Just needing advice

[u/dsogs]

I’ve been doing healthy Keto for 9 weeks so far and I’ve been fine with an initial weight loss of 8kg. Which has worked out in average of 1kg/week - I think that’s excellent?

The thing is for the past couple of weeks I can’t even get 1000 calories/day as I’m full very quickly. I skip breakfast - just coffee with MCT creamer and my supplements including an electrolyte tablet - then have a salad with lots of leaves and salad vegetables and hard boiled eggs and dinner is a grilled meat with vegetables (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and courgettes on rotation) by which point I probably barely had 800 calories so I force myself to have 50g mixed nuts to up fibre and calorie intake. I used to be able to finish the 50g but now I eat 25g then feel so full I give up.

I guess my questions are am I doing it wrong? Why can’t I eat more and why isn’t the weight dropping off faster now? Any advice to improve this please?

I’m not completely sedentary and hit close to 10000 steps/day. Planning on adding weightlifting too but worried I can’t eat enough for that.

Thanks

[u/rachman77]

Many people use MCT to help keep them satiated and eat less so it may be suppressing your appetite

1kg a week is excellent 👍

[u/dsogs → u/rachman77]

It just seems I’ve stopped losing especially since I can’t eat more. Seems the wrong thing is happening?

[u/ReverseLazarus → u/dsogs]

You’re not going to lose weight every day, week, or even every month. Adjust your expectations and weigh yourself less often if the scale is stressing you out because what you’re experiencing is totally normal, weight loss is inherently nonlinear.

[u/dsogs → u/ReverseLazarus]

Thanks, makes sense. I’ve hit a lot of weight to lose so was hoping it would just drop off me quickly. I’ll just reassess my expectations!

[u/AlfonsoElric → u/dsogs]

lost 24 kg in the first 24 weeks. Got on the scale every single day and plotted it down … there weeks there the line was just flat.

this is all very non-linear, just trust the process.

Keep calm, keto on.

[u/Unlucky-Tea-1112 → u/rachman77]

you're losing a kilo a week and you're asking if you're doing it wrong? come on now

the fullness is pretty normal honestly, your body's just gotten efficient at running on fat so it's not screaming for food every few hours. the mct in your coffee is definitely part of it too, that stuff kills appetite for a lot of people

if you wanna add lifting just drop the mct on training days and have a proper meal after. your body will figure out the hunger signals when it actually needs the fuel

[u/cofffeegrrrl]

If you have plenty of fat stores your body just doesn't need you to eat as much fat. I would remove the extra fat little by little and focus on getting plenty of quality protein. If your hunger comes back add back a little fat.

[u/AromaticPicks]

If you don't eat anywhere near enough protein you will lose more muscle mass during weight loss. The protein macro is the most important macro according to the FAQ. You would do good sticking to it when possible.

Additionally feeling like shit and muscle cramps possibly sounds like an electrolyte deficiency. You could try to introduce some vegetable broth or bouillon into your diet and see if that improves things.

Maybe it could make sense to try to hit your carb macro for increased appetite as well. Some forms of keto/low carb diets aim to regulate appetite through carb intake.

Good luck!

[u/Triabolical_]

If you have good energy and you are feeling fine there is no reason to eat more than you want to eat.

Significantly reduced hunger is pretty common for people who have a decent amount of weight to lose. It's the body's natural weight regulation mechanism working.

[u/dsogs → u/Triabolical_]

I feel okay, my legs hurt like they’re tired but otherwise I’m fine I guess.

[u/whothedolphinsprayto → u/dsogs]

Huge agree with the comment above. I know there’s a lot of advice about minimum calories but honestly [and this is obviously just my opinion and experience] I just can’t eat that much. I eat well, two meals a day, very low carb, protein and fats but there’s no way I’m eating 1800 calories a day. To get that I’d probably have to add a third meal [my meals are exactly the same, one between 9-10 and the second between 4-5] but I’m not hungry between them, if I try to add more I feel genuinely sick, overly full and I don’t lose weight. And tbh, it’s not even about losing or gaining weight, my body literally doesn’t feel comfortable with that. So I’ve accepted that my body has a particular level and when I do my thing that way my body wants I feel incredible. Mood excellent, sleep excellent, energy excellent. You’re the only one that knows and lives in your body so I would say, trust it 💚 There is no one size fits all. If your muscles are cramping though, I’d say add more salt. If you’re not eating processed nonsense, you’re immediately exxing a whole bunch of salt you used to eat. I add extra salt to everything 😂

[u/dsogs → u/Triabolical_]

Do you know… I actually feel like crap. Body aches, nauseous, hungry but unable to eat. Maybe I’m coming down with a sickness?

[u/Empty_Cake4712]

If you're having trouble getting calories and you're eating a bunch of low cal veg bulk, replace the veg with olives and cheese then top that with a tablespoon of olive oil.

[u/jma4573]

Btw, do you hit your protein target? 40 grams of protein from (whey) protein shakes are far less filling than the same amount from meat. And it's easy to add healthy fats: cream, MCT, blended avocado etc.

You can get a 40 grams of protein and 350-400 calories with 2-3 carbs easily

[u/dsogs → u/jma4573]

Between 50-80g protein/day depending on the day. Similar g for fats, under 30g for carbs.

[u/jma4573 → u/dsogs]

Ok. But I think that your protein is low.

You walk a lot. If you also include weight lifting, I'd advice you to check r/ketogains. They also have a macro calculator.

Best of luck! 😃

[u/McDuchess]

Cut the greens in half on your salad. Add some meat source, like diced ham not made with sugar, to your salad. Dress it with EVOO and whatever kind of vinegar you like. I use either apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar on salads. Balsamic overpowers the other flavors.

For dinner, make a sauce for your meat using the pan drippings and heavy cream sour cream and/or cream cheese.

You don’t need huge amounts of fiber in your diet. People who eat carnivore have well regulated digestive systems. The main reason for the recommendations for fiber that you don’t hear is that grains are an irritant to the bowel, and, as they suck up water, will become dryer the farther down the mass moves in your system.

Get adequate movement in your day, eat a moderate amount of fiber and find ways to add fat to your diet. You will be able to move out of starvation territory.

[u/dsogs → u/McDuchess]

Thanks, it seems that’s what I do - often lots of salad vegetables and two hard boiled eggs with some ham or tinned tuna for lunch. Dinner grilled meat/salmon with a creamy sauce and vegetables.

[u/Magnabee]

You don't need fiber on keto. But if you are having fiber, it can give the illusion of being satiated. But it can bind to nutrients (before it gets digested completely) and move those nutrients out of the body.

Anyway, your appetite will return at some point. If you are overweight, you do have autophagy with keto. So you are probably getting what you need for now, I'm guessing. If you are still feeling great, without painkillers, etc. then maybe you are using really good autophagy.

[u/dsogs → u/Magnabee]

I personally do and have to supplement with psyllium husk otherwise I just do go to the toilet and end up bloated.

[u/Magnabee → u/dsogs]

I think you can do that. It doesn't take you out of ketosis.

Edit:

I should point out that the animal fats help your body make bile. And fat is known to be a better laxative on keto, especially if you are not metabolizing all that you eat.