Plateau...frustrated

CMYKRGB

So, I've been stuck in a plateau for several weeks. I'm up a pound, down a pound, up a pound, down a pound. I tried the egg fast, and had very little benefit from it. I eat VLCHF. My diary is open.

My weight is at the top end of healthy, and 20 lbs overweight according to what charts online say is ideal for my height. I've just started adding 30 mins elliptical to my daily exercise. Normally, I also ride, but it's been really rainy the past week.

I'm (treated) hypothyroid, and where other WOE have failed, VLCHF has been hugely successful for me. This plateau has me worried because, since my diagnosis, this has always preceded a steady and irreversible weight gain. Naturally, I'm terrified.

Any suggestions to push through this plateau?

kirkor

How big a caloric deficit are you running?

blackmantis

Your calories look way to low I would increase my fats to between 170-200 grams. Remove your dairy items, coffee & nuts. The coffee is more than likely the biggest factor with your thyroid issue. Eat more unprocessed foods as possible. I had to remove peanut butter and dairy to blow past my plateau. Good luck!

CMYKRGB

@kirkor about 200 calories daily.

@blackmantis that coffee will be hard to kick. I make BPC and get my mct that way. I'll consider it. Is it the caffeine that's the problem?

blackmantis

Yes the caffeine plus any dairy put in. I would suggest trying it for a week or two and see what happens. I showed results after 3 days.

auntstephie321

Have you been continually changing things throughout the past weeks that you've been stuck.

I've seen many who have tried every different thing they can think of to break through with no success, sometimes you just need to stick with it to get through. Provided you are doing everything properly.

How much weight do you still have to lose? Have you adjusted your info to reflect the weight you've lost and recalculate your goals?

Are you weighing everything with a food scale?

lowjax75

Keep sticking with it and don't change too much at once as @auntstephie321 said. For me, things that stall are Dairy, Caffeine, Artificial Sugars, and Nuts. All of those at one time or another have stalled me.

If I get into a tough stall, I would cut all 4 of those out and pretty much just eat meat and veggies for a week, then start adding them slowly back in once the weight started moving again. It may take 2-3 weeks of the stripped down eating to get your body going again.

Stick with it! You'll get there.

ndvoice

For me it takes shaking up my menu. (I tend to like eating the same things over and over). During a plateau, I'll change it up a lot. I do better with chicken & fish, while dropping beef. (Sad, I know lol) Same with the workouts. Trying fewer workouts with higher intensity, or more workouts with less intensity. More cardio / less cardio. In the past, I've even increased calories with success. Perhaps I was eating too few while working out hard. Our bodies can be finicky creatures! Keep trying different things & the plateau will stop eventually. A few weeks is pretty normal every few months. Hang in there!!

Christine_72

Ack I'm feeling ya, I'm having the exact same problem Except I'm not keto. The dairy thing jumped out at me, I have 250ml full fat milk every morning, I'm addicted to tea and can not drink it black! I was having 2 bullet proof hot chocolates (protein powder) instead of tea for a while, but the calories added up to quickly.

KarlaYP

I've been through many frustrating plateaus over the past 11 months of this woe! One lasted 5 months! Was like you describe, the gain a pound and lose a pound rollercoaster! I almost abandoned low carb, and mfp! I'm so glad I didn't! I did lose inches during that time though. So, I just kept doing the same thing, and the weight eventually dropped. I still plateau though. I'm in one now. I don't feel the need to shake things up to get the scale moving. I know that as long as I remain keto the scale will drop! I've based my motivation on how I feel instead of that lying scale!

CMYKRGB

@Karlottap Thanks. I won't ever ditch this WOE because I really haven't felt better.

The only change I've made is adding the elliptical because it's been too miserable to ride. The calorie expenditure is roughly the same, maybe a bit more.

My diet is incredibly by other people's standards, and highly satisfying by my own. The foods I eat are flavorful and filling.

I suppose I should feel good that I've gone this long and just now experiencing this stall. Perhaps I should focus on cardio strength.

I'm also hoping my whining here will somehow translate into a miracle and my body once again cooperates

KarlaYP

All whining is allowed here!! Lol! It takes it to get through these frustrations that go along with weight loss (even six months, total, of my first year after weight loss surgery was considered to be a plateau!). It took me a very long time to realize that it's part of the process for many. It, also, doesn't reflect the need to change anything, imo. I feel the more we try to tweak things the greater state of confusion we create, and our bodies don't know what to do!I don't like plateaus! They can mess with your head! But, I choose to stay the course, and have been rewarded with health, and scale drops whenever they decide to happen!

Your resolve to work through it will bring you much success! Your attitude is awesome! I'm so glad you've seen the health benefits from this woe too! It keeps getting better too! At least it has for me, so I would expect the same for others!

But yea, come let it out as needed! Hugs!

CMYKRGB

Thank you so much, @Karlottap Again, you give me hope

nvmomketo

Like the others said, it looks like you are eating well so just stick with it and it will probably get going again one day, hopefully soon.

I'm another who likes to mix it up a bit. My calories can vary by the hundreds or a thousand from day to day. I think that helps the scale move for me.

I had a stall a while back but I did it to myself by increasing carbs, protein and calories. That doesn't seem to be your issue so I would just stick with it. Who knows, maybe that change in exercise has something to do with it.

Hang in there

Sunny_Bunny_

Take a listen to this podcast. It will help you feel better about stalling and realize that it's just part of the process.
All the preaching of calorie math over the years has trained us to question everything the second the math doesn't add up. If there's one thing we should've learned by now is that calorie math is crap! Hormones and healing rule the body and they couldn't care less what our expectations are. As they say in the podcast, honor your body. Give it the nutrients and fats that it needs to do its job. And then just let it. Stick it out and as long as you aren't trying to starve it of fats (different kinds too, olive oil doesn't rule the world) it will settle back down and get back to fat burning business.

https://www.ketovangelist.com/episode-32-dietitian-cassie-talks-about-sugar-addiction-and-dealing-with-stalls/

fatchimom

I believe whining burns calories! I was stuck forever as well but, i stuck with it and the weight did eventually start to come off again.

lovesretirement

Such a timely thread. Thanks @CMYKRGB for starting it and thanks to those responding! I have been stalled for about 6 weeks. It's making me crazy as I have a lot to lose. Although I want to moan and whine, I feel better now...thanks again.☺️

KarlaYP

Hey Connie, whining and moaning allowed here! Is a great place for that, and finding the support to work through it! I'm with @fatchimom and believe we burn calories when doing so! Being here helps sooooo much!!

deksgrl

Yeah, totally not linear, especially when closer to goal weight. I started in May and I would lose a couple of pounds and then bounce up/down for awhile. Then I would lose a couple more and then bounce up and down for weeks more. Over that time I have lost 23 pounds, but never has it just consistently gone down every week.

SamandaIndia

TOM, constpation, eating to little, eating too many nuts, starting weight building so we have ultimately a healthier physique that weighs more due to muscles added etc. Frustrating as hell. I think the faster I go the more likely I will go fast up as well. Thus if my body needs a few weeks to change a set point I dont like it but I am ok with that. Good luck.

slimzandra

@Sunny_Bunny_ Thanks for the podcast, it's right on.
Ketovangelist has some good and funny helpful tips!

Ideas suggested from podcast - stress causes insulin spikes, lack of sleep can cause an increase in ghrelin, thyroid issues may be a cause, hormonal balances can be off- including leptin and ghrelin, low vit-D can all contribute to a stall. Food sensitivities to gluten and dairy. Over exercise can cause inflammation and not an increase in metabolism.
De-stress about numbers on the scale and keep trying to troubleshoot your personal needs.