Keto stall
jackiefoil
Posts: 1 Member
I am pretty new to keto, I've been doing it for about 5 weeks now and I was just wanting to ask about keto and weight loss. I'm only 5ft, 45 yr old female. I weigh around 153 right now. Within the first two weeks of keto I lost 7lbs, but I have not lost a single pound since. Since I'm so new to keto, I would love to hear input on why this is happening. What do I need to tweak? I have my macros set at 10% carbs, 70% fat, and 20% protein. In the beginning I set my calories at 1400, but over the last week i moved them to 1300 because I was hoping to see the scale move. I use a food scale. I measure everything. I'm loving the way I feel on keto diet, but I chose keto because I want to lose weight. I purposely went off keto this weekend for an event. (Saturday only) and it's thursday and I'm still not back in ketosis yet!
I would really love some feedback. Is this normal? I'm kinda frustrated right now......
I would really love some feedback. Is this normal? I'm kinda frustrated right now......
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Replies
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Try reducing fat a bit. Make up the calories with a bit more protein.
Also, you won’t necessarily lose weight every week. You could just be holding some water if sodium is low or need to poop.
Then there’s this. You can lose fat without losing weight. Even without exercise.
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Add more protein and take in less fat while limiting carbs. I'd also suggest walking your scale to the garbage can and dumping it in there as it will do more harm than good. The better way is to try on a tight set of clothing each week and you will see your true progress. The scale can't tell you if you are replacing fat mass with lean mass but tight clothing that starts fitting will show the success.3
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I wouldn't set a % of carbs but try to keep carbs below 50g. If you still can't lose I would take carbs to <20g. You need enough fat to feel full but you need to be in calorie deficit so it looks like you are going to have to do the math.1
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FWIW, ketosis does not cause weight loss. It may be an unpopular statement in a keto forum but it is true. Ketosis, and/or very low carb DOES reduce hunger/cravings for many people so it has great value for many regarding weight loss. Reduced hunger and cravings is the sole reason I keep my carbs low for maintenance.
Don't shoot me just consider this: There are many people here who strive to be in ketosis for medical reasons and their choice is to maintain their weight. Despite being intentionally in ketosis they're maintaining (by plan) versus losing. Consider all those who remain in ketosis for years on end for medical reasons (Epiliptics) or those keto advocates such as Drs. Phinney, Volek, Westman and D'Agostino to name a few. They have chosen a state of ketosis for years as their preferred way to eat. They don't lose weight. Purposely.
I mention this mostly because dieting is a physical stress on the body. Worrying is a mental stress on the body. Both of those stresses could raise cortisol and high levels of cortisol is known to interfere with weight loss.
Ketosis is not a requirement for weight loss but I'll be 1st to agree that the reduced hunger/cravings it provides many is beneficial for weight loss. The same loss/minimization of hunger may occur at somewhat higher carbs and no ketogenic state. It does for me and others.
Just something to consider to remove a stressor.6 -
Some of my opinions may already be mentioned here (or refuted if someone doesn't agree!) I don't have time to read the other comments, but you and I have similar stats, I'm 48 years old, 5'1" and started at 153 lbs (I've lost 20).
There were a few things that were super helpful to me in finally seeing results relatively quickly.
1) The first was to count macros by grams rather than percentages because calories matter and your percentages could be in line, but your calorie count could be too high to lose weight.
2) You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight/fat. If I count my macros daily, and keep them in check, I don't have to count calories. My daily macros are 100g protein/68g fat/20g carbs (I do a lower fat version of keto because high fat does not work for me - if I have fat on my body to burn, I don't need more fat on my plate. and I eat more protein because I want to lose fat not muscle)
Protein is a goal. Fat and carbs are limits. Yet, fat is important for satiety and controlling cravings - I just keep it under 68g.
3)Electrolytes matter! Sodium, magnesium and potassium are crucial when on Keto for results and for feeling good.
4) I was always told to eat 5-6 small meals per day to keep metabolism up. Yet, I learned this year that you should go longer between meals because each time you eat you are raising insulin levels. If you can go 3-4 hours between meals, then your body can burn it's own fat. After doing Keto for a few weeks and becoming fat adapted, you can go longer without eating without being hungry.
5) Once fat adapted, intermittent fasting helps a lot of people (hard to do if you are not fat adapted yet, because you get very hungry, etc) Some recommend that women do not go longer than 16 hours without eating to avoid muscle loss and it affecting their hormone levels. When I see a stall, 16:8 worked well for me.
Everyone has their own opinions, and different things work for different people - these things have worked for me.
Hope this helps!
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I am still losing but not as fast and thats okay. I decided today I would limit my fat intake at breakfast. I cut out my cheese, heavy whipping cream in my eggs and MCT oil in my coffee. I am guessing it will be somewhere in the range off 200 to 300 calories less. I have also increased my exercise to help. I only have 10 or 15 pounds remaining to lose and my primary indicator is my shrinking beer gut. When that is gone its time to maintain and maybe add a little muscle mass.2
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I weigh myself weekly, but the number on the scale doesn't tell me the true story of my progress. I measure myself with a tape measure every two weeks, and that definitely tells a much better story! Even the weeks where the scale doesn't budge, the measurements are going down. Give that a try and see if what you are already doing is working before you tweak.1
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I just do a gut check....thats looking in the mirror at my beer gut that is and it is getting smaller. I have a logging scale so my weight is logged daily. With the storm overhead my dogs decided to want to go out at 3:00 am. Not their fault as they were put under for a procedure at the vet yesterday. Anyway I woke up late as a result and decided to try fasting for the first time this morning.0
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I agree that is you are eating 1300 kcal, you might want to increase your potein a bit. 20% protein is fine if at maintenance and eating 2000kcal a day (100g protein) but 20% of 1300 kcal is only 260 kcal or 60g protein. When losing, it is often wise to use a higher percentage to help retain lean tissue.
My guess is that in those first weeks you lost a bit of water weight. By now your electrolytes and glycogen stores are probably normalizing so you may have regained some water weight but you're losing fat too and that may have balanced it out so it looks like no losses are happening. But they are. If you are eating in a caloric deficit, you are losing fat.
Pictures, the tape measure, or how clothes fit often tell a more accurate story. I'm pretty close to maintenance. I'm eating at a slight deficit, and I know that I am losing weight because my pants keep getting loser, but I have weeks where the scale does not more. In fact this week I went up three pounds BUT I did not an extra 10,000 kcal so I know it's just water. The scale will drop again, I am sure. In the meantime, my clothes fit fine so I just keep going.
When you have little to lose, like you do, the scale might move slower. We need an irritating amount of patience.3 -
jackiefoil wrote: »I am pretty new to keto, I've been doing it for about 5 weeks now and I was just wanting to ask about keto and weight loss. I'm only 5ft, 45 yr old female. I weigh around 153 right now. Within the first two weeks of keto I lost 7lbs, but I have not lost a single pound since. Since I'm so new to keto, I would love to hear input on why this is happening. What do I need to tweak? I have my macros set at 10% carbs, 70% fat, and 20% protein. In the beginning I set my calories at 1400, but over the last week i moved them to 1300 because I was hoping to see the scale move. I use a food scale. I measure everything. I'm loving the way I feel on keto diet, but I chose keto because I want to lose weight. I purposely went off keto this weekend for an event. (Saturday only) and it's thursday and I'm still not back in ketosis yet!
I would really love some feedback. Is this normal? I'm kinda frustrated right now......
Your macros are fine. Don't cheat because it will set you back for at least three days. You are holding on to water and maybe stool. Just stay with the diet and you will see a drop again. Most people don't lose every week. Some weeks you might even go up a little, but the next week you will see a whoosh, and show a big weight loss. Make shure you move your bowels at least every other day.
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