Hello my keto people

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leftsox
leftsox Posts: 25 Member
I'm so happy to be here! About to wrap up week 1 and I lost 7 pounds of water weight. I'm hitting my food targets really close on percentages..and I've already had my "I'm gonna die." Flu day. Feel great now!

My question is how long did the next phase last for each of you? My understanding is some go into a holding phase for us to 6wks with no loss..just try to prepare mentally in case the scale does not show movement..

Thank you guys!!!

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  • 2t9nty
    2t9nty Posts: 1,605 Member
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    FWIW, I never had the initial loss if I remember. I was taking a BP med that had a diuretic in it, and so maybe all the water was gone. Who knows. I started in 2016, and memory is a little fuzzy on the details with all this. My recollection is that I was mostly a pound a week down. I have had maybe three long plateaus since then but not at the beginning. Once the plateau "broke," I would lose 2 or so pounds a week until I made up for the plateau.

    Maybe someone else will weigh in with their experience.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,958 Member
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    leftsox wrote: »
    I'm so happy to be here! About to wrap up week 1 and I lost 7 pounds of water weight. I'm hitting my food targets really close on percentages..and I've already had my "I'm gonna die." Flu day. Feel great now!

    My question is how long did the next phase last for each of you? My understanding is some go into a holding phase for us to 6wks with no loss..just try to prepare mentally in case the scale does not show movement..

    Thank you guys!!!

    I personally didn't get that holding phase until later. After you've lost a bit of weight, your body sometimes decides to go into a holding pattern periodically. Just know, whenever it is sprung on you, that if you KCKO (Keep Calm and Keto On) keeping your logging and intake honest consistently, the scale WILL move again. It can't hold out forever. Even though it feels like it at the time.

    Regarding the "flu" day, keto flu is nothing more than electrolyte imbalance from losing water weight. Plus, the kidneys excrete more sodium in ketosis than out, so your body requires 3,000-5,000mg of sodium per day. MINIMUM. Otherwise, your body begins to waste potassium and magnesium as well. Eventually you'll feel like roadkill. There is no limit (as far as "how far into the lifestyle") as to when the flu will hit you. I'm not even keto anymore (I hit goal weight in Dec 2015 and shortly after had to up my carbs due to ketosis not meshing with an autoimmune condition in my genes that decided to wake up and plague me. I'm still LCHF and maintaining my loss), and I still need more sodium. Less carbs in your diet means increased sodium needs.

    HTH. :smile:
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
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    I didn't really have "phases"--I had a pretty rough first few weeks, then felt amazing, hit my goal, figured out maintenance, and that's where I am now. The "rough" part was the worst for the first five days but I'd say it took a full month before my energy increased to above pre-keto levels.
  • sykin
    sykin Posts: 1,676 Member
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    Hey hey! I’ve been doing keto for a month now. I lost a lot of water weight the first two weeks and then nothing for a couple of weeks, but my clothes kept getting looser. I’m starting to lose a little bit again, but definitely in small increments. And I’m ok with it as the inches are all that’s important for me! Hugs and keep on keepin on! We’re here for you :)
  • qweck3
    qweck3 Posts: 346 Member
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    Just made a month on Keto. Experienced a day of the keto flu but Power Aid Zero seemed to have gotten rid of it fairly fast. I had a quick 4 pounds drop off in the first 3 days. Did a mid-month scale check in and had lost nothing extra. At the end of the month the scale said 10 pounds down. I lift a lot, especially now with all this extra energy, so it's pretty hard for me to gauge the 10 pounds the scale said I lost in a month. I have a DexaFit Scan on Saturday and looking forward to reviewing the new fat % loss against the test last month. I can feel the difference in my body and feel like it's made the change to becoming fat adapted at the end of week 4.
  • JanSJ1
    JanSJ1 Posts: 6 Member
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    Wow, it's great to read all the comments here from those just starting keto. My story is that I did that Atkins diet for three years, and that ended about 12 years ago. When on the diet, my cholesterol and trygliceride levels went way down, so I don't worry about the extra fat in the keto diet.

    I have been diagnosed with low kidney function due to using prescription ibuprofin for several years, so I have worried about going back to low carb. My doctor knows I'm on this diet and is monitoring me, so hopefully it will be fine.

    When I started it last week, I got a symptom (leg and foot rash) of too much protein that my kidneys cannot process. So I cut back on protein and added more fat to my diet and it went away.

    I am not feeling as energetic as before the diet, but that comes and goes and I do expect it to pass, although I don't know how long it will take. I am not able to take an electrolyte supplement. I feel full a lot of the time. Some days, I am hardly hungry. My cravings for junk food went away after about two days, which reminded me of one reason I loved the diet last time.

    Now for the bottom line. I have not lost weight yet. I did lose three pounds initially but it came back. It was probably water. The lack of weight loss is why I'm here looking for support and encouragement to stick with it!

    And lastly, I ordered a ketone blood test kit so I can be sure I'm doing it right.

    Thanks!
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited July 2018
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    I did not really have phases either. I lost about 10 lbs in the first month, and then I lost another 10lbs in the second month. It slowed down a bit then, I think to 6-7 lbs a month but I was pretty close to goal then. I only lost 40lbs it took about 5-6 months, I think.

    I did have periods where weight loss almost stopped for a couple of weeks, but it was usually followed by a whoosh - large sudden drop on the scale.

    I too had the keto flu but it was my fault. I couldn't believe that we needed so much sodium. I finally increased sodium after a couple of nights of leg cramps. Lol.
  • Bxqtie116
    Bxqtie116 Posts: 552 Member
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    I didn’t really experience Keto flu. Before I decided to go Keto, I had already reduced my sugar and carbs for about a month. Not as low as I am now in Keto, although I wasn’t tracking my food. Once I decided to go Keto, I just eliminated the higher starchy veggies and increased my fat. I started out losing 2 lbs a week, then it seemed to have slowed down these last 3 weeks as I seem to lose 1-1.5 lbs a week. I’m hoping to have that whoosh weight loss that I hear a lot of people talk about.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    I lost my excess scale weight and adipose via low carb of about 128 total grams per day average. I lost 6 pounds the 1st week via carb cutting and a calorie deficit then proceeded to average 1.25 pound per week. My scale weighs only in full pounds. There were occasional weeks I entered zero loss but it was usually followed up with 2 pounds. That was 2013-14.

    In 2016 I decided to trial a medically therapeutic ketogenic diet (LCLP) for reason other than weight management. I ate well established maintenance calories. I lost zero pounds and zero observable body fat (clothes still fit the same). Since, I have upped carbs to ~ 50 carbs and and upped protein to something more moderate versus low. No change in weight or body composition (clothes still fir the same and are getting tattered ;).

    Should people wonder why I regularly emphasize a calorie deficit for weight loss and body fat reduction it is because it has been my personal experience. Altering macros has an observable effect only on my hunger/cravings. I remain LCHF compared to MFP default macros. Lower carb than during weight loss and higher fat than during weight loss.
  • LifeChoiceGrammy
    LifeChoiceGrammy Posts: 121 Member
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    Hello friends!! Preparing myself to start again. I felt so good last summer at this time...and this past few months just keep slipping!! Need to stay in touch with all of you more too!! What are you using as percentages on tracking food??