I dont have advice either, but also sending you lots of sympathy and hugs. I have PCOS and have been there done that so many times. I have so much empathy for you!

I wish I had some advice, and I do agree with you that starvation mode is *kitten*. But maybe...just maybe....1280 is not enough to eat? I am 5'10" and I have been eating 1350 a day and until recently not eating back any exercise calories. Before that I was even worse, I would eat approx 800-900 a day. Total, not net. Now, my body won't give up a damn thing. I lift heavy three times a week, walk and do other cardio 5-6 days a week and have been lucky to see a pound or two loss in the past 2 months. I am beginning to think they may be right in that your metabolism gets righteously pissed off after awhile. Just something to think on, as I am too chicken to up my calories yet, though I have at least started to eat back some exercise calories.

nicsflyingcircus wrote: »

Since today, I weighed in still (still!) 1lb heavier than 4 (four!!!) weeks ago and 2.4 lbs higher than my last low weight (3/29), despite consuming on average 1280 calories per day and less than 8 carbs per day in that time frame. In that same time frame, I also averaged just over 10k steps per day (and no I am not hungry all the time, and starvation mode is *kitten*).

My weight loss was bizarre in February and March compared to all the months before, but it came off (12lbs in February, 8 in March) but now it is mid April and it's being a *kitten* bear.

*kitten* like this is why people give up.

At 5'9" and 227 (last low weight, today was 229.4) lbs, there is ZERO FARKING REASON for the weight to not be coming off. None. I got my period end of March, so I wrote off that bit, but it has seriously been over two weeks since that *kitten* ended.

What the actual *kitten* is going on?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

P.S. And no, today is not an anomalous weight, where maybe yesterday I had way too much carbs or sodium, I weigh daily and my weight has not shown below 228.6 since my last "low weight", and it's been as high as 231.

I'm in a similar boat...but I didn't lose all my weight Keto, so I don't have that frustration. I went through a 6 month period of maintenance last year to reset my metabolism to a new baseline (after losing over 80 pounds). I just feel healthier, so I'm doing my dead level damnedest to ignore the farking scale, too.

And I'm up from almost 4 weeks ago - 7 pounds. That is easily everything I lost the previous month. I don't mean this lightly or in jest or anything, but knowing someone else is struggling in almost the same insanity I am helps. I'm still trying to figure out where my body stashed those 7 pounds because 7 pounds ago, 7 real pounds ago, I couldn't wear these jeans, I couldn't buckle my bra on the tightest setting, my wrists weren't 1/4" smaller, my shoes weren't loose, and my panties fit on a different, well, fat roll, I guess. So I have no idea where those 7+ pounds are hiding out....

But yes, I struggle quite a bit to look at the bigger picture. Because I'm focused on here and now. I went LCHFMP on 1/15 and Keto on 2/18. I dumped myself out of the adaption process on 3/27-3/30, ish... Finally lost 4 pounds of body readapting pain, then gained it all back plus some since because I made the choice to eat a few carbs and was dealing with the painful shock of physical therapy...

That focuses my mental aspects on the progress in the last 3 months, not the last 3 years, or more accurately FOR ME, the last decade, or if you wanna get crazy, the last 38.75 years, since my birthday is in July.... Thank you, @nicsflyingcircus that not only am I not alone in this confusing state, but that we can be crazy b!tche$ together.

Sending you huge, patient hugs.

P.S. And thanks for ranting. It helps everyone. I am always afraid if I start ranting, I can't stop. I have one friend who is my biggest sounding board, and honestly, we catch the worst of each other's frustrations, so it's a balance.... But if I got to going on all the frustrations I'm going through right now, not the least of which is my weight weirdness, I might circle back around to catch you at the end of the year! And I don't want to let all y'all know how crazy I really am - since some of you actually seem to kind like me.

Dragonwolf wrote: »

At 5'9" and 10k steps a day, 1280 calories is far too little. You might think starvation mode is bunk, but you're not doing your body any favors by eating half your TDEE. Try slowly adding calories until you're up into at least the 1600-1700 range (which is where keto calculator says you should be to lose 1lb a week or so at sedentary) and hang out there for a couple of months and re-evaluate. You might gain a couple pounds at first, but give your body time to adjust to the higher calorie intake.

I low carbed for years and was constantly gaining very slowly. Why? Because I found out after tracking that I wasn't eating enough. It took until Feb, when I started tracking my macros when starting the ketogenic plan, that my intake was about 1000 cals a day.

It wasn't until after I upped my calories that I started to make any kind of true headway in weight loss. My numbers were great low carbing, but I didn't want to stay at 288. I now intake between 1400-1500, and I'm only 5'6" - but I'm also a PCOS insulin resistant diabetic. If I didn't have those challenges, I'd eat even more. I might have to raise my calorie limit again when I start getting energetic in the summer.

Even on a ketogenic plan, I am on a plateau right now, with fluctuations between 241-244 for almost two weeks. I even tried a carb load day, but it didn't help, but the experiment was worth it. I know that a 'cheat day' isn't going to reset anything in my body, even though others have success with it.

Your progress so far is wonderful, and you worked so hard to get there. Please find it within yourself to stick with it, and change things up a little if you need, but stay with your plan. There was a reason you wanted to lose the weight, and sometimes we need to remind ourselves of where we were, and get a fresh picture of what we are willing to do to get to the next goal.

I just started keto a month ago. In the first 2 weeks I had a 5 lb loss which was nice but I knew it was mostly water weight. Since then I loose and gain those 5 lbs randomly and I got SOOOOO frustrated. I started at around 1800 cal just to get my body into ketosis, then lowered to 1322 which is what multiple keto calculators told me(I'm 5'3.75" 195-200lbs and sit at home with kids), and after a while of working to stick to that number and still not seeing any change, I kept the setting the same but ate over it. And by a good amount. Especially recently. It wasn't until yesterday that I noticed my clothes fit better. I HAVEN'T LOST ANY MORE WEIGHT BUT MY CLOTHES FIT BETTER. What? How? I don't understand.

It is nice to know that it isn't a walk in the park for everyone. Its good to know my body isn't broken... too much.

mongoosealamode wrote: »

I just started keto a month ago. In the first 2 weeks I had a 5 lb loss which was nice but I knew it was mostly water weight. Since then I loose and gain those 5 lbs randomly and I got SOOOOO frustrated. I started at around 1800 cal just to get my body into ketosis, then lowered to 1322 which is what multiple keto calculators told me(I'm 5'3.75" 195-200lbs and sit at home with kids), and after a while of working to stick to that number and still not seeing any change, I kept the setting the same but ate over it. And by a good amount. Especially recently. It wasn't until yesterday that I noticed my clothes fit better. I HAVEN'T LOST ANY MORE WEIGHT BUT MY CLOTHES FIT BETTER. What? How? I don't understand.

It is nice to know that it isn't a walk in the park for everyone. Its good to know my body isn't broken... too much.

@mongoosealamode This is typical for Keto. You are losing fat. A pound of fat takes up 3 times the room of a pound of muscle, due to density and all manner of technical stuff. And the reason your external appearance isn't visibly changing is that we lose the organ choking visceral fat first, so it is the most internal fat....

Most likely your body is holding some water until it is sure it won't need the now emptied fat cells anymore, which is why the scale hasn't changed. That, or while you're burning up that fat, you're also building muscle... My guess is you'll get a whoosh of weight gone here soon.

No comments on the content other than to say hang in there.

But I have to point out how hilarious the language filter is here. The main forum page isn't censored, I see the F-word, I see it in the URL, but on this page even in the post title its censored. So many technical things about the forums here are just hilariously bad (but the community is great so its worth putting up with them), but this is probably my favorite one so far.

Which makes me wonder, can you turn the damn filter off, its dumb.

We are just so *kitten* special it takes a lot of censorship

Great thread and rant (been there, still am). I lost 32 lbs steadily doing LCHF, ditching all grains and most dairy and I got off of my diabetic meds. I have not, however, lost any more pounds in about 6 months but I am still slowly getting into smaller clothing. I started out as a size 18 pants/ XL shirt (XXL if not pre-shrunk cotton) January 2014 and last week bought new summer shorts in a perfect size 12 and shirts in a medium. So, I look at that and even though I sigh at the lack of change on the scales (I need to shed 50 more pounds) I know that my very difficult diabetic body is still doing something good albeit far slower than I would like. I now eschew 99% cow dairy (spikes my glucose) and have been experimenting with a low carb, lower fat but higher fiber protocol/ plant foundation diet recently. I eat nuts/seeds daily, raw and cooked LC veggies (greens are choice #1), berries only and in moderation (glucose again) and meat mostly at dinnertime since I don't miss it earlier in the day usually. I still do not get hungry and am hoping to see it make the scales move again pursuing the theory of feeding micronutrient needs.
I did not see anyone mention that you may be in a muscle building mode right now and that certainly happens, too. You are substituting muscle weight for fat weight so keep plugging along and lift those weights as well. That is what I am focusing on now; getting that routine down pat. I get my walking in daily but not the weights so since I view this as a lifelong pursuit for me then I chip away at it every day and keeping myself mindful is a big plus. For me walking really helps my glucose and insulin control but it is too subtle for serious weight loss I have learned. My goal is to drive that insulin level way down then all good things will follow.
I still research daily and that keeps me motivated to understand why things work (or don't). I know this method is trial and error but aren't we all in that boat on here? Nothing works for everyone nor will it work the same way for everyone so you have to tweak and tweak to find your personal formula. After a year and 4 months I remain at only 32 lbs lost but just look at what you have accomplished- W O W!
On a side note, DH lost 83 lbs (he is not diabetic but is hypertensive and now on 1/2 dose) in 6 months on LCHF loving every bite but has also stalled. He is now 218 lbs at 6'3" but wants to rebuild muscle and lose some more fat. He has a small squishy belly left. That will take time and he is struggling to be a steady gym customer, too. Plug away, take a mental break if needed and find your motivation.

Scale, scale, scale. Where's the bodyfat? Measurements?
It's going somewhere, don't fret.