Advice from anyone in ketosis

Jasmine_James
Jasmine_James Posts: 188 Member
edited October 26 in Success Stories
Since the beginning of the year, I've been in ketosis following ow carb and high protein and high fat. I've lost 14 pounds so far, which is decent considering my starting weight was 175. However, I hit a plateau a few weeks ago; I haven't lost a single pound in the month of February. I'm thinking I should get out of ketosis and just eat healthy for a while and then go back into ketosis in a few weeks to jump start my weight loss again.

What are your thoughts? Have you stayed in ketosis for months at a time -- or do you go in and out of it to jump start things?
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Replies

  • DCpaleochick
    DCpaleochick Posts: 211 Member
    Yes I had to throw myself out of Ketosis to break the plateau about two weeks ago. I just upped my carb intake to about 100g a day. Since then the weight is consistently coming off. So baby I am gonna ride this out until I hit another plateau. I now believe in the Eat more to Loose more theory while still minimizing my carb intake!
  • Colleen118
    Colleen118 Posts: 491 Member
    Yes, sometimes you will need to shock your body again, just be careful that you still maintain a calorie deficit.
  • cannonpark
    cannonpark Posts: 4 Member
    I have a friend that I work out with and we both do low carb. She swears by going out of ketosis when you hit a plateau. I've been stuck for almost two weeks and thinking I will give it a try to see if it helps get me over the hump. Try hard not to get discouraged! I suggest you try it and see if it works for you.
  • breajohnson
    breajohnson Posts: 109 Member
    sorry but what is Ketosis?
  • Tootce01
    Tootce01 Posts: 184
    I am curious, how many carbs do you take in per day to stay in ketosis?
  • eazy_
    eazy_ Posts: 516 Member
    I am curious, how many carbs do you take in per day to stay in ketosis?

    There is no set magical number. Everybody is different. I've read no more than 20g per day. Just 5% of your daily calorie diet should be carbs.
  • Tootce01
    Tootce01 Posts: 184
    I am curious, how many carbs do you take in per day to stay in ketosis?

    There is no set magical number. Everybody is different. I've read no more than 20g per day. Just 5% of your daily calorie diet should be carbs.

    Thank you for the information! I'm at 10% of my calorie goal, think I may need to drop it another 5%.
  • robhigareda
    robhigareda Posts: 47 Member
    Have you tried an intermittent fasting? This might be what you need or potentially change your diet to a TKD or CKD setup depending on your body fat and exercise regiment.


    'Ketosis is easily swayed in and out of, so make sure you are checking with Ketostix to see where you are at.
  • Princess_Lee2013
    Princess_Lee2013 Posts: 48 Member
    For the person that started this thread - if you look at a ketogenic diet plan - there is a carb up day that they say helps your body keep the momentum to keep losing weight - it's healthy carbs once a week - look up the exact number but I believe the once a week it's about 150-200 range...and then the rest of the week you can maintain your low carb lifestyle. Maybe reseraching this type of diet and switching to that since you've already lost a good starting amount would be beneficiial! Also yes, to chime in on the how many carbs per day, I have about 50 per day and am in the tracing mode of burning ketones...which I have been advised gives the same benefits of the more advanced. You might also want to examine, if you are eating lots of protein to stay in ketosis (not sure if you are) but maybe the fat in protein or sodium content of other foods could be contributing to your plateeu. GOOD LUCK! I'm interested to check back this thread if you post your results from trying ketogenic or getting out of ketosis and tracking calories.
  • After about a week at <20g, you can safely bump up to 50g/day without bumping out as long as it is spread out through the day, and you may find yourself with more workout energy - that's how I lost the 1st 50lbs....
  • Jasmine_James
    Jasmine_James Posts: 188 Member
    Thank you so much for all the replies! I really appreciate it. I am going to do a juice fast for three days this upcoming weekend and then dive back into ketosis and see how it goes. I'll reply in a few weeks to let everyone know how it goes.

    @Princess_Lee2010 -- thanks for the suggestion about having one higher carb day each week. I hadn't heard that, but will def look into it.
  • JNALTBK
    JNALTBK Posts: 136 Member
    Hi ... I'm in ketosis like you, following a low carb high protein diet. I've found that I WELCOME plateaus, because that seems to be when my body physically changes. All of a sudden part way through the plateau, my clothes feel looser, and I lose inches. Then that'll stop and I'll start losing on the scale again while my body adjusts to its new size. This seems to be a pattern for me. Sometimes the plateaus last for several weeks, sometimes shorter, but for me I seem to have two parts to my weight loss, first the scale drops, then I hit a plateau where my body gets smaller. Have you noticed something similar???
  • mimiyo1980
    mimiyo1980 Posts: 37 Member
    Hi ... I'm in ketosis like you, following a low carb high protein diet. I've found that I WELCOME plateaus, because that seems to be when my body physically changes. All of a sudden part way through the plateau, my clothes feel looser, and I lose inches. Then that'll stop and I'll start losing on the scale again while my body adjusts to its new size. This seems to be a pattern for me. Sometimes the plateaus last for several weeks, sometimes shorter, but for me I seem to have two parts to my weight loss, first the scale drops, then I hit a plateau where my body gets smaller. Have you noticed something similar???

    This is really interesting. I haven't lost for 2 weeks, maybe my body is adjusting to being 15lbs lighter...
  • dfonte
    dfonte Posts: 263 Member
    Remember that you need carbohydrates for muscle and energy. If you get rid of them all together you will lose muscle.

    Try 2 days low carb, then 1 day normal carbs. This will prevent your metabolism from becoming stagnant.

    And of course, always consume good carbs.
  • kaitie23
    kaitie23 Posts: 119 Member
    I follow a mild ketosis diet. I eat under 100g carbs per day and I lose about a pound or so a week. Sometimes if I hit a stall I will up my carbs over a 100g to give my body like a jump start into ketosis again. It works for me.
  • alienrite
    alienrite Posts: 314 Member
    You've lost 14 lbs is a very short period of time. Your body will stop that regardless of your method. My suggestion is that you eat a controlled balance diet with restricting processed carbs and sugar (about the same thing). Losing more than 2 lbs a week will result in a rebound in almost everybody. As for the juice fast, be careful about dropping your carb intake for a period of time and then shocking your body by going to a high carb diet. You can easily make yourself sick.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Since the beginning of the year, I've been in ketosis following ow carb and high protein and high fat. I've lost 14 pounds so far, which is decent considering my starting weight was 175. However, I hit a plateau a few weeks ago; I haven't lost a single pound in the month of February. I'm thinking I should get out of ketosis and just eat healthy for a while and then go back into ketosis in a few weeks to jump start my weight loss again.

    What are your thoughts? Have you stayed in ketosis for months at a time -- or do you go in and out of it to jump start things?

    "Get out of ketosis and just eat healthy for a while" ... Hmmm, seems to me you are expecting some kind of ketogenic miracle and think that ketosis is fundamentally unhealthy.

    Look, I did all the low carb keto research and all that last year and in the end I found no advantage to restricting anything in the long run. Sure, reducing the processed stuff can help control cravings but apart from this there is no 'metabolic advantage'.

    I did it for 6 months, worked great initially but the body adapts, insulin or no insulin ;)

    Depressingly it is all about the calories, and don't get me started about peeing on sticks to determine how 'deep' you are in ketosis ... This way madness lies ...
  • Jasmine_James
    Jasmine_James Posts: 188 Member
    That is interesting. That might be what my pattern is too. Per advice from my nutritionist, I'm taking a break from ketosis and eating more carbs each day. I've been trying to stick to gluten-free options. For psychological reasons, I've also let myself splurge on some desserts and wine. I haven't really lost weight -- but I also haven't gained anything back during this process either. So, we'll see. I'll be doing a juice fast next weekend and then going back into ketosis for 3-4 weeks. I'm curious to see if I lose a bunch during that time -- or not.
  • When I was trying to lose, and I hit a plateau. I just changed up my exercise routine and I was back on to losing again. I guess I'm in a permanent ketosis though as I don't eat more than 50 carbs a day. I just eat anything and everything I want except sugary foods, potatoes, rice & pasta. Been like that for years now, I feel good, and I have so much energy.
  • arcadia1983
    arcadia1983 Posts: 42 Member
    is there a follow up to this? What worked for you to jump start weight loss again? I've been hitting a plateau for 2 weeks now after losing an initial 18lbs in the first month of ketosis, and anything to jump start the weight loss would be so very welcome!
  • soniaa777
    soniaa777 Posts: 126 Member
    http://www.youtube.com/user/fitsk8chick?feature=watch

    someone posted this and this person seems to have some advice about it- pro
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    is there a follow up to this? What worked for you to jump start weight loss again? I've been hitting a plateau for 2 weeks now after losing an initial 18lbs in the first month of ketosis, and anything to jump start the weight loss would be so very welcome!


    losing 18 pounds in a month is not a normal monthly thing you should expect from being in ketosis. a solid chunk of that weight loss (for the first week or so) is water weight adn it will come right back when you start eating carbs again. at the end of the day it's still a matter of having a deficit in calories. (a pound or two a week is what you should expect if you have a deficit of a pound or week ) in your diet numbers.

    The advantages of a keto diet is that you get your energy from fat instead of carbs (so you're always burning fat. You don't have to work out for 20 minutes BEFORE you start burning fat. You are burning fat the whole time) and that it helps keep you full longer so you don't get the cravings. also the lack of insulin spikes helps with the no cravings.
  • penguinlally
    penguinlally Posts: 331 Member
    For the person that started this thread - if you look at a ketogenic diet plan - there is a carb up day that they say helps your body keep the momentum to keep losing weight - it's healthy carbs once a week - look up the exact number but I believe the once a week it's about 150-200 range...and then the rest of the week you can maintain your low carb lifestyle. Maybe reseraching this type of diet and switching to that since you've already lost a good starting amount would be beneficiial! Also yes, to chime in on the how many carbs per day, I have about 50 per day and am in the tracing mode of burning ketones...which I have been advised gives the same benefits of the more advanced. You might also want to examine, if you are eating lots of protein to stay in ketosis (not sure if you are) but maybe the fat in protein or sodium content of other foods could be contributing to your plateeu. GOOD LUCK! I'm interested to check back this thread if you post your results from trying ketogenic or getting out of ketosis and tracking calories.

    Sounds like The Carb Nite Solution ( John Kiefer)- Ultra Low Carb <30 g daily - loads of greens ( I would miss veggies) and one carb load weekly check it out
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  • RemyRed33
    RemyRed33 Posts: 7 Member
    I always did better on low carb myself and tried Atkins 1st stage few weeks ago. After initial success, my weight loss just stopped. After 2 weeks of frustration, I upped my carbs intake to 75-100 gr a day by adding low fat yogurts, veggies and fruits, while still maintaining caloric deficit. I saw results immediately. Reviewing my weight-loss history and food diary, I came to conclusion that 65-100gr is my optimal carb range; it’s where I lose weight steady and comfortably. Good luck to you!
  • For the person that started this thread - if you look at a ketogenic diet plan - there is a carb up day that they say helps your body keep the momentum to keep losing weight - it's healthy carbs once a week - look up the exact number but I believe the once a week it's about 150-200 range...and then the rest of the week you can maintain your low carb lifestyle. Maybe reseraching this type of diet and switching to that since you've already lost a good starting amount would be beneficiial! Also yes, to chime in on the how many carbs per day, I have about 50 per day and am in the tracing mode of burning ketones...which I have been advised gives the same benefits of the more advanced. You might also want to examine, if you are eating lots of protein to stay in ketosis (not sure if you are) but maybe the fat in protein or sodium content of other foods could be contributing to your plateeu. GOOD LUCK! I'm interested to check back this thread if you post your results from trying ketogenic or getting out of ketosis and tracking calories.

    Thank you for this reply! I am at 60 per day and I think I will go down to 50. I want to be tracing too,
  • anitasongs
    anitasongs Posts: 129 Member
    Do Carb cycling, read the book by Chris Powel Chose more... He does the show extreme weightloss.
    You alternate carbs every other day...
    This week I am doing three days low carb, then higher carb for two days and then 3 days low carb.. in 3 days lost 5 lbs and back on track.. I was on a standstill.
    You shock the system.
    He even recommends in the book if stuck do one week of carbs and then low carb.. it works.. You will lose again..
    Happy eating.. :)
  • GamerGirly
    GamerGirly Posts: 158 Member
    I am curious, how many carbs do you take in per day to stay in ketosis?

    There is no set magical number. Everybody is different. I've read no more than 20g per day. Just 5% of your daily calorie diet should be carbs.

    Thank you for the information! I'm at 10% of my calorie goal, think I may need to drop it another 5%.

    Before you drop your carb intake to 5% take a keto test to see if you already have ketones in your kidneys.
    The person who stated "Less than 20 carbs" is inaccurate.
    You can attain ketosis below 100g daily.
    However, everyone is different. Some people need to go lower to get in to ketosis.
    Just make sure you test at every increments of 10 before you consider going lower.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    For the person that started this thread - if you look at a ketogenic diet plan - there is a carb up day that they say helps your body keep the momentum to keep losing weight - it's healthy carbs once a week - look up the exact number but I believe the once a week it's about 150-200 range...and then the rest of the week you can maintain your low carb lifestyle. Maybe reseraching this type of diet and switching to that since you've already lost a good starting amount would be beneficiial! Also yes, to chime in on the how many carbs per day, I have about 50 per day and am in the tracing mode of burning ketones...which I have been advised gives the same benefits of the more advanced. You might also want to examine, if you are eating lots of protein to stay in ketosis (not sure if you are) but maybe the fat in protein or sodium content of other foods could be contributing to your plateeu. GOOD LUCK! I'm interested to check back this thread if you post your results from trying ketogenic or getting out of ketosis and tracking calories.

    Thank you for this reply! I am at 60 per day and I think I will go down to 50. I want to be tracing too,

    This isn't really entirely true. you are in ketosis or you are not in ketosis. the difference between trace or heavy is the concentrations in your urine. drinking a lot of water will also dilute it to trace. if you've been in ketosis a long time your body starts putting out different kinds of ketones to be more efficent so you might not show up on the test strips at all. Lowering teh amount of carbs you eat won't put you in "Trace" ketones. If you are eating 60 grams of carbs a day and are in ketosis it's the same as if you ate 50 and are in ketosis. if you want to have more dilute ketones drink more water.


    I vary in between 80 or 90 carbs a day (not taking out for fiber, it's lower if you take fiber out) and test trace or negative during the day when I am drinking a ton of water (also because I have been in ketosis for a few months now) but if I test first thing in the morning it's moderate ketones. At this point I only test first thing.

    My ideal day ends at 50 or 60 net carbs.
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