why isn't keto working for me?

[nenofury]

I've been eating cleanly at under maintenance for about 6 months. I gained some strength and muscle and lost about 10 pounds of fat. But the fat loss stalled, so I started doing keto about 11 days ago. I'm eating less than 25 grams of carbs a day, doing am cardio and lifting at night. I weigh exactly the same. I've been stuck at 204 for the past 2.5 months and it's making me crazy. I can't gain muscle on keto so my body has to burn fat and drop weight, right?? Currently eating 2,400 calories of meet, greens, and cheese with the occasional handfull of peanuts. Supplements are fiber, multi-vitamin, fish oil, flax oil. I'm 6'2'' age 26. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong. Thanks..

 

[Intraining]

nenofury--

I've got stuck on the keto diet before and what worked for me was to cycle my calories back up then start dropping them back down again.

If you've been eating 2400 calories a day try bumping your calories to 3500 for a day then 3000 for a couple days and keep dropping your calories 200-300 calories every three days or so. Maybe drop down all the way to 2000 calories as your fat loss continues--and if you start to plateau again then bump you calories back up for a day and start dropping them again. It's kind of a zig zagging method but it has a way of keeping your body guessing and should help to get you through your plateaus--it worked for me.

 

[Kim the Swede]

maybe its time for start juicing

 

[nenofury]

nenofury--

I've got stuck on the keto diet before and what worked for me was to cycle my calories back up then start dropping them back down again.

If you've been eating 2400 calories a day try bumping your calories to 3500 for a day then 3000 for a couple days and keep dropping your calories 200-300 calories every three days or so. Maybe drop down all the way to 2000 calories as your fat loss continues--and if you start to plateau again then bump you calories back up for a day and start dropping them again. It's kind of a zig zagging method but it has a way of keeping your body guessing and should help to get you through your plateaus--it worked for me.

So you think my body has said no to more fat loss I guess. I'll try your idea, thanks..

 

[Flexx]

you hit a plateau, do what Intraining mentioned to kick start your metabolism again.

 

[Biggunner]

Maybe add some T3 if you can get it. If not, pick up some T2 in the stores. I bought some T2 when I stalled and it seemed to help.

 

[Feli Fly]

What is your maintainence cal level? 2400 is kinda high for effective low carb IMO.

Simple: Post a sample day meal plan... if you don't have one made, that is what you are doing wrong. If you do (and it's a good plan), then you are cheating...

 

[catalyst]

Also, what is the ratio of protein to fat? If you are getting a lot of protein, but not enough fat, you will be converting the protein to sugar for energy, which will hamper your efforts to maintain a true ketogenic state.

 

[nenofury]

Thanks for the help all, but I quit keto. Just too much effort for a kitchen as shitty as mine. I started eating more calories and I'm losing a little fat I think. Regardless, I feel much better and am able to work out harder. This whole diet thing is a pain. I don't even know how I got fat in the first place. I never ate like a pig except in high school, but then I was ripped to the bone. I'm guessing that I drank too much for too long and the alcohol was causing my calories to go into bodyfat and now that my body has all this extra fat, it doesn't want to give it up. I'm not obese but the spare tire is embarassing.

 

[synnist]

um if u eat the same amount of calories a day youll drop to a bodyfat that goes with that amount of calories, if u want to cut up even further youll have to drop them even more.. if you want to get super cut and stay there you usually have to keto pretty hard, 30g protein 6 times a day, next to no carbs and tiny fat, lift, and cardio, once u get to that level just eat enough above maintenance to build muscle. if you go eat a carbs + fat in the same meal you are bound to store fat unless you use up all those calories before your next meal. im not saying eat no fat, you need fat it regulates hormones and helps keep positive nitrogen balance, just dont be stuffing your belly.
timing is also everything. if u eat nothing all day then eat a bunch of shit all at once youll end up losing muscle which leads to more fat gain.
i would suggest you get slim and stay there, honestly you have more energy for lifting and more energy all day everyday, activities are easier, just because you can deadlift 600 lbs doesn't necessarily mean you are in shape.

 

[synnist]

youll have to drop to 2,000 calories to burn further fat, getting 2,400 calories a day while in keto must mean you are eating a lot of fat, i drop the cals to like 1,500, shouldnt take u more then a month to be super cut without losing muscle, just make sure you have protein in you all the time so you aren't wasting your hard earned muscle.

 

[synnist]

dont quit nenofury, seriously drop to like 1,000 cals a day, all protein meals, go on liquid diet or somthing, nothing but 1g carb 23g whey p rotien shakes, have like 8 throughout the day,
i dont see how anyones going to get cut on 2,400 cals a day, unless you're 270lbs of lean mass. but even those guys eat lower cals then that before competition.

 

[Zero4875]

I'm in a similar predicament. Last year I went on keto and dropped from ~260 to ~232 lbs. When school started I ditched keto for the meantime but exercised more. Then a few weeks ago I went on keto again and I've dropped from ~230 to 215 lbs. However, in the last week I've gone up to 217-218 and now I'm stuck there. I've been eating, eggs and some flax seed cereal stuff with cinnamon for breakfast, baked salmon w/ olive oil and seasoning for lunch, and whatever meat I could find for dinner. I've been drinking lots of water (almost a couple gallons per day). I can tell I'm in ketosis b/c my breath smells bad unless I frequently brush my teeth, but I'm not losing any weight! Anybody have any suggestions/pointers? My body fat (according to the scale anyway) is anywhere from 26%-29% during these last few weeks in keto; it bounces up and down. (Also, I think it's incorrect as I really think I have more muscle than that.)

EDIT: Oh, and I got some R-ALA and GLA and have been taking those as directed, but nothing is working.

 

[brooklynheight]

by 9 pm i will be in keto .but come morning time i will be out of keto.
w/out having eating anything at night...

 

[Rugger7]

dont quit nenofury, seriously drop to like 1,000 cals a day, all protein meals, go on liquid diet or somthing, nothing but 1g carb 23g whey p rotien shakes, have like 8 throughout the day,
i dont see how anyones going to get cut on 2,400 cals a day, unless you're 270lbs of lean mass. but even those guys eat lower cals then that before competition.

are you serious synnist? 1000 cals? IMHO that is way to low and is begging for catabolism at faster rates than fat metabolism. It does depend on how much you weigh but I'd say no lower than 9 cal/lb bw. If you can't lose weight on that then you either need to step up the cardio or go off your diet for a week or so and then hit it hard again.

Peace,
Rugger7

 

[deadW8]

are you serious synnist? 1000 cals? IMHO that is way to low and is begging for catabolism at faster rates than fat metabolism. It does depend on how much you weigh but I'd say no lower than 9 cal/lb bw. If you can't lose weight on that then you either need to step up the cardio or go off your diet for a week or so and then hit it hard again.

Peace,
Rugger7

BUMP!!!!!!!

 

[mdagz]

i was on the keto diet about 6 months ago. and i noticed that at first i lost about 10 pounds and then it just seemed to stop. if your doing it right u should still be able to gain muscle so its hard to guage fat loss by the scale becasue muscle weighs more than fat so if u lose a lil fat but gain muscle the scale wont show it. your better off taking messurements or pictures. thats just my 2 cents...

 

[NotorESdsm]

Have you tried a liver cleanse yet, the body can only filter so much bile, sometimes the liver needs help IE Milk Thistle w/dandelion and articoke works well

 

[Rugger7]

how would milk thistle help a keto diet now? I'm lost, the liver and bile is beyond my scope of knowledge of keto dieting.. please.. inform.. how much is it.. how well does it work.. why/when would/wouldn't I need it... milk thistle... milk has carbs... does this have carbs? Thanks :-D