretty well (healthy) it can be frustrating. I think Keto works for most people by getting people to cook more at home and make better choices. Doing this reduces total calorie intake. The “fat” part makes them feel like they are not on a restrictive diet.

In order to jump start weight loss I had to way up my protein and keep it lean (think chicken/fish/) do low carb, and also calorie restrict while NOT working out like a madwoman (think walking and some minor weight lifting. I used to believe calories didn’t matter but now I believe they do. I also believe lean protein or any protein is more satiating than fat. Tracking daily food intake like a freak and weighing food also helps, as everyone generally underestimates their intake. I also avoided eating out, as you don’t know what they put in the food.

Check out the work of Ted Naiman:


and this guy, who helps Keto folks restructure their macros
https://www.instagram.com/ketoasshole.

Good Luck!

(Jane ) #34

Hi Andrea,
Have you ever heard of Alt Shift? Not keto, but think a different version of cyclical carb control, Part of the week low carb high fat then a smaller numbr of days of hi (healthy) carb low fat. From Jason Seib who was with Sarah Fragoso from Everyday Paeo. If you are lifting a ton it may not be for you but maybe check it out. I know a bunch of folks who have done very well with it. I tried Carb Night yars ago and the carb night itself was my downfall. I have another FB pal who was Paleo, Keto ish and then discovered a love of lifting and wroked with Reaisssance Periodization and she has done AMAZING fith their diet and lifting protocols. For some it just takes more fiddling then others.

(Angela) #35

The first post on this instagram is good as well.

(John) #36

I think that there is something to the cico. More so that if you intake the amount of calories that you burn then you will never lose weight or fat off your body. I realize that on a high carb diet you will store it at higher rates but if fueling with fat your body will just burn it as long as you are in nutritional ketosis. If you do to high of calorie restriction, ketosis or not you will drop your bmr to match your intake. This can also be done by adding to much exercise and not fueling for it. I think your body wants what we give it first then if it needs to grab some of that krispy cream sometimes it will. Keyword being sometimes not half of every day. I could be wrong though.(Or maybe part right)

(Angela) #37

http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/keto-calculator/

This calculator is great to figure out what your deficit should be. Mine was quite low (1200 per day!) and I just Keto within that total (but more protein, less fat)

This is interesting, since 1977 Americans have:

  • Increase our intake of sweetened soda by 41 percent
  • Replace fresh potatoes with french fries and potato chips
  • Increase added sugars by 16 percent
  • Increase our intake of refined instead of unrefined carbohydrate
  • Nearly double spending on fast food
  • Eat more than twice as many snacks
  • Increase total calorie intake by 20 percent
(Wendy) #38

I’m sure it doesn’t work for everyone. so why do you chose eat keto? Are there other benefits that keep you going? Also how much fat do you feel you need/want to lose? Could your body be healthiest at your current weight? Just some random diet/keto thoughts.

(Jane) #39

Pretty damning statistics.

I planted spuds this spring knowing I was eating keto. I talked to my plants. Gave them natural fertilizer. Watched them grow and talked to them.

When I harvested them I told them how delicious they would be. Steamed them and soaked in butter and they were heaven !!

#40

Have you tried just not trying to lose weight?
Sounds dumb, but seriously, just eat the way that gives you the most joy for a while. Be it keto or intuitive eating or carb cycling whateve and take a break from the trying. Its been 18 months and you have tried it all - you need a vacation (IMO)

You get what you think about and if you think about how you are not losing any weight then you are going to get more of not losing any weight.

If that sounds to “out there” for you, I totally get it. Just throwing out a different perspective.