What to do when you hit a wall

#1

Started keto a year plus ago dropped 3pant sizes fast weight came off went from 220 to 180 then I stopped belly still has fat I am big boned with muscle funny BMI says I am obese what to do about the wall we hit and weight loss stops I did go off keto for a month found out real fast sugars make me ill and I could not eat junk also made me ill I am stuck with Keto good thing also I eat one meal a day at three pm any ideas why we hit walls

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

I’ll let others more knowledgeable about weight/fat loss respond specifically. I’m sure they will have some suggestions for you. All I’ll say is that keto is not a weight loss diet. Keto is a metabolic normalization diet. Excessive weight/fat is a symptom of metabolic disorder and when you start keto, the process of repair and rebuilding begins, trending you towards the normal range of metabolic function. That includes normalizing weight/fat. It may not go as fast or exactly how you want it or expect it. It may not end where you thought it should. Plus, it’s not linear. Depending on what and how severe your metabolic damage has been, occasionally other stuff takes precedence and weight loss stops and stabilizes for a while to let it happen.

(Lazy, Dirty Keto 😝) #3

Hello and welcome. I’ll be honest, it was very hard for me to follow your post as it is one long sentence. How long has it been since you have lost weight? And also the scale isn’t the only way to tell if you’re losing. Have you measured yourself at all? And yes I agree that keto is not a weight loss diet as Michael said.

#4

Well first I am 65 male always active till my shoulders failed 3 shoulder operation set me back I gained weight from 180 went to 220 plus now back to 180 but waist fat remains not extreme but it needs to be reduced my waistline is now normal at 33 1/2 I have never measured my self sense I have left the gym years ago I am thinking of high fiber to boost my diet

(Polly) #5

I want to give your post 10 stars, but sadly I can give only one heart. It sums it up so beautifully. Thank you!

(Polly) #6

Well done @kanetuck on transitioning through 3 pant sizes. That is a great result in itself. Welcome to this forum, there is a wealth of knowledge to be discovered here, so stick around and absorb but also keep posting.

Give us some idea of what you are eating each day and how tall you are. You probably know that if you are very tall and/or muscular that the BMI does not provide a helpful measurement. Many elite athletes fall into the obese category without having a spare ounce on them - it is all lean and powerful. Could this be you?

#7

Well at 65 I am 5-8 at 180 still thick well fairly good build just the places it seems built a layer of fat are not going away did weight for a long time know I can only do hiking and walking

#8

I normally eat at 3 pm normally a casseroles of meat and cheese lots of cheese maybe later a fat bomb Coffee in morning that’s just about it

(Bob M) #9

Shoulder surgeries are tough. I had one on my right shoulder, and they are terrible for weight gain. You can’t sleep well, it takes seemingly forever until you get active again.

Some people have an issue with cheese. Personally, I eat it, though I do cut back at times. See if you can drop the cheese (or some of it) for a while to see what happens.

#10

In my case it’s always simply too many calories (but it’s usually too much carbs too, it doesn’t seem to be the case here)… It’s far from impossible to overeat on keto even if you eat only once but a fat bomb later is another meal and possibly many calories. Not all keto or even extreme low-carb food satiates us the same, I can easily raise my calories without raising my satiation.
But it may be the cheese or you just need more time and be patient… Human bodies are complex and no one can surely say what’s the problem in your case.

(Utility Muffin Research Kitchen) #11

If weight loss stalls for a month or two, don’t worry.

If it stalls for a longer time then experiment. For me, getting rid of dairy was the key after I stalled for the first time. Cream and butter is OK, but I had to stop the protein in cheese, creme fraiche and the like.

Another attempt would be to try a diet with more salad and vegetables. For some people meat is fairly insulinogenic, that is they will have a marked insulin response from meat which would explain the stall.

#12

What I believe in my world I lifted weights it sets mass all bodybuilders never get the build they want till 40’s on that’s where I am at but no shoulders got me in a bind know I have to find a new way of burning fat working out once I get a new program in place I believe my stomach will tighten up

(Windmill Tilter) #13

If you have a 33 inch waist right now, you’re already slimmer than 80% of men over the age of 30.

Adding in some exercise is worth a shot. If you’re able to lift weights, it does bring some amazing health benefits. If you have pre-existing injuries, you might want to get a consult with a physical therapist through your doctor to get you started off on the right foot.

Check out the book “Body by Science” by Dr. Doug McGuff. It’s a pretty straight forward weight lifting workout that’s done slowly (5 seconds up, 5 seconds down) to minimize injury risk. I’m really enjoying it.

#14

Don’t change anything. You are fine. Weight loss will not happen on your scheduled time LOL It never did for me. Oh yea we all get the fast drops cause we changed our eating but in the end, hold plan tight. Move a bit more, take a hike, do whatever ya love without going crazy and your body will drop lbs. and change to leaner and meaner on plan. Time thru it all is key. Just wait a bit. A ‘real plateau’ is like 3 months not ‘any changes’ to your body. Your inches might drop but the number on the scale might not…so know your body and wait it out. You are doing so well!!! Happy for you!

#15

What are you eating? Are you tracking macros or guessing by how you feel? BMI is pointless as it can’t account for any muscle above average you may have, but if you’re “normal” it’s probably pretty close. Why did you stop going to the gym? The shoulder thing? If so are you SURE you can’t get back in there? I don’t know what’s wrong specifically with it but I’ve got buddies with torn labrums, destroyed AC joints, and my brother who got blown up in Iraq has a cable replacing a tendon in his, they’re all still working out and lifting, just gotta tweak for your situation. Without exercise or weight training of some sort this stuff can become VERY hard, especially if your metabolism is slower.

#16

Well I have bullet proof coffee morning three I eat high fat medium protein close to zero carbohydrates my exercise is walking hiking or travel my shoulder needs a replacement but I won’t go there I never do micros my food intake per day is not high enough to do that

#17

That may be the issue - not enough food. Your body screams “Famine” and stores what it can. You want to be training your body to eat fat, so feed it fat until it feels the famine has passed and it will pick up again. That is my experience anyway.

(Dee) #18

I agree. I have a rotator cuff injury and I still workout both strength and cardio. I just don’t do shoulder exercises. I am going to PT and doing strengthening exercises for my injured shoulder, eventually I will be able to get back into doing shoulders. In the meantime, I spin, do modified kickboxing, walk, etc., and focus on my core and lower body.