Stupid question that I'm asking anyway

Phrick

how the frick do you stay keto but STOP losing weight? I'm down 6 lbs since unofficially starting Ad Lib April on 3/25 and I don't have much that can still go without ending up underweight. My mom is freaking out about it. I started Ad Lib at 143 and weighed in this morning at 137. At 5'8" and 38yo that is technically still within normal BMI but it really looks and feels too low.

My point with going keto was not to lose more weight; I have arthritis and bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder that I am trying to benefit with it.

Worth mentioning, I have hyperthyroid and I did get blood drawn this morning to see if that is contributing....

Also worth mentioning is that I cheated on ad-lib April and tallied up my calories from the last 10 days (excluded today) and I'm averaging 1848 calories, 27g total carbs / 17g net, 142g fat, 120g protein

FIT_Goat

No a stupid question. A completely legit one. It can be hard to gain or stop losing. You might want to try eating a bit more at each meal or more often. I know appetite will eventually catch up. It might take longer than you like though.

KarlaYP

Thank you for asking this question! I have been having the same concern after my 5 pound loss with the ground beef challenge. That five pounds has , sort of, put me ahead about five months in my thinking of when I would have to face maintenance, as well as some other decisions. The last thing I want is to be underweight! I don't know how I would handle being told I needed to gain weight! I will be interested in the responses in this thread too!

Fvaisey

I'm about 15 pounds from goal so I haven't hit that problem yet, however the advice given from many people on here is to trust your body and not to be a slave to the scale or use some arbitrary number for a guideline. So my thought is to ask how do you feel? If you feel healthy with a good energy level then don't let the scale scare you.

If you aren't feeling well that would be a different story. That's my 2 cents anyway.

GaleHawkins

I have been keto for the past 18 months and have not lost a pound in 12 months. I do not see keto as a weight loss solution but as a health recovery solution. Clearly my weight "set point" is 200 pounds because for a year I have maintained at 195-205. As I become healthy to the core I expect my set point may drift down. IF will make it happen faster I expect based on the science Dr. Fung presents.

nicintime

Increase fat calories.

You may want to stay away from all anything challenges.

V_Keto_V

Yeah, I can relate...my actual body weight < Ideal body weight (BMI leaning towards below normal, only around 20). More fat and more cheat days (fat bombs)! Might also be a good time to take a break from stimulants too or bouts of excessive cardio...focus more on improving body composition and weight lifting if possible (don't know if this is possible for you though with arthritis).

Legit question
Unintentional weight loss is typical of hyperthyroidism...get your TSH, T4, T3 levels

nvmomketo

My guess is you need more calories too.

I'm 5'8" and just a few years older than you, and for the past few months I have been eating 2000-2500 kcal per day, It seems like a huge amount for an inactive person, and if I was eating cabs I am sure I would be gaining weight, but at that intake I was maintaining, and maybe even losing 0.5 lbs a month.

I'm doing the AAA challenge too, and eating just a slightly lower caloric amount than you (often around 1600 but I've been up to 1900) and I am losining close to half a pound per day.

I would consider adding on a few hundred calories to your diet, maybe even 500+ if you decide to stick with AAA. Easy ways (for me) to add calories would be cheese and bacon added to foods. I am including coconut oil in my AAA challenge, and that is easy to add to coffee, tea, most food or as a fat bomb.

Have you seen the older Smash the Fat challenge where he ate 5000+ kcal for 21 days with a high carb diet and then a high fat diet? With the high carb diet he gained as expected but with the high fat diet, he did not gain muc and his measurements actually decreased. http://live.smashthefat.com/5000-calorie-carb-challenge-day-21/ From this I take it is harder to gain on a LCHF diet - one can take in, and maybe needs, more calories with more fat.

But I am just guessing.

CMYKRGB

I'm going to venture that hyperthyroidism is to blame. I experienced hyperthyroidism in December two years ago and in 3 weeks (before the thyroid burned out and went hypo) I lost 20 pounds. I wasn't keto then, and it took me by surprise. My point is, if you know you're hyperthyroid, I imagine this WOE would augment the metabolism. I'm hoping someone here can offer help because the benefits if this WOE are plentiful.

Phrick

CMYKRGB wrote: »

I'm going to venture that hyperthyroidism is to blame. I experienced hyperthyroidism in December two years ago and in 3 weeks (before the thyroid burned out and went hypo) I lost 20 pounds. I wasn't keto then, and it took me by surprise. My point is, if you know you're hyperthyroid, I imagine this WOE would augment the metabolism. I'm hoping someone here can offer help because the benefits if this WOE are plentiful.

TSH came back yesterday, 1.65 (so basically perfect). That's with 5mg methimazole (thyroid inhibitor) twice a day. It's been in the 1.6-1.75 range for about the last year, but doesn't appear to be the type that spontaneously goes into remission since if that is going to happen it's typically after 12-18 months of treatment, and I'm at 20 months of treatment and counting.

My doc's office recently merged with another local office, and the new Nurse Practitioner that came on board has a special interest and focus on nutrition so I think my next step will be to get an appointment with her to talk about it. (yeah, I know there is a real chance she'll crap on Keto as a WOE/WOL but it's worth a shot and included free in my membership so what can it hurt!)