No success on keto
plitrico
Posts: 3 Member
I have been following the keto diet since the beginning of the year. I hit the numbers + or - 10g and my net carbs are usually 20-25g. I have only lost 6 pounds and 0 over the last two weeks. Starting to wonder if I should try something else.
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Replies
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I have been following the keto diet since the beginning of the year. I hit the numbers + or - 10g and my net carbs are usually 20-25g. I have only lost 6 pounds and 0 over the last two weeks. Starting to wonder if I should try something else.
6lbs loss is actually pretty great. congrats, that's great progress.
are you eating at a calorie deficit? Tracking calories (ideally using a food scale and ensuring to select accurate diary entries)?
Keto is not magical, those who lose weight following this way of eating still must eat at a calorie deficit over time. Some maintain or even gain eating Keto depending on calorie intake. It works well for some who feel full and enjoy this way of eating but it isn't for everyone.
Does keto keep you full and satisfied? Is this a way you can see eating for years? if not, then yes you should find another way of eating (WOE) but bottom line you need to eat at a calorie deficit regardless in order to lose the weight.
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How many calories are you eating in total? Is that amount less than your estimated TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)
Eating 20-25g of carbs will only help if your overall calorie intake is less than your body burns per day. Fat is extremely energy dense and not every one feels an appetite blunting effect from a high fat intake. I can easily eat twice my TDEE if my fat intake is too high because it simply does not satiate me. I need a starchy carb to feel full, so I need to have an idea of how many calories I'm eating and how that measures out against how many calories I'm using in a day.11 -
I have been following the keto diet since the beginning of the year. I hit the numbers + or - 10g and my net carbs are usually 20-25g. I have only lost 6 pounds and 0 over the last two weeks. Starting to wonder if I should try something else.
That actually sounds like success - maybe - to me. But it may not be.
Understanding what keto is and what it is not may help.
What it is:
1. A method of putting your body into ketosis...meaning your body releases glycogen, which is no longer an immediate source of fuel.
2. It may help you reduce your intake by giving you satiety with foods other than carbs - indirectly putting you into a caloric deficit, which causes fat loss.
What it is not:
1. A guarantee of weight loss - only a calorie deficit can do that. To the extent that keto allows you to put yourself into a calorie deficit, it will work. But you can be in ketosis with a caloric surplus. In that scenario, you would be gaining weight on keto.
2. A magic formula. Being in ketosis does not mean weight loss. It means you are in ketosis. Period.
Typical early results:
1. A large loss in water weight - due to the body getting rid of glycogen. This is a typical early keto result, and a (false) reason people cite for its magic properties. It's not magic. If you stopped keto, your glycogen stores would refill resulting a weight (NOT FAT) gain.
2. After the early loss in water weight, if you are in a caloric deficit, you will lose weight that corresponds with the size of your caloric deficit.15 -
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I have been following the keto diet since the beginning of the year. I hit the numbers + or - 10g and my net carbs are usually 20-25g. I have only lost 6 pounds and 0 over the last two weeks. Starting to wonder if I should try something else.
We don't know how much weight you have to lose, but averaging 1lb per week is actually great progress, congrats!
Regardless of what diet you follow, weight loss depends on a calorie deficit. How much of a deficit you have will determine how much weight you lose over the long term. So it looks like your averaging a 500 cal deficit. If you have less than 50+ lbs to lose, that's kind of perfect.
While losing weight, it is normal to have a week or two here and there where you don't see a loss on the scale. There is a lot of stuff in your body other than fat, and that stuff (water, digesting food, etc) has weight as well that will go up and down and can sometimes "hide" fat loss on the scale.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
If you have more than 50 lbs to lose and would like to lose weight a little faster, or of you're just wanting to make sure you are accumulating good data, check out these threads:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
Keep going and good luck!5 -
I find it hard to eat enough fat while keeping the calories down. I have been hovering around 1800 calories a day. I also started going to the gym this week so maybe I need to give it more time. Thanks for all of the replies.1
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If you are trying to lose fat and doing keto for weight loss, then you don't need to eat a lot of fat.
Keep your carbs and calories under goal. Keep your protein over goal. Don't worry about eating extra fat, your body is already on a high fat diet if you have fat to metabolize.20 -
I find it hard to eat enough fat while keeping the calories down. I have been hovering around 1800 calories a day. I also started going to the gym this week so maybe I need to give it more time. Thanks for all of the replies.
I did a low(er) carb WoE for a while and it worked great, but wasn't sustainable for me. Carbs were limited to <100g daily, but I don't think I ever got fully into ketosis.
While I was doing it though, I went much higher on cheeses, burgers, bacon, eggs, full fat dairies and everything else than what conventional wisdom said I ought to, and it helped immensely.
That said though, the calorie deficit is still what enabled me to lose weight. Best fortune with your goals.
edit: Echoing the others, your rate of loss looks good. Be patient
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I find it hard to eat enough fat while keeping the calories down. I have been hovering around 1800 calories a day. I also started going to the gym this week so maybe I need to give it more time. Thanks for all of the replies.
Adding a new exercise routine is an important detail here. Bodies tend to flood sore muscles with extra fluid to help cushion and repair them when we start a new exercise routine or increase an old one. That can look like a stall on the scale for a couple of weeks, but it's just masking whatever weight loss is still happening. Expect some weird weigh-ins for a few weeks if you're starting at the gym.6 -
"Only 6 pounds" in two weeks?I have been following the keto diet since the beginning of the year. I hit the numbers + or - 10g and my net carbs are usually 20-25g. I have only lost 6 pounds and 0 over the last two weeks. Starting to wonder if I should try something else.
If that is so, you need to adjust your mindset and expectations. There are no quick fixes when it comes to weight loss. 4 -
Fatty_Nuff wrote: »
"Only 6 pounds" in two weeks?I have been following the keto diet since the beginning of the year. I hit the numbers + or - 10g and my net carbs are usually 20-25g. I have only lost 6 pounds and 0 over the last two weeks. Starting to wonder if I should try something else. You need to adjust your mindset and expectations. There are no quick fixes when it comes to weight loss.
Well, there are...but that's what you good folks here work so hard to head off.
Eating disorders...and some of the really bad info and "how to do it" guides that are out there are frightening. I've bought into a couple of the less harmful ones in the past myself....arg lol.2 -
6 lbs since the beginning of the year, and 0 pounds in the last 2 weeks...so that's like 6 lbs in the first month, much of which will be water, and then no loss for this month so far.1
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@Phirrgus I may have misunderstood the comment though. 6 pounds lost, 0 in two weeks. I wonder though in what span of time the OP lost the initial 6.
edit: thanks @tcunbeliever0 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »6 lbs since the beginning of the year, and 0 pounds in the last 2 weeks...so that's like 6 lbs in the first month, much of which will be water, and then no loss for this month so far.
That's probably why folks are referencing the deficit and her starting the gym routine. She said she's "hovering around 1800"...which isn't very specific.
Also, as she's going for ketosis, there are probably a lot of servings of butters/cheeses/oils etc in her diet now. Things that if aren't weighed properly can be super easy to over estimate.3 -
Fatty_Nuff wrote: »@Phirrgus I may have misunderstood the comment though. 6 pounds lost, 0 in two weeks. I wonder though in what span of time the OP lost the initial 6.
edit: thanks @tcunbeliever
@Fatty_Nuff Yeah, I had to reread a couple of times myself lol. Never know if it's my old eyes or the words on the page 1 -
For what it's worth, I do keto for migraine control, and I actually find it harder to lose weight on keto than on a standard LCHF diet. Not having migraines is magical, and for a lot of people keto is magical for weight loss because they have a reduced appetite or IR or T2D or other metabolic issues that keto helps to resolve. But in terms of just losing weight with no other health issues, it's not magic, it's still about eating less. And if keto is so restrictive that you struggle with sticking to it long term, then something less restrictive might be more effective.7
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tcunbeliever wrote: »For what it's worth, I do keto for migraine control, and I actually find it harder to lose weight on keto than on a standard LCHF diet. Not having migraines is magical, and for a lot of people keto is magical for weight loss because they have a reduced appetite or IR or T2D or other metabolic issues that keto helps to resolve. But in terms of just losing weight with no other health issues, it's not magic, it's still about eating less. And if keto is so restrictive that you struggle with sticking to it long term, then something less restrictive might be more effective.
We have common ground there - I killed my own progress by restricting myself so needlessly, but I didn't know what I didn't know, ya know?
Sorry about the migraines you deal with too. A close relative of mine gets them very frequently. I could only imagine..0 -
I find it hard to eat enough fat while keeping the calories down. I have been hovering around 1800 calories a day. I also started going to the gym this week so maybe I need to give it more time. Thanks for all of the replies.
What are your overall goals (besides weight loss since that’s what you asked about in the OP) and how do you believe keto helps achieve those goals above and beyond what any other diet that results in a calorie deficit would provide?1 -
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@plitrico it was day 45 before I lost the first pound when I went Keto back in Oct 2014 and it is still working well. I did lose an inch in the waist before I lost the first pound of weight. I went on to lose about 50 pounds and have maintained that loss the years since. Now age 68 many of my serious health issues have resolved and have stayed that way. I eat around 50 grams of carbs most days.
I did not do Keto for weight loss but pain management to avoid starting Enbrel injections due to my form of arthritis called Ankylosing that I have had most of my life. For over 4 years the pain manage from Keto has been awesome. Pain manage was underway in just 30 days and I was able to the the doctors I was going to pass on the Enbrel options because of associated side effects being reported by some.
The first 90 days and even the first year is a learning curve for some and was in my case but I did start out as a very ill person.
Keto is not the only Way Of Eating so if Keto does not work out for you there is one or more WOE's out there that I am sure will meet your health needs. Best of success.5 -
I find it hard to eat enough fat while keeping the calories down. I have been hovering around 1800 calories a day. I also started going to the gym this week so maybe I need to give it more time. Thanks for all of the replies.
And this is the inherent misconception with keto. "Fat" in the low carb "high fat" community can come from dietary fat and/or body fat. If you have a lot of fat to lose, then you have enough "high fat" on your body that contributes to the diet.
It doesn't mean you have to slam fat macros down to an unpalatable level, it just means that you shouldn't be focusing on dietary fat as a goal. Rather, you would be better off focusing on protein and the natural fat that comes along with it is enough to cover your needs, while eating low carb vegetables and fruit to ensure a wide variety of micronutrients and vitamins.
Regardless of any diet, total calories control your body composition, whether it's to lose or gain mass.4 -
You are doing good with respects to weight loss but make sure you measure waist hip chest arm and leg to see the difference in size. Also exercise is not required to lose weight but it shapes your body up and gives you strength. It takes a while for keto adaptation for some people too.0
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tcunbeliever wrote: »If you are trying to lose fat and doing keto for weight loss, then you don't need to eat a lot of fat.
Keep your carbs and calories under goal. Keep your protein over goal. Don't worry about eating extra fat, your body is already on a high fat diet if you have fat to metabolize.
That’s not how any of this works..6 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »If you are trying to lose fat and doing keto for weight loss, then you don't need to eat a lot of fat.
Keep your carbs and calories under goal. Keep your protein over goal. Don't worry about eating extra fat, your body is already on a high fat diet if you have fat to metabolize.
That’s not how any of this works..
I disagree. In ketosis, your body uses fat for fuel because you are not eating many carbs. That fat can come from your body fat stores or from your diet. If you eat too much fat, you are less likely to use body fat for fuel, meaning you won't lose weight. Prioritizing protein over fat makes sense.12 -
How many calories per day do you think your body can metabolize from fat? Unless you know that answer you still need to take in sufficient dietary fat. I honestly don’t think it’s as much as we would all hope5
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tcunbeliever wrote: »If you are trying to lose fat and doing keto for weight loss, then you don't need to eat a lot of fat.
Keep your carbs and calories under goal. Keep your protein over goal. Don't worry about eating extra fat, your body is already on a high fat diet if you have fat to metabolize.
That’s not how any of this works..
I disagree. In ketosis, your body uses fat for fuel because you are not eating many carbs. That fat can come from your body fat stores or from your diet. If you eat too much fat, you are less likely to use body fat for fuel, meaning you won't lose weight. Prioritizing protein over fat makes sense.
Yes, but with caveats.
The original post was vague irt to how it all related to overall energy balance, and that's where the issue was I would wager.
Saying:Keep your carbs and calories under goal. Keep your protein over goal. Don't worry about eating extra fat, your body is already on a high fat diet if you have fat to metabolize
Outside of context literally sounds like you're advising a person to eat at caloric surplus. I assumed that the advice was rather that the PP was advising that, after using MFP guidelines and calculating a deficit to eat that way, but that wasn't clear in what she typed.2 -
How many calories per day do you think your body can metabolize from fat? Unless you know that answer you still need to take in sufficient dietary fat. I honestly don’t think it’s as much as we would all hope
What they are trying to say, but are saying awkwardly is that a keto person should:
1. Determine their overall caloric needs to eat at deficit.
2. Determine an appropriate amount of protein to eat based on .65 - .85 grams per pound of ideal body weight
3. Eat 20-50 grams of net carbs
4. Use the rest of the calories left in their overall calories from step 1 to determine how much fat they should be eating instead of focusing on eating "high fat".7 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »How many calories per day do you think your body can metabolize from fat? Unless you know that answer you still need to take in sufficient dietary fat. I honestly don’t think it’s as much as we would all hope
What they are trying to say, but are saying awkwardly is that a keto person should:
1. Determine their overall caloric needs to eat at deficit.
2. Determine an appropriate amount of protein to eat based on .65 - .85 grams per pound of ideal body weight
3. Eat 20-50 grams of net carbs
4. Use the rest of the calories left in their overall calories from step 1 to determine how much fat they should be eating instead of focusing on eating "high fat".
Right--the OP seemed to think it was more important to hit a certain level of fat than to have the right calories, and they are basically saying don't go over your calorie goal to get in the fat, because when you are on a deficit you will also be burning your body fat. It's sensible advice. No one was saying not to eat any dietary fat and expect to burn enormous amounts of body fat instead.1 -
How many calories per day do you think your body can metabolize from fat? Unless you know that answer you still need to take in sufficient dietary fat. I honestly don’t think it’s as much as we would all hope
I don't advocate very low calorie diets. Don't get me wrong. I agree with people getting 1200-1500 kcal as a minimum, but I think sometimes ketoers sacrifice protein for fat when they start out. KWIM?
For a woman who creates a 1200 kcal diet, ideally she should be getting upwards of 400 kcal (100g) protein a day. Most ketoers get 100-200 kcal a day from carbs. That leaves only 600-700 kcal from fat, or somewhere around 80g. The common mistake I see is reducing protein down to about 50g and then increasing fat. If one wants to catabolize their body for energy, I think it's better to use your body fat than it is to use lean mass tissue.
For maintenance, I would hope the same woman is still around 400 kcal protein, perhaps the same carbs, but is now consuming an extra 700-800 kcal of fat to get closer to 2000 kcal. She doesn't want to use body fat for energy any more so she needs to eat more.
ETA the longest supervised fast on record for steady weight loss was close to a year. If one eats nothing you will eventually use all fat up and start into protein, but as long as there is a reasonable calorie deficit, most don't need to add extra fats2 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »How many calories per day do you think your body can metabolize from fat? Unless you know that answer you still need to take in sufficient dietary fat. I honestly don’t think it’s as much as we would all hope
What they are trying to say, but are saying awkwardly is that a keto person should:
1. Determine their overall caloric needs to eat at deficit.
2. Determine an appropriate amount of protein to eat based on .65 - .85 grams per pound of ideal body weight
3. Eat 20-50 grams of net carbs
4. Use the rest of the calories left in their overall calories from step 1 to determine how much fat they should be eating instead of focusing on eating "high fat".
Right--the OP seemed to think it was more important to hit a certain level of fat than to have the right calories, and they are basically saying don't go over your calorie goal to get in the fat, because when you are on a deficit you will also be burning your body fat. It's sensible advice. No one was saying not to eat any dietary fat and expect to burn enormous amounts of body fat instead.
I agree but someone could interpret his response as just that. Easily. There are many new people reading these posts. But it’s been clarified in subsequent posts at this point1
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