Not Losing Weight On Keto While Exercising
kaeporaketo
Posts: 12 Member
Hi all, I have been on a faithful keto lifestyle change for over a month now, and initially lost consistent weight each week. For the past 2 weeks I began to include workouts, about 3 days a week on average, during which I use weights and/or burn a lot of calories according to my Fitbit (and my hunger levels!!)
I understand that by gaining muscle I would then not see such a drop on the scale each time I weigh myself, however I would love to know if and when I will be able to start seeing more results again as I still have 95+ pounds to lose to be at a normal BMI.
If you all have any experience / advice on working out when beginning keto or anything else, I would absolutely love to hear from you!! Feeling slightly discouraged at the moment but I want to stay active during my weight loss journey.
I understand that by gaining muscle I would then not see such a drop on the scale each time I weigh myself, however I would love to know if and when I will be able to start seeing more results again as I still have 95+ pounds to lose to be at a normal BMI.
If you all have any experience / advice on working out when beginning keto or anything else, I would absolutely love to hear from you!! Feeling slightly discouraged at the moment but I want to stay active during my weight loss journey.
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Replies
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Are you weighing daily? At the same time and place? If so, are you using an app that shows a "trend" line (I use Libra for Android). What about measuring? How are your clothes fitting?
Muscles retain more water as well when you exercise which would effect the scale.
My sis recommended I switch to HIIT and that has been effective for me more so than steady exercise (and it fits my schedule a lot better.) Definitely keep lifting heavy!0 -
You will have an adjustment whenever you change anything up. Plus exercise creates water retention. Which appears as a stall or gain on the scale.
If you're calories are too low and you're working out hard, you could also have created enough stress (cortisol) to be counter productive.
If you're working out enough to have a major increase in hunger, it may be counter productive. But, you will want to just keep doing that if building muscle is your main goal.
Just stick it out. Eat more if your body is telling you to and you will lose body fat. The scale isn't going to show you want you want. Pretty much ever. Even when it gives us a lower number, we think it should be more or it just takes it back in a day or two anyway. Screw the scale!0 -
Agreed on the water retention. Your muscles are soaking up glucose and increasing their glycogen reserve, which adds weight. You know that swollen feeling after lifting weights? That's from the water influx.
Stop exercising for a week, and you'll see a drop. But you'll also become out of shape.
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DorkothyParker wrote: »Are you weighing daily? At the same time and place? If so, are you using an app that shows a "trend" line (I use Libra for Android). What about measuring? How are your clothes fitting?
Muscles retain more water as well when you exercise which would effect the scale.
My sis recommended I switch to HIIT and that has been effective for me more so than steady exercise (and it fits my schedule a lot better.) Definitely keep lifting heavy!
I weigh myself for my own amusement but only record the number on Friday, the same exact way every time, and I currently do not do any measurements. I feel like the workouts I am doing are 'keto appropriate' as well.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »You will have an adjustment whenever you change anything up. Plus exercise creates water retention. Which appears as a stall or gain on the scale.
If you're calories are too low and you're working out hard, you could also have created enough stress (cortisol) to be counter productive.
If you're working out enough to have a major increase in hunger, it may be counter productive. But, you will want to just keep doing that if building muscle is your main goal.
Just stick it out. Eat more if your body is telling you to and you will lose body fat. The scale isn't going to show you want you want. Pretty much ever. Even when it gives us a lower number, we think it should be more or it just takes it back in a day or two anyway. Screw the scale!
Thanks for this advice. I know I have a lot more weight to lose and I work so hard at it that I can get discouraged after a few weeks of no change.0 -
Agreed on the water retention. Your muscles are soaking up glucose and increasing their glycogen reserve, which adds weight. You know that swollen feeling after lifting weights? That's from the water influx.
Stop exercising for a week, and you'll see a drop. But you'll also become out of shape.
Love this. I am just curious at what point will I start seeing weight loss again though. I know I am putting on muscle but my diet/calorie deficient is enough for me to lose 2 pounds per week according to calculations. I understand these numbers aren't always practical, however I am more interested in losing 95+ pounds right now then becoming ultra buff.0 -
It's a process, and you're executing it well.
Keto (or any version of low carb) creates the right low-insulin environment for fat loss.
It also fixes your appetite regulation (for most people), so you'll naturally reduce caloric intake.
Exercise, especially strength training, improves glucose uptake, reduces insulin resistance, and stimulates fat adaptation so your muscles will start burning more fat even at higher levels of exertion (when they used to burn glucose).
The only thing you can do to supercharge the diet is avoid emotional/reward eating and reduce stress when possible. Good sleep habits help, too.0 -
I would advise to start taking measurements and photos instead of weighing. The scale is so finicky and can really be discouraging if you are putting too much value on what it says.
When incorporating exercise you will be retaining more fluid as your muscles repair themselves. Like wab said you can stop exercising and that fluid retention will flush out and you will see a drop. I don't recommend that however because it really wouldn't be an indication that you are getting healthier it would just be a lower number on the scale. You want to retain muscle while you are losing or you will end up at what you thought your goal weight was but think you look bigger than you should, as you will have lost muscle in the process of losing fat and then begin the slow tedious process of recomp.
Keep doing what you are doing, this is a marathon, not a sprint. I had these same times of no loss or gain during the past year. There were weeks and weeks where I didn't lose and didn't know what to do and got all the same advice you are. I kept focused and stopped caring what the scale said and a year later I've lost 35 lbs and hit my initial goal (I did not exercise throughout so now I need to recomp) It'll happen you just need to have patience and allow your body the time to adapt to the healthy changes you are making.0 -
It's a process, and you're executing it well.
Keto (or any version of low carb) creates the right low-insulin environment for fat loss.
It also fixes your appetite regulation (for most people), so you'll naturally reduce caloric intake.
Exercise, especially strength training, improves glucose uptake, reduces insulin resistance, and stimulates fat adaptation so your muscles will start burning more fat even at higher levels of exertion (when they used to burn glucose).
The only thing you can do to supercharge the diet is avoid emotional/reward eating and reduce stress when possible. Good sleep habits help, too.
Thank you for your responses, I feel like I should focus on those last three habits anyway just become even healthier.0 -
auntstephie321 wrote: »I would advise to start taking measurements and photos instead of weighing. The scale is so finicky and can really be discouraging if you are putting too much value on what it says.
When incorporating exercise you will be retaining more fluid as your muscles repair themselves. Like wab said you can stop exercising and that fluid retention will flush out and you will see a drop. I don't recommend that however because it really wouldn't be an indication that you are getting healthier it would just be a lower number on the scale. You want to retain muscle while you are losing or you will end up at what you thought your goal weight was but think you look bigger than you should, as you will have lost muscle in the process of losing fat and then begin the slow tedious process of recomp.
Keep doing what you are doing, this is a marathon, not a sprint. I had these same times of no loss or gain during the past year. There were weeks and weeks where I didn't lose and didn't know what to do and got all the same advice you are. I kept focused and stopped caring what the scale said and a year later I've lost 35 lbs and hit my initial goal (I did not exercise throughout so now I need to recomp) It'll happen you just need to have patience and allow your body the time to adapt to the healthy changes you are making.
This is just what I needed to hear today to see the bigger picture, thanks so much!!0
