Keto again... and again.
alijoan11
Posts: 13 Member
Hey folks. Looking for a little advice. I always start strong on the keto diet- for like 5-7 days. Then, I stop losing weight, and start getting frustrated. I know, the scale isn't necessarily to show loss every day, but it is very disheartening to not see the scale move for a few days after drastically changing your way of eating. I then start to get bored of the food and ask myself, "why am I doing this if I'm not losing weight". And, the vicious cycle starts again. Anybody else try and fail at keto before finally settling into the lifestyle? Thanks.
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Maybe keto is not for you.
Maybe low carb would be a more sustainable option. It's less restrictive and in the long run sustainability is far more important than the method used for weight loss.4 -
You're not giving it enough time. You don't actually lose 5-7 lbs of fat the first week, likely most of it is water. That rate of loss isn't sustainable. Also, in the background while you are ACTUALLY losing weight, it's catching up under the guise of that 5-7 lbs of water weight. You have to give it time for the actual loss to start showing up instead of looking at that initial water loss.
The scale is not going to move every day. It will move some days, and won't move on more days than it does.7 -
I can understand your frustration, I've been on a bit of a weight plateau for a couple of weeks now but I've noticed my waist size definitely going down and muscle mass increasing in certain areas. Weight loss is only one visible marker you should focus on and I wouldn't focus on it a lot. Focusing more on your overall look and general well being will help ease any stress you might have and before you know it the scale will start to trend downwards. When I think back I only kept to 20g of total carbs for about two weeks and then slowly morphed into 20-50g net carbs by adding in different food types and exercising and still lost inches around my waist and about 1-2 lbs a week.
Look at everything as a long term trend. You probably didn't gain a lot of weight quickly and vice versa it will take time to lose it in a healthy way. Make non-scale related goals to motivate yourself. I particularly like having to use the next hole on my belt to hold my pants up and having jeans that fit rather snug two months ago are now starting to get baggy and all of this happened during a weight slow down period for me. The last 20lbs before I hit maintenance will be an interesting trip, I am looking forward to it.4 -
I've been getting discouraged, I'm almost 5 weeks in and down 5lb. I'm iggnoring the scale now, I can notice it more and more in how my clothes fit. The scale lies!9
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My advice...figure out for sure that you're ready to commit to a weight loss journey right now. Keto or not if you're giving up after a week you may not be fully invested. Sustainable weight loss requires a shift in attitude that champions a consistent reduction in calories consumed for a sustained period of time regardless of what scale/tape/mirror results show. You simply have to become so 'done' with your current weight that you're ready to make a change and let that be your motivation, not the number on the scale(at least at first). Good luck.6
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Hey folks. Looking for a little advice. I always start strong on the keto diet- for like 5-7 days. Then, I stop losing weight, and start getting frustrated. I know, the scale isn't necessarily to show loss every day, but it is very disheartening to not see the scale move for a few days after drastically changing your way of eating. I then start to get bored of the food and ask myself, "why am I doing this if I'm not losing weight". And, the vicious cycle starts again. Anybody else try and fail at keto before finally settling into the lifestyle? Thanks.
I failed at every diet I tried during the 6 or 7 years I was gaining my excess 60 pounds. I didn't lose my weight via keto but it doesn't matter. I would have failed with keto too. When I finally disliked being overweight more than I liked overeating, I did what I needed to do (eat at a deficit) for 53 weeks until I was was done losing...and it doesn't end with the loss. Maintenance requires attention too. At least it has for me.
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hipsdontlie1 wrote: »I've been getting discouraged, I'm almost 5 weeks in and down 5lb. I'm iggnoring the scale now, I can notice it more and more in how my clothes fit. The scale lies!
I've lost track of how many times I've read something like the above while I've been doing keto. Over and over again I've read posts about some member who has stalled only to notice that their clothes aren't as tight, they're beginning to notice muscle and bones they forgot they had, etc. You can't just go by the scale. While weight loss is a good motivation, put that together with better health and know that there are good changes going on 'inside' as well as 'outside'. Hang in there. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
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I haven’t lost weight in 2 years. Stick to it. Keto works differently.
You do still need to be aware of overeating but at a week in, you probably aren’t even achieving the benefit of reduced hunger yet.
You gotta do it if you want it. Can’t just try for a little while.
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Here are some things I have learned that really help me to persevere:
--Get angry. Get feisty! Give yourself pep talks and get determined! Seriously, like others have said above me, you gotta' dig deep and be committed to change. When I do this I lose. When I get comfortable and complacent, I gain.
--Repeat this to yourself over and over: I MUST ALIGN MY SHORT TERM ACTIONS WITH MY LONG TERM GOALS. Seriously, every choice you make is either taking you closer to, or further away from your long term goals. EVERY CHOICE. Are you going to sit on the sofa, or are you going to get up and have a dance party? Are you going to eat that pizza, or are you going to stay on plan, because you have goals that reach far beyond the momentary pleasure that pizza might bring?
--Trust the process. (Sometimes you don't see the changes happening. You just gotta' trust the process.)
--Find some other measurable health markers that you can use to see progress when the scale is not cooperating. (Number of push-ups, waist measurement, daily steps taken, days without sugar...anything that you can SEE you are getting better at and can celebrate.)
--Track accurately. Yes, this means weighing and tracking EVERYTHING that you consume, at least for a while. I am astonished at how inaccurate some food measurements are when you use 1 cup, 1/2 cup, etc. instead of grams.
--Remember, you are not alone. We are here to support and encourage you. We have all been through the same sort of struggles and we want to cheer you on!!
NOW GO GET 'EM!!!!!!13 -
Think in monthly (at least) terms. At the end of a month if the scale shows a loss, it's working. If your clothes fit better, it's working.
5Lbs in 5 weeks? It's working.6 -
Maybe keto isn't the best for you. Or, maybe all-or-nothing isn't the best mindset for change for you. I'm more of a gradual change person, myself. Why not transition more gradually? If you want to try it again
How much do you want to lose, and how long do you want to keep it off? A pointer I heard from a long-term maintainer of a large weight loss- "Don't do anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do every day of your life to keep it off." Chances are, if any habit change is not livable for a week, it won't be sustainable for a lifetime, and probably just isn't your thing. Make habit changes that support your goals and are easy to implement. You can always adjust them later.6 -
Hey folks. Looking for a little advice. I always start strong on the keto diet- for like 5-7 days. Then, I stop losing weight, and start getting frustrated. I know, the scale isn't necessarily to show loss every day, but it is very disheartening to not see the scale move for a few days after drastically changing your way of eating. I then start to get bored of the food and ask myself, "why am I doing this if I'm not losing weight". And, the vicious cycle starts again. Anybody else try and fail at keto before finally settling into the lifestyle? Thanks.
Stick with it my friend, results are not always going to be good everyday. You should try to find some support partners to keep you motivated and on goal. It would be great if you could get family and friends to join the diet with you, but if you can't feel free to friend me and others here. I think having other people to talk about the highs and lows with it really helps. My wife and I are on it at the same time thankfully. Not having to cook separate meals for one person in the family is a huge plus. Check out some of the cook books, recipe sites for keto as well you can make just about anything that you crave in a deconstructed manner to get that taste you may long for. If you are eating enough fat, it shouldn't feel like your depriving yourself of food as you will be full. I also drink tons of water throughout the day.1 -
If it took you 40 years to get to a certain weight, establish your metabolism, develop insulin resistance...do you expect it all to revert within weeks? Weight loss is a long term process, even with a lifestyle change. My wife is shedding 2.8 lb a month, this is after the initial 6 lb water loss starting keto. Seems like a trickle but its the trend that counts. Today she is exactly 20 less then 5 months ago. Change your eating habits, stick to the plan, record weight every morning, and examine the trend over 6 months before making tweaks.3
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I haven’t lost weight in 2 years. Stick to it. Keto works differently.
You do still need to be aware of overeating but at a week in, you probably aren’t even achieving the benefit of reduced hunger yet.
You gotta do it if you want it. Can’t just try for a little while.
Looking fabulous! Do you mind me asking (again?) how tall you are? You look very fit at 140#!!0 -
Thanks so much, folks. I did indeed start again, Day 7 today. This is when the real battle with persistence begins with me- when the scale slows. I am really feeling great already, and have a lot of optimism this time around. I appreciate all the sound advice and opinions!4
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