Not losing weight on low carb?
Kmhornak
Posts: 42 Member
Hello. I met with a nutritionist 3 weeks ago and she recommended a low carb diet. I have anywhere from 20-50 carbs a day (mostly 20-30) and lost 5 my first week and barely 2 the second. This past week - nothing! I am the same weight as a week ago.
I am in full ketosis and being really good with my eating. I feel great, my mind is super clear, my skin has cleared up, and I am not all that hungry, so the changes are working well on that end. But, why in the world if I am staying away from carbs (not even having fruit right now) am I not losing a single pound in a week??? There were a few days over the past week where I had to make myself eat 1,200 calories! Any advice???
And no, I do not have my monthly adventure right now - I am in the middle of my cycle. I lost more while on my cycle.
I am in full ketosis and being really good with my eating. I feel great, my mind is super clear, my skin has cleared up, and I am not all that hungry, so the changes are working well on that end. But, why in the world if I am staying away from carbs (not even having fruit right now) am I not losing a single pound in a week??? There were a few days over the past week where I had to make myself eat 1,200 calories! Any advice???
And no, I do not have my monthly adventure right now - I am in the middle of my cycle. I lost more while on my cycle.
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Replies
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My best guess.... the first few weeks were water weight, as long as you're eating good and within the recommended calories you should start losing again. Are you weight and measuring EVERYTHING that you are eating? How many calories a day are you eating? Did you just start a new exercise regiment?0
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Not exercising yet. I walk casually and am active b/c I have two kids. But I am not doing anything high impact. I don't weigh everything but the food I eat is high protein, low fat. I eat mostly salad, chicken, protein shakes, and eggs. Sometimes a piece of turkey bacon or sausage. If it is all water weight, then am I really losing any weight at all? I am so frustrated!0
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Weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you'll lose a little, or none at all, or even gain when you've been doing everything correctly.
I will suggest that you really do need to start weighing everything. It's the most accurate way to know how much you're eating.0 -
Yeah, like everyone else has said, just stick with it. You didn't REALLY lose 5 lbs of FAT the first week. You lost 5 lbs of fat AND water. Now, your water balance has stabilized and the scale is showing you fat loss now, but since you probably gained a little bit of water back your are showing no loss this week.
Just keep at it!0 -
Is it necessary to weigh veggies for my salad? Many of the things I eat don't need to be weighed or are based on serving sizes - 2 pieces of turkey sausage, 2 eggs, 3 pieces of sliced turkey lunchmeat wrapped in lettuce wraps? Perhaps I can weigh my pieces of chicken breast, but my diet is similar to Atkins, so all the protein is allowed without having to worry about weight.
I almost wonder if I am not eating enough???0 -
No matter what diet you choose, it will always come down to calories in vs out. So yes, if after several weeks you are not losing weight I would buy a digital food scale and weigh anything solid and make sure you're logging every single thing 100% of the time.0
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Its common to have a stall after the first few weeks of low carb eating. Continue to eat low carb if you like this way of eating, and the scale will budge. Just make sure you really are only eating what you think by getting a food scale.
Yes, you are still losing weight. Some of it is water, but it definitely isn't all water.
WAIT - you're eating low fat AND low carb. No, you need to add more fat into your diet. If you eat low carb, you replace those calories with fat. I eat low carb/keto and I have my macros set at 75% fat/20% protein/5% carbs, but thats more of an ideal goal....If I'm at 70/25/5 that is just fine.
You should be eating regular bacon and sausage, adding mayo and cheese to those lettuce wraps.0 -
Not exercising yet. I walk casually and am active b/c I have two kids. But I am not doing anything high impact. I don't weigh everything but the food I eat is high protein, low fat. I eat mostly salad, chicken, protein shakes, and eggs. Sometimes a piece of turkey bacon or sausage. If it is all water weight, then am I really losing any weight at all? I am so frustrated!
why would you eat low carb AND low fat?0 -
How many calories a day are you eating?0
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Can you post your calorie and macronutrient targets? Low carb + Low fat is generally not a good idea. I'm curious what your actual nutritional targets are.0
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Why are you low carbing??? Just eat less calories and move more!
I love my carbs and need them to power my workouts!!! I love fruit too - I couldn't give this up! I would be so ratty & miserable too.
Dieting is all about a lifestyle change, Having what you want, but in moderation. Looking at your portion control etc. Also getting the most out of your calories.
My bmr is 1450 and I never eat under this, 1200 calories wont cut me, especially at 5 ft 9... I love my food too much!!!!0 -
Not exercising yet. I walk casually and am active b/c I have two kids. But I am not doing anything high impact. I don't weigh everything but the food I eat is high protein, low fat. I eat mostly salad, chicken, protein shakes, and eggs. Sometimes a piece of turkey bacon or sausage. If it is all water weight, then am I really losing any weight at all? I am so frustrated!
Low carb, low fat will not magically melt the weight off. You can still be overeating without consuming a lot of carbs.
I would suggest that you should reevaluate your plan and start counting your calories. It's the only way to know if you are actually in a deficit or not.....and a deficit is required for weight loss.0 -
You've lost 7 pounds by the scale in 3 weeks, which is a very fast rate of loss.
If you know you're eating at a deficit, the scale will eventually reflect it, too.0 -
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Its common to have a stall after the first few weeks of low carb eating. Continue to eat low carb if you like this way of eating, and the scale will budge. Just make sure you really are only eating what you think by getting a food scale.
Yes, you are still losing weight. Some of it is water, but it definitely isn't all water.
WAIT - you're eating low fat AND low carb. No, you need to add more fat into your diet. If you eat low carb, you replace those calories with fat. I eat low carb/keto and I have my macros set at 75% fat/20% protein/5% carbs, but thats more of an ideal goal....If I'm at 70/25/5 that is just fine.
You should be eating regular bacon and sausage, adding mayo and cheese to those lettuce wraps.
This.. you need to eat high fat if you are low carb. Besides, fat is an essential macronutrient so cutting it will only cause you malnutrition.
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Why must everyone respond with "why are you doing what you're doing, do what I'm doing"?Why are you low carbing??? Just eat less calories and move more!
I love my carbs and need them to power my workouts!!! I love fruit too - I couldn't give this up! I would be so ratty & miserable too.
Dieting is all about a lifestyle change, Having what you want, but in moderation. Looking at your portion control etc. Also getting the most out of your calories.
My bmr is 1450 and I never eat under this, 1200 calories wont cut me, especially at 5 ft 9... I love my food too much!!!!
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I echo the comments about fat. Eat fat. Read up on low carb if it's your chosen approach. You've lost 7pounds in 3 weeks. Lucky you. For what it's worth I "gain" two pounds mid cycle with ovulation. Every month.0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Why must everyone respond with "why are you doing what you're doing, do what I'm doing"?Why are you low carbing??? Just eat less calories and move more!
I love my carbs and need them to power my workouts!!! I love fruit too - I couldn't give this up! I would be so ratty & miserable too.
Dieting is all about a lifestyle change, Having what you want, but in moderation. Looking at your portion control etc. Also getting the most out of your calories.
My bmr is 1450 and I never eat under this, 1200 calories wont cut me, especially at 5 ft 9... I love my food too much!!!!
Because most people don't have the knowledge to give advice beyond what they personally are doing and thus give advice based on what works for them. It's sort of silly to say "I really like fruit so you should eat fruit too!" but you see this all the time. It's the same when you see people advising someone to cut carbs, absent any reason why the person actually should look to cut carbs. It's bad advice, but bad advice is pretty common.0 -
I second the "why low fat"-notions here. I read about ketogenic macros yesterday. Apparently high protein while trying to loose fat in ketogenic diet has the opposite effect. High protein --> fat in that particular method. You need a high healthy fats percentage to loose fat in ketosis.
Plus the high losses after induction...naturally slows down a bit, because a SLOWER loss has relatively higher fat loss (melts slower).
Google up "Peter Attia" or watch his vids on YT, if you want. Was interesting concerning doing ketosis AND a lot of workout.
OP: Asking questions like this would probably get more specific answers to your specific situation in forums that specialize in ketogenic diets. Just a thought.0 -
Thank you for the input everyone.
Well, let me explain what I mean by low fat. When I eat a burger without the bun, I eat a turkey burger. When I have cheese with my burger or lettuce wraps, I have a slice of naturally slender cheese. When I have dressing, I prefer a balsalmic vinagarette over ranch. Even with butter on my one slice of low carb toast, I use whipped, light. So I am definitely getting fat in my diet.
Yesterday, I was 63% fat, 22% protein, and 15% carbs. So, I guess I am just choosing my fats wisely.
Not sure if that helps at all?
And, I am low carbing because I saw a medical nutritionist at a hospital who has advised me to do this. Low carbing is initially done to kick start your metabolism. I will soon be adding healthy carbs into my diet, like fruit.
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Why are you low carbing??? Just eat less calories and move more!
I love my carbs and need them to power my workouts!!! I love fruit too - I couldn't give this up! I would be so ratty & miserable too.
Dieting is all about a lifestyle change, Having what you want, but in moderation. Looking at your portion control etc. Also getting the most out of your calories.
My bmr is 1450 and I never eat under this, 1200 calories wont cut me, especially at 5 ft 9... I love my food too much!!!!
If that works for YOU then that is great. However, the medical expert I saw has put me on this plan and I actually feel great. I am not working out with cardio every single day. I cannot do carbs in my diet. Yes, carbs if you can do a good work out, but not when I have two children and my husband travels for work. I am lucky to get a shower most days.0 -
I'm not sure 63% fat is low by any standard.0
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A lot of the fat I do get is from eggs and cheese. All the meat I eat is lean.
Added - I also eat almonds every day - exactly 28 (1 oz) of them. Ha ha!
And, don't I need the fat if I am eating low carb?
My 63% of fat yesterday still only gave me 1,287 calories for the day.0 -
Kick-start your metabolism? I'd see a new nutritionist. Your metabolism should always be functioning...unless you're dead. In fact, eating in a calorie surplus for extended periods actually help metabolism, so unless you have a medical condition, you should be in a prime position FOR weight loss without doing anything special to your diet, outside of a calorie deficit.0
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A lot of the fat I do get is from eggs and cheese. All the meat I eat is lean.
Added - I also eat almonds every day - exactly 28 (1 oz) of them. Ha ha!
And, don't I need the fat if I am eating low carb?
My 63% of fat yesterday still only gave me 1,287 calories for the day.A lot of the fat I do get is from eggs and cheese. All the meat I eat is lean.
Added - I also eat almonds every day - exactly 28 (1 oz) of them. Ha ha!
And, don't I need the fat if I am eating low carb?
My 63% of fat yesterday still only gave me 1,287 calories for the day.
I don't think anyone said you didn't need fat.
You said you were eating low fat. Which is incorrect if you're fat is 63%. And there's nothing wrong with eating high fat. It was just an inaccurate statement and some people were concerned that you were doing low fat and low carb.
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A lot of the fat I do get is from eggs and cheese. All the meat I eat is lean.
Added - I also eat almonds every day - exactly 28 (1 oz) of them. Ha ha!
And, don't I need the fat if I am eating low carb?
My 63% of fat yesterday still only gave me 1,287 calories for the day.
Knowing your ratios now, its not what I was originally imagining. However, if you do want to add more calories in, there is nothing wrong with regular bacon, adding full fat dressing, or eating ground beef that has a higher fat content. There is nothing wrong with eating meat that isn't lean. Don't forget to count the oils/butters you are cooking with.
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A lot of the fat I do get is from eggs and cheese. All the meat I eat is lean.
Added - I also eat almonds every day - exactly 28 (1 oz) of them. Ha ha!
And, don't I need the fat if I am eating low carb?
My 63% of fat yesterday still only gave me 1,287 calories for the day.
Knowing your ratios now, its not what I was originally imagining. However, if you do want to add more calories in, there is nothing wrong with regular bacon, adding full fat dressing, or eating ground beef that has a higher fat content. There is nothing wrong with eating meat that isn't lean. Don't forget to count the oils/butters you are cooking with.
Why would she want to add MORE calories in? She's not losing weight on the calories she IS eating. So she needs to eat fewer of them, not more.0 -
A lot of the fat I do get is from eggs and cheese. All the meat I eat is lean.
Added - I also eat almonds every day - exactly 28 (1 oz) of them. Ha ha!
And, don't I need the fat if I am eating low carb?
My 63% of fat yesterday still only gave me 1,287 calories for the day.
Knowing your ratios now, its not what I was originally imagining. However, if you do want to add more calories in, there is nothing wrong with regular bacon, adding full fat dressing, or eating ground beef that has a higher fat content. There is nothing wrong with eating meat that isn't lean. Don't forget to count the oils/butters you are cooking with.
Why would she want to add MORE calories in? She's not losing weight on the calories she IS eating. So she needs to eat fewer of them, not more.
Its common to stall after a few weeks of eating low carb. Then after another week or 2 the loss continues. Just like other diets, there may be stalls, then drops again. If she is genuinely eating 1200 calories (weighing/measuring). Are you suggesting she goes below that even? I would actually hardly consider 1 week of no loss a stall.
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BombshellPhoenix wrote: »Kick-start your metabolism? I'd see a new nutritionist. Your metabolism should always be functioning...unless you're dead. In fact, eating in a calorie surplus for extended periods actually help metabolism, so unless you have a medical condition, you should be in a prime position FOR weight loss without doing anything special to your diet, outside of a calorie deficit.
The purpose of a low carb diet is so that your body stops feeling hungry and burns the fat in your body. The lack of carbs help my blood sugars so that I am not feeling hungry all the time. High carbs diets lead to insulin spikes. It is working on that level. I don't have hunger cravings and I am not tired 24-7. I actually have energy. I have a call with my nutritionist today and will begin the next phase of this plan.
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