Charm4u's Journal, 18 August 2018

Don’t give up ! 

What are you doing to loose weight? What kind if diet? Exercise?.... 

Don't give up Tanya. You've been exercising so remember - muscle weighs more than fat. 

If your weight isn’t increasing that’s really good. It will start dropping again. 

The month of July was like that for me, i.e. no change on the scale. But my legs were stronger from the cycling I was doing, which means more muscle. Have you noticed any improvements at the gym? Better cardio, higher reps, or weights? There are many ways to monitor progress, you might want to look into body fat testing as an additional way of measuring progress. Keep going, changing lifestyles is hard, but there are a lot of people on this site that can be your sounding board as you figure out your path. 

Thank you everyone for commenting. I have really improved a lot with the gym. I notice my endurance is longer and I really do enjoy it to the point where I feel guilty if I miss one of those classes. I will do my measurements and track that way as well. I was trying to do keto (high fat and protein) but I'm not sure I'm doing it right... so I'm going back to low fat until I decide what to do. I'm even contemplating seeing a nutritionist to get some help with meal planning. I dont even know my optimum calorie intake. I have always been in the sedentary column... a no brainer... but now I'm doing more activities, I dont know where I fall to even calculate my 'new' calorie intake using those online calculators.... its confusing  

In terms of wrapping your head around calories; I'd recommend getting a fitness wearable. I bought a fitbit with an integrated HR monitor. It tracks you movement and HR and estimates your caloric burn realtime. It gives you a good frame of reference for how many calories you burned through the day. Once you know what you typically burn you can figure out what deficit you want to aim for. The most important thing however is sticking with it. Starting out is tough given how much there is to learn, so don't get discouraged if there are setbacks 

That's a good idea Fastestskier. Thank you.  

I do Keto. And it is something you have to play around with the macros in grams not percentages and find the fit that is right enforcing your body. I used the Keto gains web site for the calculator and on Facebook there is a group called ketogenic intermittent fasting (they can be harsh a tough love kind of crowd - so I don’t usually post but read all the archived files and pay attention to the convos) Under 20g carbs - my personal protein is about 100g so I meet these daily and my fat is 110g I believe BUT I have anywhere from 50g (minimum) up to the 110g. You Don’t have to have all the fat and if you have less and are Keto- adapted then your body will use your own fat to make up the difference. But always ensure to have your protein per day as it is still essential. (Essential amino acids etc, and not so good things happen to your body if you have too little for too long!) Keto does work - I have reversed T2 diabetes and lost 45/50 pounds and many inches Like I said having the right ratios for your body is important. Everyone is different and you have to make it so that it works for your body. 

Oh and track everything so you know - I use calorie counter by FatSecret 

Hang in there, it takes your body time to adjust to a new lifestyle. Go by how you feel and how your clothes fit. I’ve been at it for 6 weeks and dropped only 2 lbs but my clothes fit differently so I know I’m replacing fat with muscle! Keep up the great work, it’s hard but worth it! 

Thank you Kels. The fat sources are a tough one for me, I've begun to watch more videos on YouTube about keto etc. I'm just so bummed about it since I've worked so hard with exercising but I need to just move on from that disappointment and figure things out. My fat is a bit stubborn... like me 🤣 

Here’s a tip if your interested... I used a macro calculator and have been tracking them daily on here. It’ll give a set amount g of fat, carbs and protein per meal, plus calorie intake depending on the calories you are burning. I’m at 44g fat 162g carbs and 136 g of protein 1568 kcal. Fruit and dense veggies are high in carbs and if you feel it’s not enough food add a small salad with a homemade dressing. I split into 4 or 5 meals because I find I get hungry in between if i only do three. I hope you find this helpful, I’ve been thinking of your story today because I was in the same boat as you. Good luck your body needs energy to burn energy! 

I had read that you probably shouldn’t work out for the first couple of months on keto. You may be building muscle and which weighs more that fat. Are you noticing other changes - how clothes fit, energy level? Look for the nsv’s. Hope this is helpful. 

Thank you. I am noting ALL suggestions. I appreciate the time spent in investing in my goals :-)