struggling

ChantalD75
ChantalD75 Posts: 680 Member
edited November 28 in Social Groups
I know I am only 2 weeks in and I should be patient but I see all these people starting off and dropping pounds like crazy.... here I am stuck already. Lost 5 in the first week then gained 1 and now nothing. Trying to stay positive. I took my measurements to see if that will help me stay motivated. My husband dropped 10lbs first week and 1 notch in his pants. And he is doing a really dirty keto. I am following my macros and not going over. Maybe I just need to be patient :(

Replies

  • CarolynRSB
    CarolynRSB Posts: 84 Member
    Hey there... at 12.5 pounds down since 29 July (averages out to about 1.5 per week), I'm also a slow loser. I find trying new keto recipes and figuring out substitutions you like help a lot. Be sure you watch your caloric intake, and focus on hitting your protein goals (avoid fat bombs unless you're enjoying the occasional dessert). My macros are 30g net carbs (which I don't usually hit), 85g fat, and 115g protein (CW: 165.5). You want your body to burn the fat it has, so you can't bombard it with outside fat cause it will burn that first and may not get to your stores. Check out the ketogains calculator for a more conservative macros than most will show you. Yeah, it sucks that we don't need nearly as many calories as we would like in order to survive, but c'est la vie. For the record, one thing I love about keto is that I don't get nearly as hungry as on other diets, so I find it easier to eat less overall.

    Good luck!
  • qweck3
    qweck3 Posts: 346 Member
    edited September 2018
    Everyone is very different in the way their body reacts and honestly the first week or two is not really fat loss but rather a bunch of water weight leaving your body. Week 3 forward is what matters. It takes many people 7-9 weeks to become fat adapted on keto. Took me 7 weeks and then it really became CICO for me.

    Please don't use home scales to determine success. It truly is a piece of garbage that does more damage than good. Take a minute to read my previous post on body scan data for an understanding of why you should not rely on bathroom scales. I lost 4 pounds last month (which is great by itself) if I trusted my home scale. Reality was I lost 13.6 pounds of fat and gained 9.6 pounds of lean mass muscle which is the ultimate win. If you don't have access to the techy stuff to monitor true progress find a tight pants and shirt and try that on once a week taking pictures. You will see your wins.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10692636/2-month-keto-breakdown-using-body-scan-data#latest

    One thing I'll say: If your husband continues to lose at that pace he likely needs to up his protein as he could be losing his lean mass which is no good.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    You can only metabolize about 1% body fat a week. So anything you lose beyond that, isn't actual fat loss, it's just water or lean mass. I definitely see changes in measurements before the scale, having additional metrics for motivation is a great idea.
  • ChantalD75
    ChantalD75 Posts: 680 Member
    thank you qweck3! I have changed my macros upped my protein and brought the fat down.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    The keto masses average a pound or so of weight loss per week. Frankly for scale weight it really makes no difference how you adjust your macros. Some people eat 70+% fat and lose and some people choose to eat like they're a body builder or fitness model prepping for competition and eat crazy amounts of protein.

    As mentioned by another, overall calories matter and you will lose weight and body fat in a calorie deficit no matter what the macro allocation. Keto (or very low carb) just makes it easier for many due to it's appetite/craving suppression. I eat LCHF solely for appetite/hunger/craving suppression.

    Keep your carbs low and deficit calories in check over the long haul. You've lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks. That's pretty good. Keep at it. Don't quit. Be patient. It will take some time. You're husband's weight loss will slow. Don't rob yourself by comparing.
  • 2t9nty
    2t9nty Posts: 1,631 Member
    fedup2010 wrote: »
    I know I am only 2 weeks in and I should be patient but I see all these people starting off and dropping pounds like crazy.... here I am stuck already. Lost 5 in the first week then gained 1 and now nothing. Trying to stay positive. I took my measurements to see if that will help me stay motivated. My husband dropped 10lbs first week and 1 notch in his pants. And he is doing a really dirty keto. I am following my macros and not going over. Maybe I just need to be patient :(

    FWIW, my wife and I are both following keto. I am really strict with it, and she is a little less so. I am T2D which gives me an incentive to keep the carbs low.

    I am in maintenance now, but when I was losing, I lost a little more than a pound a week. There were plateaus in there, but it averaged to a little over a pound a week. I never had the initial water loss. My wife is losing at about the rate of a pound a month, and she finds this very frustrating.

    So - was I eating at more of a caloric deficit when I was losing? Maybe... I do think I am more physically active than she is, but she gets intentional exercise - walking and such, so that bit probably balances out.

    We all respond differently.
  • sabl57
    sabl57 Posts: 5 Member
    fedup2010 wrote: »
    I know I am only 2 weeks in and I should be patient but I see all these people starting off and dropping pounds like crazy.... here I am stuck already. Lost 5 in the first week then gained 1 and now nothing. Trying to stay positive. I took my measurements to see if that will help me stay motivated. My husband dropped 10lbs first week and 1 notch in his pants. And he is doing a really dirty keto. I am following my macros and not going over. Maybe I just need to be patient :(

    I have watched a ton of YouTube videos from all different folks (from doctors to just keto dieters). I learned a lot about myself and how I process food. I learned that I am insulin resistant, which means I definitely need to restrict my carbs. I am also having great results (finally) by doing Intermittent Fasting (IF). I encourage you to research the science behind the way the Ketogenic "way of eating" (WOE) helps to process food intake and reduce stored body fat.

    As far as staying motivated, I viewed this YouTube video by Dr. Berg last night and found it interesting. I hope you find this helpful : https://youtu.be/usBkRM-V-2c
  • PaulaKro
    PaulaKro Posts: 5,787 Member
    Yeah, @sabl57 - I keep forgetting IF, but because Keto cuts my cravings, I'm not hungry, and only eat breakfast and early supper now. (except for coffee all day, LOL! :laugh: )
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