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Old 01-06-2015, 02:44 PM   #1  
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Default In ketosis (I think) but not losing!

I have been super strict on the carb count. <20
For one full week, the stix are pink (I know, they aren't that reliable)
No weight loss at all.

Any possible explanation, before I pull my hair out??
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Old 01-06-2015, 03:05 PM   #2  
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Are you coming up on the start of your cycle?
How's your salt intake?

If you're retaining water for any reason, that can make a huge difference so you might be losing fat without realizing it.
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Old 01-06-2015, 03:06 PM   #3  
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I'll list everything I can think of because when I post this I have to go shovel snow ....

1. I know we say "don't count calories" and I kinda-sorta agree with that up to a point ... I also believe that until you're solidly in ketosis, I think most people need to count calories just so you get a feel for macros.

And honestly, I don't believe in a one size fits all world. Tom, Dick and Mary might not need to count calories. I counted until I got the hang of how much to eat daily to achieve reliable weight loss.

2. What are you eating? What's the breakdown?

3. Not enough salt.

4. Too much protein (again, back to needing a sample daily menu).

5. Some people find they need to eliminate certain item/s, generally whipping cream, cheese or nuts.

6. Any possible hidden sources of sugars or carbs?

7. Certain medications make weight loss virtually impossible.

8. Untreated hypothyroidism makes weight loss nearly impossible. My thyroid levels fell within the normal lab ranges, though very low normal. I had most of the physical symptoms of hypothyroidism and luckily a forward thinking doctor. I needed to be treated.

9. Excessive reliance on artificial sweeteners causes some people problems.

10. Water, water and more water. In the beginning especially you virtually cannot drink enough water.

We can figure this out :-)

Everyone has a "tell" when they switch over to ketosis, I have a few (I get horribly cold feet at bedtime and for 24 hours I simply cannot drink enough water, my throat will be so dry it nearly hurts).
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Old 01-06-2015, 06:30 PM   #4  
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I will start tracking better. I really only looked at carbs.
These 3 things jumped out at me, I didn't know they were a factor!
I just started this, so I'm still pretty un-enlightened!


4. Too much protein (again, back to needing a sample daily menu).

5. Some people find they need to eliminate certain item/s, generally whipping cream, cheese or nuts.

9. Excessive reliance on artificial sweeteners causes some people problems.
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Old 01-07-2015, 10:27 AM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JODIO View Post
I will start tracking better. I really only looked at carbs.
These 3 things jumped out at me, I didn't know they were a factor!
I just started this, so I'm still pretty un-enlightened!

4. Too much protein (again, back to needing a sample daily menu).

5. Some people find they need to eliminate certain item/s, generally whipping cream, cheese or nuts.

9. Excessive reliance on artificial sweeteners causes some people problems.
I don't know what specific plan you're following but I'm eating ketogenically. My basic macro ratios are 65% of calories from fat, 25% from protein and 10% from carbs. You can find a calculator here: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

Totally off topic, I'm lucky, I primarily use an old version of the Calorie King diet log and it has a very easy way to set dietary macros (you can set them by percentages or actual grams). I've since used other diet logs that don't have that feature, then you really need to use the keto calculator. But I can't emphasize how much you need to log stuff and track everything, at least at first.

The thing is, our bodies are highly adaptable. They're not like, well your car, for example. Without modification your car can ONLY burn gas. Our bodies can burn glucose, and ketones, and even acetate (the byproduct of alcohol metabolism). The source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability and how easily it burns. Plus it can chemically convert available fuels into different fuels, excess protein can be converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis (high protein intake for the purposes of ketogenic eating means beyond 25% or 30% of your total calories). So you STILL get insulin spikes, even if you're eating the bare minimum of carbs, if you eat more protein than your body requires.

When you give your body carbs, it utilizes the simple sugars immediately, or breaks the complex ones down but it ALL produces a fast burning, easily accessible fuel (THAT'S why it's called a preferred fuel. Not because it's BETTER for us, BTW!)

In your first post you mentioned that the Ketostixs are pink, so you've got extra ketone bodies, but if you're not in a caloric deficit you're not going to lose weight because you're eating the fuel you need. The primary benefit of ketosis for weight loss is the natural appetite suppression and what hunger you do experience is easily abated by smaller meals. I think of being in ketosis like "carrying your groceries" right there in your tummy and tush. A LOT of people who eat ketogenically (HF/LC) combine it with intermittent fasting because, as long as you have enough water, we can easily go 12+ hours without eating and not notice it. My husband regularly has a high fat breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and often doesn't have anything during the day except for water and a cup of coffee with cream and doesn't experience energy drops or any noticeable hunger. Dinner is usually at 7:00 p.m. and when I ask him if he's hungry he shrugs and says "I could eat, but it's not desperate".

One thing I'm still having a little trouble with is breaking the HABIT of eating simply because it's time to eat and I should be having a meal (amazing how good of a built in clock our bodies have). I'm also still learning appropriate portion/meal size. I've spent more than a decade eating 30% carbs, 30% (or less) fat and 40% protein (years of eating a weight lifters diet). Fat has more than twice the calories of either protein or carbs which means eating less than half the volume of food. It's a paradigm shift I'm still working through.

Last edited by ReNew Me; 01-07-2015 at 10:28 AM.
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Old 01-07-2015, 01:21 PM   #6  
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You may well be metabolizing fat,but retaining water.Keep on plan and you will probably have a whoosh .Water is a by product of fat metabolism.
Stick with it and you will see results.
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Old 01-08-2015, 01:22 AM   #7  
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Are you drinking enough water? My weight loss seems to slow down if I drink less than 3 liters a day, and I usually get about 4. Make sure you're getting enough fat and not too much protein. I haven't had any problems with it (thank God, because I love cheese!), but I've heard from a few people that they had to cut out all dairy products or it would stall them out.

Make sure you're not getting any hidden carbs. I thought I was doing good my first week, then took a close look at everything, and I was actually getting closer to 60g. Calories, too!

You shouldn't need intermittent fasting to start losing, but I do it, and it does help me lose more weight, control myself, and get out of that psychological slump of when to eat. I do 18 hours, breaking the fast at 2pm and eating my meals for the day until 8pm, but I've got strange work and sleep hours. Some people do it for 12 hours, others for 36, and you can put your eating time wherever it works for you. Something to consider, maybe.

Also, like apo9 said, sometimes things don't seem to be moving, and then you get the whoosh. So if you've got everything squared away, trust the process and you should see that drop soon.
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