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Loosing my way LCHF/Keto

AngiH

Well-Known Member
Messages
336
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all, yesterday some on you lovely people replied to my post in the "what was your fasting bg" as although my levels are coming down into the 5's, my weight had stalled. Well this morning I weighed myself and I've gained 2.5lb. I'm actually devastated as I've been so good.
I really don't know where I'm going wrong. I generally fast most days for 16/8 without even trying. I have little to no appetite, and a strange metallic taste...so although I don't test I'm sure I must be in ketosis? My general day is scrambled eggs with butter before work at 2pm. Then evening meal normally involves steak mince or chicken, as a DD meal or salad with oily tuna and cheese. Followed by sf jelly and cream.
Yesterday I only had 200 cals and 8grams of carbs....
I was going shopping this morning with some next vouchers I had, and thought I'd buy a nice summer outfit in a smaller size to motivate me (not that I needed motivation)...and now I'm feeling like why bother.
I know my main issue is keeping the T2 diagnosis away but I have 2 stone to loose as well. Sorry for long ramble, just don't know what to do now
 
Hi,

Hang in there, it sounds like you are doing really well with your levels and weight! I am going through exactly the same thing, my weight has been creeping up over the last few days even though I am eating the same things in the same way. One of those things I guess, but it is demoralising isn't it!

Just keep in mind how far you have come, and keep fighting the fight Good luck.
 
Hi, I only started this journey on the 3rd Jan and because I'm so mindset I'm shocked at the gain. I went to the pub yesterday with my parents and my son - they all sat and ate fish and chips and chocolate brownies with ice cream, while I watched. It is actually easy not eating and my cravings have vanished, but it's pretty rubbish to step on the scales and see a gain. Thank you for your reply.
 
Too much protein perhaps. Others will disagree, but I’ve seen and read this exact same stalling problem a great many times, and very often protein was the culprit. This may of course not be the case for you, but looking at your food, I’d bet 10p that it is.
 
AngiH said:
I've gained 2.5lb
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That's how much I can gain overnight - or lose. Any gain I take with a lump of salt, and any loss is, of course, real, in my mind My advice to you is to be more light hearted about it, especially as you know you're working so hard for it. Two things can cause this, hormones and excess water in your body. You're likely to lose it again all of a sudden. Also, your scales could be a bit off and imprecise from day to day. Do you measure yourself? If not, please start now as you're likely to see the results on the measuring tape, if not on the scales, and then ask yourself, why on earth would I gain 2.5 lbs of fat overnight? Keep a food diary for a week or two, and keep a close watch on your macros. I found this a great help to teach myself how to eat.
Most importantly, don't become disheartened, but keep at it. I suspect that women tend to have the hormone fluctuations and fluid retention problems more often than men.
If you're unsure of your diet maybe it needs tweaking a little. If you want help with that you could tell us what you've been eating.
 
AngiH said:
Yesterday I only had 200 cals and 8grams of carbs....
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That's too few cals by far. You don't want your body to go into starvation mode, and lower your metabolism.
It takes a while to get into the swing of things, I know from experience. You'll get there.
 
Thank you. I haven't started measuring yet.. I'll get a tape measure today.
I do keep a log of everything I eat, I have a fitbit so log in that, I also use mysugr app for bg and nutracheck for my daily foods, it works everything out for me so know my macros are where they should be. I won't give up, just feeling sorry for myself haha....
 
I'll have a look at my levels Jim, I'm unable to share screenshots of my food diary for some reason. I'll see if I can download them and post as it would be good to get opinions. Thank you.
 
Try not to focus on the weight,. Focus on insulin, or rather focus on a lack of it. The weight will follow. Please remember that stored fat is not the cause of your prediabetes, it’s a symptom.
 
Don't worry. I nearly bought new scales to get a more accurate gauge but stayed with the old clunkers.

2 1/2 lb would not show enough to see on my old scales.

Forgive the crudity but bodily functions for both sexes can add that.

Stay strong. You will, if your going the way I did. Have times when your weight doesn't change a great deal for maybe a week. Then boom you will be down a couple of kg the next week.

I feel clothing is a better judge. Buy the summer stuff. Even go an extra size too far and use that. I have a belt that now has 6 or 7 extra holes literally tracing my weight loss in waist size far better than weight.

Go on. Your smashing it. We're with you.



(edit typo's caused by auto correct)
 
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AngiH said:
I won't give up, just feeling sorry for myself haha....
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Oh, I know that feeling. I just wanted to make sure it didn't make you comfort eat those bad bad carbs, as it might have done me in my early days of giving weight loss another go I'm glad you're not quitting, because it's worth it.
 

Agree with that. In my opinion the waist never lies. Insulin drives, predominantly, abdominal fat deposition by default simply because the liver lays down fat as close to itself as it can when it begins clogging itself up with the stuff. A reduction in waist is a great marker of improving metabolic health. I actually gained 2kg in ketosis but went from a 32” to 30” waist and with a more muscular torso. I still look like Mr. Muscle but I’m working on it

Edited to add that this is more true in men than it is in women, but I believe it’s nevertheless mostly correct.
 
Jim Lahey said:
Try not to focus on the weight,. Focus on insulin, or rather focus on a lack of it. The weight will follow. Please remember that stored fat is not the cause of your prediabetes, it’s a symptom.
Click to expand...
I've checked my macros and they are set at 1300 cals, 20g carbs, 76g protein and 105g fat. I generally have 60g protein a day. I weigh 13st 7.
I maintained my weight for ages and then last year it was creeping up and I couldn't get it off, so I totally understand the symptom bit.
 
At the time I was alerted to having raised blood sugar levels, it was mid December and I was just about to board a plane for a holiday in the Canaries. It didn’t wreck my holiday but I avoided sugary foods (not carbs) for the entire holiday over Christmas and then for some considerable months after. That’s the background.

The point worth noting is aswell as keeping my blood sugar levels down I also lost weight. Slowly. Just a few pounds each month. I found looking at the scales on a day to day footing pointless and confined the checks to a monthly basis at the doctors surgery.
 
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Thank you so much. Dragging myself off to the shops....if nothing else the walking will do me good
 
I will look at the bigger picture too and that's my bg levels are lower and so is my blood pressure, I've been able to drop one of my medications for it. Also I've been able to stop my tablets for acid reflux as it's gone.
 

Curious. That’s certainly not an excessive amount of protein, particularly as you’re prediabetic and so probably still have a reasonable degree of insulin sensitivity. But it’s possible, although by no means certain, that it’s enough for your insulin response to stall the burning of stored fat. I’d say you’re not really getting enough calories and may be stalling your basal metabolism somewhat. It’s impossible to say with any degree of accuracy, as we are all so individual in our responses. I guess all you can do is keep experimenting. Personally I’d be eating more fat to increase the calories and perhaps slightly dropping protein to see if it helps, or at least ensuring that you’re eating protein packaged with plenty of fat rather than some meals predominantly protein-based with some fat based (which I’m not saying you are doing necessarily).

For the purposes of experimentation you may like to determine what you want to weight in kg, and then consuming 1g per day per kg. Spread equally across your meals with the remainder of energy coming from good natural fats. Don’t focus on calories. You must eat to satiety in order to give your body the fuel it needs, and in order to keep you satisfied and happy. Also of paramount importance is to only change one thing at a time when testing new ideas on yourself.

Also it’s important to remember that although all of this can seem complex and overwhelming, it’s just the exploratory phase in your journey to better health. In the fullness of time you’ll slot into the groove and everything will seem natural and intuitive. You won’t have to live out your days with a slide rule in a holster
 
I’m on a lot of Facebook pages for low carb and keto. I see this all the time, especially in the early weeks.

First water retention and hormones can be a factor. As said above you won’t gain that much fat in your sleep. Time of month (mid cycle for some not just the end).

Weighing in the same clothes, naked is best, after the same body functions before eating and drinking removes some variables.

Not drinking enough fluids might be an issue. Make sure you maintain electrolytes with a bit of salt though.

200 calories is not enough as a regular thing. It needs to be higher. A lot higher. Intermittent Fasting isn’t about low calories it’s about smaller eating windows.

Also - and I’m not sure of the science but anecdotally it seems to fit - when you start low carb you fat cells lose their fat. Initially this gets replaced by fluid and then some time (weeks) later that too gets released and you see the weight loss. Also known as the whoosh. It’s also been explained as your body taking time to heal before it kicks in. Probably more scientific to say it’s becoming fat adapted.

Definitely measure and photo. So many people report size changes before weight changes.

Lastly the weight isn’t actually the priority, blood levels of glucose and insulin are. Get those right and the rest WILL follow as will overall health benefits.
 
This although somewhat mind boggling does make sense. When I started I was eating 3 well balanced meals a day. Once the hunger stopped I skipped breakfast..and now most days lunch too. I'm only eating in the evening generally, and maybe just maybe the low calorie is stalling me. I may go back to at least 2 meals a day and see what happens. If no luck, then I'll try the lower protein route. Thank you Jim, your a great help.
 
I'd ideally like to be between 70 and 73 kgs.
 
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