PISS???????

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SRJennings
SRJennings Posts: 126 Member
A single tear just drizzled down my face. In the 'Low Carb Diet Your Results' thread, Radii wrote the following post this morning.

radiii wrote: »
» show previous quotes

11 pounds in two months is good, no matter what may happen with some other :) Congrats!

There is a thing called PISS, Post Induction Stall Syndrome, that happens to a lot of people. You drop a ton of water weight initially, as you mentioned losing most of what you've lost so far in the first 20 days, and then there's a stall. Usually its just a couple weeks for most people, but after my initial loss period when I first started keto, I didn't lose anything else for a month or so. I looked for all kinds of things that I could have been doing wrong (and there's nothing wrong with paying close attention to make sure you aren't getting hidden carbs or whatever), but in the end I was doing things just fine and it just took a little while for things to really get moving after that initial burst.


I had an initial loss of 13 lbs and it was life changing to be able to 'diet' without starvation. But, with no additional results for 43 days hope is fading. Could PISS really be a thing? Has anyone had real weight loss after months of a total fail?
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  • glossbones
    glossbones Posts: 1,064 Member
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    Some people even gain weight before it starts to drop again. Don't lose heart, it's part of the process. You can check your diary history over those 43 days to see if there's anything consistently present that might be an issue for you (for some people it's dairy, for others it's sweeteners), but beyond that, just remember to listen to your true hunger signals and just keep on ketoing on.
  • Sajyana
    Sajyana Posts: 518 Member
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    This happened to me. I had a large loss then a couple of months where nothing much happened. Up a bit, down a bit.

    I increased my fats and kept an eye on my protein levels which seemed to help. I'm losing at a much slower but steady pace now. Look for other clues. How do you feel? Are you losing centimetres? Have your cravings abated? What's your energy level?

    You body isn't a machine that converts calories. Sometimes it needs to repair, adjust to changes, take in nutrients or some other wondrous task that we totally take for granted.

    Health is not a sprint. Give it time and keep going.
  • KarlaYP
    KarlaYP Posts: 4,439 Member
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    Oh yes, this is real. I am finding that I lose about once a month. The rest of the month is a maintain or even a four pound increase one time. I've seen weight loss described as stair steps on a graph, not a slope. Keep doing what you know is right and your body will catch up!
  • GrannyMayOz
    GrannyMayOz Posts: 1,051 Member
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    Yes, most definitely. I didn't even have a big loss to start with and have had many, many stalls and some 'bouncing around' down, up, up, stall and then a biggish drop. Sometimes then another gain. But since 23rd January, somehow or another, I've lost 6 kgs (13 lbs). And although that doesn't sound a lot, the difference in the amount of fat on my body is staggering. I've lost so much fat from all over that I'm really amazed, and I've kept my muscles.

    I hope you break free from your stall soon. As the others have said, look around a few other diaries, look at your own and see if there's anything you can tweak. My diary is open if you want a look. As an 'over 50s lady' it's harder to lose weight and we won't see the speedy results that the young get, but the fat loss will happen - so many have found this to be true.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    This works, too, in part that your body continues to burn fat but fills the extra empty fat cells with water until it is absolutely sure you aren't going to use them again (it is efficient, not wanting to build new ones if there are old ones available!), then it will let that water all go, sometimes all at once, hence the type of whooosh effect! :)
  • gsp90x
    gsp90x Posts: 416 Member
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    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    This works, too, in part that your body continues to burn fat but fills the extra empty fat cells with water until it is absolutely sure you aren't going to use them again (it is efficient, not wanting to build new ones if there are old ones available!), then it will let that water all go, sometimes all at once, hence the type of whooosh effect! :)

    OH thank you for mentioning this. I have only been on keto for about 2 months Lost 10 pounds the first week and then nothing. So, I am like you SRJennings. It's been almost 2 months with no loss.

    BUT! Back in it's hay day, I did Atkins and I do distinctly remember the WOOSH effect and trying to figure out what it was. And by all accounts we had to agree it must be what KnitOrMiss mentioned. I HAVE experienced that. I think it might just take a little more time before my body actually believes it doesn't need the cells anymore. Especially after all these years. During that time, with the Atkins Woosh effect weight loss my personal self experiment also showed how important drinking water was for weight loss. If I slacked off on the water intake, the weight seemed to go slower. I don't know why. I was drinking a minimum of 8 X 8oz a day but aimed for 10 or 12. My water intake this time around is severely lacking. So, I guess you know what I'll be focusing on now!

    I hope you find your answer and some relief soon. :)
  • nill4me
    nill4me Posts: 682 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Eh. I'm not sold on the fat cells filling with water being much more than "bro-science". I'd like to see more real science vice anecdotal on that one. I read that it's in between cells that water collects. But who knows for sure?

    Regardless, I'm with granny. I had a small initial loss then Up down up down. It's a roller coaster, for sure. I had a 5lb scale gain as of Monday. In a week. 5 lbs! There are people that would jump off a bridge with a gain like that in a week...lol

    I eat at a 600 calorie a day deficit, and I don't remember any of those calories being from rocks!!

    Maybe you can double check your macros / calorie intake at your current weight. Just make sure you give any changes you make sufficient time to make a difference. Good luck!!!
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    I'm glad you said that, @nill4me. I was holding my tongue. :)

    Fat is hydrophobic. Fat hates water. There is no water in your empty fat cells.
  • gsp90x
    gsp90x Posts: 416 Member
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    wabmester wrote: »
    I'm glad you said that, @nill4me. I was holding my tongue. :)

    Fat is hydrophobic. Fat hates water. There is no water in your empty fat cells.

    Great, now that we've cleared up what's not happening, can you explain what is then?

  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    It may be different for different people, but you've lost a lot of weight in the past, right? That messes with leptin signaling. LC is your best shot at improving both insulin and leptin sensitivity. Give it time. I'm rooting for you.
  • wheatlessgirl66
    wheatlessgirl66 Posts: 598 Member
    edited April 2015
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    @wabmester, I think you said on another thread that if we eat below 20 carbs the protein is released as sugar, or something to that effect. I've been thinking about that but haven't found more info about it. Could you explain, please, and point to source? How do you know all this stuff?

    Edited to add: That is amazement, not criticism! :)
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
    edited April 2015
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    wheatless, it's mostly basic stuff derived from our physiological needs. There are two organs that ALWAYS require glucose: the brain and the blood. If you eat less than the absolute minimum, they have to get it from somewhere. That minimum is 30-40g/d. Below that, and we make our own from a mix of protein and glycerol.

    I posted a really good paper in another thread on the physiology of fasting that covers it all. I'll try to dig it up for you.

    Edit: here you go (PDF):
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292907/pdf/jcinvest00272-0077.pdf

    Phinney and Volek covered some of this lightly in their books, but the paper above gives MUCH more detail than most people want.
  • wheatlessgirl66
    wheatlessgirl66 Posts: 598 Member
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    wabmester wrote: »
    wheatless, it's mostly basic stuff derived from our physiological needs. There are two organs that ALWAYS require glucose: the brain and the blood. If you eat less than the absolute minimum, they have to get it from somewhere. That minimum is 30-40g/d. Below that, and we make our own from a mix of protein and glycerol.

    I posted a really good paper in another thread on the physiology of fasting that covers it all. I'll try to dig it up for you.

    Edit: here you go (PDF):
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292907/pdf/jcinvest00272-0077.pdf

    Phinney and Volek covered some of this lightly in their books, but the paper above gives MUCH more detail than most people want.

    Thanks so much!
  • wabmester
    wabmester Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Just found this article from Mark Sisson on breaking stalls:
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-should-i-increase-carb-intake-for-weight-loss/#axzz3Ydt4lb7y

    More or less what I've always suggested, but it's better to hear it from an expert. :)
  • kuranda10
    kuranda10 Posts: 593 Member
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    wabmester wrote: »
    Just found this article from Mark Sisson on breaking stalls:
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-should-i-increase-carb-intake-for-weight-loss/#axzz3Ydt4lb7y

    More or less what I've always suggested, but it's better to hear it from an expert. :)

    Sure, you couldn't have posted that BEFORE I paid a dietician to tell me to increase my carbs a bit?!

    They were always set at 40, but I tried to stay under that. Since Friday I have made an effort to mee the 40. I haven't loset any weight, but I have lost almost 2% fat.

  • wheatlessgirl66
    wheatlessgirl66 Posts: 598 Member
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    I know this is a wild and crazy idea, but I'm going to nudge mine up to 40, too, as a result of reading those articles. Just as an experiment. Can always bring 'em down again. I was looking at my first month on MFP before I started LCHF. I went by the MFP auto setting of 1200 cals/ 120 carbs. I lost no weight until I nose-dived to 20 carbs. So I've never tried eating 40 carbs. I want to see what happens.
  • shai74
    shai74 Posts: 512 Member
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    I get anxiety if I go over 20g :open_mouth:
  • kleighsamboer33
    kleighsamboer33 Posts: 39 Member
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    what may be happening is you are eating too much protein vs fat. too much protein can turn into glucose which cause weight gain or stall. I have been on keto for about a month and have lost 20 pounds. for the past week or two I have been losing almost a pound a day. Eating so much fat was hard to get used to but it is working.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    what may be happening is you are eating too much protein vs fat. too much protein can turn into glucose which cause weight gain or stall. I have been on keto for about a month and have lost 20 pounds. for the past week or two I have been losing almost a pound a day. Eating so much fat was hard to get used to but it is working.

    Unless you are super sensitive to this effect (I'm sure some folks are) or eating massive quantities, this really shouldn't be that much of an issue. You'll go back and forth as far as cravings or desire for meat and such. I really thing our bodies self regulate all this unless we're ignoring the food signals it sends...
  • kleighsamboer33
    kleighsamboer33 Posts: 39 Member
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    it is actually science. there are lots of books and articles on it.