One month of keto only 5lb weight loss.
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lostcouch
Posts: 17 Member
So I've been doing keto for 30 days and have only lost a total of 5lbs. I've only weighed myself 3 times.
The begining I was 201.5
2 weeks in 197.5
2 weeks later 196.5
I have been keeping carbs between 20-30g daily and I have been doing crossfit 2 times a week as well as riding my bike daily.
I've been checking urine with keto sticks. They still work and I've been steady with moderate ketones.
How long did it take you guys to start seeing these fast results I keep on hearing about?
I am seeing slight shifting with the way ny clothes fit. But It was still pretty disappointing to see only a 1lb weight loss in the last 2 weeks. Also I'm keeping my calories between 1200-1400 a day.
Looking to stay motivated and would like to hear how long it took you till you really started seeing these fast results.
Thanks in advance.
The begining I was 201.5
2 weeks in 197.5
2 weeks later 196.5
I have been keeping carbs between 20-30g daily and I have been doing crossfit 2 times a week as well as riding my bike daily.
I've been checking urine with keto sticks. They still work and I've been steady with moderate ketones.
How long did it take you guys to start seeing these fast results I keep on hearing about?
I am seeing slight shifting with the way ny clothes fit. But It was still pretty disappointing to see only a 1lb weight loss in the last 2 weeks. Also I'm keeping my calories between 1200-1400 a day.
Looking to stay motivated and would like to hear how long it took you till you really started seeing these fast results.
Thanks in advance.
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Replies
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So I've been doing keto for 30 days and have only lost a total of 5lbs. (...)
The begining I was 201.5
2 weeks in 197.5
2 weeks later 196.5
(...)
I am seeing slight shifting with the way ny clothes fit.
= progress.
Rate of fat loss is individual and not the same as water weight loss. You want fat loss over weight loss. Good job!
Edit.: Maybe you've body recomped a bit, it's better IMO than first dieting down then bulking up. Training while dieting makes it less likely that you lose muscle fiber losing fat mass.
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5 pounds in 1 month still averages out to roughly 1.25 pounds per week, which is absolutely an acceptable (and even to some, enviable) level. Initial water weight losses will have "leveled" out by now, so I'd guess that at least half of that is likely full fat loss, if not more.
With your level of exercise, while you adapt, your muscle performance will completely tank. Muscle mitochondria you currently have are wired for a fuel system of sugar/glucose. Your body will start building/converting to wire them for a ketone/fats fuel system. This generally takes 6-12 weeks. You may not lose much during this time, but it is crucial for long term success...
A ketogenic diet isn't a miracle cure or super fast diet - though it can sometimes seem that way. It is a nutritional and therapeutic way of eating and way of life for folks whose metabolisms don't operate well on the flip side.
Maybe it's time to set some realistic expectations so as not to end up frustrated and disappointed.10 -
You can be in ketosis and still be overeating. One still needs a calorie deficit to lose weight. Are you closely weighing and/or measuring your 1200-1400 calories? No one likes to hear that, I know and you may be perfect at it and never lick a spoon that you don't include in your count.
I know one can't be positive about calories since we don't know how much rain and sunshine our vegetables received nor do we know what type of diet our meat/fish of choice ate but we do need a starting point which is MFP's database (or another) I digressed...
I think 1.25 pounds per week is a great rate. That's what I averaged per week...for 53 long weeks...starting at about your weight. I never thought I'd get to goal but didn't quit and one day I finally hit goal.
Also in regards to having weighed only 3 times in 30 days, my weight really fluctuated. Maybe you happened to weigh on the "wrong" day? I chose to weigh daily and not be frustrated by the daily ups and downs. Using an app like Happy Scale (iphone) or Libra (android) is helpful in seeing the trend.8 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »Your body will start building/converting to wire them for a ketone/fats fuel system. This generally takes 6-12 weeks.
I've been wondering how long that process normally takes. I keep on reading all these stories on here of people dropping a moderate amount in such a short time and I guess I just expected to see the same.
This information gives me a more realistic perspective. Thank you.4 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »Your body will start building/converting to wire them for a ketone/fats fuel system. This generally takes 6-12 weeks.
I've been wondering how long that process normally takes. I keep on reading all these stories on here of people dropping a moderate amount in such a short time and I guess I just expected to see the same.
This information gives me a more realistic perspective. Thank you.
@lostcouch - You're welcome. There are way too many factors as to what makes up for initial losses and such. Existing weight, how much to lose, health conditions, nutrient deficiencies, previous dietary intake, activity level, hydration, and I could go on all day.
That being said. The initial mitochondria can start forming around 4 weeks, I think, and usually by 12 weeks you should be back to previous performance levels and such. After that, improvement levels might actually increase faster, though not always, as ketone mitochondria seem to work better for most folks, and since nearly all of us will carry a percentage of body fat stores, the tendency to "bonk" in performance when fueled by glucose rarely happens with ketone based mitochondria. Some folks can run Iron Man or Marathon races while supplementing only electrolytes, but no added fuel. It depends on levels of adaption.
@lodro and others might be able to give you some more information on all of this.1 -
I think I've been very good with keeping tract of calories. I'm not hungry either which was an issue at first.
53 weeks and you reached your goal!!! I love it. That's inspiring. I guess my target weight would take about the same amount of time when I think about it.
Last time I lost weight was 4 years ago and it was just a low calories diet with 4-5 workouts per week. The weight just melted off I think it took me 3 months. Obviously I didn't maintain it. Since then, I broke my elbow and had a baby (he just turned 3) and I also gained a record amount of weight. Im 37, nearing that dreaded 40. Now I don't have as much time to excersize. So I'm trying to change my eating and excersize to something I can sustain. I have a long journey ahead of me. I need to remember that the 1.25lbs can add up. Thanks for your reply, is nice to see that I'm not the only one that didn't lose a ton of weight immediately.0 -
Dr Nally was just answering a similar question today on Keto Talk. He was talking about how some who switch have a disproportionate level of yellow fat vs brown fat. Brown fat is what you want. It cycles quickly and actually burns calories. You can find some articles on it using google if you want to get the science behind it.
Anyway, when some people switch to this WOE, the first step is converting some of the yellow fat (sometimes called white fat) to brown fat. According to the podcast today, this can take between 1 to 3 months. In that time, though it is common to see the types of gains you are talking about like pants magically getting looser.
This is not just for obese or sedentary people. He said he has even had athletes who were switching to keto freak out because their body fat percentage and weight initially increased as they gained the brown fat before losing the yellow fat.4 -
is nice to see that I'm not the only one that didn't lose a ton of weight immediately.
Oh trust me. You are not the only one. I've been frequenting this board for 11 months and see FAR more threads regarding "slow loss" than threads about quick losses. Quick losses sell magazine covers and diet books.
Most here know I didn't lose my weight via keto. I did it "the other way" counting calories, staying in a moderate deficit and getting a little exercise. I maintain via keto and am much more content because I don't feel like I'm "starving" all the time.
My point with calorie counting is since making the switch to eating fat, I've become acutely aware of the calorie density of most of what I eat. Before I could open the fridge and grab a stalk (or two) of celery or a big chunk of cucumber and it was only a few calories. Now a few calories is a a tenth of a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tenth of a slice of cheese, a tenth of a serving of pepperoni (1.5 tiny slices usually), a tenth of a serving of peanut butter. Well you get the point. The old habit of bites, licks, samples and "just a taste" add up quickly.
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Five pounds in a month is pretty great. If you try different workout routines with crossfit, that would retain water in your body. The huge losses in the first week you hear are due to water loss but not everyone loses as much water for various reasons.4
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@cstehansen
No kidding? I've never heard of Keto talk and I had no idea there was a brown or yellow fat. I will definitely be checking out "Keto Talk", as well as doing my googling. Thank you.
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How old are you? It gets harder as you get older, and hormones play a big part for women. For example I lost 3.5kg, but I've gained back 2kg in the last couple of weeks making it a grand total of 1.5 kg (roughly 3lb) lost in 2 months.1
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@cstehansen
No kidding? I've never heard of Keto talk and I had no idea there was a brown or yellow fat. I will definitely be checking out "Keto Talk", as well as doing my googling. Thank you.
http://www.livescience.com/49652-what-is-brown-fat-facts.html
Very first google result. There was a different study last year that first brought this to my attention.
http://ketotalk.com/
In case you want to hear some past episodes.1 -
EbonyDahlia wrote: »How old are you? It gets harder as you get older, and hormones play a big part for women. For example I lost 3.5kg, but I've gained back 2kg in the last couple of weeks making it a grand total of 1.5 kg (roughly 3lb) lost in 2 months.
I'm glad no one told me this (the bolded) when I was losing weight at age 59.
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@EbonyDahlia
I'm 37. I really want to get to my goal weight before 40. I hear it just get harder and harder...Especially for women. Ugh.1 -
@EbonyDahlia
I'm 37. I really want to get to my goal weight before 40. I hear it just get harder and harder...Especially for women. Ugh.
I'm 42. I started when I was 38. I've lost 35kg in 4 years. I lose a lot slower than many, but it wasn't this hard 20 years ago. I used to be able to go up and down 20kg with ease.
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cstehansen wrote: »@cstehansen
No kidding? I've never heard of Keto talk and I had no idea there was a brown or yellow fat. I will definitely be checking out "Keto Talk", as well as doing my googling. Thank you.
http://www.livescience.com/49652-what-is-brown-fat-facts.html
Very first google result. There was a different study last year that first brought this to my attention.
http://ketotalk.com/
In case you want to hear some past episodes.
WOW! I Just Listed to the last episode and it was phenomenal. I love how the doc breaks down the science. I absolutely love this show!! Thanks so much for turning me on to them. I'm hooked!!!3 -
cstehansen wrote: »@cstehansen
No kidding? I've never heard of Keto talk and I had no idea there was a brown or yellow fat. I will definitely be checking out "Keto Talk", as well as doing my googling. Thank you.
http://www.livescience.com/49652-what-is-brown-fat-facts.html
Very first google result. There was a different study last year that first brought this to my attention.
http://ketotalk.com/
In case you want to hear some past episodes.
WOW! I Just Listed to the last episode and it was phenomenal. I love how the doc breaks down the science. I absolutely love this show!! Thanks so much for turning me on to them. I'm hooked!!!
You might really enjoy YouTube videos by longtime keto researchers Phinney and Volek. You could start by watching a long intro to keto interview (or segments separated by topic) at the JumpstartMD YT channel.2 -
cstehansen wrote: »@cstehansen
No kidding? I've never heard of Keto talk and I had no idea there was a brown or yellow fat. I will definitely be checking out "Keto Talk", as well as doing my googling. Thank you.
http://www.livescience.com/49652-what-is-brown-fat-facts.html
Very first google result. There was a different study last year that first brought this to my attention.
http://ketotalk.com/
In case you want to hear some past episodes.
WOW! I Just Listed to the last episode and it was phenomenal. I love how the doc breaks down the science. I absolutely love this show!! Thanks so much for turning me on to them. I'm hooked!!!
Well, then, let me introduce you to http://2ketodudes.com/ enjoy2 -
cstehansen wrote: »@cstehansen
No kidding? I've never heard of Keto talk and I had no idea there was a brown or yellow fat. I will definitely be checking out "Keto Talk", as well as doing my googling. Thank you.
http://www.livescience.com/49652-what-is-brown-fat-facts.html
Very first google result. There was a different study last year that first brought this to my attention.
http://ketotalk.com/
In case you want to hear some past episodes.
WOW! I Just Listed to the last episode and it was phenomenal. I love how the doc breaks down the science. I absolutely love this show!! Thanks so much for turning me on to them. I'm hooked!!!
There are quite a few podcast and youtube options. I think there are many in the launch pad or in the open threads section of the main page of this forum. I listen to quite a few while I am on my walks or in the car. I love that I found the option to listen at 1.5x speed so I can get through an hour podcast in 40 minutes. I have tried it at 2x speed, but that is generally too fast for me to understand everything. The 1.5x just puts them up to the speed I normally talk and keeps my mind from wandering.1 -
I did not gain or lose weight my first 45 days on Keto.2
