What is going on? Is keto not working for me?

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  • anewlifeat40
    anewlifeat40 Posts: 179 Member
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    kmn118 wrote: »
    Does anyone else choose their next meal according to what's left in macros from food logging? I was going to eat tuna but saw I needed carbs and fats to fill out my day, so ate an avocado.

    Everyday. LOL
  • grandmaJMB
    grandmaJMB Posts: 74 Member
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    I have been trying to read up on everything about the Keto way of life. I have had a couple weeks now that I have not really lost any weight and I have realized that it's ok. I have 60 lbs to lose. After taking my blood glucose and keto readings, I have found that my blood glucose is spiking upon waking, this is called dawn phenomenon. Basically my liver has excess sugar it needs to get rid of. A sign my body still has healing to do. I feel I am on the right track so I plan on plugging away and all will work out in the end.
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
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    grandmaJMB wrote: »
    I have been trying to read up on everything about the Keto way of life. I have had a couple weeks now that I have not really lost any weight and I have realized that it's ok. I have 60 lbs to lose. After taking my blood glucose and keto readings, I have found that my blood glucose is spiking upon waking, this is called dawn phenomenon. Basically my liver has excess sugar it needs to get rid of. A sign my body still has healing to do. I feel I am on the right track so I plan on plugging away and all will work out in the end.
    I haven't checked my blood glucose (I'm not diabetic so I don't have a glucometer) but I must really be messed up
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
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    "Okay. My body and my brain are so confused right now. I'm new to this woe (just going on 2months). At first everything I read said even going low carb, calories still count. Then I read that you only count carbs and if your calories are too low before you become keto adapted you will lose muscle as your body will still be searching for glucose, so I increased my calories. Then I read if you get hungry eat more fat (which of course increases your calories) then, I read an interesting article by a Dr Fung and he had a graph to show how calories worked.....but it still looked like calories in and calories outto me......just in a different way! Nothing is changing...I can't count 2 pounds in 2months as weight loss and the inches are minimal. Before menopause most of my weight was in my legs, calves, even my ankles are fat, hips and uppers arms. Now, I also have abdominal and back fat to go along with it. I'm 5'2" and 193 pounds
    Do I need daily menus/plans so I know WHAT to eat??....no, I don't know what I need! Today I felt like I ate a lot, because I was hungry. I have been tracking in My fitness pal and there are some days I eat so many calories it says I will be heavier in 5 weeks other days it says you will be 188 pounds in 5 weeks (which is 5 pounds) but I don't even know if their formula is right????
    Someone recommend eating to satisfaction, so I am trying that......but I've got to admit I'm scared I'll gain even more weight! I weight the most I have ever weighed and I'm beginning to feel panicked! I'm discourage, frightened, stressed and did I say scared? That this won't work for me and I'll never be able to lose weight! I haven't had any cheat foods at all....except 1lick back in mid-June, I cut out all wine, don't drink diet sodas or even use artificial sweeteners, yet. I cut dairy back, too. I'm not diabetic, not on any medications......not even taking Tylenol. I didn't get to get baseline lab work done before I started because we changed insurance and I couldn't get in to see the Doctor for 3 months! So, why don't I see results that everyone else is raving about? No, better question ....why don't I see ANY results? What is wrong with me?"
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I do this every day. If I haven't bothered to pre-log, I just start throwing together things, and modifying until it all maths out.

    Do you go into lockdown mode till the next day one you hit your targets?
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    RalfLott wrote: »

    I do this every day. If I haven't bothered to pre-log, I just start throwing together things, and modifying until it all maths out.

    Do you go into lockdown mode till the next day one you hit your targets?

    Yeah, but it's absurdly easy for me, given that by the time I am done eating, I'm only about an hour from going to sleep.
  • 2Bhealthier2
    2Bhealthier2 Posts: 128 Member
    edited July 2016
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    @saltysailors don't give up! I've been doing this for 9 weeks, the first two weeks I lost, weeks 3/4 & 5 I pretty much held maybe lost a pound or two. I've been on here and reading wherever possible, sounds like you are doing the same thing. I'm 5'8'' and stay around the 1550 and less, keep my carbs under 20, most of the time they are around 10, protein moderate and fat between 110 to 120 g because trial and error, this is what I have found to work best for me personally. If I eat to much fat I hold same with protein, to many carbs up. Also, I just looked at your sodium, you are way to low, you really need it at a minimum of 3000. I don't like to much salt either and I found using Kosher or Sea Salt gets me up where I need to be. I too have to track my meals, my husband doesn't and seems to eat all the time (yes, he is doing this with me) and he does fine.

    When I started off I used Linda's Low Carb meals to help me, she has an induction period, maybe that would help you. Here is her link genaw.com/lowcarb/induction_menus/induction_menu_1.html. She has it for 20 carbs or less a day, give it a try, what would it hurt? :)

    Wishing you the best on this, glad to hear you haven't given up!

    Oh yeah, I have found if I eat cheese in the evenings that will mess with my weight and so does nuts.
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
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    @2Bhealthier2 thanks for the tips and for taking the time to look at my diary! Does low salt hinder weight loss? Yes, I'm having trouble with salt...I got some bouillon cubes and had broth last night and will continue that nightly. I do add salt to my food, but forget/don't know how to add it to my diary :-) :-)
    Since I've only lost negligible amounts, I'm going back to square 1& keeping a written diary of how I feel before I eat as well as how long it if before I'm hungry again....to troubleshoot.....
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I think you should consider what your weaknesses are. Mine is fat, as much as it was ever carbs. I just lost 6 pounds eating moderately low carb, with more vegetables, higher protein, and cutting back on heavy whipping cream. That didn't happen when I was netting 20 grams of carbs/day and eating more fat. I haven't been drinking anything but water.
  • dmariet116
    dmariet116 Posts: 530 Member
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    @saltysailors it can be so mind boggling. No matter what woe you follow, calories do matter. Try setting using KetoDiet Buddy to set your macros. Enter your info and scroll down to see how many calories and how much of each macro you need to eat to lose weight. http://ketodietapp.com/Blog/page/KetoDiet-Buddy

    Just remember to hit your protein macros. Protein requirements will always stay the same whether losing weight or maintaining. Carbs should be set fairly low to start, like at 20 grams then the balance in fats. You do not have to meet the carb or fat macros. Fats keep you satisfied and full but if your fat macro is at 70% you really don't need all of it unless you are hungry. If you decide to raise your carbs, you will lower the fat to balance out. I wouldn't raise them much until you reach maintenance.
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
    edited July 2016
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    @dmariet116 that makes some sense.....so I figure my protein for maintenance (since that is based on lean body mass and doesn't really change) then lower my carbs to 20 or less (which I already did) and fill the rest with fat? What happens on those days I'm starving and end up eating 2000 calories or more!?(and of course both protein and fat macros go up cuz I'm not eatin' carbs! ) and at the other end of the spectrum...what happens if I'm not hungry and say I hit my protein macros and don't really eat much else and say my calories only come in at 900 for the day....then what happens? Am I going to screw up my metabolism or is that when I use my body's fat as fuel?
    And what happens if I eat too much protein cuz I'm not paying attention? Like today.....I did fair on calories, but protein was 77 grams (apparently should have been closer to 70-72) carbs good at 18 total grams & fat 116 grams
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
    edited July 2016
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    @genmon00 For the past 8-9 months I don't eat to schedule per say, but sometimes I eat when my hubby does as we are both home full time right now (semi-retired & renovations our home) I have been trying to eat when I am hungry only
  • dmariet116
    dmariet116 Posts: 530 Member
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    @saltysailors A few grams +/- on protein won't create a problem. You definitely won't mess up your metabolism if you eat more one day and less the next. Actually many people do this to intentionally keep their metabolism from reaching a set point. For example, your total calories are set at say 1200 per day. 2 days you eat 1000 then 2 days you eat 1400 instead of a straight 1200 every day. It's still 4800 calories for those 4 days. Your metabolism naturally slows down with less calories and speeds up with more. So you really don't need to eat exactly your daily allotment every day. Just eat til full. If you meet your protein requirements every day within a few grams, keep your carbs 20 or under (going under will never create a problem) then just add fat to fill in the rest. The actual % don't really matter as long as you are satisfied. I quite often eat over by 500 calories a few days a week, but if I am full after only 900 I stop eating and call it a day.
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
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    @dmariet116 thanks! I'm just so darn frustrated that I'm not able to lose any weight(fat) & I'm trying to figure out what is going on and where I need to change
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
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    @saltysailors --

    My apologies if you've already been down this path, but I wonder if it might be a good idea to start keeping tabs on various blood levels, esp. glucose, electrolytes, vitamins & minerals, and hormones (leptin, cortisol...).

    Is it possible that you're miscounting - that your CO < your CI? (How might this be happening?)
    Or that you're retaining a lot of fluid?

    Baffling...

    Good luck! Your ship will sail one of these days.
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
    edited July 2016
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    @RalfLott I'm not monitoring any blood levels of anything. I'm not diabetic, but I am menopausal. Just using urine keto strips. I could be miscounting CI vs CO.....anything is possible.
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
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    Your body may be healing other issues, @saltysailors, and will put the energy toward that first before weight loss. Any joint issues or digestive issues clearing up, is your skin clearer, do you have more energy, etc....??. Hang in there.
  • saltysailors
    saltysailors Posts: 101 Member
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    @canadjineh I do have joint issues....and some carpel tunnel (inflammation issues)....so, I guess I'm still healing on the inside