Frustration
cjthurman
Posts: 56 Member
I started low carb 3 weeks ago. The first two weeks were great - lost 10 pounds total. Third week - nothing. Fourth week - I just started but I **gained** half a pound already. How can that be when I'm in ketosis (according to the strips) and I'm keeping my carbs low (under 20g most days). Yesterday I had under 30 carbs and only 1200 or so calories and I gained! I'm getting very frustrated and dare I say that I'm on the verge of quitting....I have a ton of weight to lose and feel that I should not be stalled right now. It would be different if I was only trying to lose a few pounds.
Any advice from the long time low-carbers out there?
Any advice from the long time low-carbers out there?
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Replies
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I am feeling the absolute same way as you right now!!! Grrrrr....:sad:0
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Take measurements and live by these rather than the scale would be my first guideline.
Overall weight is a terrible measure of progress IMO.
Initial weight loss on low carb is mostly water weight, not fat. If you go back to consuming a carb-heavy diet it will just come back. This is a natural consequence of depleting the body's glycogen stores (which also contain water).
Keto sticks are a very unreliable measure of being in ketosis too, they only measure what is being lost in the urine, not what is generated by the body and used as fuel.0 -
Stay with it. Weight fluctuates constantly. Your weight gain is most likely water retention. Make sure you are drinking those 8 cups of water a day plus whatever other fluids you want. Watch the amount of sodium in your diet. I just went through a period of 3-4 weeks of losing almost nothing and some times gaining. I took a closer look at my food diary and realized that my sodium intake was really high due to a couple of ham dinners and other high sodium foods. I also had not been drinking enough water. I cut way back on sodium laden food yesterday and drank the full 8 cups of water and other fluids. My scale went down over 2 pounds this morning from the day before - one of those pounds was new weight loss.I started low carb 3 weeks ago. The first two weeks were great - lost 10 pounds total. Third week - nothing. Fourth week - I just started but I **gained** half a pound already. How can that be when I'm in ketosis (according to the strips) and I'm keeping my carbs low (under 20g most days). Yesterday I had under 30 carbs and only 1200 or so calories and I gained! I'm getting very frustrated and dare I say that I'm on the verge of quitting....I have a ton of weight to lose and feel that I should not be stalled right now. It would be different if I was only trying to lose a few pounds.
Any advice from the long time low-carbers out there?0 -
Don't give up. I hit a small stall too, at about 7lbs down. Increase your water, gorge yourself with fresh veggies and increase your fiber. That got me out of my stall. Also, I gained 3lbs back during my TOM. Last time I did low-carb/Atkins, I gave up soon as I hit my first stall--and promptly gained back twice the weight I lost. I think we started this at about the same time--my first day was Oct. 80
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Honestly I have stopped weighing myself... and for now am not even doing my measurements (I tend to over-obsess about this in a big way). All I know is that a pair of jeans that used to be comfortably snug are now falling off WITH a belt. :bigsmile:0
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You need to be patient, it has only been two whole weeks and the start to your third. This isn't a magic diet, you need to give your body time to adjust. You body is changing the way it processes food.
Weight loss comes with a great deal of patience. If you quit now where is that going to get you? Back to where you were and you don't want to ruin what you have accomplished so far. Be grateful for the losses you are having, when people hit actual plateaus they can go on for weeks and months, but they don't give up, they keep pushing forward to break the plateau.
We have abused our bodies for a long time, and as resilient as they may be, you can't expect the weight to drop off super quick. It took time to put it on, same as for coming off. 10lbs in two weeks is a great loss, be happy with it and maybe set some goals you think you can acheive so you can see you are being successful.
Good luck to you!0 -
Thank you all and I hear you about measuring instead of weighing, but I'm horrible at measuring and I never know if I'm doing it right or accurately enough. However, given my 320lb status (well, 310 now), I would assume that I cannot have a 20" waist and still weight 310 pounds so the scale is going to have to reflect a change at some point, right? Otherwise, all those BMI numbers would be a waste of time. If I didn't weigh so much, I think I'd be more patient...
And a question on the test trips for ketosis...if they are purple/pink, it means that I am burning fat, correct? I may not know how much I'm burning, but I'm still burning fat as opposed to a carb fuel source. That thought alone is a comfort so the scale was almost secondary, but if the strips are inaccurate I really have no to way to measure my success if the scale isn't moving. Honestly, measuring really doesn't give me the feedback I need to adjust my diet...in other words, if I'm doing something wrong, I'll never know it until it is too late. I can't wait two or three months to see if the measuring tape moves.
Right now I'm staying under 30g of carb so loading up on veggies is out of the question. I am, however, getting enough fiber and plenty of water (well over 8 glasses a day) so I don't think that is causing a stall. Honestly, I lost faster on the low calorie, low fat diet I was on a couple years ago and, while I'm not ready to switch back quite yet, it's very tempting...knowing I can eat all the fruit and veggies want (not to mention oatmeal and bread occasionally!). But because now understand how things work, I can't just ignore the logic of low-carb. I'm just discouraged that, at my weight, I'm not seeing better results after 3 weeks because as was mentioned above - the first 10 pounds was water. So why am I not losing now? But I'll try and be patient!0 -
I will tell you what I have noticed with doing lower carb. I will have a nice drop and then nothing for about 1 1/2 weeks following. It is almost like my body needs time to catch up. Then I will have another nice drop...rinse and repeat. I was involved in another low carb forum and this seemed to happen to alot of us...we would say it was the weight loss fairy visiting :happy: Keep it up...you are doing great!
edited to add: I know my MFP starting date makes it look like I am new to low carb, but I didn't start MFP until I was 296. My original starting weight was 320. 8 1/2 years ago I also did low carb to get my PCOS under control so I could get pregnant with my now 7yr. old twins
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Huge weight losses when you first start most any weight loss program are because you have less food moving through your system. Loss of hydration also has as large impact. Low carb definitely works, but it is not magic. Eating low carb helps you be in control of what you eat and you tend to eat less calories, even though you're eating more calorie rich (containing fat) foods.
I sometimes worry that new low carbers eat too few carbs, and the carbs they do eat aren't the right kind. Too low carb eating (under 20g) can cause gout and other health problems! Because low carb is good, it does NOT mean even lower is better! Try to eat a large salad (maybe with steak or chicken on top) and a generous side of veggies (steamed fresh broccoli with melted cheese on top) every day. Eat lots of foods with one ingredient, and skip the junk. You'll get the carbs your body needs and get the full benefit of the low carb diet.
Ketosis is not an absolute requirement either. You can cut your carbs not as drastically and still follow a moderate carb intake (50-100) and still glean many of the benefits of low carb eating.
Don't get frustrated! The body is complex but low carb has been shown to be the most foolproof means of weight loss. Get some exercise. Be patient. And watch the pounds and inches fall off.0 -
Huge weight losses when you first start most any weight loss program are because you have less food moving through your system. Loss of hydration also has as large impact. Low carb definitely works, but it is not magic. Eating low carb helps you be in control of what you eat and you tend to eat less calories, even though you're eating more calorie rich (containing fat) foods.
I sometimes worry that new low carbers eat too few carbs, and the carbs they do eat aren't the right kind. Too low carb eating (under 20g) can cause gout and other health problems! Because low carb is good, it does NOT mean even lower is better! Try to eat a large salad (maybe with steak or chicken on top) and a generous side of veggies (steamed fresh broccoli with melted cheese on top) every day. Eat lots of foods with one ingredient, and skip the junk. You'll get the carbs your body needs and get the full benefit of the low carb diet.
Ketosis is not an absolute requirement either. You can cut your carbs not as drastically and still follow a moderate carb intake (50-100) and still glean many of the benefits of low carb eating.
Don't get frustrated! The body is complex but low carb has been shown to be the most foolproof means of weight loss. Get some exercise. Be patient. And watch the pounds and inches fall off.
^^ THIS- Very well put.
You will have surges and plateaus along the way but keep truckin'. Also keep measuring, it shows the real story!0 -
Right now I'm following Atkins and I'm in the induction phase so 20g carbs is required (according to the book). Sorry - this is my first time doing this so I may not understand how it works, but it's 20g and then when you're ready to move on to ongoing weight loss, you increase carbs by 5g per week until your loss slows, correct? Haha - well, I'm not losing at all so I couldn't even judge what adding more carbs might do. In the book, he recommends staying on induction for a longer time if you have a lot to lose. Hence, I'm still on induction at week 4. But if the scale doesn't move this week, I may go ahead and add more veggies into the mix and not worry about it.
So when you measure, how to do you know if you're measuring int he exact some spot? And do you move all your fingers out from behind the tape? And I'm sorry to say that my hip measurement is bigger than the tape measure! Pathetic! See, this is why I'm freaking out about the weight not coming off! I think my hip measurement has gotten smaller, but I can only guess. Other measurements have stayed the same after an initial decrease during my first two weeks.
I read in several places from people who had the same issue that this could just be my body adjusting and I need to give it some time. Well, it better hurry up and adjust already! I'm so ready for the "weight LOSS fairy" to come for a visit. 0 -
First your body is going through some changes and may need some time to sort things out. That instant 10 lb loss may have been water weight and maybe hydration is picking up and real weight is coming off.
Typical is big loss week 1, no loss week 2, small loss week 3, bigger losses weeks 4+. Maybe you are a week behind. Or are eating some foods that are carbier than you think. Or are not eating enough other foods to keep the body feeling secure it's not going to starve.
BTW - MFP foods are far from perfectly listed.
Some questions:
Give a list of a typical day's carbs - what foods and # carbs from each? Are you eating sugar carbs? Coffee? List everything.
How many total calories are you eating? Are you getting hungry? When and for what?
How much water are you drinking?
Are you having regular #2 bathroom visits?
May be able to advise with this info.0 -
I'm feeling the same way. I'm not losing as quickly as I used to. Maybe it's my age or medication, who knows but as long
as I keep slowly going down! I weigh myself daily and it goes up and down daily. At least with low carb I am not hungry all the time and struggling with terrible cravings. I feel calmer and more confident. Good luck and hang in there!
When I measure I find the "smallest" part of me to measure for my waist and the largest for hips and bust etc. It's not tight but not lose either.0 -
I will have a nice drop and then nothing for about 1 1/2 weeks following. It is almost like my body needs time to catch up. Then I will have another nice drop...rinse and repeat.
I completely agree! I had to track this for a few months before I could see the pattern. Hang in there, be patient with your body and be proud of what you're doing for it! :flowerforyou:0 -
^^^^THIS!! I usually eat around 100 or so and saw a massive improvement. I don't think one has to be in ketosis to benefit. I've lost 7 pounds or so by watching carbs/sugar and still having a meal with carbs (starchy carbs) once or twice a week. It does ebb and flow. I won't lose for awhile and then I'll drop some more. Keep at it!Huge weight losses when you first start most any weight loss program are because you have less food moving through your system. Loss of hydration also has as large impact. Low carb definitely works, but it is not magic. Eating low carb helps you be in control of what you eat and you tend to eat less calories, even though you're eating more calorie rich (containing fat) foods.
I sometimes worry that new low carbers eat too few carbs, and the carbs they do eat aren't the right kind. Too low carb eating (under 20g) can cause gout and other health problems! Because low carb is good, it does NOT mean even lower is better! Try to eat a large salad (maybe with steak or chicken on top) and a generous side of veggies (steamed fresh broccoli with melted cheese on top) every day. Eat lots of foods with one ingredient, and skip the junk. You'll get the carbs your body needs and get the full benefit of the low carb diet.
Ketosis is not an absolute requirement either. You can cut your carbs not as drastically and still follow a moderate carb intake (50-100) and still glean many of the benefits of low carb eating.
Don't get frustrated! The body is complex but low carb has been shown to be the most foolproof means of weight loss. Get some exercise. Be patient. And watch the pounds and inches fall off.0 -
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Interesting read and makes sense. Thanks for posting this helpful information!0 -
It didn't come on overnight, give it some time Not all of what you have lost so far will be water weight, so your body may need some catchup time.
You've got 3 days in the last week with alcohol (which isn't Induction friendly I think). For me, any week I drink I don't lose weight (low carb or otherwise). Might be worth eliminating it if you're stalled.
You've also got some days where you're below your protein and fat macros. I find this can cause a stall for me too if it happens a few days in one week.
If you hate measuring, find some clothes that fit tightly but are not elastic/stretchy, you'll soon feel the gaps appearing 0 -
Yes, I should have said that after the first two weeks, I did add coffee, alcohol (usually only weekends), and nuts into my diet, but still was under the 20g of carb. So perhaps those things are causing a stall. I'll cut out the coffee and alcohol and see what happens.
Actually, other than carbs under 20g, I wasn't paying much attention to the other macros. I guess I really didn't know that t I should be keeping track of them. I'll keep an eye on those too, but I have to say that it's starting to feel a little obsessive to me - trying to keep track of carbs and protein and fat and calories.
And I'm not ready to give up yet and I'd be very happy with a pound a week loss, but nothing is happening. Well, there has been a slight change in my measurements but that could be operator error. I'll give it a few more weeks before I reevaluate the situation.
Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate the advice and I'm sure eventually the scale will start moving again...0 -
Oh, if you add nuts and alcohol, you need more carbs in your limit, or you'll be under-eating on nutrition. I'd go up by 5 carbs at least.
Coffee should be fine, but I find my macros are critical for good losses. Too low on protein or fat and I stall.0 -
For me LCHF has been pretty darn miraculous. Not in the amount of weight I'm losing (I lost just as much counting calories and following the typical healthy whole grain type of diet they push on everyone) but I'm not hungry all the time or obsessed with food anymore. My appetite is normal for the first time in years i.e. I get hungry, I eat and I'm satisfied. I no longer have incidents of hypoglycemia no matter how long I go without eating. Leg pains at night, acid reflux, fatigue, and swollen/bleeding gums are all gone and that's all from either cutting out wheat, eating LCHF or some combination of the two.
I can't be sure exactly what fixed all of those things but four months of eating lean meats, healthy whole grains and lots of fruits and vegetables, getting daily exercise and losing 42 pounds on top of the good nutrition and exercise didn't improve any of it. Every. Single. Day was a struggle because it's seemed like I was hungry ALL the freaking time and obsessed with food and planning snacks and counting the minutes until I could eat again. I felt better than I did before eating all the junk food though and was thrilled with the weight loss but just thought I would have to count calories and obsessively plan my food for the rest of my life.
So needless to say, I'm a total LCHF fangirl but this diet isn't for everyone. Peter Attia has a great blog post on a recent study where a low carb, high fat diet was shown to be more effective then the other diets. But even in that study he notes that one person in the study seemed to benefit the most from a low fat diet.
"There is enormous variation between subjects by diet type. For example, at least one subject saw a dramatic increase in TEE on the low GI diet versus the other two, while another saw the greatest TEE on the low fat diet. This speaks to a theme I iterate on this blog: be willing to self-experiment until you find what works for you."
http://eatingacademy.com/books-and-articles/good-science-bad-interpretation
I mention this because you said you did really well on a low fat diet before. By all means please stick with low carb for at least another month and see how you do but don't be afraid to switch it up if it's not working for you. No one diet is right for everyone and I don't just mean personal preference. Our bodies really are different no matter that the "special snowflake" camp seems to claim that everyone just has to "eat less and move more" and nothing else matters. Good luck finding what works for you.
P.S.
This is the diet I'm following if you're interested:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf0 -
I ate traditionally healthy, ran 20+km a week.. Upped my calories, decreased them, was constantly hungry. Was a paramedic student working out hard and lifting hard in the gym multiple times a week. 2nd year in the program at Christmas (last year) I topped out at my heaviest weight, 180.
I was depressed at how hard I was working out, and my clothes just kept fitting worse. A larger friend had found the keto subreddit and had been on it two months with positive results. I was willing to try anything. January to May I lost 32 pounds and felt the best I have. Keto flu kicked my *kitten*, took months to get fully over it actually even with sodium, magnesium and potassium added to my diet. I was on rideouts and couldn't take time off exercising.
Sadly i fell off the keto train this summer, and hit 165, but have been back on for a few weeks. Found this time 0 alcohol. If I have any, I stop anything productive for at least a week.. and it's not worth it. And I need to keep my calories below 1300. It's easy to eat more even when I am not actually hungry. Hit 158 and a bit today after having a few weeks of up and down weights. there were times the last time i was keto that measurements kept going down though the scale didn't move for a good long while.0 -
I had a "stall" that lasted for like 5 weeks (fluctuated on the same 2-3 pounds)....... of course I was disappointed when the scale wasn't moving, but my clothes were fitting better so I kept plugging away. Ultimately, this week I finally broke through my stall Simply keep the faith and plug away at it unless there is some valid medical reason you can't - you should start seeing results! 0
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I will tell you what I have noticed with doing lower carb. I will have a nice drop and then nothing for about 1 1/2 weeks following. It is almost like my body needs time to catch up. Then I will have another nice drop...rinse and repeat. I was involved in another low carb forum and this seemed to happen to alot of us...we would say it was the weight loss fairy visiting :happy: Keep it up...you are doing great!
edited to add: I know my MFP starting date makes it look like I am new to low carb, but I didn't start MFP until I was 296. My original starting weight was 320. 8 1/2 years ago I also did low carb to get my PCOS under control so I could get pregnant with my now 7yr. old twins
This is ME!!!!0 -
Huge weight losses when you first start most any weight loss program are because you have less food moving through your system. Loss of hydration also has as large impact. Low carb definitely works, but it is not magic. Eating low carb helps you be in control of what you eat and you tend to eat less calories, even though you're eating more calorie rich (containing fat) foods.
I sometimes worry that new low carbers eat too few carbs, and the carbs they do eat aren't the right kind. Too low carb eating (under 20g) can cause gout and other health problems! Because low carb is good, it does NOT mean even lower is better! Try to eat a large salad (maybe with steak or chicken on top) and a generous side of veggies (steamed fresh broccoli with melted cheese on top) every day. Eat lots of foods with one ingredient, and skip the junk. You'll get the carbs your body needs and get the full benefit of the low carb diet.
Ketosis is not an absolute requirement either. You can cut your carbs not as drastically and still follow a moderate carb intake (50-100) and still glean many of the benefits of low carb eating.
Don't get frustrated! The body is complex but low carb has been shown to be the most foolproof means of weight loss. Get some exercise. Be patient. And watch the pounds and inches fall off.
I agree with this. My doctor told me to stay under 100 grams per day and this gives you lots more flexibility. I keep my carbs down & eat the calories set by MFP and have lost 22lbs with a goal of 33lbs. I started in August. I am also 57 with a thyroid problem and still losing with low carb. Don't give up, it will work for you.0
