Not losing any weight/inches

Hello! I am new to this group but have been doing Keto for a month but not seeing any weight loss. This is very disheartening for me, as I really love the diet. My daily macros are 1230 calories, 20 grams of carbs, and 90 grams of fat. I stay within this range, but, to be fair I had two bad days. I'm not losing inches either. I've got a lot to lose and I'm concerned that perhaps I'm eating too much fat. Can anyone offer me any advice or suggestions? I also do IF 16/8 five days a week.

Replies

  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    You've got a lot going on. To see best results, you need to stay very consistent for 6-12 weeks. If you were very metabolically damaged, your body will be doing system repairs internally before the weight starts to come off.

    Water is critical.

    Electrolyte balance is critical.

    Enough sleep is critical.

    Enough fat, low enough carbs, moderate protein is critical.

    Addressing underlying medical stuff is critical.

    Not creating too much stress on your body (IF can increase cortisol and such in the beginning if it's before you're adapted).

    Eating enough calories is critical - and if you have "a lot left to lose" 1230 is likely WAY too few calories. Check out this link for a better idea of where you should be eating: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

    Patience is critical - if you have had 2 bad days out of a month, my type of bad days can set me back that far in my process - whether water gain, resetting my adaption process, or kicking me out of nutritional ketosis...
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    I actually used a Keto calculator and these are the macros I was given. I will try another time to be sure. This diet may not be right for me as low fat seems to do the trick (even though I hate it). I thought I'd give it a shot though. I drink a gallon of water a day as well. Thank you for the input!
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    Fats are crucial to hormonal balance, so low fat is long term not a great option, even if the weight does come off. You also need to start with a much smaller deficit until you adjust your numbers up or down to see how you do with things. I would guess that the 2 bad days combined with your body's confusion at the drastic changes from what you used to do/eat is probably what's slowing you down while your internal system is healing and adapting... 12 weeks is generally the recommended "trial period." Also, how are you feeling as far as mental energy and all of that?
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    Honestly I feel great! I sleep better and sometimes have increased energy. I'm going to start exercising again to see if that helps.
  • vikinglander
    vikinglander Posts: 1,547 Member
    Hi...I'm new here too, and I would like to suggest a 'new' book I discovered in January, called 'Always Hungry?' by Dr. Ludwig. It really explains the science behind what a calorie of fat, protein, or carbohydrate does in our bodies, and how the low-carb diet works. It has really revolutionized my own protocols. I've lost 12 pounds since 2/6/16.

    I agree with everything KnitorMiss has advised. Please let me know if I can help. I'd be glad to share the details of my protocol.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,103 Member
    Sometimes, when it seems duly unfair, we have to remember to take it slow and focus on those great things like the better sleep and increased energy. The scale will catch up eventually!!! I have to remind myself of that almost daily, honestly!! Just remember that your muscles are in the process of changing their mitochondria to burn fat first for fuel, and so you might have some minor setback in the exercise department before leaps forward. Also, the first month of exercising generally causes it's own stall due to water retention (to repair muscles), inflammation, and such.
  • Ellemarie72
    Ellemarie72 Posts: 52 Member
    Hello! I am new to this group but have been doing Keto for a month but not seeing any weight loss. This is very disheartening for me, as I really love the diet. My daily macros are 1230 calories, 20 grams of carbs, and 90 grams of fat. I stay within this range, but, to be fair I had two bad days. I'm not losing inches either. I've got a lot to lose and I'm concerned that perhaps I'm eating too much fat. Can anyone offer me any advice or suggestions? I also do IF 16/8 five days a week.

    I hear you! I was doing this awhile too and it wasn't working well for me. My body feels better and does better when I do moderate carbs (I'm trying no higher than 65 per day) and lower fats. But sometimes I don't pay attention to the fat here on mfp. If I go over, I just know that the fats I'm eating are healthy. I really look at carbs. I'm upping my work outs focusing on cardio at least 30 mins a day and pilates 3-4x per week. This is when I noticed losing the inches. It's very firming! But I've just began this and have lost 2 lbs this past week. I like the advice by KnitOrMiss too. It does take so much patience!
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @vikinglander thank you for this info. I will definitely check the book out. Congratulations on your weight loss thus far!
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @KnitOrMiss I checked a different Keto calculator and you were right, I'm not taking in enough calories, as well as fat. Thank you for this information. I will take all of these things into consideration and recalibrate everything.
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @Ellemarie72 I'm totally stealing your workout regime (minus the Pilates) lol I'll do hiit instead. I would love to lose some inches. Weight is secondary. Thank you for your input!
  • kimmydear
    kimmydear Posts: 298 Member
    It is very hard in the beginning to start eating more fat when you're used to a low fat diet, I know! I still struggle with it at 8 weeks in. Don't cheat your body out of what it needs and hang in there!
  • Tanukiko
    Tanukiko Posts: 186 Member
    Welcome to Keto! I would ask...are you measuring/weighing the food that you are eating? What are your current stats if you don't mind sharing? My thinking is that maybe you are eating more calories than you realize...or if you have a lot of weight to lose...you aren't eating enough calories.
  • cedarsidefarm
    cedarsidefarm Posts: 163 Member
    You sound like me, when I first started LCHF. I had been on it for 4 weeks and I gained 3 pounds. Not kidding, It scared me to death thinking I was one of those freaks who could never have fat in their life. And I was feeling just absolutely wonderful, slept like a baby, sore ankles and wrists stop hurting so bad. When I did low calorie diets I could lose weight but I never felt energetic and happy.

    I planned to give it another couple months and guess what? I started losing weight on day 44. I have now lost all the weight I've gained; but it came off my waist (lost an inch and got back an indentation in my waist I haven't seen for a year) and it did NOT come off my flat butt or skinny thighs like on a low calorie diet.

    Hang in there. It takes awhile for some of us. I think our low calorie low fat days really do a number on us and it takes a while to heal the damage we have done with all the carbs.

    In my case I started on the Always Hungry diet (I bought the book) but I found that I had to really restrict my carbs much more than he recommended in the book. I found that it was easier using MFP to aim for a number like less than 50 carbs or less than 30 carbs then it was to aim for a percentage like he does in the book. So, in affect what I ended up doing was very slowly reducing my carb intake. I had no keto flu doing it this way. In fact I got 2 weeks of euphoria like I've never had in my life AND I'm so much happier now.

    But I want to let you know some of the mistakes I made at first that might help you.

    1. I ate way too much fruit. I had it practically with every meal. No added sugar in the fruit but some fruits you really don't need sugar in. So I cut the fruits to maybe half a pear every other day.

    2. I did away with the nuts. I just can't control myself around nuts ;) and I always kind of binged out with them. So, I just switched to seeds and that seemed to work with me.

    3. Don't just increase you fats, you have to really work at decreasing your carbs. At first I increased my fat and kept eating about 100 carbs a day. I felt good and it helped my sore joints but I did not lose weight. So I've cut down to a goal of 50 then 30 carbs and I'm thinking of going down to 20. It's just a goal. Sometimes I make it and sometimes I don't but it forces me to eat fewer carbs then before.

    4. Don't eat breakfast or lunch or dinner if you are just not hungry. I use to force myself to eat breakfast and some days I actually felt nauseous about eating breakfast. Now I skip it and am losing weight and still feel fine. Who said breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

    5. Don't pay too much attention to calories. Here is the thing. I thought that if I ate less than 1200 calories a day I would get sick. So I would eat just to get my calories up. If you don't feel like eating, don't eat. But then I would restrict my calories some days when I was very hungry and all it made me do is eat more later on. So, yeah calories can tell you if you are in the range of losing or gaining but forcing yourself to eat more or less than what your body wants wont work either.

    6. I've restricted the amount of legumes or beans I eat too. I really do like beans and I will get carried away if I don't plan exactly how many and how I'm going to eat them. Also I avoid tofu. I really don't like it and Always Hungry uses them a lot in recipes but I really think it's slimy and too processed.

    So, that's my little list of mistakes. No 2 people are alike and we each have our own little quirks but I hope my mistakes can help you.
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @kimmydear thank you! I get so nervous about it lol
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @Tanukiko hello and thank you! I weigh all of my food using an ozteri food scale and scan any items that have a barcode on it for accuracy using MFP. I drink coffee with MTC oil and heavy cream for BF and eat lunch btwn 12- 2 pm and it's usually bacon and eggs. Dinner is usually protein with cauliflower casserole or some kind of veg. I'm not a snacker but when I do it's pickles or cheese. I eat cheese daily but it always fits my macros. Could it be too much dairy? I recently changed my calorie intake to 1230 but have just realized I used the Keto calendar wrong. After doing it again I'm not getting enough fat and calories in general. I've adjusted it now and hope for the best :smile:
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @cedarsidefarm I'm so happy you're starting to see changes. I guess I'm just anxious and getting discouraged. I don't have fruits or nuts because I have no self control haha. I barely make 15 carbs a day if even that. I'm rarely hungry so I skip meals often. I'm usually at or below my calories for the day but have just made some changes to my macros that I hope will help me. I keep going because I'm hopeful and I feel good. I'm the type of person who only will see results with exercise in addition to diet. As much as I hate it I'm incorporating it today. Thank you so much for the tips!
  • cedarsidefarm
    cedarsidefarm Posts: 163 Member
    @cedarsidefarm I'm so happy you're starting to see changes. I guess I'm just anxious and getting discouraged. I don't have fruits or nuts because I have no self control haha. I barely make 15 carbs a day if even that. I'm rarely hungry so I skip meals often. I'm usually at or below my calories for the day but have just made some changes to my macros that I hope will help me. I keep going because I'm hopeful and I feel good. I'm the type of person who only will see results with exercise in addition to diet. As much as I hate it I'm incorporating it today. Thank you so much for the tips!

    Wow, 15 carbs a day. You're a better person than I. Like I said, I'm just thinking about going down to 20 carbs. You have that issue licked. And it seems that you already caught on to foods that kind of take control of you instead of vice versa. I read about the changes you made to your macros. Best of luck to you. Maybe all you need is another 2 weeks.
  • flower1964
    flower1964 Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you so much for posting. I was going to ask for advice today on this very thing. I'm just impatient with weightloss haha. I thought once I went low carb on the verge of keto I would lose lbs or inches faster. I feel great so I will definitely keep at it. :)
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    It sounds like you're doing the right things except maybe creating stress with too great of calorie deficit. I know it seems like cutting my them further means more weight loss, but the body can react defensively and cortisol triggers insulin, which I'm sure you know stores fat. The bigger problem is that insulin needs glucose or blood sugar will go too low. If you're not eating carbs, your body needs to make the glucose to feed the insulin that's too high because of the cortisol. So you lose muscle. When you lose muscle, your metabolism becomes slower. And it makes everything even more difficult.
    I have definitely been guilty of this myself. Most of us have or are currently still doing it. It's really stinkin hard to get past the idea that you just put in fewer calories and the scale coughs up the rewards! But it just doesn't work that way.
    I'm glad that you're feeling better and that you're able to eat foods that you prefer in the process. Try to focus on that for now. The long term will pay off the results you want. Your body is pretty smart. Give it the right foods and it will prioritize what needs to be done.
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @Sunny_Bunny_ that is great information. Thank you! I'm so happy I have this thread to refer to now. What an amazing group!
  • the_phoenixnyc
    the_phoenixnyc Posts: 13 Member
    @flower1964 lol I am the same way! I'm going to keep pushing forward and hope for the best. Good luck on your journey!
  • flower1964
    flower1964 Posts: 12 Member
    :) We got this!
  • SamandaIndia
    SamandaIndia Posts: 1,577 Member
    @the_phoenixnyc Dairy, especially yummy older cheeses and some other foods can cause inflammation which means the scale goes up not down. Sauces n condiments are worth tracking as they can have high carb content.

    Beware the perception of truth that scanning a bar code gives on MFP. If you scan a bar code the result that comes up is what someone else (another MFP user) has entered. They may have only cared about calories so did not bother with the sugars or other details. Net result is, for me, I ended up with eating more carbs than I thought I was eating. Nowadays I always Check that the entry matches the label, if not I enter it myself.

    Good luck n hope that your body starts to realise that it is not in fammine. Mine firmly holds on to, or gains weight when I get stressed, regardless if that is due to work, life or not eating enough stress.