I am getting frustrated! Can someone help me troubleshoot??
meggs9605
Posts: 55 Member
I have been doing strict Keto for about a month now. I feel pretty good, but I am getting discouraged because I'm not losing any significant weight. I lost a few inches the first couple of weeks (which is awesome), but I have 50+ lbs to lose, so I would think the pounds would have started to drop by now. Can someone look at my information and offer some insight? I guess I just feel like the few pound I have dropped would have happened regardless of Keto since my alcohol and starch consumption is down.
34 yr old female, SW: 200, CW: 195, GW: 145. (And I have put a couple of lbs back on in the last 10
- I never go over 20 net carbs (usually 10-15 so there is space for hidden carbs if we eat out)
- 90% whole foods. I only supplement B vitamin and collagen. I also eat at home as much as possible. (If we do eat a meal out, I stick to Keto options and track as closely as possible)
- Very very little packaged or processed food.
- Carbs come from leafy greens or cruciferous veggies mainly.
- IF schedule is usually 16/8 or 18/6
- I track my ketone and glucose levels (and GKI) and they are consistently in the optimal ranges.
- ACV and lemon water daily.
- Macros are solid.
- Calories are at a deficit (MPF gives me 1260, some other calculators give me up to 1500. I usually stay in the 1200-1350 range, but never go over 1400.)
- Alcohol is limited to social occasions one or two times a week. (1-3 drinks of 0 carb or very low carb).
- Medications: IUD, cymbalta, adderall, and trazodone at night.
- No formal exercise, but I am a busy working mom who is constantly on the go. Settings are for sedentary, but I am probably closer to lightly active.
What am I doing wrong?
34 yr old female, SW: 200, CW: 195, GW: 145. (And I have put a couple of lbs back on in the last 10
- I never go over 20 net carbs (usually 10-15 so there is space for hidden carbs if we eat out)
- 90% whole foods. I only supplement B vitamin and collagen. I also eat at home as much as possible. (If we do eat a meal out, I stick to Keto options and track as closely as possible)
- Very very little packaged or processed food.
- Carbs come from leafy greens or cruciferous veggies mainly.
- IF schedule is usually 16/8 or 18/6
- I track my ketone and glucose levels (and GKI) and they are consistently in the optimal ranges.
- ACV and lemon water daily.
- Macros are solid.
- Calories are at a deficit (MPF gives me 1260, some other calculators give me up to 1500. I usually stay in the 1200-1350 range, but never go over 1400.)
- Alcohol is limited to social occasions one or two times a week. (1-3 drinks of 0 carb or very low carb).
- Medications: IUD, cymbalta, adderall, and trazodone at night.
- No formal exercise, but I am a busy working mom who is constantly on the go. Settings are for sedentary, but I am probably closer to lightly active.
What am I doing wrong?
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Replies
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How is your fat intake? If you are low try some MCT oil in your coffee. What type of alcohol are you drinking? I have wine and scotch daily and still can lose weight but I budget the wine carbs into my total <50 daily.1
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I only reviewed your diary entries for the last week not the whole month...but it looks like you are eating way under your target calories. Too steep of a deficit will definitely cause cortisol to release and that jacks up insulin levels and stresses out the thyroid and causes water retention and all kinds of physical responses that are going to reduce weight loss and reduce fat metabolism.
So, from my perspective, my first suggestion would be to eat your 1200-1350 calories every day or at least 6 days a week.5 -
How are you doing with salt intake? I had a few weeks where the scale wasn’t moving and then I started adding salt (sodium and potassium) to my water a couple of times a day (I add it to sugar free water drops to make it taste ok) . Within a couple days I had a ‘whoosh’ of weight loss (4 lbs).1
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Diet without exercise is a very tough road to manage. Even with 7k steps a day you arent really giving your metabolism any fighting chance. The little things like alcohol or a small amount of processed foods can destroy your progress. Takes very little of either. During your IF you need to concentrate on planning your fasted periods to be centered on your most active points in your day or else IF is pointless for you. Very few in the IF community see any difference in weight because they aren’t getting the exercise they need during fasted states.4
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Diet without exercise is a very tough road to manage. Even with 7k steps a day you arent really giving your metabolism any fighting chance.
But not impossible; I know firsthand. I'm mobility limited and probably don't manage 7k steps in an average week. I also have immune system and other issues yet I've dropped 40 pounds in 2 months with just diet changes. It's also helping with the migraines and some of the inflammation.The little things like alcohol or a small amount of processed foods can destroy your progress. Takes very little of either.
Absolutely agree.
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I would stop drinking any calories. Any days don’t have anything recorded and other days seem to only have partial days recorded.
On the ones that do seem to be filled in, you often drink several hundred calories of straight fat. The problem, even though you stay below target calories, assuming you’re truly measuring that out and not eyeballing it, is that it provides an entire meals calories but hardly any nutrients.
Your body won’t be so willing to let go if fat of you’re starving on a nutrient level.
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Also in addition to what others are saying, have you seen any changes in your general health, sleeping better, less joint pain, skin improvements, smaller measurements, less bloating or puffiness, etc. Sometimes the body will work on general health improvements before it drops the weight. Just another thing to think of...3
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Drink more water.
MFP limits are not set in stone. If you're not losing, eat fewer calories.
Make sure you have enough protein.
Fat is good for staving off cravings, but less is better for using your body's fat instead.
Increase exercise (park further away, pace around the house, play chase with the kids).2 -
I had to be in a deficit for weight loss. I was never good at memorizing how many calories were in all the foods I eat so I used mfp to track. Daily. Everything. Your 23 days in August are pretty sporadic at best. I looked at your August diary this morning and recall 5 blank days. I recall 8 were under under 1000 and some of those were only 400-600 calories which to me hints of incomplete.
Everyone doesn't have to track to lose weight but if I weren't losing I'd tighten up on my tracking.6 -
Start measuring with clothes. I have stalled many times but measuring with clothes , pics and tape showed me that I was on the right track. You could also be building muscle while losing fat, the scale won t know the difference. Since you just got started, i suggest that you avoid alcohol for a week and limit your leafy greens just to cabbage, spinach . Add avocado , drink more water and try to have your last meal earlier than usual perhaps 4pm-6pm. Also for a week, let your body heal and do not exercise. Just observe and see how your body will react. Slowly reintroduce exercise and other things starting the 2nd week. You can do this.5
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Drink more water.
This. I've had 64oz of water already today and I've only been up an hour or so.MFP limits are not set in stone. If you're not losing, eat fewer calories.
Make sure you have enough protein.
Also this. If I went by what MFP and other sites suggested I'd either maintain or gain weight with my metabolism.
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Good point.try to have your last meal earlier than usual perhaps 4pm-6pm.
I usually only eat breakfast and supper (6pmish). Normally, without cravings, this is all I need. But some days I do get an urge to nibble and it helps to have "good things" available to snack on, like leftovers (fish/chicken - just grab a spoonful), peanuts, avocado, a hard-boiled egg, turkey jerky, protein shakes, celery & hummus.
It also helps to not have "bad things" in the house to tempt me. It's easier cuz I don't have kids...
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My opinion..... I think your calories are to low. I think even without working out you need at least 1600 calories a day and eat all the calories. NO fat as a lever. I'd also suggest only doing 20 total carbs. Carbs is carbs..the carbs don't magically disappear because you subtract fiber. I'd do your carbs at 20 total, aim for 15% of your calories to come from protein and the rest come from fat. If you're using the free version I'd set it up as 5% carbs, 15% protein and 80% fat. I have been keto for 20 months and when I did fat as a lever and ate 1200-1300 calories I was in a weight loss stall and started losing hair. It was terrible3
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My opinion..... I think your calories are to low. I think even without working out you need at least 1600 calories a day and eat all the calories. NO fat as a lever. I'd also suggest only doing 20 total carbs. Carbs is carbs..the carbs don't magically disappear because you subtract fiber. I'd do your carbs at 20 total, aim for 15% of your calories to come from protein and the rest come from fat. If you're using the free version I'd set it up as 5% carbs, 15% protein and 80% fat. I have been keto for 20 months and when I did fat as a lever and ate 1200-1300 calories I was in a weight loss stall and started losing hair. It was terrible
Agreed, @tifano ! And what @tcunbeliever said about cortisol is spot on, too. After I stalled for a few months I gave up on the calories and just focused on giving my body the nutrition it needs, and the weight started coming off again slowly. Then I focused on my sleep, both quantity and quality, and the weight is coming off more easily now. Be good to your body, and it will be good to you!3 -
Diet without exercise is a very tough road to manage. Even with 7k steps a day you arent really giving your metabolism any fighting chance. The little things like alcohol or a small amount of processed foods can destroy your progress. Takes very little of either. During your IF you need to concentrate on planning your fasted periods to be centered on your most active points in your day or else IF is pointless for you. Very few in the IF community see any difference in weight because they aren’t getting the exercise they need during fasted states.
I lost 110lbs without exercising. I just ride my horse once a week and do the normal amount of walking around during the day (around 4000 steps). I have a desk job. Diet for weightloss, exercise for fitness.
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I lost 110lbs without exercising. I just ride my horse once a week and do the normal amount of walking around during the day (around 4000 steps). I have a desk job. Diet for weightloss, exercise for fitness.
I've also lost without exercise; down 64 pounds since the end of June just with diet changes. Don't track my daily steps but most days all the exercise I get is traveling from various rooms around the house. Occasionally I make it outside to the mailbox. I'd be surprised if I managed even a thousand steps in a day. I wish it was more but with a bad leg and pain everywhere else it's just not possible the majority of the time. On days I feel well enough to venture out and do something it wipes me out for several days afterwards.
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I was heavier with a higher BF% while I was working as a Physical Rehabilitation Assistant and Fitness Instructor, than I am now (since I contracted a chronic disease that limits my activity/exercise choices.) I had gained some after the diagnosis, but lost it by low carb eating and IF - not by exercise. Exercise is important for other health reasons, but not so much for weight loss.2
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@meggs9605 while I did not start Keto to lose weight but at day 45 I lost my first pound. For the last 3 years I have maintained the resulting 50 pounds weight loss eating to stay full daily.
My health was so poor it had to start recovering before the good things started to come my way from Keto I expect.
Hope you stay the course or find the WOE that works best for you.4 -
My suggestion is for a few weeks to be very diligent about tracking everything you eat. For every meal, every snack. Including for any meals outside of the house. I think more than likely you are eating more than you think you are in total. Do you use a food scale to weigh your food? To state you know you are totally staying within your total carb goal, I would think you have to be weighing everything. Prepackaged food legally can be off by 20%, So right there you could be eating more than you think you are.2
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Hi, I JUST looked through my journal from last January, and apparently at the end of the month, I was feeling frustrated, like my weight loss had stalled after just one month! Now, I'm a solid 30 pounds down and looking back, I definitely was not stalled. Weight fluctuates from day to day, but over all of that time, my weight was slowly but surely dropping. kind of like a roller coaster, up and down, but always nudging a bit closer to the goal! Don't be discouraged, and keep testing and tweaking to see what works for you.4
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I hit a new low last week and bounced back up a couple of pounds. I haven't changed anything so I have learned to just wait it out. Hang in there.1
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Ditto above. It can get very frustrating at times, we all can attest to that. Just stay the course and don't give up.2
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