Ketosis but little weight loss

I've been doing keto for several months and have lost 9 pounds, most of which was in the first month. Very slow process now. I have been taking my blood ketones and I am averaging around 1.1 - 1.8.  My calories are usually under 1000 a day, usually much lower and my carbs are always under 20nc.  Usually I am up and down the same pound for a week now.  What do I need to incorporate into my diet? Any suggestions?

27replies Oldest first
  • Oldest first
  • Newest first
  • Active threads
  • Popular
    • Pat F
    • Pat_F
    • 4 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Not enough data for a good answer - your cals are typically a function of height/weight, so... are you cutting them back too far?

    as for ketones: anything at or above .5 is ketosis, and all my readings suggest that there’s no ‘extra credit’ for having higher numbers.  Everybody’s different so perhaps this is just your groove?

    if you’ve cut your carbs way down, and you still want to lose weight, try reducing your dietary fat: the body requires ‘X’ amount of fuel (carbs or fat).   It’s a zero-sum game: less carbs consumes means more fat burned.  And consuming less dietary fat means the body has to burn (zero-sum game) more stored fat.

    you don’t mention proteins - watch them and don’t consume over the limit (if you go over, don’t go over by much and don’t do it often).  Excess proteins are converted to carbs and that’s not productive; same as over-eating carbs.

    so: lower carbs, don’t exceed proteins, and less dietary fat means more stored fat is burned.

    Hope this helps.

    Like 3
  • I’m 2 months in...11.5 lbs

    workout hard daily

    1450 calories staying about 20g carbs slow but definitely seeing results 😊

    Like 3
    • Lablover
    • Lablover
    • 4 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    You should not be eating under 1200 calories on a regular basis. Your body might might hold onto fat because it thinks your in starvation mode. You want to set yourself up for success after you hit your goal. I think it’s unrealistic to think you can eat way less than 1000 calories for the long haul. Success means not feeling deprived. I don’t go over 15 carbs and have lost 33# so far after 9 weeks. Try eating more for a week and see what happens. My calories are set at 1212. 

    Like 3
  • I normally would agree in too few calories, but I am fasting for breakfast except for 4 cups of coffee with HWC. Lunch is 2 boiled eggs and 3pc of bacon Dinner meat and vegetable, snack if Slimfast Fat Bomb, and 1 ounce of salted almonds. This is just a typical example. 943 cal

    Like 1
    • Marry
    • Marry
    • 4 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Maybe your keto recipes were not correct. Tell me more about your meals in a day !

    i'll try my best to give you some advices

    Like
    • Bee
    • Bee.1
    • 4 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    @piotrows5f676  My thoughts:

    1.  I still think you are eating too few calories too cosecutively, thus stumping fat loss. Have you done a body comp analysis or entered your stats so you can get your macros? Under 1000 seems off to me. I think it is okay to fast and eat way less calories, but not consecutively

    2. Be careful of those store-bought snacks as some are not Keto-friendly, even though they are. If you can, better to make your own fat bombs, if you must have some

    3.  Ketosis will not make you lose body fat in itself - it is a tool to get you there

    4. HWC - Do you measure how much you put in your coffee - its calories and fat does add up fast...a tablespoon typically runs at almost 60 cals and about 1g Net Carbs

    5. Veggies and Nuts - like HWC above, are you measuring how much you consume? The carbs do add up as well

    6. Few calories - I do TWOMAD (Two Meals A Day) - I fast everyday as well but to meet my priority macros, I do two huge meals when I break my fast. I make sure am still under Net Carbs, fats for satiety only and meet Protein macros, while still being in a daily caloric deficit

    Like 2
  • Can you give me an example of your two huge meals when you break fast? I am recording all my meals in carb manager and really eating only clean keto. The only store bought snack is slimfast keto fat bombs.  I do my ketone blood test and they seem to be just fine. Only other snack is salted almonds and I measure them out to 1 oz.. Maybe I do just need more food.

    Like
    • GiGi61
    • GiGi61
    • 4 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    I agree with lablover...eat MORE.  You are on a starvation diet with that number of calories.  Your body is hanging on for dear life with the decrease in energy.  Sounds counter-intuitive, I know.  I've been doing this for 4 years, lost 40 pounds, and have kept it off effortlessly.  FORGET THE CALORIES.    Count the carbs and make sure you eat good fats.  The fats will keep you full. Watch your dairy (if you use it at all)...one serving per day (a lot of your dairy products contain lactose...which is a type of sugar).  Keto is not an excuse to eat pounds and pounds of cheese and bacon despite what others think!  :)  Fill half your plate with low-carb veggies, the other half with good fats and protein.  A big ole burger (go for the 80/20 mix, leave the 90/10 for someone uninformed :)) with a side salad (with full-fat dressing, ditch that low-fat high-carb poison) and some roasted broccoli (be mindful of portion sizes - it's easy to eat too many carbs if you don't keep an eye on portions)  will keep you full and your carbs right where they should be.  

    Like 2
    • KetoK
    • KetoK
    • 4 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Another idea that works for me is lower TOTAL carbs. I notice there have been days that my net carbs were under 20 but if my total carbs were high it’d make it harder to lose weight. If you have premium you can use your analysis tool and see if the your weight correlates to your total carb consumption. 

    Like
  • Lablover 

    hi, how do you set your calories on carb manager please?

    Like 1
    • TerrorSmurf
    • Never take yourself too seriously
    • TerrorSmurf
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    You haven't said what your weight/height is - or how much weight you have to lose.  That's a key factor - the less weight you have to lose the slower you're going to lose it in general.  Eating below 1,000 calories a day is a VLCD - really not recommended to do unless it's under medical supervision because of health issues or impending surgery that require drastic weight loss very quickly.  If you give more info about yourself you could get more focused answers - at the moment people are just guessing 🤷‍♀️

    Like
  • TerrorSmurf 

    hi thanks for replying. I’m 5ft 10 and 223 lbs. need to lose 28+lbs. I exercise 5 x per week. I have set net carbs to 18g, protein 90g and fat 110g. I’ve turned net calories off to try to stay under 1500 total calories. I’ve lost 7lbs in 5 weeks. Some days I have very low carbs (6g) struggle to get fat up and protein down. I fast until 12:30-1pm (16hrs) thinking of quitting as weight loss extremely slow. 😩

    Like
  • Nursey what’s wrong with 7 lbs in 5 weeks? That’s over 1 pound a week? Keto is not a quick answer or magic pill. The initial weight loss is great but it’s deceiving, it will definitely sloooowwww down as time goes by. What’s the hurry anyway? This is never “ over “. It’s a way of life or the weight will come right back on. The key to this or any diet is consistency! If we don’t see the weight just magically melt off we get frustrated and give up- been there done that a million times. I am finding that for me, when I stick to something and just... keep swimming... I have really good results after time.

    Like 1
  • lauraleegiliberti 

    hiya, thanks for your reply.  

    As I have a load of weight to lose, I thought I would start by losing more than 7lbs in 5 weeks and when I get closer to my goal it would slow down 🤷‍♀️.. first time with Keto, when you see a slow loss, it’s good to reach out to others for their experiences and thoughts. I’m gonna keep at it and thanks again for your input.

    Like
  • Oh believe me, I GET IT! As I said--been there done that a bajillion times. Its so easy to get into that mind set that 1 pound a week or so is not good enough--we want faster because we are working so friggin hard at this. Measuring and tracking and exercising and blah blah blah.  Slow and steady man...that tortoise was onto something. :)

    Like 2
    • Alan Geni
    • Alan_Geni
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Hi Guys, Alan newbie here, in the same boat, finding it difficult with the lockdown. anyone found any good sites or resources/info to get some focus? Thanks

    Like
    • Elizabeth
    • Elizabeth.18
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Lablover  can you share some meals & snacks you like with me? We have similar macros & I'm having trouble staying under 15g

    Like
  • Alan Geni 

    diet doctor is good and watch the magic pill on Netflix 

    Like
  • Elizabeth 

    hiya, I get all my recipes on Carb Manager. I find getting enough fat is a problem so starting to use butter to cook veggies, cream in coffee, and snack on pork scratchings as I don’t like avocado.  It seems so easy to go over on protein 🤷🏼‍♀️  I am struggling to keep going and I’ve joined a keto for beginners on Facebook. x

    Like 1
  • Elizabeth 

    Keto Tips

    No fruit, unless it’s berries in moderation...
    No wheat
    No sugar
    No grains
    No pasta
    No potatoes
    No rice
    No beans
    No starches
    No milk as it’s loaded with sugar. ( unsweetened almond milk is recommended.)
    HWC (Heavy whipping cream) is good in coffee or whatever you would like to use it for.

    Meat, cheese, eggs, vegetable, nuts, and healthy fats. It’s simple. Stick to that, and you should be ok!

    Vegetables that should be avoided are...
    Sweet potatoes
    Corn
    Peas
    Potatoes
    Carrots - can be used in moderation, just don’t go over board. They are full of starches and not recommended.

    Make sure to drink half your body weight In oz of water as well if you aren’t getting the adequate amount of water it can be bad for your kidneys! This applies for all forms of keto.

    Do not forget your electrolytes, they are needed daily.

    A good form of electrolytes is:
    Powerade zero
    Pickle juice
    Pink Himalayan salt added to your food

    Strict keto - counts all macros, do not eat processed foods.

    Lazy keto - doesn’t track all macros, still eats processed foods, as long as they are on plan

    Macros are a break down of the calories you intake for the day. Which should be...
    5% carbs
    20% protein
    75% fat
    Carb manager is a great app to track macros

    Carbs are a limit - try not to go over your carb limit.

    Fat is a lever - you don’t have to meet your fat macro, it’s simply there to help you get full.

    Protein is a goal- try your best to reach your protein goal, but try not to go over. Excessive amounts of protein can cause you to stall in weight loss.

    Anything other than this food group selection would be considered low carb. Also, if you are in ketosis, and eat outside of this food group not only could it take you out of ketosis, but it could spike your blood sugar! Which can make you sick.

    If you are a keto newbie- This should help....

    Meats: ZERO CARBS
    • Beef- Ground beef, Steak, Ribs, and Roasts
    • Pork- Chops, Ribs, BACON, Loins, sausage
    • Chicken/Turkey- Thighs w/skin or wings are the best because breasts are high in protein. However, you CAN eat breasts, just have to eat more fat to compensate.
    • Fish- Tuna, Salmon, Cod, Haddock, etc.
    • Shrimp/Lobster- Go crazy, use lots of butter!
    • Pepperoni

    Cheese: MOST are no carb, almost all are low carb
    • Mozerella & Cheddar- Buy in bulk, they freeze well and are insanely versatile!
    • Colby jack, pepper jack, monterrey jack
    • Taco style, Mexican style
    • Parmesan, Asiago
    • Ricotta- Freezes well, very versatile
    • Cottage cheese- Good to throw in your lunch with berries, usually around 4-8g of Carbs per serving
    • Cream Cheese- Freezes very well, this is one of the things that I always glance at whenever I go to the store, and always buy a bunch of if it's under 75 cents per 8oz.

    Vegetables: No potatoes! Get your carbs from above ground veggies!!!
    • Leafy greens- Spinach, Spring mix, Kale, Romaine
    • Zucchini- Great for a noodle substitute!
    • Avacado- Awesome source of natural fat!
    • Eggplant
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Tomato
    • Spaghetti Squash- Versatile, makes a great spaghetti substitute and is even great for making hash browns!!
    • Cucumber
    • Peppers- Jalepeño, banana, green/red/yellow/ orange bell
    • Broccoli- Great with cheese, steamed or just raw!
    • Asparagus- Awesome roasted or sautéed with bacon and garlic!
    • Cauliflower- AWESOME potato substitute!!
    • Celery- Great with cream cheese or all natural peanut butter!
    • Cabbage
    • Pickles (Read nutrition labels, watch for sugar and carbs)
    • Olives
    • Green beans- Awesome sautéed in bacon grease with garlic, (watch portion size, though).
    • Onions- Red, yellow: use somewhat sparingly, to taste

    Fruits: Most are a no-no, especially bananas, oranges and grapes.
    • Strawberries
    • Blueberries
    • Raspberries
    • Blackberries
    • Lemon/Limes- Adds great flavor!

    Nuts (grams of Carbs per 100 grams, or 3.5 oz)
    • Pecans/ Brazil (4g)
    • Macadamia (5g)
    • Hazelnut/Walnut/Peanut (7g)
    • Pine (9g)
    • Almond (10g)
    • Pistachio (18g)
    • Cashew (27g)

    Oils/Fats
    • Coconut Oil
    • Butter: Kerry Gold is best but just make sure it's REAL butter and not a spread or margarine
    • Olive Oil
    • Vinaigrette
    • Hollandaise
    • Bacon/sausage grease
    • MCT oil- easily ordered online/in specialty stores

    Dressings/Condiments/Fats
    • Ranch, Blue cheese, Cesar, Thousand Island, Balsamic- Watch carbs/ sugar, but there's tons of brands, so you can find one you love!
    • Mayo- Natural/organic is best, but I use Hellmann's all the time.
    • Aioli
    • Heinz "NO SUGAR ADDED" Ketchup or sugar free ketchup
    • G. Hughes brand sugar free BBQ sauce
    • Yellow/Spicy Brown Mustard
    • Soy sauce
    • Hot sauce

    Liquids: Use as base for sauces/soups
    • Heavy Whipping Cream (HWC)
    • Broths/Stocks: Stay away from reduced fat. Bone broth is awesome!

    Snacks
    • Pepperoni
    • Slim Jims/jerky (watch carbs)
    • Homemade cheese its/ tortilla chips
    • Cheese
    • Pork rinds (0 carbs, very versatile. Can be used as breading, nacho substitute or even sprinkled with cinnamon & stevia and eaten like cereal with Almond milk and tastes like cinnamon toast crunch!)
    Drinks
    • WATER- Lots of it!
    • Crystal Light- Tons of options and very convenient!
    • Tea with stevia
    • Coffee- Add a Tablespoon of coconut oil or MCT oil, Stevia, heavy whipping cream and imitation vanilla/ Hazelnut or Cocoa powder & peppermint *BOOM* Homemade creamer!

    Alcoholic Beverages
    • Beers (grams of carbs per 12 oz serving)
    ▪ Bud Select 55 (1.9)
    ▪ MGD 64 (2.4)
    ▪ Rolling Rock Green Light (2.4)
    ▪ Michelob Ultra (2.6)
    ▪ Bud Select (3.1)
    ▪ Beck's Premier Light (3.2)
    ▪ Natural Light (3.2)
    ▪ Michelob Ultra Amber (3.7)
    ▪ Coors Light (5)
    ▪ Amsterdam Light (5)
    ▪ Bud Light (6.6)
    • Vodka: Whipped Vodka & flavored water or pineapple Pinnacle with crystal light are a couple of my favorites!
    • Whiskey shot (0g carbs)
    • Brandy shot (0g carbs)
    • Dry Martini (0g carbs)
    • Tequila shot (0g carbs)
    • Champagne (~1g per serving)
    • Dry wine (~2g per serving)

    Sweeteners
    • Stevia drops (0g)
    • Erythritol (0g)
    • Truvía (0g)
    • Monkfruit (0g)

    Other common Ingredients I use
    • Almond flour
    • Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder

    Dont forget your electrolytes, they are needed daily.
    • A good form of electrolytes is:
    • Powerade zero

    Like 6
    • Elizabeth
    • Elizabeth.18
    • 3 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    Elizabeth McClintic  wowww thank you so much! A question though, bell peppers and some other veggies have alot of carbs. I don't get how I'm supposed to stay under 20g while still eating alot of veggies and have extra points for meets/fish to satiate myself? For example, 1 medium zucchini is 6g, 1 stalk of broccoli is 10g. Are you eating like a 1/4cup of veggies a day, etc?  I don't get how the math works when the book guide says eat loads of veggies, sorry for my cluelessness.

    Like
  • I keep a chopped red pepper in the fridge, using just a half of a handful in eggs and other recipes.

    Like 1
  • Elizabeth What I did to make sure I was in compliance was to enter into Carb Manager what I was thinking of eating and then let it figure out the final numbers for me.  The broccoli might have 10 g of carbs, but the app shows you how many are left after subtracting the fiber in the stalk.

    Like 2
  • Elizabeth McClintic 
    hey Elizabeth, I remember you saying that our carbs, protein and fat goals were similar. I don’t understand the macros! When I look at macros “in depth” on Carb Manager I’ve used them all up after midday!! But on the main food log it says I’ve loads left. Have you had the same issue?? 

    Like
  • I was also having a hard time getting near my fat budget. I started making fat bombs but in doing so I bought more creme and creme cheese and other high fat products. I then found I could use many of them in regular recipes and now I usually can't eat my fat bombs because I easily get close to my budget. I found lots of butter, creme, cheese and meat with fats makes it easy. I do avocados as well but only one a day mostly for potassium.

    I lost a lot of weight since December but I have gradually slowed down and now I'm at about a pound a week. It's easy to get impatient but 1 to 1.5 pound a week is healthy and given time will still get you to your target. Fluctuations on the scale can also cause confusion. Don't weight yourself too often and always do it under the same condition. I do have to be careful. At only 1 pound a week any mistake in your carbs or calories can wipe a week of weight loss in a day so consistency is very important. 

    Like 1
Like2 Follow
  • 2 Likes
  • 3 yrs agoLast active
  • 27Replies
  • 510Views
  • 20 Following