2 wks of deep ketosis but not much lost overall...

[hopewell]

I've been back to this WOE for about 2 weeks now. I don't count carbs but I always check my ketosis level. I drink alcohol occasionally with 0 carb count alcohols and mixers.

So far I've lost about 5.5 inches all over my body which spread out over the different measurements I take isn't much. 95% of the time I'm in moderate to deep ketosis but the lbs lost are only about 5.

Thoughts on why? I know the alcohol will affect it to a degree but is it possible to be in such deep ketosis so much of the time and not be losing better than I am?

Or maybe I'm expecting too much too soon?

[lisamt]

5 lbs in two weeks is great! Just hang in there and keep going. I restarted low carb at the end of December, lost 7 lbs the first 4 weeks then nothing for 3 weeks. This morning I finally saw the scale move again, down another 2 lbs.

[CindyCRNA]

I gained weight while in ketosis.

[lwcrbldy]

You can show deep ketosis without losing much weight simply from the quantity of fat your are eating. Your body can only metabolize so much fat to fuel your body once it begins its switch over to ketosis. If you have excess dietary fat consumption beyond what your body needs or can utilize, you may not lose weight as fast and can even gain weight.

You must count carbs... you may not need to count calories, but you really should keep track of your carbs if you're on a low carb diet and in induction stage. For 1 gram of carbohydrate it takes 3-4grams of water to metabolize it... that means if you're eating 20 grams of carbs in your day, your body needs 60-80grams of water to metabolize it- if it doesn't have enough liquid, your body will hold on to liquid (in the form of water-retention) until i has enough water to metabolize the carbs. If you're eating quite a bit of carbs and not drinking enough water, you may be experiencing some water retention which would hinder the loss seen on the scale.

Also if you have a high level of sodium intake even if you're eating low carb, that can cause water retention as well slowing down the losses you see in the scale.

The scale always was demoralizing to me so I simply tossed out my scale and relied on body measurements and how my clothes felt- as long as your body measurements are going down you're on the right track.

5lbs is still 5lbs lost...5.5 inches is still 5.5inches lost--that's good! Keep at it. But if you're doing Atkins, find a book and look up the chapter about Metabolic Resistance if you're wondering if 5lbs is normal for losses for women in the first two weeks. I don't have a book but I used to do Atkins and know the chapter is in there, but I don't remember the ranges of normal loss in the first 2 weeks. Induction level carbs on Atkins is 20 grams of carbs to induce ketosis so it IS important to count your carbs if you're following Atkins and are still in Induction.

Hope this helps... watch overall caloric intake as well as dietary fat intake, definitely keep track of carb grams regardless of what low carb plan you are doing, watch sodium intake, make sure you're drinking lots of water to help reduce any water retention, use body measurements and how you're fitting in your clothes to measure weight loss and health gain rather than the scale.... and exercise! Simply walking for 30 minutes a day around the block can help burn excess calories and jump start better weight loss results... and it's definitely good for your heart.

Hope this helps!

[Rhubarb]

Originally Posted by hopewell

I've been back to this WOE for about 2 weeks now. I don't count carbs but I always check my ketosis level. I drink alcohol occasionally with 0 carb count alcohols and mixers.

So far I've lost about 5.5 inches all over my body which spread out over the different measurements I take isn't much. 95% of the time I'm in moderate to deep ketosis but the lbs lost are only about 5.

Thoughts on why? I know the alcohol will affect it to a degree but is it possible to be in such deep ketosis so much of the time and not be losing better than I am?

Or maybe I'm expecting too much too soon?

Alcohol stalls my weight loss, usually taking me three to five days to pick back up again.

I think five pounds and five inches in two weeks is a fine result but if you are dissatisfied, I'd try cutting out the alcohol completely and see if it picks up. I've been having the occasional cocktail throughout my weight loss, but it's a conscious choice, with the knowledge that my losses will slow down as a result.

I'm curious how you know you are in deep ketosis? Do you do blood testing?

[hopewell]

Thanks everyone. I didn't know you could gain weight in Ketosis. I think I may be eating too much fat. Mainly b/c I tend to eat large salads w/ only green veggies 1/2 red pepper 3-4 mushrooms and a 2T of roasted sunflower seeds for texture. Oh yeah and a cpl ozs of cheese as well plus full fat dressing. I'm gonna cut that in half and see how that works out.

I didn't know the fat content could be such an issue. Mainly because in so many books and documentaries they say fat count doesn't matter at all. (ie Why we Get Fat and What to do about it, Fat Head, Atkins '72 [I did this years ago and it worked great] and Starving for Change). I'm still losing but I didn't expect it to be so slooooow.

[hopewell]

Originally Posted by Rhubarb

I'm curious how you know you are in deep ketosis? Do you do blood testing?

No, no blood testing. I use the urine test strips. The darker the color result the more ketones you're throwing off meaning deeper ketosis. At least that's the way I've always thought of it, am I wrong?

[Rhubarb]

Originally Posted by hopewell

No, no blood testing. I use the urine test strips. The darker the color result the more ketones you're throwing off meaning deeper ketosis. At least that's the way I've always thought of it, am I wrong?

I think there are different opinions on that. But my understanding is that the deep color is just as likely a result of concentrated urine as anything. I'd check in over at the Nutritional Ketosis board for more information, but their program suggests blood testing for accuracy because the sticks aren't reliable. You'll get some good data there if you're interested.

I don't honestly know when I'm in or out of ketosis, but some combination of lack of appetite, strange taste in my mouth, frequent urination and (until I fixed it with supplementation) leg cramps reassure me that I'm doing it right. (But who knows, maybe I've never been in ketosis at all!)

Anyway, regardless of that, I'd cut out the booze. I wasn't keen on it since having a cocktail is part of my husband's evening ritual but I got better results when I did.

And as I said, five pounds in two weeks is nothing to sneeze at. I'd give anything to be able to do it now. These last few pounds are murder.

[CindyCRNA]

Originally Posted by hopewell

Thanks everyone. I didn't know you could gain weight in Ketosis. I think I may be eating too much fat. Mainly b/c I tend to eat large salads w/ only green veggies 1/2 red pepper 3-4 mushrooms and a 2T of roasted sunflower seeds for texture. Oh yeah and a cpl ozs of cheese as well plus full fat dressing. I'm gonna cut that in half and see how that works out.

I didn't know the fat content could be such an issue. Mainly because in so many books and documentaries they say fat count doesn't matter at all. (ie Why we Get Fat and What to do about it, Fat Head, Atkins '72 [I did this years ago and it worked great] and Starving for Change). I'm still losing but I didn't expect it to be so slooooow.

Oh so, so wrong! Don't get me wrong, I eat fairly high fat by US standards (45%) but calories are king, no matter how you arrange them. Having said that, SOME calories are different. Protein consumes a bit of calories to digest itself, up to 30% of it's calories I have read, fat requires no calories to digest and carbs are in the middle. You can generally eat a bit more on a protein heavy diet, calorically speaking but excess protein is turned to fat so a bit of balance helps. I remember a thread recently where a gentleman was boasting he wasn't calorie counting and was eating all the fat he wanted. Then he posted his diet. It was basically about 1700 calories. Of course he lost, he was just satiated with the fat and protein which is why LC is a valuable tool but many, many females here try the same approach and don't understand why they are stalled or gaining. You most definitely can do a high fat diet and lose weight but calories do count and I don't care who wrote what in what book, I have gained in ketosis and an 80% fat diet. It wasn't until I got the calories under control (and then saw that wasn't enough food!) that I modified it a bit to decrease fat and increase volume. I think moderate fat may be more the ticket, IMO.

[hopewell]

Originally Posted by Rhubarb

I'd check in over at the Nutritional Ketosis board for more information,...

I just went looking for this board but I couldn't find it. Can someone post a link or point me in the right direction? Thanks!!

[hopewell]

Originally Posted by CindyCRNA

Then he posted his diet. It was basically about 1700 calories. Of course he lost, he was just satiated with the fat and protein which is why LC is a valuable tool but many, many females here try the same approach and don't understand why they are stalled or gaining. You most definitely can do a high fat diet and lose weight but calories do count and I don't care who wrote what in what book, I have gained in ketosis and an 80% fat diet. It wasn't until I got the calories under control (and then saw that wasn't enough food!) that I modified it a bit to decrease fat and increase volume. I think moderate fat may be more the ticket, IMO.

Hmmmm...looks like I have some re-vamping to do. Darn.

Thanks!!

[Rhubarb]

Originally Posted by hopewell

Hmmmm...looks like I have some re-vamping to do. Darn.

Thanks!!

There are a lot of differing opinions on all this so you'll have to figure out what works for you. There are a lot of people who swear by low carb, moderate protein and high fat so ...

Have you read Gary Taubes's books? I've found them to be the most helpful in understanding the underlying science.

Anyway, good luck. Here's that thread on Nutritional Ketosis:

Nutritional Ketosis / High Fat, Low Carb - Low Carb Friends

[ravenrose]

what were you eating before you came back to the low carb woe? a lot of times it's low calorie enough that you are pretty low carb even without trying. in that case, you don't lose as much right away as someone transitioning from a really high carb woe.

[svenskamae]

Originally Posted by hopewell

Thanks everyone. I didn't know you could gain weight in Ketosis. I think I may be eating too much fat. Mainly b/c I tend to eat large salads w/ only green veggies 1/2 red pepper 3-4 mushrooms and a 2T of roasted sunflower seeds for texture. Oh yeah and a cpl ozs of cheese as well plus full fat dressing. I'm gonna cut that in half and see how that works out.

I didn't know the fat content could be such an issue. Mainly because in so many books and documentaries they say fat count doesn't matter at all. (ie Why we Get Fat and What to do about it, Fat Head, Atkins '72 [I did this years ago and it worked great] and Starving for Change). I'm still losing but I didn't expect it to be so slooooow.

I don't know why you think losing 5 pounds in 2 weeks is slooooow. Very few people will lose more than 2 pounds of fat per week and many, many will lose less than that. I would dearly love to be losing at that rate, and I don't drink alcohol and do count fat grams, carbs, protein grams, and calories.

[muncheechee]

Before you go tweaking your woe first eliminate the alcohol for a couple weeks and see if you are happy with your losses.

[lisamt]

Originally Posted by svenskamae

I don't know why you think losing 5 pounds in 2 weeks is slooooow. Very few people will lose more than 2 pounds of fat per week and many, many will lose less than that. I would dearly love to be losing at that rate, and I don't drink alcohol and do count fat grams, carbs, protein grams, and calories.

I think you're spot on, but I can understand why someone might think a loss of 5 lbs in 2 weeks is not very much. I've read accounts of people on low carb losing 10 lbs or more in the first couple of weeks. I've noticed they are typically men who start out very obese.

I'm a slow loser, and have to remind myself that as someone over 50 and female, any progress is better than none at all.

[Mimosa23]

In my world, losing 5 pounds and 5.5 inches in two weeks is great! You are doing well so far, not sure what your problem is.

Keep a diary of exactly what you are eating and drinking and exact quantities for a few days. This will give a better insight into what you could be doing better or whether you need to change anything at all.

How tall are you and how much do you weigh right now? How much are you looking to lose?

Is the full fat dressing you consume something you bought or made yourself? There could be hidden sugars in store bought dressing that could slow you down.

I would drop the seeds and the alcohol for at least two weeks. For the rest, not knowing how much you eat and what your carb level is, I can't really tell you what I would do differently. Also, are you eating any protein in the form of eggs, meat or fish?

Post a few days worth of menus, this way we can help you better.

xxx

[Punkin]

I definitely agree with the counting calories. I count everything, but calories are important because like someone mentioned, its easy to overeat, even if you are doing high fat. For example for me 20-25g carbs is alot, that is because I am short and have a small frame. My age also puts me in the category of having a lower BMR. 20-25g for people much bigger and younger than me would be considered low so they wouldn't have to worry about over-eating as much, they would have a higher satiently. I also found I needed to count calories to find my CLL, because I couldn't rely on the bathroom scale, I kept stalling. Testing your ketones just means you know you are burning fat. It doesn't distinguish the difference between dietary fat and storage fat.

[hopewell]

Originally Posted by Rhubarb

Have you read Gary Taubes's books? I've found them to be the most helpful in understanding the underlying science.

Anyway, good luck. Here's that thread on Nutritional Ketosis:

Nutritional Ketosis / High Fat, Low Carb - Low Carb Friends

Yes I've read "Why We Get Fat..." but I'm still waiting to get "Good Calories: Bad Calories" that's why I'm so confused. This process is obviously going to take some time to get 'just right'.

Thanks so much for the link!!!

[hopewell]

Originally Posted by ravenrose

what were you eating before you came back to the low carb woe? a lot of times it's low calorie enough that you are pretty low carb even without trying. in that case, you don't lose as much right away as someone transitioning from a really high carb woe.

Actually I wasn't watching what I eat at all. Which is why I'm in this mess to begin with.

[hopewell]

Originally Posted by lisamt

I think you're spot on, but I can understand why someone might think a loss of 5 lbs in 2 weeks is not very much. I've read accounts of people on low carb losing 10 lbs or more in the first couple of weeks. I've noticed they are typically men who start out very obese.

I'm a slow loser, and have to remind myself that as someone over 50 and female, any progress is better than none at all.

That's it exactly. Plus the first time I did this WOE in '97-'98 I lost weight REALLY fast, almost a lb a day. I was just hoping for the same rate of loss this time around. However I am a lot older and my metabolism has changed.
I just don't like it.

I do have to say though that I feel SO MUCH better w/o the bread, rice, potatoes, etc. SO MUCH BETTER, so I'm definitely gonna stick with it weight loss or not.

[tymom]

i also recommend Wheat Belly. Great read!