Beginer with slow weight loss, mostly stalled, why?

sea_dog

Hello,

Two months ago I began strength training three days a week; arms, legs, arms one week, followed by legs, arms, and legs the next.

After one month of strength training I added a low carb diet which I’ve kept for one month.
Two weeks after dieting, I added some cardio. e.g. Running, Biking, Walking, etc…

All in all, I’ve lost about twelve pounds the first month, and then nothing. Since adding strength training and cardio I haven’t lost a pound.

My diet consist of about 20% carbs, 30% protein, and the 50% fat. My total calorie intake for the month averages out to be 1800 per day. My weight is currently 281

I am doing something wrong?

I fear I am not eating enough. I don’t feel hungry. I three times a day about 5 hours apart, sometimes I will have a snack such as piece of fruit, low carb veggie, peanut butter, etc..

Strength training takes about one hour. Biking takes about an hour, 12-14 MPH over a 9 mile course. Running takes about twenty minutes, I am very slow at this weight. Walking takes about an hour at a moderate pace, nothing crazy.
I am hoping that I am gaining some muscle, which is causing me to not see a weight loss, but is is might disheartening and I would like to make some adjustments to see some weight loss. Some things I am reading indicate that maybe I should be eating more to increase my calorie count, as well as increasing %fat intake. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

darkestdayz

I'm reposting this from another thread:


Keto Weight Loss Stall

Source: ( http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2013/04/22/Not-Losing-Weight-on-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet-Dont-Give-Up-and-Read-Further)

You are not in ketosis, which you can confirm using ketone detection strips. There could be several reasons for that:

1. Your carbohydrate intake may be too high. Try to decrease your daily carbs limit. Also try to include coconut oil in your diet. Coconut oil consists of MCTs (Medium chain triglycerides), which are easily digestible, less likely to be stored by your body and are used for immediate energy. MCTs are converted in the liver into ketones, which helps you enter ketosis.

2. Your protein intake may be too high. If you eat too much protein, the excess protein converts into glycogen and disrupts ketosis. This is not the most likely reason, as it's not as easy to eat too much protein unless you take protein supplements.

3. You use artificial or other sweeteners that may interrupt ketosis. Some keto-dieters claim artificial sweeteners and even some sugar alcohols have a negative effect on ketosis. This issue has been recently debated but there are no conclusive results as to the effect of artificial sweeteners. As a guideline, beware of chewing gums, mints or any medications such as cough syrup and others that may contain sugar or sweeteners. Have a look at my recent post about suitable sweeteners.

4. Carb cheating / carb creep is another possible reason for not losing weight. You have to be really disciplined and aware of all carbs you eat. It’s a little nibbling here and there of the forbidden foods, leading to a carb creep, so make sure you count all carbs. In this video, Dr. Eric Westman explains the ketogenic diet and emphasizes that even eating mints may affect ketosis and weight loss results. Sometimes, even when a label says "sugar-free", it doesn't have to be "carbs-free"!

Note: You can be in ketosis without showing urinary ketones, but they can be found in your bloodstream. This could happen if your urine is too diluted due to high water intake and shows a marginal number of ketones. As long as you keep your net carbs low, your body will enter ketosis. You may even not be showing any ketons at all. This happens when your body gets fully keto adapted and uses fat for fuel. It’s not a bad thing and it doesn’t mean you will stop losing weight.

You are in ketosis but still struggle to lose weight.

1. The reason could be way too much fat and therefore calories in your diet. Fat contains twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein, so it's important your fat intake lies between the recommended ranges. There is no diet where you can consume "unlimited" amounts of calories and still lose weight. Calories from fat should amount to 60-75% of your daily intake. When it comes to calories, it depends on your individual maintenance level and how much active you are.

Note: If you just started a low-carb diet, it may take some time for your body to get used to it and you will naturally eat less. Just give it some time. Low-carb diets are a lot more nutritious and sating as you will discover.

2. Also keep in mind that losing fat gets more difficult as you approach your ideal weight. My own experience is that if you need to lose a relatively small amount of weight like 5-10 pounds and your body weight is already at a healthy "natural" level, you will find it hard to lose more weight. The only way is to be careful about your caloric intake. In my case, this was eating up to 2,100 kcal a day (maintenance level + level of activity). As you can see, it’s nowhere near starvation

3. You put on weight over a short period of time. This could happen if you had more carbs (even once!) than your daily limit (e.g. you went to a party). As we have learnt before, there is a relationship between water retention and glycogen stores. If your body manages to store some extra glycogen, you also increase water retention. This happens literally from one day to the next. Don't panic, it's just water. Once you go back to your daily carbs limit it will take 2-3 days to lose the excessive water.

4. You may have a thyroid dysfunction and you are not aware of it. It only takes a blood test to find out - visit your doctor!

5. Stress is a big factor. When we are stressed out, our body produces a hormone called cortisol, which is responsible for storing fat round your stomach area (visceral fat) and makes weight loss more difficult. Try to relax, don't underestimate this factor. Find your own way to reduce it: try meditations, take a few days off work, go somewhere for a weekend or go for a walk. Stress is also linked to hypothyroidism and this badly affects your metabolic rate and as a result of that, you store fat.

6. Leptin and its satiety signalling is another possible factor. Fat is hormonally active and it sends out leptin, a hormone that tells us when we’ve had enough. As you lose fat, there will be less fat cells to do the job. This does not apply just to low-carb, but any diet. The question is how significant this factor is. If you eat food rich in fat and protein, this can be minimised.

7. Lack of sleep may be behind your weight stalling. It may sound as cliche but sleep is and absolutely crucial part of fat loss: Maximum fat loss is only achieved with adequate sleep, diet and exercise. Try to fall asleep before midnight and sleep for 7-9 hours. I don't expect all of you can afford to sleep for 9 hours, but take it as a goal :-)


That being said, your macros should be set to 65% Fat, 30% protein and 5% carbs. You can look at my food diary to get an idea of what the macros should look like.

cheryl3660

It could be a number of things. You could be not eating enough, especially with the amount of excercise you are getting. Also, you could be building muscle while losing fat and that wouldn't necessarily register on the scale.

Try this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

It can help you determine how many calories you need to eat every day. If you have been not eating enough calories for a long enough time, your body may think you are starving and be holding onto as much as it can, so if this is your problem you might initially see a jump in weight if you start eating more, but then you should see a drop in weight once you provide your body with adequate nutrition.

Keep at it and keep making adjustments until you learn and see what is right for your body.

shar140

I fear I am not eating enough.

I'd say this. I eat 1800+, and I'm a 170lb female.

Do your clothes fit any different? I can lose inches, while the scale remains the same.

Also, I doubt you are building muscle - you need a calorie surplus for that, and way more protein (my macro % are set pretty close to yours). Without doing the math, I'm fairly certain you're not even eating your BMR. How do you feel? I can drop too low on calories and not feel hungry at all, until I eat and realize I was hungry - but I feel lethargic.

On the flip side, I also saw a lot of days where you didn't log - I know for me, I can totally un-do any good I've done during the week, on the weekend, and stall out as well.

How much exercise per week are you doing now? 3 hours of strength training, but how much cardio? It's also possible you're doing TOO much. What kind of strength training are you doing? high reps, lower weight? Have you increased the weight/reps/sets at all as you've progressed? I've also gotten frustrated and stalled when I think I'm doing the same as I did before - when I really need to push myself more as I got fitter.

hope this helps! :flowerforyou:

wwwdotcr

You might want to adjust macros... 20% is not even close to Keto. You should aim for 5%-8% max.

JisatsuHoshi

65% Fats, 30% Proteins, 5% Carbs.

sea_dog

Cheryl,

Thanks. According to that calculator I need to eat 3300 calories to maintain my weight, while my BMR is at 2170, so I am not even eating what I need on a daily basis, so you may have something there.

Others have indicated that I am not in ketosis, which I confirmed via strips yesterday. I was trying to eat a low carb diet without going into ketosis as a means to reduce my appetite and creating a caloric deficit, which I thought would result in weight loss. However, this method does not seem to work well, at least not for me. I had used the Atikins diet before and didn't like it. I didn't like the way it made me feel, and was constrictive for me, even after induction. So I thought if I just reduced my overall carbs, eat non processed foods, etc... no wheat, potatoes, or pasta... that I would magically lose weight, but it has not worked out so I need to make an adjustment.

I will begin the induction phase this week and see where that takes me.

Thanks,

sea_dog

shar140,

Long reply:

I'd say this. I eat 1800+, and I'm a 170lb female.

Do your clothes fit any different? I can lose inches, while the scale remains the same.

Also, I doubt you are building muscle - you need a calorie surplus for that, and way more protein (my macro % are set pretty close to yours). Without doing the math, I'm fairly certain you're not even eating your BMR. How do you feel? I can drop too low on calories and not feel hungry at all, until I eat and realize I was hungry - but I feel lethargic.

On the flip side, I also saw a lot of days where you didn't log - I know for me, I can totally un-do any good I've done during the week, on the weekend, and stall out as well.

How much exercise per week are you doing now? 3 hours of strength training, but how much cardio? It's also possible you're doing TOO much. What kind of strength training are you doing? high reps, lower weight? Have you increased the weight/reps/sets at all as you've progressed? I've also gotten frustrated and stalled when I think I'm doing the same as I did before - when I really need to push myself more as I got fitter.


Yes, my clothes feel different. I probably lost an inch off my waist.

You may be right, I am not buidling muscle, but I am definately stronger. The amount I lift has gone up about 30%, my arms are more muscular, and my calves and thighs are very hard. So maybe instead of "building" muscle, and am just excercising what I have. It was my intention to avoid losing lean muscle if possible.

The days I didn't log where the July 4th holiday. I think that was because I was becoming disheartened. I thought about giving up on any excersise until I figured out how to start losing. Maybe strength training is a waste of time, cardio, etc... However, I think that is one positive, routine, that I am doing so I will try to keep that up.

I try to exercise the same amount every day except Sunday. At 7:00 PM I go to the gym for 1 hour. I go Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I work arms, legs, arms one week, then legs, arms, legs the next. I do a pyramid workout, 6 total sets each muscle group, 12 reps @ 50%, 10 reps @ 70%, 8 reps @ 90, 6 reps @ 100%, the 12 reps @ 90% looking for failure. For arms I do chest, shoulders, back, triceps, and then biceps. For legs I do squats, lunges (hams), calves, then 5 sets of core. e.g. crunches, leg lifts, hello dollies, etc... I also change the type of exercise or equipment each week so not to get bored, or used to the movement.

On Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday I either ride my bike for one hour on specific routes, or run/jog for 20 minutes... I am trying to build my time, distance, etc... this is tough at 280lbs so I am very slow.

I like the feeling of being regimented and doing the same thing, same time, daily, etc...

Thanks,

jackalope39

Hi there, listen - my weight does not move quickly either, ESPECIALLY when I layer in a new type of workout, more intense workouts, etc. It takes at least 6 weeks for the scale to budge for me when I start a new workout.

It can be frustrating - let me say that again - it IS frustrating, totally, but just know what you are doing is healthy and the right thing.

Keep at it, don't get discouraged, and one foot in front of the other - you'll get there! And you'll have lots of company with us because it takes a LONG time to achieve weight loss but there are many examples of people here who have stuck with it through thick and thin (and plateaus) who come out on the other side.

Keep it up!