Going on week 4 and still gaining weight Help Please
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cedarsidefarm wrote: »no_day_but_2day wrote: »OH YA. Ketostix are silly. I bought them and stopped using them. Also, I used to smoke as well. I recommend swimming to cure you of any desire to go back. It's just not worth the step backwards.
Thanks for the info. Another poster said the sticks were not very useful too.
I really don't want to go back to smoking. (I think I wont be able to to tell you honestly. The last time I smoked it really hurt my throat.)
I do eat an awful lot of calories they are in the 1600 to 1700. But I have to usually cut back to 1200 to lose any weight.
I also went through a period where I could not get enough nuts, cashews, peanuts, mixed nuts, almonds even sunflower seeds. It was like I could not get enough and then suddenly (after about 2 weeks) my cravings stopped. I think it was because my husband is on a renal diet and he can't eat nuts, peanut butter or seeds so I just did not keep them around.
That amount might actually be too little, depending on exactly what it is that you do on the farm. According to http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/, you can probably get away with as much as about 1800 (very active setting) if your farm work is a lot, and possibly even more if there's more than what the calculator accounts for. So I doubt you're eating too much, even if it does seem like a lot.
Like @Sunny_Bunny_ said, your body has a lot of healing to do, and you've already started to see the effects of that healing. It's entirely possible that you need to put on a little scale weight to fix the damage. You're only a month into it, give it time. You've already seen other health benefits, why throw the baby out with the bathwater?
Also, have a read of this, it's what I'm referring to -- http://myzerocarblife.jamesdhogan.com/wp/2015/03/when-lowering-carbs-causes-weight-gain/0 -
When did calories NOT matter? o.o It matters a lot to people who haven't learned intuitive eating. You can do it. ^_^0
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Please, please, please read that last link Dragonwolf posted. When we ask people to be patient, we don't need for a couple weeks. Measure yourself, are your measurements going up? You could be healing. You could be increasing bone strength. You could be building muscle. Don't let a number on the scale get to you.
I say that, even when I know I got a bit frustrated to see an increase on the scale this week. Then I did my measurements and see a decrease in my estimated body fat percentage. So, the estimated amount of body fat I am carrying is actually down. Still, it bugs me a little, because I would like the scale weight to be a little lower. I know, in my mind, that things are going in the right direction. But, it doesn't always determine my emotional reaction.
With that in mind, do your best to accept that the scale does not measure health. Trust that you're getting healthier and eventually the scale will change to reflect what you understand to be healthy. Weight is often one of the last things your body really needs to fix on the road to getting well.0 -
I don't know if I missed the point in the above link.. Other than the body "healing" itself. But she gained weight because she ate 4000ish calories, and lost it when she came back down to eating at a deficit.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »I don't know if I missed the point in the above link.. Other than the body "healing" itself. But she gained weight because she ate 4000ish calories, and lost it when she came back down to eating at a deficit.
The thing is that she trusted her body to know what was best and not force things along when the body wasn't ready. She ate 4,000 calories when her body asked for 4,000 calories, even though it meant that she was gaining and not losing like she wanted. She ate less when her body asked for less. In the long run, she ended up right where she wanted to be but was much healthier because she allowed her body to take the detour and handle important issues under the surface first.
Edit: You can't starve yourself into good health. You can't demand success by denying your body the fuel it needs. You can force weight loss, no one denies that. But, weighing less on the scale while your health has not improved really shouldn't be your goal.0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I'll leave this link here, incase you are using measuring cups/spoons. If so, watch the video
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10346234/not-losing-tips-suggestions-help-please#latest
Clicked on the link and watched the video. It's really a bit frustrating that people really think they can have this measure of control. As if you can know your TDEE (calories out), each day, to a significance of 300 calories. Like it is the rounded cups that ruin everything. Honestly, if someone insists on counting calories, they should be tracking their weight accurately enough to know their projected deficit from their rate of loss, and that deficit will be based on the amount they are actually eating--even if they are using cups and not food scales.
Let it go. Let the calories go. Find a way to control your weight without that sort of need for control. If you can't stop counting without regaining, it's because your body knows better than you and there's a need that you're denying. I know no one listens to me, but I will continue to say this whenever it comes up. If you give your body the right combination of fuel, time to heal, and the permission to do what it thinks best then you're going to have a much better time.0 -
Wow, dragonwolf's link is really interesting. Challenges my way of thinking ... FIT_Goat, that's good food for thought. (No pun intended. :tongue )0
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Omg! It's not about the scale! It's about health
Wreck your body for years and expect the scale to go down when you decide you're ready to try?
Really? Do you want health or a swimsuit body?
If you've punished your body for years on low calorie low fat diets, it has a lot of catching up to do
Please, please allow it to heal it hormones and vascular system and to spend some tryglycerides and give it the benefit of adjusting to the new life you've decided to live the last few weeks.
Geez! It's about the rest of your life! Not what the scale says on weigh in day!0 -
@cedarsidefarm I hear your frustration and wish you success. You certainly have shown the discipline to do it (giving up smoking). Could be a choice to believe us on faith that results will come so you can have a lack of hunger and inflammation plus weight loss with lchf or go back to what you have tried before and felt worked sufficiently for you.
For me I have been the same weight since end January despite doing everything "right". I think bodies do take time to heal so I am aiming at longer term sustainable weight loss. Personally I feel so much healthier I am willing to wait for results.
I think the answer to your guestion is yes you can put on weight at first (see link) or have a masdive woosh weight loss or anything in between. Good luck with whichever choice you make0 -
Patience is a virtue in all things in life, and when on a Keto woe it is ultra important! Gains on the scale will happen. Know that, and accept it. The body is busy healing itself during these times, and won't take the time to lose scale weight! It's not fun, but as long as you know that what you're putting in your mouth is on plan your body will catch up! I've had so many increases on the scale that happen for no logical reason I could have given up many times. But it was how good I felt, and the control over food, that made me hang in there! I'm so glad I did because I've created a healthy body to live with that has a healthy relationship with food!!
Don't allow the scale to be your only motivation! It will let you down!0 -
macchiatto wrote: »Wow, dragonwolf's link is really interesting. Challenges my way of thinking ... FIT_Goat, that's good food for thought. (No pun intended. :tongue )
This is what I am going through now. I lost weight fairly quickly in the first few months but then I wanted to eat more, so I did. Eating at the same deficit I was happy at for so many months now leaves me hungry and unsatisfied. I've decided to go with what my body seems to want for now. I am not gaining or losing but hovering around 150 lbs.... It may be easier for me to do this though because I am pretty close to goal and fairly satisfied with my shape. Following my appetite would be harder to accept if I was heavier though.0 -
cedarsidefarm wrote: »I don't mean to be rude and you have obviously found a system that works well for you. But if I go down in calories, why would I even want do LCHF? I could cut my calories, eat all the beautiful bread I can make and be hungry and lose weight. LCHF would then be just calorie counting without the wonderful bread. I don't know about this.
You answered that question yourself in your first post:cedarsidefarm wrote: »My Mom is over 200 lbs and I've watched her struggle all her life on low calorie diets but they never worked. So, I know I have to do something different.
Since I cut carbs, I feel better and for the first time in a really long time, I am NOT constantly hungry. The swelling in my joints has gone down. If I could lose some weight, this would be the perfect diet for me. I've done the weight watchers thing and I have lost a lot weight. But I was so absolutely hungry all the time with the hunger getting worse and worse the longer I staid on the diet. And my finger nails got dry and brittle and I never had any energy. I finally gave up weight watchers and went back to smoking and eating one meal a day.
So, even without weight loss:- You're not constantly hungry
- Your inflammation is subsiding
- Your nails are healthy
- You have the energy to do your work around the farm
That's why you want to do LCHF. The weight will come, but the health has to come, first.0 -
macchiatto wrote: »Wow, dragonwolf's link is really interesting. Challenges my way of thinking ... FIT_Goat, that's good food for thought. (No pun intended. :tongue )
This is what I am going through now. I lost weight fairly quickly in the first few months but then I wanted to eat more, so I did. Eating at the same deficit I was happy at for so many months now leaves me hungry and unsatisfied. I've decided to go with what my body seems to want for now. I am not gaining or losing but hovering around 150 lbs.... It may be easier for me to do this though because I am pretty close to goal and fairly satisfied with my shape. Following my appetite would be harder to accept if I was heavier though.
This is where I'm at right now. I'm happy with my progress but there's still some fat I want to lose. But I'm just hungry and feel like I'm not "in the zone" anymore. Sorry to hijack OP. Did you change your macros at all when you upped your calories?0 -
macchiatto wrote: »macchiatto wrote: »Wow, dragonwolf's link is really interesting. Challenges my way of thinking ... FIT_Goat, that's good food for thought. (No pun intended. :tongue )
This is what I am going through now. I lost weight fairly quickly in the first few months but then I wanted to eat more, so I did. Eating at the same deficit I was happy at for so many months now leaves me hungry and unsatisfied. I've decided to go with what my body seems to want for now. I am not gaining or losing but hovering around 150 lbs.... It may be easier for me to do this though because I am pretty close to goal and fairly satisfied with my shape. Following my appetite would be harder to accept if I was heavier though.
This is where I'm at right now. I'm happy with my progress but there's still some fat I want to lose. But I'm just hungry and feel like I'm not "in the zone" anymore. Sorry to hijack OP. Did you change your macros at all when you upped your calories?
I had this happen as well. I was posting about it regularly at the time on my status. I decided to cut the sweetener I had been using in my coffee and stop using HWC and use butter instead.
I really think the sweetener was the main thing for me. I got my appetite control back with 2 days. And it's been steady ever since. That was about 6-8 weeks ago I guess.0 -
macchiatto wrote: »Wow, dragonwolf's link is really interesting. Challenges my way of thinking ... FIT_Goat, that's good food for thought. (No pun intended. :tongue )
This is what I am going through now. I lost weight fairly quickly in the first few months but then I wanted to eat more, so I did. Eating at the same deficit I was happy at for so many months now leaves me hungry and unsatisfied. I've decided to go with what my body seems to want for now. I am not gaining or losing but hovering around 150 lbs.... It may be easier for me to do this though because I am pretty close to goal and fairly satisfied with my shape. Following my appetite would be harder to accept if I was heavier though.
I was thinking about this recently and came up with a hypothesis on my own with no scientific backing whatsoever.
If fat is now your body's main source of fuel and you were losing weight because your body was drawing from stored reserves, when the reserves are depleted, doesn't it make sense that your body will now crave more fat in order to maintain? That's just my theory.
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Thanks everyone for the information. I've been out planting and haven't had a chance to come back and look at everyone's responses. I think I will stay LCHF for another month. That video about the measurement cups was interesting and the link to the woman who was on LCHF for 6 months before she lost any weight. Wow, that poor thing really needed to listen to her body.
My hubby says I look thinner and I find I have more energy. And to tell you the truth, when I gave up carbs I was euphoric for the first 2 weeks. I never felt so wonderful in all my life without hunger, without swelling in my joints AND still have energy.
But I have noticed since I've been really, really busy planting, I have lost my appetite. I could easily drop down to 1100 calories but I felt that would not be healthy so I made myself eat some fruit (5oz of grapes) to get my calories up above 1100 and still keep my total carbs at below 50. Ok, so now I know what you mean when you say you are Not Hungry. You can eat, food doesn't repulse you, but it's just not at the top of your to do list like it is when you restrict calories. When I was on weight watchers, I would think of food all the time, night and day, planning for my next meal, figuring how I could eat more by eating fewer calories. Now, It only comes to mind when my stomach starts growling.
Thanks again for all your help. I will post later and let you know if I ever lose any weight.0 -
Your body has calories stored on it. You were probably burning some serious fat and that's why you weren't hungry. Eating fruit turned off the fat burning at least for a while. Eating a lchf food would keep the fat burning going.
Success is in trusting the process and choosing the right foods.
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If you are on more than 35g carbs don't waste your $ on keto stix. At 50g and after many years of poor eating you will be guaranteed to not get a positive reading. I'm on 25g net carbs and if I go to 40g I'm definitely out of Ketosis. The stix work like clockwork for me and are a real motivator to know I'm burning fat.
I know I'm intolerant to carbs now. They are my alcohol like an alcoholics addiction. I thought I missed bread until 2 months ago when I had one fluffy white slice and was so sick after it.
I'm 53, been 'dieting' low fat, points, calories, detoxes you name it since I was 10. Been very overweight to morbidly obese all my life. In 9 months I have been on no sugar only for 2 months & then Keto for 7 months. I have shed 79lbs as at this morning. I cannot believe this is my stats. And I'm not hungry!!!! Many days I can fast and forget to eat, and under 1000 calories so I cannot complete my diary. I just count my carbs and listen to my body for its calories. If I'm hungry I focus on good fats and watch my protein to keep it moderate.
My annual blood tests last month had the best improvements my Dr and exercise physiologist have ever seen! LC works for me, but it took a lot longer than 1 month (sorry that sounds harsh) so just blindly trust LC and let your body balance itself out. Watch your sodium and potassium, I also take magnesium.
Would love to see where you are at in 9 months. You can do this.0 -
Ketostix are not an accurate indicator of being in ketosis or not. If you are eating 40g of carbs you are making a ton of ketones and burning fat. Whether it registers on the stick only means you aren't flushing them out through urine and can fluctuate based on levels of hydration.0
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Omg! It's not about the scale! It's about health
Wreck your body for years and expect the scale to go down when you decide you're ready to try?
Really? Do you want health or a swimsuit body?
If you've punished your body for years on low calorie low fat diets, it has a lot of catching up to do
Please, please allow it to heal it hormones and vascular system and to spend some tryglycerides and give it the benefit of adjusting to the new life you've decided to live the last few weeks.
Geez! It's about the rest of your life! Not what the scale says on weigh in day!
i think that is easy to say and not so easy to live. i was at my healthiest weight/frame/strength/overall health and then i got pregnant. i gained 25 pounds almost instantly (within 3 months) and then lost my baby. i had to have surgery, then another surgery 2 months later. the pounds kept piling on. now, it's been 3 years and my body is so screwed-up, i am on so many vitamins/minerals/supplements to try to get my body back in shape, both "health" wise as well as my looks. YES i do want my bikini body back. there is no denying it. i get VERY frustrated when the scale goes up (like it did the past couple of days) and i'm not losing what i feel i should be.
intellectually, i "KNOW" it's about my health and not the scale, but mentally, i see photos of myself from before my pregnancy and i get physically ill knowing that i don't look like that anymore.
yes, i have a long way to go, and yes i have alot to "undo" - but that doesn't stop my mind from wanting to be the way i was before.
my point is, it's not so cut-and-dry saying, "it's not about the scale."0
