Rate of weight loss on keto

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For those of you who have already been losing or lost a significant amount of weight (50+ lbs) on keto, what was your average loss per week/month? Mine definitely seems to be faster than when I was just calorie counting. I'm wondering how much of a slow down I might anticipate in the future.
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  • radiii
    radiii Posts: 422 Member
    edited February 2015
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    70 pounds in 12 months. Highly variable though, and slowed greatly whenever I ramp up my exercise. Lost 40 pounds in my first 6 months with zero exercise, joined a gym, seriously ramped up the exercise, stalled for like 3 weeks completely while I adjusted, and dealt with being way more hungry from the increased activity. Since then its been inconsistent, at times though its inconsistent because I'm working on improving so many things at once in my life that there's just no way my diet will stay perfect. But I've done well enough that I'm 100% sure I'm gonna lose all the weight (just 30 more to go!) and that I may go over on calories, but I'm not going to go crazy with carbs, so its ok if its slower :)
  • strawmama
    strawmama Posts: 623 Member
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    For when I stuck/stick to it, I average about 4-5 pounds down a month. It's nowhere near linear though. Some weeks the scale goes up followed by a whoosh. I use the Libra app on my phone to track trends and such. It's easier to see that way when you weigh every day.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    edited February 2015
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    How long were you doing straight CICO and how long have you been on keto? No matter what method you use, you'll lose more at the very beginning, then it slows down, and the rate at which you lose mainly depends on 2 things - how many calories you eat and how much water you retain. Things like your hormones, exercise or just too much salt cause water retention, and that's going to fluctuate through the week no matter what you do. The part you can control is the calories, and that's true whether you're doing keto or not. The advantage from keto is not being hungry and losing your carb cravings, so it's much easier to stay at the lower calories.

    I've gained and lost on keto, the rate varies like with anything else. I've lost 20lbs since the first week of January, and now I'm in a water stall. It hasn't budged all week, even though I know I've been at a deficit every day.
  • Kiwi_Billings
    Kiwi_Billings Posts: 76 Member
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    I am down 75 lbs since June 2014. It has been pretty steady, I weigh in every 10 days to check progress, and have been trace to moderate on ketones thru the whole time. Stay with it, with little menu diversions and you will pick up your pace of weight loss again soon. I do water aerobics with water weights or laps 3x's per week for exercise. I feel a whole lot better!
  • x_Minerva_x
    x_Minerva_x Posts: 78 Member
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    My first year of keto I went from 220 to 160. There were times when I stalled out, and times when I lost quick, and when I monitored my weight it always would fluctuate 5-10 pounds or so. I found measurement to be the best way to track.

    This go around, I am not tracking as much. I am still picking my life back up, and sorting things out. However, my clothes are fitting much looser, and I am only about a month and 10 days back in.

    I will NEVER break keto again, and realize that no matter how much I stall, or what life tosses at me it's worth it to keep it together.
  • hippygirl325
    hippygirl325 Posts: 223 Member
    edited February 2015
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    MAYBE the initial weight loss was just more dramatic than before with CICO (pretty similar amount of cals/day, actually probably even lower than this time). I did that for about 3 1/2 months and lost 35 lbs, so about 10 a month. It's been not even a full two months that I've been on keto and lost 30, so pretty big difference! This week and last week I've been losing 3 lbs per week, and I've also been eating less calories (due to less hunger) for those past couple weeks, higher fat, and lower carbs than usual. I adjusted my calories after I hit 255 to a 20% deficit again which put me at 1837, but I've only been eating around 14-1600 most days. Keto definitely does wonders for the appetite, and that amount of calories is really what I should ultimately be eating for like the rest of my life anyway, wanting to be 145 at goal. Honestly I just think keto is doing a lot better for my body than any other way of eating. Guess we'll see.
  • Nicole9187
    Nicole9187 Posts: 122 Member
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    I started Keto 09/16/13 and lost 67lbs by June 29th 2014. Then I basically stopped/started/stopped/started until a month ago when I re-started (I got engaged, we bought a house, I moved an hour away). In the beginning I lost 10lbs a month for the first 3 months, then I started working out and I would lose on average 5lbs a month but my inches lost were very high. I also felt like I lost more on KETO than calorie counting. I remember being on weight watchers and I think in 7 months I lost 24 pounds and I remember fighting to lose every pound. I find this WOE much simpler for the most part.
  • DittoDan
    DittoDan Posts: 1,850 Member
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    If anyone wants a nice spreadsheet to get exact numbers, here is one I made. You input the first (4) cells and it gives the total loss, per week, months on diet, etc.

    1ynr28ad8orw.jpg

    I just noticed that MFP will not allow excel files to be attached anymore. I can e-mail it, or drop-box it. Just send me a message that you like to have it.

    I hope this helps,

    Dan the Man from Michigan




  • zoom2
    zoom2 Posts: 934 Member
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    >10 years ago I dropped 60#s on Atkins. I lost that first 40 in the first year without struggle, but it took me another ~18 months to lose the last 20 and I fought tooth-and-nail to get there. The struggle to keep it off was even greater. I regained about 15 before I started running (and, later, cycling) and then still have battled to keep more #s from finding their way back -- running makes me HUNGRY.
  • hippygirl325
    hippygirl325 Posts: 223 Member
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    I actually still have that excel file you sent me a while back, Dan. I'm gonna plug my numbers in for fun right now. :P
  • teresa4757
    teresa4757 Posts: 17 Member
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    can you send that to me when you get the chance, hippygirl?
  • hippygirl325
    hippygirl325 Posts: 223 Member
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    Well, just to give an update...
    Start date: 12/22/14
    Starting weight: 275 lbs
    Current weight: 235 lbs
    Total weight loss: 40 lbs
    Days on keto: 67
    Weeks on keto: 9.57
    Months on keto: 2.21
    Average loss per week: 4.18

    Hasn't seemed to slow down yet! Crazy. Keto rocks!
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,567 Member
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    I started losing weight April 18th, 2014. Between then and October 11th, I lost 80lbs straight CICO. Since then, I've lost 60 more lbs on a keto diet. I've gone from a 55.4 BMI to 34.8.
  • ABrownGrl
    ABrownGrl Posts: 41 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I've been losing weight pretty consistently the last two years. Started Keto June 2014 (wasn't consistant though) then January 2015 I decided to actually put in 100% effort. I was tired of feeling like crap after eating carbs and gaining nothing from it but weight! Anyway, Jan 2nd '15 I was 195.6. Today I was 179.0. So 16 pounds in 8 weeks. I'm about 30-35 pounds away from my goal and can tell the weightloss is slowing down. Weightloss aside, I feel better emotionally, mentally, physically. I was a hot mess before I found Keto!
  • cdn_beaver
    cdn_beaver Posts: 130 Member
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    Started keto Aug. 2012, lost 62ish pounds the first year. I'm down 105ish total. Less than 20lbs until my goal weight. I found that my weight loss slowed when I stopped logging my food. The scale can remain the same weight while you're still losing fat. This has happened to me often. My clothes will become looser over a season but the number won't change.
  • Miyak0
    Miyak0 Posts: 13 Member
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    I am new to keto and am just ...just getting started with recipes and tracking. I will be tracking with a ketonix. If I just stick to the recipes offered in my keto books I should be good? I am going with suggested low carb rates between 5g and 20g per day. Trying to keep protein in the 30s and filling the rest with fats. Do most of you make a weekly menu or pre cook to stay on plan? Looking forward to weight loss. However, I am a runner and I just gotta run. I enjoy it too much. But then I figure I am going to have to adjust my intake. I could just fill in with avocados and what about Muscle milk?
  • ABrownGrl
    ABrownGrl Posts: 41 Member
    edited March 2015
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    @Miyak0‌

    Have you ran your numbers in a keto calculator? It's a great resource to figure out macro ratios with the lifestyle one lives. Being that you are an active runner, you'll want to make sure you're getting enough protein but not too much that you're not in nutritional ketosis. Testing your ketones with the breath stick thing or a blood meter is a sure way to know your levels.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
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    Miyak0 wrote: »
    I am new to keto and am just ...just getting started with recipes and tracking. I will be tracking with a ketonix. If I just stick to the recipes offered in my keto books I should be good? I am going with suggested low carb rates between 5g and 20g per day. Trying to keep protein in the 30s and filling the rest with fats. Do most of you make a weekly menu or pre cook to stay on plan? Looking forward to weight loss. However, I am a runner and I just gotta run. I enjoy it too much. But then I figure I am going to have to adjust my intake. I could just fill in with avocados and what about Muscle milk?

    30 sounds really low. I don't think I've ever seen someone, even at sedentary, below the 60s.
  • kmca1803
    kmca1803 Posts: 77 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Miyako - I think the carb requirement depends on your particular needs and tolerance, and of course, your own particular metabolism. My carbs are between 20 and 40g, with occasional days of even less, and have been for quite a few years now and I do HIIT training and hiking quite happily on that.

    I track with a blood ketone monitor occasionally (because I'm a bit of a geek and I like tracking the data!) to keep me on track and prevent carb creep.

    I cook for the week - makes it nearly impossible to cheat, makes it easy to organise both budget and time wise, and I don't keep temptation or cheat foods in the house. At the beginning, I didn't carry cash with me to work so I actually couldn't buy something that wasn't on the plan. I often do a slow cooker meal, a casserole, and even salads, etc, in advance and just keep them in containers in the fridge to grab and go. This has been the key to my success!

    Good luck with your goals!
  • Mistizoom
    Mistizoom Posts: 578 Member
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    Miyak0 wrote: »
    I am new to keto and am just ...just getting started with recipes and tracking. I will be tracking with a ketonix. If I just stick to the recipes offered in my keto books I should be good? I am going with suggested low carb rates between 5g and 20g per day. Trying to keep protein in the 30s and filling the rest with fats. Do most of you make a weekly menu or pre cook to stay on plan? Looking forward to weight loss. However, I am a runner and I just gotta run. I enjoy it too much. But then I figure I am going to have to adjust my intake. I could just fill in with avocados and what about Muscle milk?

    I agree with JPW1990, 30 g protein/day is way too low. You will lose muscle eating that low. Use a keto calculator (I use the ankerl keto calculator) to figure out your minimum protein needs. Personally, I aim for 75-100 g/day.