What am I doing wrong?

[NicolePF]

I started on a high protein/low carb/low fat diet 4 days ago and have been tracking my food religiously since then.  Here's my calorie breakdowns.  I have it set conservatively for -500 deficit.

Thursday - 1,315 in / 2,289 out (-474)

Friday - 1,281 in / 2,300 out (-519)

Saturday - 1,603 in / 2,192 out (-89)

Sunday - 1,456 in / 2,082 out (-126)

So, I've had my -500 deficit every day + the above deficit.  I've lost 0 so far.  Not even a tenth of a pound!  Am I eating too much?  Should I put my deficit up to -750, -1000?  This is getting very frustrating! 

Thanks for your advice!

[FitBeforeFifty]

You shouldn't draw any conclusions from only 4 days of data. You need at least 3 weeks of calorie and weight tracking data to make any reasonable correlation.

[JamieS_Wisco]

I totally agree with @FitBeforeFifty , there is not enough time elapsed to see what is going on.

When I first stared getting active in an effort to lose weight, I found that the scale first went exactly nowhere even though I was monitoring what I ate as far as calorie deficit and eating more consciously as in less over processed food, more whole grains etc.   Then, the worst thing ever happened. I actually was gaining weight.  I had a 750 cal deficit and I was GAINING!!!  I couldn't figure out what on earth I was doing wrong.

The answer was.....

NOTHING!

Muscle is more dense than fat, when you work out you burn fat to create muscle.  So, please try not to look at the scale as your only check on how you are doing.  Other good options to see how things are working for you are the following:

1)Measurements:  Take measurements of your upper arms, bust, waist, hips and thighs.  Check back again weekly..  You'll see some pretty cool changes.

2) Fit Check: Do a fit check on your clothing.  Do you have a pair of pants that were just tight enough to be uncomfortable.  Try them on.  Be mindful about how they feel.

3) Energy Levels: Keep a check on yourself, are you feeling more motivated?  

All of those things could be far better cues to how you are doing than specifically the scale.  Give it a few weeks and see what happens.  Hope that helps!

[GershonSurge]

I'm not sure why anyone would want to be on a low carb/low fat/high protein diet. The combination is impossible without supplements or setting a high value on low fat. Low fat is approximately under 10% for a person losing weight and under 15% for a person maintaining weight. 

This type of diet will cause many physical problems down the line. 

If you'd like a diet that is easy to follow, inexpenssive, effective, and healthy, I'd suggest following Dr. McDougall's way of eating. It has no animal products and no oils like olive oil, etc. It's starch based with some fruits and vegetables.

There is an overview here.

After reading the overview, I suggest watching all twelve of these videos.

If you have further questions, check out his forum at www.drmcdougall.com.

I don't answer questions on this way of eating except to say I bet my life on it. The reason is I may accidentally pass information Dr. McDougall wouldn't agree with.

[divedragon]

Our bodies are governed by hormones and there are over 40 hormones involved in digestion and energy production and energy storage.  The most active of these is insulin.  Insulin is responsible of moving blood glucose from the blood stream and either into muscle cells for energy use or fat cells for storage.  For a long time, it was thought that foods which have a high glycemic index cause a cooresponding spike in insulin, but this is not always true.   As it turns out, protein tends to spike insulin even though it has a very low glycemic index.  Here are a couple of resources that discusses some of this: 

https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/insulin-index/

https://optimisingnutrition.com/tag/insulin-index/

Fat's, as it turns out, trigger very low insulin response.  You may want to consider doing a Low Carb, High Fat diet as opposed to a high protein diet.  70% good fats, 20% protein and 10% carbs.

[FitBeforeFifty]

@divedragon, unless someone is insulin resistant, an increase in insulin does not prohibit fat loss. It's a normal process our body goes through and isn't really important with respect to weight loss. In a study design by Gary Taubes himself, participants lost less fat during a 4 week ketogenic diet compared to a low fat diet of the same length. The participants did lose more weight during the adaptation phase but that was water and lean mass and not fat. After the adaptation phase, the rate of fat loss was the same as the low fat diet. 

[ekj60]

Don't get discouraged!  I weigh in once a month on the same day each month.  You'll see dramatic changes.  This ends up being simple math.  Burn more than you take in each day.  It works for me when nothing else ever has.  Some days you hit exactly your target.  Mine is 2000 cals a day.  Most days I'm lower.  Every now and then I'm a little higher.    Funny thing is this.  I eat what I want.  I have not removed one thing from my diet.  I just EAT LESS of it.  Don't eat the whole pizza, or even one half.  Eat a piece or two and call it good.  Ice cream?  You bet.  About one scoop a week.  I don't deny myself what I want.  That just makes people binge eat.  Keep track of your calories and make sure you take in less than you burn.  You will see results.  Your clothes will start feeling better and next thing you know you're getting close to your goal.  I gave myself 52 weeks to lose 52 lbs.  Well, I weigh in once a month and since Feb 14th I'm down over 40lbs!  I should be getting close, but I won't know until my next weigh in on July 14th.  Stick with it, don't cheat as you're only cheating you, and drink your water.  Best wishes! 

[mommo77]

Even though not aimed at me, ejk6o, I like your method/advise. I have to remind myself frequently to KISS (keep it simple, stupid) because I tend to obsess over everything, when what I really need to do is simplify.  I make myself crazy thinking about all the macros and micros, nutrients and calories. 

[divedragon]

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@FitBeforeFifty wrote:

@divedragon, unless someone is insulin resistant, an increase in insulin does not prohibit fat loss. It's a normal process our body goes through and isn't really important with respect to weight loss. In a study design by Gary Taubes himself, participants lost less fat during a 4 week ketogenic diet compared to a low fat diet of the same length. The participants did lose more weight during the adaptation phase but that was water and lean mass and not fat. After the adaptation phase, the rate of fat loss was the same as the low fat diet. 

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@FitBeforeFifty, Let's avoid some confusion here.  Ketosis, in and of itself, is not an indicator of fat loss - a common mis-conception.  Ketosis is fat oxidation and the production of ketones used for energy vs glucose.  Ketosis occurs from the lack of glucose in the  blood, but that by itself does not cause fat loss.

Insulin also, in and of itself, does not inhibit fat loss; however, it can increase the tendancy to store fat and can lead to insulin insensitivity which does inhibit and may even increase fat storage.  Protein is converted to glucose in the blood which requires insulin to move from the blood to either the muscles or the fat cells. 

Furthermore, you cannot loose fat without going into some level of ketosis - just can't happen.  This is because to metabolize fat, it must be converted into ketones.  Given, it doesn't have to be high enough to have you in a ketogenic state (i.e.: 0.6mM or higher), but you then have a corresponding reduction in blood glucose which is difficult to determine how much. 

Two other macro's have an impact on insulin response - fat and fiber.  They both reduce it and they also both tend to work better to satiate the eater and thus tending to eat less over time.  Protein has a similar effect on hunger relgulation; however, you still have the insulin factor.

Also, given the OP's difficulties, there may be an issue of insulin resistance - at least on some level that could grow worse on a high protien diet vs a high fat diet.

 

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[GershonSurge]

@divedragon

Unfortunately, your diet kills. Your sources are inaccurate.

The first one states glucose is stored in fat. Not true. It's stored in the muscles and liver. Excess glucose is turned into heat or energy. There is no process in humans to turn carbs to fat except in tiny amounts.

The second one states that there is something wrong with Dr. Furman's diet because he ignores tracking amino acids. It's virtually impossible to design a plant based diet that results in a protein shortage except in those approaching starvation due to calorie restriction. There is no need to track amino acids. 

Ketosis by definition only occurs when there is a lack of sufficient carbohydrates.

It takes carbs to burn fats. The lowest ratio for rest to light exercise is 30% carbs and 70% fats. Let's take a person on a 2,000 calorie diet. You recommend 200 calories of carbs. This means they can burn 466 calories of fats for a total of 666 calories of energy. Interesting how that turned out. 🙂

Since the excess fat consumed cannot be burned, the victim becomes fatigued and hardly moves. Guess where the excess fat goes? Right to fat. 

The excess proteins are excreted through the kidneys and cause kidney problems in the process.

Anyone who follows this diet will become constipated -- perhaps severely. This can cause problems throughout the body.

[divedragon]

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@GershonSurge wrote:

@divedragon

Unfortunately, your diet kills. Your sources are inaccurate.

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Agree to disagree!

[GershonSurge]

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@divedragon wrote:

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@GershonSurge wrote:

@divedragon

Unfortunately, your diet kills. Your sources are inaccurate.

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Agree to disagree!

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@divedragon

I gotta tell you I failed tact and diplomacy in college. It's times like this that break my heart. I can't even convince people to watch these videos that could teach them how to live a lean, healthy, vibrant and longer life. About eight hours is all it would take. Much less than a season of Grey's Anatomy or Orange is the New Black.

If I wanted to be crass, I'd ask people to watch this video which is about three and a half minutes long.

Unfortunately, the meat and dairy industry has been brainwashing people for hundreds of years. 

[divedragon]

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@GershonSurge wrote:

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@divedragon wrote:

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@GershonSurge wrote:

@divedragon

Unfortunately, your diet kills. Your sources are inaccurate.

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Agree to disagree!

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@divedragon

I gotta tell you I failed tact and diplomacy in college. It's times like this that break my heart. I can't even convince people to watch these videos that could teach them how to live a lean, healthy, vibrant and longer life. 

Unfortunately, the meat and dairy industry has been brainwashing people for hundreds of years. 

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Understand, I'm quite familiar with the producer of these video's.  He pushes a vegan agenda.  I've seen several documentaries he has participated in. I just don't believe humans were designed to be vegan.  I honest believe we were designed to be omnivours.  Talk about brainwashing - vegitarinism is pretty darn unforgiving and, more importantly, intolerant of anyone who does not agree.

I support your right to eat however you deem appropriate for you.  I only wish you could return the favor!  I don't want to get a battle started here, but I can say your diet kills as well:

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/145561/20160331/vegetarian-diet-may-alter-human-dna-raising-cancer...

[GershonSurge]

@divedragon

You recommend 10% carbs. That's one or two slices of bread a day for most people. The rest is animal products or vegetable oils. Does that sound like a healthy diet to anyone?

[FitBeforeFifty]

I've read lots of different studies on weight loss and while there are many unanswered questions, one thing is certain ... there are no absolutes in diet and weight loss. You can lose weight eating low fat, you can lose weight eating low carb and you can lose weight (like I did) just eating a balanced diet.

I don't think there is any credible link between healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, almonds) and obesity just like there is no evidence that you need to avoid insulin spikes to avoid obesity. 

@GershonSurge, the overview link you provided doesn't contain any science, it's just a bunch of eat this, don't eat that dogma. What evidence is there that eating eggs causes health problems ? What evidence is there that consuming a diet high in healthy fats from olive oil, avocados and almonds causes health problems. And sorry, @GershonSurge, I don't consider a youtube video evidence -- it's just someone's point of view. I would love to see some peer reviewed scientific articles and studies to back up your claims as it relates to what I consider healthy sources of fat: eggs, olive oil, avocados and almonds. Now there are some very credible arguments that eating animal products (particularly beef) is harmful for our environment, so on that note, I think I'm in agreement -- just not enough to change my style of eating. I tried to eat vegan for lunch for a couple of weeks and started getting symptoms of gout due to the tofu. I will try that again, soon, however, and use some other sources of protein for my lunch salads instead of tofu.

On the other hand, the insulin hypothesis for obesity proposed by @divedragon is also not credible -- see the study I posted showing no correlation with insulin spikes and body fat.

I personally don't buy either argument but instead focus on eating something that's common to both points of view: avoid processed foods in favor of whole foods and eats lots of plants. I eat lots of vegetables and lots of healthy fats and meat with each meal. I have low body fat and perfect blood pressure and blood test results. I'll be 50 in a couple of days and also take no medication. There is no evidence that I'm anything but in perfect health.

[GershonSurge]

@FitBeforeFifty

The coloring book is an overview of what to eat for those getting started. The videos contain all the references to studies you will need.

If you want a more in depth reference to studies, I suggest reading "The Starch Solution" by Dr. McDougall.

Here is Dr. McDougall's take on "healthy" oils and links to studies. 

The issue with fats from nuts and avocados is simply they quickly run up the calorie count. He doesn't recommend too much of them for those trying to lose weight. For those maintaining, about 1 ounce a day is acceptible. 

Here is Dr. McDougall's take on eggs along with references.

It's unlikely that tofu caused the gout. Gout is often misdiagnosed, so perhaps you are describing something else. Here is some information from Dr. McDougall on gout along with references to studies.

I don't have any concerns about your diet. It's a heck of a lot better than what many people are eating. It seems to be close to what Ken Cooper or Neil Pritikin recommend(ed). To some extent, people can outrun a less than optimum diet as recommended by Dr. McDougall.

Added: How do you like your Aria scale?

[CRSunrise]

@ekj60 - I'm more or less doing what you're doing - food wise. I don't want to be one of those people who all they live off are things like bean sprouts and broccoil. I'm not saying that people can't lose the weight this way. I'm more definitely sure there are people who can.

However, I want to be able to have a pizza once in a while, or even a small handful of chips. I just have to allocate my calories, or if I find that it's going to take me over, decide if I really want that item or if I want to exercise enough to get those calories back. I had to do that on Saturday because we had Pizza Hut. I inputed what I was planning on having, and found out what my overage was. I did like 30-45 on the elliptical, and then after lunch, I went out walking. I not only made up the difference for lunch, but I also made up enough room so that I would be able to eat supper with no problems 

[divedragon]

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@GershonSurge wrote:

@GershonSurge

You recommend 10% carbs. That's one or two slices of bread a day for most people. The rest is animal products or vegetable oils. Does that sound like a healthy diet to anyone?

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I don't recommend any bread.  All the carbs should come from vegetables grown above ground such as brocolli, kale, aparagas, etc.  You can actually eat quite a bit of bulk from this group as they are very high in fiber.  Avoid root vegetables - although I love beets myself.  Here's an example:

brocolli

1/2 cup =15 calories
Avg meal 700 calories (assuming a 2100 c/day diet)
10% 70 calories
4.66 cups of brocolli

Turnip greens
1/2 cup = 27 calories
10% = 2.5 cups

want them both? 1.23 cups Turnip greens and 2 cups of brocollie - an you're only eating less than 70 calories.  That leaves room for a nice 8 oz ribeye a bit over 400 calories and I come in less that 700 calorie target.  Personally, I can't eat that much in one sitting anymore, but it's quite healthy.

[GershonSurge]

@divedragon

That's essentially the Atkin's diet. Presumably, he followed his own advice.

[divedragon]

@GershonSurge

Seriously?  So this disciple of Dr. McDougal creates a youtube video of an interview while displaying an obviously photo-shopped image of Dr. Atkins.  Obviously an attempt to convey a perception that does not exist in reality.   And you've just perpetuated it!  If you're point cannot be made adequately without resorting to practices like this, then maybe your point isn't that strong to begin with.

Say anything you wish, I will no longer respond in anyway to your future posts.