Author Topic: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?  (Read 10558 times)

vankjeff

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Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« on: March 29, 2020, 01:58:18 AM »
I've been very successful at losing weight by cutting carbs. I do my own version of an Atkin's diet. I do start each day with an Atkin's shake about 10am or so, along with some Diet Coke and a low carb cookie that I learned to bake myself.
I've gone from 222 lbs a year ago that happened to me after I'd gotten depressed after having an accident that makes me lost my balance unexpectedly, down to 175 about 6 weeks ago. But then it just stopped and trust me, I haven't changed a thing. I still ate the same low carb everything meals, no bread, no sweets, no rice, no beans, no corn, not much cheese or milk, no pasta, no carbs period.
I was hitting the LA Fitness 3-4 times a week doing light weight lifting and stretching along with 15-20 minutes of cardio on a stationary bike, hand bike and a treadmill. I've had to workout at home starting this past week since all gyms were closed due to COVID-19.
As far as I know, I've kept it below 20 grams or carbs/day which is the Atkin's ketosis Phase 1 that they say you should only do for awhile.
Here's how I know that something must be going wrong with what I'm doing. Back in the '80s I did this same Atkin's thing of my own and after doing ketosis for too long, my hair started thinning. But now, even though I'm 61, my hair is still thick s heck.
So, what can I do?
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 09:57:03 PM by vankjeff »

mouseissue

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Hello, vankjeff!

Sounds like you got the basis for low-carb (keto) correct.

The 1980s was quite a long time ago, and you have aged since. Our bodies (including our bio-chemistries) change with age. I believe that is the difference between now and back then for you. To my knowledge, no one has lost hair by removing carbs from their diets. I have heard a couple reports of thicker hair. But those were purely anecdotal. I assume you don't want to lose hair again. So don't worry about this.

Exercise is also good for the metabolism and overall health. But it is VERY ineffective at speeding up [url=http://www.fattoskinny.com/]weight loss[/url]. Reducing carbs and amounts of food eaten will provide MUCH faster results than workouts.

Regarding a daily 20 net carb limit... When I started this lifestyle back in August 2010, I kept my carb limit to 20-25 carbs per day. Sometimes a bit less when I reached a plateau. I kept doing this for a long time and my health improved a lot during that time. In fact, according to my doc, it saved my life. In my case, the 20-carb limit can be sustained for well over 3 consecutive years with only good results. But let your body and your doctor tell you when adjustments are needed.

Take care and good luck with your renewed weight loss journey!

Tony
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 03:22:58 PM by mouseissue »
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vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2020, 04:16:22 PM »
Thanks but I don't see an answer to my issue in what you said. My question had nothing to do with my first time losing weight cutting carbs 30 years ago.
Since my question was basically asking what could have changed over a period of only a week or 2 that stopped my diet from working anymore as I've been hardly eating any carbs & has actually caused me to start gaining, now 10 lbs, in just a few weeks, all while having changed nothing in my life with regards to my diet or the use & exercise of my body. Nothing.
Is there nothing you can suggest? Surely there's something that's happening.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 09:57:42 PM by vankjeff »

mouseissue

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2020, 04:23:13 PM »
Hi, vankjeff!

I have seen and experienced plateaus that lasted 3-4 weeks.
Barring any unknown issue with your health, this is normal for some.

Give it 2 more weeks. If by then things don't get moving again, try eating a bit less and adding more fat.
That has helped me break plateaus a number of times.

Tony
What you do today is what matters!




vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2020, 09:19:21 PM »
Tony, a 3-4 week lag from losing weight? WOW?
But as I'd said, not only have I stopped losing weight but I've gained 10 lbs.
Also, when you said "eat more fat" that made me think that even though I'd known in the past that that is an important part of this low-carb  thing, I'd slipped back into eating mostly only chicken or fish. That's since I got so frustrated when suddenly for no reason my awesome [url=http://www.fattoskinny.com/][url=http://www.fattoskinny.com/]weight loss[/url][/url] had stalled.
So it's back to beef for me. ;-)
I'll try that and check back in in a week.
What's up with this site having some algorithm that somehow adds that dumb URL thing [url=http://www.fattoskinny.com/][url=http://www.fattoskinny.com/]weight loss[/url][/url] all on its own? Why does it do that? I don't even know what if is for, do you?
« Last Edit: April 02, 2020, 01:34:49 PM by vankjeff »

mouseissue

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2020, 12:45:39 PM »
Hi, Jeff!

That weight gain could've been due to many things... Have you read Doug's book "Fat to Skinny, Fast and Easy"? That book provides the basis for how I lost 100 lbs. and saved my life. It will give you a solid foundation from which to start. After that, it's a matter of making minor adjustments for continued success along your journey to goal.

Doug added a URL link to certain phrases like "weight loss" to this forum. To fix them simply edit your post to remove those references and save it again.

Tony
What you do today is what matters!




vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2020, 01:45:41 PM »
 thanks I don't know why I hadn't thought of editing that URL thing out.  I guess I was just too aggravated that he kept sticking it in there on me now I know not to put the words "low**carb" in my postings.
Anyway I wanted to mention that years ago when I did my fake little Adkins diet I learned that when I did  the ketosis stage for too long, my hair third started thinning out. I stopped it and the hiar filled back in so since it's not thinning now and I've been doing ketosis <20 grams of carbs a day for a long time, I must  not really be doing ketosis even though I think I am

vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2020, 01:51:55 PM »
Thanks. I don't know why I hadn't thought of editing that URL thing out.  I guess I was just too aggravated that he kept sticking it in there on me now I know not to put the words "low**carb" in my postings.
Anyway I wanted to mention that years ago when I did my fake little Adkins diet I learned that when I did the ketosis stage for too long, my hair third started thinning out. I stopped it and the hiar filled back in so since it's not thinning now and I've been doing ketosis <20 grams of carbs a day for a long time, I must not really be doing ketosis even though I think I am.

mouseissue

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2020, 03:05:33 PM »
Hi, Jeff!

Temporary hair loss is normal for some and may be due to a dietary deficiency.

Regarding ketosis, check the ketone levels in your urine. You can test for this using ketone test strips.
I used Ketostix the first 6-months or so I was eating low carb. They will tell you when you're in or out of ketosis.
I found this very helpful when making adjustments to what I was eating.

Here's a link that discusses ketone test strips:

https://www.health.com/nutrition/keto-strips

And here's a link that discusses hair loss associated with keto lifestyle:

https://perfectketo.com/keto-hair-loss/

Tony
What you do today is what matters!




vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2020, 05:58:22 PM »
Thanks for telling me about those ketone test strips. I had no idea that there's a way to measure if you're actually in ketosis. I'm on it. I found a $5 box of 125 urine strips with a color chart on Amazon. I don't like the thought of pricking my finger tip for the blood tests so hopefully what I've ordered will do me what I want.
My doctor did tell me 6 months ago after Quest did a blood test that I should cut the sugar in my diet. So I asked him how this could be since I don't eat anything with carbs & sugar since I'm dieting that way to [url=http://www.fattoskinny.com/]lose weight[/url]. I asked if I might be pre-diabetic & he said probably not, it might have just been what I ate that day too close to when I went to Quest. He said that we'll check it again in a few months at Quest.
Maybe I'll learn something sooner with these strips? Thanks.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2020, 07:59:38 PM by vankjeff »

vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2020, 08:27:15 PM »
Hi, Jeff!

Temporary hair loss is normal for some and may be due to a dietary deficiency.

Regarding ketosis, check the ketone levels in your urine. You can test for this using ketone test strips.
I used Ketostix the first 6-months or so I was eating low carb. They will tell you when you're in or out of ketosis.
I found this very helpful when making adjustments to what I was eating.

..... removed some .....

Tony
I did my first ketosis test today. I'm new to this so I think I need a little help. The box I got said to give it 40 seconds to change colors but I've seen it said on other sites like at www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx3TE2S0PWUB3OR/? to only wait 15 seconds. I suppose that's based on different chemicals that they used to make their sticks so they vary?
Anyway, mine came out MODERATE 4.0 after waiting 40 seconds. Is that good or bad? Does it mean I'm not really in ketosis and that somehow I'm eating carbs and not realizing it?
I ask this since as I stated in my Question originally, I was SO successfully bringing my weight down by cutting as many carbs as I could and I dropped from "222 lbs a year ago that happened to me after I'd gotten depressed after having an accident that makes me lose my balance unexpectedly, down to 175 about 6 weeks ago" on March 29, 2020, which was now about 9 weeks ago.
For some unknown reason, even though I've changed nothing about my lifestyle or my diet, I somewhat quickly crept back up to 186-189 lbs which is where I've been stuck now for many weeks. That's why I found this forum.
From what I read about using these keto test strips, the first time you use them it should be pretty light colored, then in should head up to being really dark and then reverse back down to being light again. That's when you know you're in ketosis and are burning fat for energy.
Have I got that right? If so, why the heck is mine showing MODERATE?

vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2020, 08:35:17 PM »
Hi, Jeff!

Temporary hair loss is normal for some and may be due to a dietary deficiency.

Regarding ketosis, check the ketone levels in your urine. You can test for this using ketone test strips.
I used Ketostix the first 6-months or so I was eating low carb. They will tell you when you're in or out of ketosis.
I found this very helpful when making adjustments to what I was eating.

Here's a link that discusses ketone test strips:

https://www.health.com/nutrition/keto-strips

And here's a link that discusses hair loss associated with keto lifestyle:

https://perfectketo.com/keto-hair-loss/

Tony
Hi, Jeff!

Temporary hair loss is normal for some and may be due to a dietary deficiency.

Regarding ketosis, check the ketone levels in your urine. You can test for this using ketone test strips.
I used Ketostix the first 6-months or so I was eating low carb. They will tell you when you're in or out of ketosis.
I found this very helpful when making adjustments to what I was eating.

..... removed some .....

Tony
I did my first ketosis test today. I'm new to this so I think I need a little help. The box I got said to give it 40 seconds to change colors but I've seen it said on other sites like at www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx3TE2S0PWUB3OR/? to only wait 15 seconds. I suppose that's based on different chemicals that they used to make their sticks so they vary?
Anyway, mine came out MODERATE 4.0 after waiting 40 seconds. Is that good or bad? Does it mean I'm not really in ketosis and that somehow I'm eating carbs and not realizing it?
I ask this since as I stated in my Question originally, I was SO successfully bringing my weight down by cutting as many carbs as I could and I dropped from "222 lbs a year ago that happened to me after I'd gotten depressed after having an accident that makes me lose my balance unexpectedly, down to 175 about 6 weeks ago" on March 29, 2020, which was now about 9 weeks ago.
For some unknown reason, even though I've changed nothing about my lifestyle or my diet, I somewhat quickly crept back up to 186-189 lbs which is where I've been stuck now for many weeks. That's why I found this forum.
From what I read about using these keto test strips, the first time you use them it should be pretty light colored, then in should head up to being really dark and then reverse back down to being light again. That's when you know you're in ketosis and are burning fat for energy.
Have I got that right? If so, why the heck is mine showing MODERATE?


vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #12 on: April 22, 2020, 08:44:08 PM »
Hi, Jeff!

Temporary hair loss is normal for some and may be due to a dietary deficiency.

Regarding ketosis, check the ketone levels in your urine. You can test for this using ketone test strips.
I used Ketostix the first 6-months or so I was eating low carb. They will tell you when you're in or out of ketosis.
I found this very helpful when making adjustments to what I was eating.

Here's a link that discusses ketone test strips:

https://www.health.com/nutrition/keto-strips

And here's a link that discusses hair loss associated with keto lifestyle:

https://perfectketo.com/keto-hair-loss/

Tony
Hi, Jeff!

Temporary hair loss is normal for some and may be due to a dietary deficiency.

Regarding ketosis, check the ketone levels in your urine. You can test for this using ketone test strips.
I used Ketostix the first 6-months or so I was eating low carb. They will tell you when you're in or out of ketosis.
I found this very helpful when making adjustments to what I was eating.

..... removed some .....

Tony
I did my first ketosis test today. I'm new to this so I think I need a little help. The box I got said to give it 40 seconds to change colors but I've seen it said on other sites like at www.amazon.com/ask/questions/Tx3TE2S0PWUB3OR/? to only wait 15 seconds. I suppose that's based on different chemicals that they used to make their sticks so they vary?
Anyway, mine came out MODERATE 4.0 after waiting 40 seconds. Is that good or bad? Does it mean I'm not really in ketosis and that somehow I'm eating carbs and not realizing it?
I ask this since as I stated in my Question originally, I was SO successfully bringing my weight down by cutting as many carbs as I could and I dropped from "222 lbs a year ago that happened to me after I'd gotten depressed after having an accident that makes me lose my balance unexpectedly, down to 175 about 6 weeks ago" on March 29, 2020, which was now about 9 weeks ago.
For some unknown reason, even though I've changed nothing about my lifestyle or my diet, I somewhat quickly crept back up to 186-189 lbs which is where I've been stuck now for many weeks. That's why I found this forum.
From what I read about using these keto test strips, the first time you use them it should be pretty light colored, then in should head up to being really dark and then reverse back down to being light again. That's when you know you're in ketosis and are burning fat for energy.
Have I got that right? If so, why the heck is mine showing MODERATE?

I can't get this darn forum to add an IMAGE to my Reply. I've tried over and over. I've even Resized my JPG image WAY down so that it's only 1.05KB and this site still won't take it. Am I clueless or is this a problem? Does that moving <-M<- icon mean that it is still trying to Upload my Image? I've waited and waited. I've started over several times. I've clicked Preview many times too after waiting forever. So?  >:(
**** ADDED WITH EDIT ****
I just came back to this posting 10 minutes later after closing my browser and now suddenly it shows an attached JPG. What the heck?
« Last Edit: April 22, 2020, 09:05:31 PM by vankjeff »

mouseissue

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #13 on: April 23, 2020, 04:11:53 PM »
Hi, Jeff!

First, follow the directions on the package of ketone test strips you purchased. There are subtle differences between brands.
Your ketone levels will vary day to day, even hour to hour. Sometimes, it may even be a bit low, like within a couple hours of eating. Therefore, measure your ketones the same time each day, like first thing each morning while you take care of morning business. This is also a good time to check weight.

In infamous weight gain "creep" is common. In my experience, well over 90% of the time, it's due to unintended intake of hidden carbs.
For example, take condiments like ketchup. On average, one tablespoon ketchup has about 4 net carb grams. That is equal to one teaspoon of sugar for each tablespoon of ketchup (or about 1/3).

CAREFULLY reading nutrition labels is CRITICAL to success!

Keep your net carb intake STRICTLY to 20 grams or less per day. That is Total Carbs - Fiber - Sugar Alcohols = Net Carbs.

I HIGHLY recommend keeping a journal of everything you eat and how much along with its net carb amount. This will help you learn about how your body responds to changes you make in your diet. With that, you can better control what you eat for best results.

Also pay attention to portion control. Our bodies have a mechanism to convert proteins into carbs. Overeating low or zero carb foods can cause weight gain when too much is eaten.

Not sure what's going with the jpg.

Hope this helps.

Tony
What you do today is what matters!




vankjeff

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Re: Can I have some help jump-starting my dead low carb diet?
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2020, 10:13:05 PM »
Hi, Jeff!
First, follow the directions on the package of ketone test strips you purchased. There are subtle differences between brands.
Your ketone levels will vary day to day, even hour to hour. Sometimes, it may even be a bit low, like within a couple hours of eating. Therefore, measure your ketones the same time each day, like first thing each morning while you take care of morning business. This is also a good time to check weight.
An infamous weight gain "creep" is common. In my experience, well over 90% of the time, it's due to unintended intake of hidden carbs.
For example, take condiments like ketchup. On average, one tablespoon ketchup has about 4 net carb grams. That is equal to one teaspoon of sugar for each tablespoon of ketchup (or about 1/3).
CAREFULLY reading nutrition labels is CRITICAL to success!
Keep your net carb intake STRICTLY to 20 grams or less per day. That is Total Carbs - Fiber - Sugar Alcohols = Net Carbs.
I HIGHLY recommend keeping a journal of everything you eat and how much along with its net carb amount. This will help you learn about how your body responds to changes you make in your diet. With that, you can better control what you eat for best results.
Also pay attention to portion control. Our bodies have a mechanism to convert proteins into carbs. Overeating low or zero carb foods can cause weight gain when too much is eaten.
Not sure what's going with the jpg.
Hope this helps.
Tony
Thanks for your personal help. I think I'm learning some things.
I am just following the Instructions that came with the Keto Strips that I bought but if you look at the box that I cut apart and scanned so I could show you, it only gives me 4 Instructions. There wasn't any printed Instructions in the box or a link to their website. So, I guess it's up to me to figure it all out. That's why I asked again for help.
So, why has it been consistently showing me as MODERATE 4.0 for 3 days now just after I wake up? Is that bad? Why does one side of the box say that I should see my doctor if I'm above 3.0? Is that for diabetic people or something?
When you said that "weight gain "creep" is common. In my experience, well over 90% of the time, it's due to unintended intake of hidden carbs", you got my attention. That's GOT to be what's going on. I'm a really firm believer in how cutting carbs can make you lose weight. Even though I think that I've been eating carb-free, obviously that's wrong.
When you mentioned ketchup for example, that really lit up my brain. I always add a packet of Ketchup on the In-n-Out Flying Dutchman (bunless) double burgers which I'd thought of as the ultimate Drive-Thru cheapie low-carb burger.
I do try to always look for carbs on the Nutritional Label or menu on everything I eat.
Here's a typical day:
*10am Atkin's shake, 12 oz Diet Coke & 1 special low carb cookie that I bake (a neat recipe I found)
*NOON 12 oz Diet Coke or finish this morning's after adding a little, small handful of Cashews or Mixed Nuts - salted only
*2pm Atkin's shake, 12 oz Diet Coke
*4pm 12 oz Diet Coke or finish after adding a little, small handful of Cashews or Mixed Nuts - salted only
*7pm frozen Atkins meal or homemade broiled chicken or In-n-Out Flying Dutchman (bunless) double burger or Weinerschnitzel Polish Sandwich (toss the bread)

So, in my mind, I've been eating less than 20grams of carbs a day. This had been working awesome for quite awhile and I steadily went from 222 down to 195, then I stalled but I realized that I'd been cheating so I fixed that, dropped all the way down to 175 and then I've rebounded recently back up to 186-188 without having changed a thing in how I was eating or exercising (not much as I'm disabled but I have a treadmill that I use now that the Stay At Home has my LA Fitness closed that I used to hit 2 or 3 times a week to do light lifting and a little aerobics bicycling)
When you say "Our bodies have a mechanism to convert proteins into carbs. Overeating low or zero carb foods can cause weight gain when too much is eaten.", I don't understand how I should use that information. I can say that I rarely feel hungry so is it possible that with as little physical things that I'm able to do, I should just be eating less and that suddenly that's what has happened to cause my weight loss to reverse itself?
As far as my difficulties adding a JPG image, I think that it is something to do with how this site treats uploaded images. Perhaps it needs to do something with them on a server or link it somehow before it will show it and that's why it just wouldn't show up when I hit PREVIEW but 10 minutes later it was there as an Attachment when I Refreshed my Browser?
I look forward to your answers. Thanks for the help.