Why we stall

(Richard Morris) #61

I’m not exerting a surplus, just eating to satiety - trusting my body to know how to optimize for survival.

The first year, and 9 before I went keto I was actively lifting with a PT 4x a week … so at my apex (or maybe my nadir) when I looked like this

VoidWarranTShirtMe

I was still lifting 4 times a week, and cycling about 30k a week.

Since I’ve been in Canberra (2 years) I have been lifting at home (dumbbells and body weight) sporadically, but cycling much more.

So yes there is no doubt that my body composition is unique and probably what worked for me will work differently for everyone else - but I believe that all our bodies all can optimize for survival when we get derangements (like carbohydrates for someone who is insulin resistance) out of the way.

(Meara McLaughlin) #62

OK, I’ve been strict KETO for 6 months and still in a perpetual stall. I have very little appetite and 12, 18 and 24 hour fasts are pretty easy. My cholesterol is a bit high so I am off eggs (very sad) and red meats (not so bad). I RELIGIOUSLY log my food and weight to keep myself honest, but the endless stalls are really bumming me out. I drink tons of water and also take Ox Bile (cuz I have no Gallbladder)
Am I eating too few calories? bad macros?
I am 238 now and have another 75 pounds to lose.
I am losing about 1 pound every two weeks at this point if I am lucky, some weeks nothing at all.
Please, any ideas or suggestions would be a huge help.

Here is my total consumption and macros for 7 days.
10 PM

(Dan Dan) #63

You are starving up your calories to 1500 at minimum

What causes a stall :thinking:

  1. Not enough Fat - 60% to 80% Fat - more Fat will accelerate Fat Adaptation

  2. Too much Insulin
    A) - Keep Carbs (Net) at or under 20g
    B) - Too many meals (snaks count) keep to a maximum of 3 meals
    C) - Eating window too large it should be 8Hrs. maximum the smaller the better

  3. Calorie restriction causes the body to go into starvation mode
    A) Ladies should eat at least 1500Kcals to 2000kcals Macros 5 / 22 / 73
    B) Men should eat at least 2000Kcals to 2500kcals Macros 5 / 25 / 70

  4. Lean Protein - Keto is ‘Moderate Protein’. Lean meat is high in Protein and low in fat. ‘Fatty Meat is Moderate in Protein and Moderate to High in Fat’ and preferable.

  5. Water Weight
    A) The body retains lots of water on a SAD diet- On a Ketogenic WOE the first weight loss is most likely water weight.
    B) Keep water at two liters a day until Fat Adapted.

  6. Some within 40 Lbs or less of their Ideal Weight/BMI tend to struggle with results. Have patience you will see results.








kCKO (Keep Calm Keto On)

“May the Force (fat adaption) be with you”

IF/EF Keto WOE is Self-Discovery :wink:

Good luck and much success in your journey in IF/EF Keto WOE :grin:

#64

Great feedback!

#65

yes, great feedback @Dan_Dan --a lot of information.
I would guess that it is the calorie restriction every day that is catching @MearaM up. Six months of limited calories every day has slowed down your metabolism and now your body has leveled-out. Mixing it up will help. Do some alternate day fasting, or an EF to kick it back into gear and then mix low calorie days with high calorie days at random (unless you feel comfortable doing fasts more regularly, like a 2-5 or something…)

(Meara McLaughlin) #66

Thanks to Dan_Dan and Selena. I m really not hungry, but I will try to figure out how to get more calories. Thanks for the cholesterol vid. The conflicting information and fear mongering the MDs do is criminal.

Onward.

Meara

(Kathy L) #67

@richard what is That threshold? Is it different for everyone?

(Kathy L) #68

@richard
Is there a number to shoot for (for fasting insulin?) I thought I heard you say (on one of your podcasts) that fasting insulin above XX (can’t remember the #) will not allow you to burn fat. What is that #?

#69

I seem to recall he might have said 14 is where it’s hard to burn fat.

(Richard Morris) #70

Around 14 mIU/l is where your body fat stops releasing energy into circulation. So that’s supply INTO circulation.

The other question is demand by your energy using cells FROM circulation. I’m not sure what that amount is and I understand that inhibition changes based on how insulin resistant a cell need to become. So it’s going to change, from one individual to another. What it means is above an individual level your ability to burn fat will be slowed. It is likely to be a lot higher than the level to inhibit body fat releasing energy … so if I were to speculate I would guess it’s north of 30.

(Kathy L) #71

Thank you both!!

(Mark) #72

Too funny, because if I increased my calories to 1500, I would gain a pound of fat every day! :slight_smile:

(Dan Dan) #73

That would be a miracle if that happened :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(CharleyD) #74

Hey @Richard I just heard this podcast where a guy named @carl was having trouble with his stall until he tried to eat more dietary fat. Maybe y’all should put your heads together and have a show about that strategy. I think it was a ‘couple of keto guys’ or something… maybe someone can point @carl at this forum and help him get started with an account, maybe?
:sweat_smile::rofl::thinking:

(Mark) #75

I guess it’s a miracle then! :wink:

(Rob) #76

Obviously (as you know) you can’t gain fat like that but if it’s true that you weight gain at 1500 calories your metabolism is possibly wrecked in some way and you might want to get it checked with an RMR test and then focus on metabolism boosting - high fat, muscle building, etc.? Just a thought.

(Bunny) #77
(Mark) #78

It’s different for different folks, but yes, it’s amazing what hormones can do! :wink:

Its always been said that 3500 calories = 1 lb, but so does 300 calories for some of us. :wink:

(Rob) #79

You need to find a way to monetize that unnatural metabolism of yours… You could work out how to feed the world on half the calories :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

(Mark) #80

Yes - this is common, and I have NEVER heard Fung, Rosedale, Phinney, or Volek address the problem of HOW to fix a damaged Metabolism! If YOU can figure it out, please let me know. :wink: