lifetime of keto, 50+ pound loss

cgcrutch

Has anyone lost over 50lb to reach their ideal weight and NOT switched to maintenance carbs intake? I have 2 questions: 1) Did weight loss happen more slowly after the first 50 lbs? 2) If you don't adjust carb intake to maintain your ideal weight, does your body just level out wherever it's supposed to be as far as size and weight, OR will you keep losing weight til you're skin & bones?

kpk54

cgcrutch wrote: »

Has anyone lost over 50lb to reach their ideal weight and NOT switched to maintenance carbs intake? I have 2 questions: 1) Did weight loss happen more slowly after the first 50 lbs? 2) If you don't adjust carb intake to maintain your ideal weight, does your body just level out wherever it's supposed to be as far as size and weight, OR will you keep losing weight til you're skin & bones?

There are a few folks here (I am not one of them) who have been eating keto for a few years, have not upped their carbohydrate intake and they are not skin and bones.

As I have said many times, ketosis is NOT the cause of weight loss. It makes weight loss easier for some and has health benefits for others but ketosis is not the CAUSE of weight loss. If ketosis CAUSED weight loss, all the people who choose a ketogenic diet for life, would always lose weight, would never stop losing weight, etc. Think of those with epilepsy who use a ketogeinic diet to control seizures or all the physicians and PhDs who are well know ketogenic advocates and eat a ketogenic diet. None of them are "skin and bones" and continuing to lose weight just because they are in ketosis.

Weight loss is from a calorie deficit. People can lose, maintain or gain weight on a ketogenic diet. My personal experience does not directly relate to your question but I have been eating some form of a low carb diet for nearly 5 years. Weight loss and maintenance occurred during the 1st year at a calories deficit @ about 100 carbs/day. For the next 1.5 years I ate maintenance calories @ about 100 grams of carbs/day. Then for 52 weeks (still in maintenance) I trialed a <20 gram carb/day Ketogenic Diet at maintenance calories. I neither lost weight, nor fat nor noticed a change in my body composition. Now I eat a very low carb (~50 grams/day) diet at maintenance calories and have been for over a year with no weight/fat/body comp differences that I observe.

FIT_Goat

I lost 50ish pounds doing keto (well 30ish with keto and then 20+ more with zerocarb). I went down to no carbs, and I stayed at that level even when I was at a good weight. I never changed it, and my weight stabilized around a healthy point. I fell off the wagon, and weight went back on, but when I remove the carbs my weight goes right back down and stabilizes at that healthy point. You don't keep losing forever. Actually, there are many underweight people who eat no carbs (for other health reasons besides weight) and they end up putting healthy weight back on. Removing carbs normalizes appetite and makes it responsive to your true caloric needs.

Does weight loss slow down? Yeah. You sort of glide into your goal weight range. Changing your goal to be about health and not about changes on the scale is an important mental step when this happens.

Edit: If it's not clear, I eat almost no carbs. My carbs come from eggs and maybe a little cheese once in a while. Most days I have 0 grams.

nvmomketo

I only lost about 40lbs but I stayed mostly keto for maintenance. I did try increasing carbs but it leads to overeating for me. The fewer carbs I eat, the easier it is to control my size without calorie counting.

Weight loss did slow when I approached my goal weight.

I have managed to gain weight while keto, and especially while low carb. Losing does come down to CI<CO. Keto just makes it easier for some of us.

Good luck.

2t9nty

I have lost a little over 100, and the rate of loss has slowed to virtually nothing. I would like to lose about 25 more pounds. It is my intention to stay with the keto diet just as a lifestyle when I reach goal weight. It is a very comfortable way of eating that suits me. I will increase calories a little when I get there to maintain. For the time being I am sticking with the program and realizing that something is going on even if it is not indicated on the scales.

squeeeyk

FIT_Goat wrote: »

I lost 50ish pounds doing keto (well 30ish with keto and then 20+ more with zerocarb). I went down to no carbs, and I stayed at that level even when I was at a good weight. I never changed it, and my weight stabilized around a healthy point. I fell off the wagon, and weight went back on, but when I remove the carbs my weight goes right back down and stabilizes at that healthy point. You don't keep losing forever. Actually, there are many underweight people who eat no carbs (for other health reasons besides weight) and they end up putting healthy weight back on. Removing carbs normalizes appetite and makes it responsive to your true caloric needs.

Does weight loss slow down? Yeah. You sort of glide into your goal weight range. Changing your goal to be about health and not about changes on the scale is an important mental step when this happens.

Edit: If it's not clear, I eat almost no carbs. My carbs come from eggs and maybe a little cheese once in a while. Most days I have 0 grams.

What do you primarily eat to get all your micronutrients, if I may ask? I feel like 0 carb would eliminate veggies?

KnitOrMiss

@FIT_Goat

FIT_Goat

I feel like 0 carb would eliminate veggies?

You aren't wrong. In fact, it is one of the foundations of my diet. No plant foods. That means no veggies, no fruit, no nuts, no grains, no vegetable oils, etc. The only plants allowed are small amounts of seasonings.

It does eliminate veggies, and not accidentally.

What do you primarily eat to get all your micronutrients, if I may ask?

I get my micronutrients, all of them, from meat. It sounds insane. Trust me, I know how insane it sounds. But, there is nothing we need in plants. Actually, it's my opinion that many plants are counter-productive towards the goals of good health and complete nutrition. Everything we need is in meat, even just muscle meat. Not that liver isn't delicious, but it's not necessary. A good old fashioned steak has everything.



Now, I know that some of the nutrients look low on paper. It helps to remember that the nutrients in meat are in a form that your body can absorb easily. And, some nutrients aren't needed in large amounts when not eating carbs. An interesting one is vitamin C. Conventional wisdom says that you need it to avoid scurvy. A meat-only diet doesn't have any. But, people eating meat only diets (with adequate amounts of fresh or frozen meat), don't get scurvy.