my weight has stalled for 5 weeks on low carb .why is this.

[sofy]

my weight has stalled for 5 weeks on low carb .why is this?

 

[bulkbiker]

I guess you need to think about how you gained the weight.. did it all come on gradually over time or did it go in leaps and bounds?

Weight loss works exactly the same way ... it's not a linear process but has stalls and maybe even some small gains but overall providing the direction is downwards then you should be ok.

Also of course may be slightly dependent on how "low" carb you are going?

Have you tried a bit of fasting to give your metabolism a bit of a boost?
That's what I usually do when weight loss stalls.
How much more do you have to lose?

 

[Janehop]

Not exactly the same problem, but similar. Over Covid Lockdowns, with depression/anxiety attacks, I put on weight and became top of the overweight range (not quite obese). The extra weight was causing other problems as well as making me feel miserable. So, with my doctor's agreement, I returned toe the 800 blood sugar diet which has put T2 into remission when I took it on about 4 years ago. But I have now completed 3 weeks and, in spite of careful calorie counting and using 800 diet recipes, my weight has remained the same apart from half kilo jumps up and down. The good thing is that the weight gain has been halted but to get consistent BP readings, for my joints to stop aching and for my breathing to improve, I really need to loose in the region of 2k. The symptoms are stopping me from exercise with the same vigour I was able to 4 years ago - is this the problem?

 

[lovinglife]

I know many don’t agree with what I’m about to say but if you are low carbing, especially keto you can still overeat on fats and protein, if you have no room to drop your carbs try counting your calories & macros for a week to see how much you are consuming. I have lost a lot of weight and in the beginning on low carb then keto it was fairly easy, now I have to count everything and watch my dairy, especially cheese and cream otherwise I stall or gain

 

[Janehop]

Thanks, Lucylocket61 - thanks for your reply. I take your point about fats (they are, after all, high in carlories, even the good ones), but I can honestly say that I'm not overdoing the fats. My blocks of cheddar and parmeson have not changed shape for over 2 weeks and I only use them for flavourings in the form of half a teaspoon grated over the top of a veg soup or similar about 3 or 4 times a week, at most. Feta, butter, cooking fats are all measured and counted. But will not give up and will continue to learn and try other hacks.

 

[lucylocket61]

Thanks, Lucylocket61 - thanks for your reply. I take your point about fats (they are, after all, high in carlories, even the good ones), but I can honestly say that I'm not overdoing the fats. My blocks of cheddar and parmeson have not changed shape for over 2 weeks and I only use them for flavourings in the form of half a teaspoon grated over the top of a veg soup or similar about 3 or 4 times a week, at most. Feta, butter, cooking fats are all measured and counted. But will not give up and will continue to learn and try other hacks.

You say you only need to lose about 2kg? It may be that your body has reached its happy weight. BMI is often wrong.

 

[Angela64]

My clothes have got looser and looser. Had periods of feeling hungry and tummy rattling Decided to get on the scales to find I’d only lost a few lbs ‍ Not eating a great lot either.

 

[lovinglife]

My clothes have got looser and looser. Had periods of feeling hungry and tummy rattling Decided to get on the scales to find I’d only lost a few lbs ‍ Not eating a great lot either.

Try measuring your waist etc as well as weighing yourself, you may be surprised how many inches you have lost. Sometimes we lose inches and not weight. A few pounds is still really good - it’s in the right direction and weight loss takes time.

You say you aren’t eating a great lot, have you tried counting your calories as well as carbs for a few days just to see how many calories you are eating, it may be you aren’t eating enough so your body is holding onto weight. Anything less than 1200 calories is considered too low and is purported to inhibit weight loss

 

[Resurgam]

I have been told that it is not an actual thing, but after decades of being pushed to lose weight by eating fewer calories, my metabolism just slows right down when I don't eat what it considers to be enough.
These days I eat nutritious things without any thought of the calories though my appetite is actually very small even though I have been told it isn't by people who have no idea what I eat, have never asked, just assumed - very annoying, I find.
It is easy to fall into not eating enough and not having much energy. I then have to eat a large serving of protein with a stirfry rather than a couple of eggs, or a small bit of meat or nothing but a mug of coffee, and then insist that I go out and get some fresh air and exercise.

 

[SevenBySeven]

my weight has stalled for 5 weeks on low carb .why is this?

Excercise increases muscle (which is heavier than fat), so you may find that whilst you are losing some weight to reduced fat volume, you are gaining weight to an increasing muscle volume. This is extremely common in any weight-reduction diet and excercise regimen - and can be disheartening - but remember the object is not to lose weight per se, but to combat your diabetes, and eat more healthily for your condition. Extra weight, or a static weight can be simply an indication that your body has, for the moment, begun to gain muscle, whilst still shedding fat.

 

[Robbity]

I tend to agree with @bulkbiker refgarding weight loss progress, and work on the basis that if I'm wanting to lose weight, at some point I may well reach a new stable balance of fuel in = energy used -> stable weight, in which case a bit less fuel should get me burning a bit more stored fat again, and re-start my weight loss. Some people seem to be able to lose what they need without stalling, others end up losing it in steps.

For me as I'm happy with my low carb glucose levels, I'd use a little adjustment to my fat consumption for any weight management.

 

[bulkbiker]

Some people seem to be able to lose what they need without stalling, others end up losing it in steps.

And some like me lost a lot.. never quite got down the their "desired" weight and have since gained a bit back.
I'm still down about 85 pounds though .. so quite pleased

 

[KennyA]

My weight loss has been a series of stop and goes.

I lost about 10 kg in the first six weeks of keto, for example, compared with 1kg in the last six months although I have lost a further two inches from my waist. However, in those six months I've been doing a lot of exercise and have probably gained some muscle and bone density.

I seem to lose more through the winter than through the summer as well.

Short answer is I'm not really worried about my weight, more about the proprortion of body fat. That's hard to measure at home (although the waist to height ratio is one way to estimate it) so weight gets used as a proxy. Also bear in mind that BMI estimates were designed for use with populations rather than for individuals.

 

[Stephen Bond]

I was thinking about making a spread sheet to record what was happening with weight,glucose levels and food i was eating and then i realised that someone has probably done this and done it better. I looked on Google apps and there are few apps on there that let you note your data. Has anyone tried one or can recommend one?

 

[MrsA2]

I was thinking about making a spread sheet to record what was happening with weight,glucose levels and food i was eating and then i realised that someone has probably done this and done it better. I looked on Google apps and there are few apps on there that let you note your data. Has anyone tried one or can recommend one?

In my early days I used Carb Manager. I hear of Mysgr and my fitness pal too.

 

[Stephen Bond]

In my early days I used Carb Manager. I hear of Mysgr and my fitness pal too.

Thanks... Will check them. LOL... this is kind of like being on a roller coaster... I thought i learned a fair bit about reducing diabetes risk and low carb weight loss.... After learning a bit more i now realise i am lost in this forest and all i can see are trees.

I got my glucose testing kit today... i have cut my sugar intake to nearly 0 and it is showing very similar to the lab blood test when i was drinking cocktails, eating crisps, pasta and rice!!!.... and Ice cream!!!!! 5.1 down from 5.75.????

 

[bulkbiker]

I was thinking about making a spread sheet to record what was happening with weight,glucose levels and food i was eating and then i realised that someone has probably done this and done it better. I looked on Google apps and there are few apps on there that let you note your data. Has anyone tried one or can recommend one?

I prefer a spreadsheet you can make it look how you want.
Apps are only what someone else designed and possibly not as well built as you'd hope.
For nutritional info for food the UK uses the McCance and Widdowson food tables that you can download from here.
Most supermarket info comes from here I think.

Composition of foods integrated dataset (CoFID)

McCance and Widdowson’s 'composition of foods integrated dataset' on the nutrient content of the UK food supply.

www.gov.uk

 

[MrsA2]

Thanks... Will check them. LOL... this is kind of like being on a roller coaster... I thought i learned a fair bit about reducing diabetes risk and low carb weight loss.... After learning a bit more i now realise i am lost in this forest and all i can see are trees.

I got my glucose testing kit today... i have cut my sugar intake to nearly 0 and it is showing very similar to the lab blood test when i was drinking cocktails, eating crisps, pasta and rice!!!.... and Ice cream!!!!! 5.1 down from 5.75.????

Be patient, it took you months, if not years to get into this situation. You won't come out of it overnight.
There's a lot to learn, and more research and discoveries being reported everyday.
2 seperate readings at 2 totally different times tell you nothing, other than your bg at that exact points in time. You've no idea if you were zooming up or down or nice and steady!
Implement the before 1st bite and after 2 hour testing strategy and you'll soon start to see what certain foods do to you. Once you know certain meals you won't need to test them any more, only new foods or recipes.

It's a marathon not a sprint, and you're not even up to the fist bend yet. Just be aware the first few weeks may be the hardest, as your body will act like a toddler whose favourite toy (sugar) has been taken away. It may shout and scream and kick its heels, but you have to be the responsible adult and not give it the dangerous toy back. Distract it with plain, full fat yoghurt or a nice cheese or a juicy steak and it will soon forget.

 

[HSSS]

Thanks... Will check them. LOL... this is kind of like being on a roller coaster... I thought i learned a fair bit about reducing diabetes risk and low carb weight loss.... After learning a bit more i now realise i am lost in this forest and all i can see are trees.

I got my glucose testing kit today... i have cut my sugar intake to nearly 0 and it is showing very similar to the lab blood test when i was drinking cocktails, eating crisps, pasta and rice!!!.... and Ice cream!!!!! 5.1 down from 5.75.????

If both are blood glucose tests, rather than hba1c, then exactly when they were taken and what you’d eaten and done in the preceding hours and what stressors you had going on will all play a role. Blood glucose changes throughout the day, sometimes by a lot, as it’s simply a snapshot in time

 

[NicoleC1971]

i think there are some great tips above* and whilst the internet is full of keto miracle stories of losing 12 stone in a year, most people's loss isn't continual or linear but should continue eventually. Excess fat weight is the symptom and not the cause of metabolic disease which has taken years to develop,
*e.g. exercise to build metabolism (big compound moves that use most muscle groups are great but get help if you are unsure how). Keep cardio short and intense but keep doing long slow walks/swims or start with those if you aren't already doing weights.
And counting to ensure bad habits aren't sneaking in with regards to carbs
Not drinking calories e.g. butter coffee or overdoing easily overeaten moreish foods such as cheese and nuts
The occasional fast or One Meal A Day to kickstart things again and not just because you are eating less.
Weight is fickle so try looking at qualitative measures of health such as blood pressure, waist size at your narrowest point between ribs and hips, blood trig/hdl ratio s.
A photo can tell you lots re progress too (try full body in swimwear front on and sideways)