Mad at the scale. :p Anyone want to check my diary?

macchiatto

I feel a little silly writing this because I know it's early to be getting frustrated. However, in the past when I have stalled this early, it was never a good sign in terms of my WOE (even after giving it time, then making adjustments, etc.). I'm also at the halfway point of a 6-month DietBet (looks like I'm losing round 3 today) so while l I realize I can't guarantee or force my body to do anything, I'd really prefer to set my goals for optimal odds of weight loss over the next 3 months.

Anyhow, if anyone would like to stalk my diary and make suggestions, I am all ears. If it looks like I'm on track, great, but if you have suggestions that might be more optimal than what I've been trying, I'm all ears. I'm still new to this WOE and still trying to figure out what my goals should be. The code is caramel.

A few notes:
* Started keto 11/2. (Previous WOE was also LC; trying to stay below 100gm carbs/day.) Went from 150.6 to 142 by 11/17 (which was great, of course!) and was even able to go down a clothing size. Since then I've bounced around in a range from 142.4-143.8 and clothes feel slightly tighter again. Yesterday I tried a sort of fat fast but the scale was unimpressed by my efforts.
* The first 2 weeks I bounced around in the 20-50 net carb range without noticeable effect. More recently I decided to try to stay below 20 net. I've been in ketosis all but 1 day though.
* I have had a few cheat days or just really hungry days, especially the day after Thanksgiving.
* I have something more starchy w/breakfast most days because otherwise the MS med I take then tends to cause stomach problems the rest of the day.
* The first 3 weeks, I was adding sugar-free syrups to my coffee that I didn't log since I was 0 calorie. I ran out so it's been a week or so since I used it. Trying to cut out the artificial sweeteners as much as possible to see if that helps. (I had Splenda, SF creamer, Diet A&W, etc. when I did the Dukan Diet in the past without noticeable effect but I figure this is worth a try.)
* I was training for a Thanksgiving 5K but now that it's over, I want to switch to more HIIT and strength.
* I'm 39 and 5'7" but with relatively low LBM/high body fat. GW is 133 but more concerned with lowering BF%, clothing fit, etc. (My BF% is in the overweight range even if my weight/BMI aren't.)

carlsoda

First off...great job spelling caramel right. I get so annoyed when so many people and restaurants seem to think it's carmel. DUH!!

Now to your diary...I've been doing this for a few months so I still consider myself pretty new but I think things looks pretty good. Maybe a little low in calories yesterday. I aim for around 1600 - 1700 a day (which includes some form of exercise). I also try to eat balanced meals, fat with protein with a vegetable carb of some form with my three main meals. I'm following Atkins more so than keto. But others will have more advice then me on the diet So...to make this long response shorter, I think it's normal to have a couple of weeks of losing and a couple of weeks of bouncing back and forth. That sure has been happening to me. In the long run, it's moving downward, but not consistent every single week. Patience is the key I think Good luck!! This journey is so worth it!

deksgrl

You are female still in reproductive years. Expect the scale to bounce up and down +/- several pounds through the month. Consistency over time will show results. There will be some weeks you may not show any loss (or show a gain), then the next week or two bounce down a pound or two under your last low weight, especially since you are only 10 pounds from goal weight.

The scale isn't the be all and end all for measuring progress if your goal is to lower body fat %. Once you switch to strength training, you may not lose much scale weight, though your body will recomp to a smaller size. But again, time and patience with that too.

macchiatto

@carlsoda lol, I get annoyed by that, too. Thanks for your time and encouragement!

@deksgrl, thanks for your time and reply as well! Those are all good things to keep in mind. Normally my weight only tends to bounce up right before and during my TOM, not mid-cycle, but you never know. Also, fortunately my GW for the DietBet is 138.1 by Jan 31 and maintain that by Feb 28 (I started Aug 30 at 153.4) so that should be compatible with recomping.

I do need to lose probably at least another 10 lbs of fat but if I can gain a few lbs of muscle that would be awesome; I've never had much muscle so I would be thrilled. (It's crazy; my husband is less than an inch taller than me and weighs 50% more but our BF% is actually pretty similar. He has a very heavy bone structure and a ton of muscle while I have a small frame and minimal muscle. I'm all long spindly arms and legs and flabby torso. Goal=not look pregnant in fitted clothes. )

ryry_

You lost 9 lbs in two weeks thats awesome. I've found for me that I typically have a large weight loss right off the bat then I stall for a while my bodies water levels start to even out but I still notice the changes in the mirror. The closer I am to my ideal weight the more crazy the scale acts so I try not to focus on it very often.

macchiatto

Thanks, @ryry62685!

Also, I should clarify: I did re-read the "your scale is a lying liarpants" thread, which was great, and I know I'm not in a stall or plateau at this point. I'm mostly just wanting to check whether I'm on the right track in terms of macro and calorie goals and what I'm eating if my main goal with this WOE is weight loss. I should add, I was really happy to see the study linked in another thread that keto tends to fare well in terms of losing fat/preserving LBM!

KarlaYP

My recommendation is to stay the course. You are doing the right things. Try to be patient with yourself, and the process.