I mentioned the other day Iโm having a hard time getting (and staying) in ketosis, and also that my vision is going bad โ and fast.
I did some brief research and determined that the culprit was my new Lexapro prescription.
After discussing it with my reflexologist this morning I did some more research on thatโฆ
It turns out Lexapro is known to alter glycemic control and have an impact on blood sugar levels. Lovely. ๐
So there ya go!
My weight has been the exact same for 5 days in a row. Why?!
I hear this complaint/comment/question all the time. We discussed it awhile back in this post: Mysterious Weight Gain & Stalls. Gains or stalls can be caused by any number of things: medications, hormone cycles, food culprits, etc.
And of course if youโre doing intense exercise or strength training on a regular basis, youโll want to do body measurements and use a full body composition scale.
You canโt just go by your weight, because building lean muscle and burning fat can be very misleading โas a single number.โ
I didnโt exercise in the beginning, by the way.
I lost all my weight JUST eating low carb. I wish I had started toning sooner, but I just started a little over a year ago to tone up and build muscle. You know, so I wouldnโt be flabby โ or โskinny fat.โ ๐
As for me, my โweight holdโ this week is for obvious reasons: I lost 5.2 pounds last week. After any โfast weight lossโ like that, your body always does a brief hold while it recovers and figures out what the heck is going on. ๐
Plus if youโre just starting out or just got back on track, the first week you drop a lot of water weight during the diuretic process of getting in ketosis โ then your body has to take some time to adjust.
The key: power through no matter what the scale says. ๐
Thatโs exactly what Iโm doing, while lowering my dosage on the Lexapro strategically until I can get in to see my doctor about that.
But yeah, I found out the hard way that โcarb cyclingโ doesnโt work. Thatโs how I stayed fat for so long ๐ lol. Powering through the โstallsโ or โholdsโ and keeping my carbs low and my macros right is how I finally got lean & fit!
Anyway, hereโs what Iโve been eating lately โ if you want some low carb meal inspiration. ๐ Below is a complete photo tour of my low carb meals the last two days, plus my MyFitnessPal diaries so you can see how I logged each of those mealsโฆ
Mondayโs Low Carb Meals
For breakfast (which was actually closer to lunchtime, lol) I had leftover smoked pork ribs with no sauce and 3 eggs scrambled in real butter with colby jack cheese. That was a delicious combo! The ribs were super tender and fell right off the bone. YUM.
My lunchโฆ was a mountain of low carb love!!!
Itโs two chocolate chip keto cookies topped with cream cheese, peanut butter & chopped walnuts. Mmmm! I also had 30 grams of pecans with this, to โmake a mealโ out of it. ๐
Have you tried Keto Kookies yet?! Theyโre sugar free, gluten free low carb cookies โ and buttery delicious!! The chocolate chip are only 3 net carbs for 2 cookies.
For dinner I whipped up 3 eggs scrambled in real butter with colby jack cheeseโฆ and sprinkled with black pepper. ๐ Simple!
This is my go-to meal when I want something quick & easy, and super low carb. ๐
Hereโs how I logged my meals for Monday:
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Tuesdayโs Low Carb Meals
My low carb breakfast yesterday was a great combination of healthy foods. Itโs 1/2 cup pecans, 1/4 cup Daisy brand cottage cheese, 4 small strawberries, 17.5 grams of blueberries + 3 tbsp of Coconut Gogi: a nutrient dense super food, rich in omega 3.
I got that in my last Keto Krate box and Iโve really been enjoying it!
I stir it all together and eat it like cereal. This bowl is 9 net carbs and 82% healthy fats, and was my โbig mealโ for the dayโฆ
My low carb lunch, I called Salami Sammies. ๐ Itโs Kretschmar salami slices with colby jack cheese & crisp cucumber slicesโฆ dipped in ranch. Fun & easy!
For dinner I had a very simple meal of bacon & eggs. Always good! ๐
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Hereโs my MyFitnessPal Food Diary for Tuesday:
Macronutrients: Simple Explanation Of Low Carb Macros
How To Get A Net Carbs Column in MyFitnessPal
Net Carbs: 22
Total Carbs: 37
Calories: 1717
Protein: 76 grams
76% Fat / 18% Protein
Water: 48 ounces
I ordered these fun HANDMADE Fitness Stickers on Amazon and I got them this week. Theyโre even more beautiful in person than they were on the screen! ๐
Did I mention theyโre handmade?!
Do you have a weight loss journal or goal planner that you use to stay motivated and track your progress?? This is the planner I use: InnerGuide Life & Goals Planner.
Iโd love to hear which one you useโฆ
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Iโm currently 144.6 pounds, ten pounds higher than my all time low at the end of the year. Iโm also losing all that great muscle tone I worked so hard for last year, after being so sedentary this first quarter โ thanks to some massive flu that hit me in January and just hung on like a happy tick. ๐
In addition to lowering my dose on the Lexapro and weaning off of that, Iโm ready to start getting back into serious strength training and muscle building.
(Not just talking about, but actually DOING it.)
I know what that takes: It takes FORCING myself to just DO IT, until I get back in the habit โ like I was before. And doing that requires a little motivation, or personal inspiration. Like the fact that itโs literally weeks away from being shorts & tanks season. ๐ฏ Or maybe a FUN event coming up you want to look HOT for. ๐
Sometimes you have to set something up even, like a get together with friends 3 weeks out. Having something to work toward (for a real reason!) always motivates me to GET and STAY on track.
So letโs all put something on our calendar!! ๐ What do you say?
Stay tuned for my exercise updates (Iโm going to let you hold me accountable!), and watch me DROP this #@&$ ten pounds I gainedโฆ;)
I also need a good tan again for all these cute Spring outfits & dresses I ordered. Dang, I feel like my body rewinded an entire year on me, lol. Sheesh!
How are things going for you?
Leave a comment & letโs talk. ๐
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
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I always enjoy your post. Thank you for keeping me motivated. I am up and down on the scale just because I keep giving in. Wearing shorts is just around the corner. I hope that gets me to stay with my lchf wol.
Thank you, Becky ๐ Itโs nice to have a group to get and stay motivated with โ for me too!! Iโm always SO glad youโre all hereโฆ always. ๐
What do you feel makes you โgive inโ โ whatโs the source behind that?
Thatโs what helped me post when I was bouncing on/off โ getting to the source, identifying the triggers, etc.
Ahhhgggg!!!!!! I just finally broke 140 pound mark I was 138.4 this morning! And you have been my motivation!! Thank you for all your posts and being a fantastic support system for me! 8 pesky pounds to go, and doing Yoga to get rid of this โskinny fatโ
Kudos, Michelle โ thatโs awesome!! ๐ WAY TO GO!! That 140 mark was the hardest for me to break through, lol. Congrats!!
You know idk. Maybe being bored or just emotional eating. I plan every day that I will make this the day I stay on track and I have been doing this for months now
Spring/summer seems to get me motivated since clothing is so light. Just wish I didnโt do this yo yo with the scale my entire life.
You have kept me trying every day and I thank you for keep on keeping on with your post.
Youโre not alone, Becky. It took me FOREVER to get over the hump with my habits and the mental blocks and such. Getting consistent was the BEST thing I ever did for myself. ๐ It got easier and easier, to the point that carbs (off plan foods) didnโt appeal AT ALL. I just had to commit โ then it got easy. ๐
And when I say commit, I mean to sometimes weeks on end of the scales not moving โ no excuses. Just eat for my health. Thatโs what finally worked for me, and I was SO proud of myself! That feels GOOD.
I had to find new ways to deal with emotions, boredom, frustration, stress, anger, etc. That was really helpful โ breaking bad habits and creating new ones. ๐
You are such an inspiration. I am doing just what you are saying. This is week 8 and I am so frustrated Iโve only lost like 15 pounds. I have not cheated once but on some emotional days I do overeat. I have far more control and dedication than I have in years past but I feel like this will take forever. I am 48 and need to lose nearly a hundred pounds. Just keep going? I do exercise twice a week and stand on my feet as a mom of three and do deep medical massage. I also track now on my fitness pal. Thanks for your encouragement.
Hi Tanya ๐ Youโre doing great โ 15 pounds lost in 2 short months is an awesome start!! You said you are tracking now, so that should help. Do you always get at least 70% fat?? If not, thatโs the first fix โ and an easy one. ๐
If you want to lose weight faster try cutting out any bars/shakes and processed foods first. Next, try cutting out/down on: cheese, cream cheese, nuts.
The simpler your meals the better โ meat & greens + healthy fats. Doing 3 ingredients max per plate helps a lot of us lose weight super fast too. ๐ See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/
Hi Lyn. As a former nurse, i do know that most antidepressants can cause weight gain. Ask your Dr. For an alternate med perhaps. There are antidepressants that do not seem to have an impact on weight gain and may work just as well as Lexapro.
I am determined to get this #%*c*โฌ& 10 lbs off too. I am coming down a couple of lbs already
I joined the Y but i have to MAKE myself get up and go. I hope to go at least 3x a week or more
I go to the water aerobic classes. I feel so good when i work out and exercise is a natural antidepressant. ๐
Lyn, my problem is late night hunger. I can go all day and do fine then when i am alone at night i get so hungry or is it just mental hunger. I stay with low carb foods but yet i am adding too many calories at night. I have to make myself stop this
Also i realised that i must be goung through Keto flu. I always forget the symptoms of it that make me feel so lousy for a day or too once i get in ketosis. I felt so weak yesterdayโฆ.i had a headache and just felt sick. I had no energy. Then i realised what was going on.
I wonder what other symptoms others experience when going thru this keto flu. And what they do to get through this.
Lyn. Ask your Dr. About Wellbutrin or Effexorโฆ..these antidepressants do NOT cause weight gain. In fact some people have said that Wellbutrin helped them to lose weight. ๐ google it and see. ๐
The best solution to both Keto Flu and cravings/hunger is a hot mug of chicken broth. ๐ It replaces the sodium & electrolytes lost during the diuretic process of getting into ketosis.
I like Campbellโs condensed broth like you cook with, mixed with about half water instead of 1:1 โ and a pat of butter makes it even richer. Best hot out of a mug!
For some reason it even kills sweet cravings! ๐ Plus itโs nice and soothing at the end of a long dayโฆ
Thank you too for the recommendations. Iโll see what my doc has to say and go from there. In the meantime, itโs motivating me to work that much harder.;)
You go girl! Enjoy all your posts & tips
Thank you, Sheila! ๐ ๐ *cheers*
I hope this helps and encourages others especially *older* people like myself. : -)
I am down 15 lbs and 11 inches (bust to hips) in 56 days!
No hunger but lots night leg cramps and light-headedness.
I upped my magnesium, salt, and potassium intake a LOT and it helps immediately.
I wanted to lose 15lbs and did and now I am trying for another 3-5 lbs then need to maintain.
5โ4โณ at 130 lbs now age 61 female.
I was never heavy before *aging* this is certainly the answer for me.
In times past I had a HUGE appetite and overate coupled with TV watching/night eating.
Now I drink warm chicken broth (1/2 c plus water with 1/2 Tbl butter sometimes) and maybe 2 Tbl high fat nuts while watching TV with the hubby and I am totally satiated. Amazing!
I look forward to your posts, your ups-&-downs with transparency, and your Southern humor!
BTW โ Exercise is my usual moving a lot during the day, 2 x week yoga class and walking outside weather permitting (Colorado โ ugh!)
I work from home too so getting my steps inb y using my FitBit is the key for me. I go for 8,000 steps, 5+ flights stairs, and 20_ โactive minutesโ.
The lesson after losing 15 lbs and 11 inches is that you donโt have to โkillโ yourself with hours of exercise when eating this way but still lose weight. Toning is the goal now. : )
Way to go, Sheila!! And thank you for sharing those helpful tips. ๐ The chicken broth is GREAT for helping with those cramps too โ as it replaces sodium & electrolytes lost in the diuretic state of ketosis.
Congrats on reaching your goal!! Youโre right that exercise is best for toning and strength & heart health. I lost all of my weight just eating low carb. Itโs nice to find something that WORKS. ๐ *cheers*
I came across your blog several weeks ago and love the ideas you put in it, especially meal ideas. I even signed up for the Keto Krate last month too. I started really focusing on low carb eating the first week in February and I was really discouraged with my weight loss. You can read eveywhere on the web how lowering your carbs makes the weight just fall offโฆ.that is not true for all of us! But my blood sugar levels have improved so much I got a congratulations letter from my doctor after my last bloodwork came back with such great results. This is what has kept me going and guess whatโฆ.as of March 23, 2017 I have lost 14 pounds. So sticking with it will let your body (finally) get the message to start using that extra fat for energy!!
Thank you Elizabeth โ Iโm glad you enjoy it here, and youโll LOVE the Keto Krate. ๐ Losing 14 pounds in a little over a month is GREAT weight loss! Iโm not sure why youโre discouraged?? That plus the healthy improvements are such positive and FAST results. ๐ Kudos!!
Iโve been on Lexapro for 4 years and my doctor just upped my dose to lessen my perimenopausal hot flashes (Iโm 47). I hope it doesnโt have an impact on my weight! Iโve been low carb since January of last year. When I started Lexapro, I noticed I was binge eating more often. Itโs under much better control now that I watch my carbs although sometimes I go crazy with the pecans when Iโm stressed. In any case, this way of eating definitely keeps me from binge eating on much worse foods.
I find eating low carb keeps me from binge eating as well, which was a major problem for me before. One thing that really helps me is logging my foods BEFORE I eat or make them. That makes me much more mindful of portions, and only eating what I logged. Try that! ๐
Question: have you noticed ANY change in your vision since you started Lexapro four years ago??
Well it finally happened, I had that fun keto flu yesterday, it was awful! Headache and I was dragging, I just wanted to go back to bed! But instead I cooked all the meals for the rest of the week and felt so much better this morning that it was all done. I have lost 5 pounds since I started so that has it been a month. Itโs freezing here so Iโm not walking as much outside but I did activate my membership at the Y and Iโve been going 3 times to 4 times a week. I think I am adding too much nuts and cheeses and have to cut back on that to lose more weight. But everyday is a learning curve for me. Thank you for the inspiration Nettie
The keto flu is no fun, Nettie โ but it passes quickly. ๐
Did it take you a full month to get into ketosis??
I found that drinking alkaline water and pure coconut water helped me feel better from keto flu.
Has anyone here used Tahini in recipes. I bought a container of it. I love the flavor of sesame seeds and its oil. It is a super healthy low carb food. I found recipes for sauces and baked chicken dishes on line using Tahini but have not used any yet. Does anyone have any good lc recipes using Tahini?
I havenโt heard of it, but that sounds interesting! ๐ I look forward to hearing what you try, and recommend!
Hi โ I have been following you for 2 or 3 years now. I love your honesty and how you just put yourself out there with all the good and bad things that happen in life. I just have to wonder if you have integrated too much processed foods into your way of eating? Just a thought I would throw out there because it has happened to me and I had to get back to the basics. You inspire me!
Thank you, Barb. ๐ Thatโs certainly a possibility! I know just how easy it is to get weight off FAST going super simple with the 3IMAX method (3 Ingredients Or Less Per Plate): http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/ so Iโll try that once I get through this โrecipe phaseโ I committed myself to. ๐
That plus getting back in awesome shape โ those are my Spring goals!
I just found you โ and I love you (hope thatโs OK)
Iโve been doing the LCHF thing for about two months, while also attending bootcamp 3x and doing 300 minutes of cardio weekly (motivation comes from my upcoming nuptials). Side bar Iโve been doing the gym thing for about 6 months. My immediate weight loss was 10 pounds โ like boom and hasnโt really moved since then. My body composition is changing โ noticeably; hive five!
However, before LCHF, I didnโt eat a lot of dairy (cheese), now itโs a daily or twice or ok, three times a day thing โ and Iโve broken out in a gross acne/rash me. Iโm guessing I have a food allergy โ and thatโs 1) making me look like a pepperoni pizza and 2) stalling my weight loss.
Iโm sure I can find more online; but I trust your judgement in regards to tasty recipes, as all that I have made that are yours โ are tasty!
Can you feature more โnon dairyโ recipes?
Hi Kimberly & welcome! ๐ Your opening comment made me laugh, and smile โ lol. ๐ ๐ Congrats on your engagement!!
Two things. First, itโs very common to experience a brief โholdโ on the scales after your initial weight loss. Thatโs just your body adjusting to losing 10 pounds so fast. So just keep doing whatโs obviously working for you!
It sounds like you may have the โketo rash.โ Google it and see.
What kind of dairy are you eating, btw โ cheeses?
Omg. Yep thatโs it keto rash. And I do workout a lot so that explains it! There doesnโt seem to be a โcureโ other than to get out of keto, which I did yesterday (cake tasting for the wedding!). Any recommendations?
I eat mostly cheddar cheese with the occasional double glouster in the mix. In addition, I make a tasty cabbage and hamburger casserole that also has sour cream and a bit of cream cheese in it. Thatโs been a staple for me. I was getting cramps while working out and the extra boost of potassium from the cabbage (as well as supplements) really helped me out.
Chicken Broth will help too. The cramps are because ketosis is a natural diuretic state, so you need to replenish the sodium & electrolytes lost.
I drink it hot out of a mug in the evenings. ๐
Iโve never had keto rash, though it IS fairly common, so I would just do some research on that. From what I understand it doesnโt last very long?
Iโve been doing LCHF for 3 months now and have lost 12 pounds without much exercise.
Recently, I had my bloodwork done and, to my surprise, it was elevated. My LDL was way above the guidelines. HDL was spot on. My total number climbing 30 points since my annual check up from July.
Anyone else have a similar situation?
I think thatโs common in the beginning, John.
BUT, if you hadnโt had your numbers run since last July โ itโs possible your numbers were up BEFORE you started eating LCHF just 90 days ago, and that theyโre actually improving.
So itโs hard to tell unless you did bloodwork again around December. Iโd wait it out and stay consistent, then get it done again in July. ๐
I like your โKISSโ meals โฆ simple is the way to go. And I like the fact that you keep it real, too. I appreciate everything you do to keep the group going and informed and interesting. I havenโt lost a pound this week, but I know itโs not a true stall โฆ probably just my body readjusting to the 52# Iโve lost thus far. Iโm not worried because Iโm staying at or under 20 net carbs. I have a LONG way to go and Iโm damn sure not giving up because the scale hasnโt moved this week. It will continue to move at itโs own pace and I will continue to lose at my pace.
Thatโs a GREAT attitude, Cynthia โ and CONGRATS on losing more than 50 pounds already! ๐ Wowโฆ Kudos!!
Youโre right to stick it out. Weight loss is NOT linear. You simply will not lose every single week, for a variety of reasons. The key is to just stay consistent and keep doing whatโs obviously working for you.;)
Hi, Lynn! I click over here from Tumblr, so thanks for posting your links there. I was wondering how strict you were about your macros when you were initially losing your weight. I see here that youโre over your calorie, fat, and protein goals one day and over your calorie and fat goals the other. Do you find that these donโt matter as much for you as long as you stick to about 20 net carbs? Was that always the case, or were you more strict in the beginning?
Hi Katie ๐
I keep it really simple, and have from the start: 20 net carbs max, 70% fat minimum โ those are my goals, and the ONLY thing I pay attention too. I ignore goals, calories, etc.
You canโt go by grams anyway, because some proteins are also fats. See: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/7006/macronutrients/ for a simple explanation & illustration.
Yes, thatโs always been the case: 20 net carbs max, 70% fat minimum, and just keep it that simple. ๐
How interesting! Thanks for sharing. Iโve been really worrying about protein and making sure Iโm eating fewer than 90g because of the โidealโ macros I got from a keto calculator, but I wasnโt actually sure that protein matters. I have noooooo problem getting my fats, but there are days when Iโve supposedly run out of protein and am just like, โWhat am I supposed to do, eat mayonnaise for dinner?โ Seems like I need to do some testing and see if I can eat more protein and still lose weight like you have. Thanks again!
lol that made me laugh! haha ๐ The only thing about protein is to stay at or under 25% of your total calories โ but that usually takes care of itself if you are eating 70% fat and 20 net carbs. So I rarely even have to look at it.
The grams thing gets too confusing, so keep it simple and see if that helps. ๐
Thanks for your advice!
Just stumbled upon your page today. Love it. Finding lots of good advice and help. I have been doing low carb since January 12 pounds down saw several things here that may have been my problems. Staying in ketosis has been a problem for me. I saw here that bread can cause a stall. I did cut bread out last week and Iโm back in good ketosis. So Iโm glad to be making these connections. I also ordered food and used your link and will continue to do so. Thanks for all you do here and I have only scratched the surface here.
Welcome Tricia ๐ Itโs nice to meet you! and Thank you!! Kudos for taking control of your health, and congrats on your weight loss so far. ๐ Itโs a learning process for sure. It was for me too. If you ever have any questions, donโt hesitate to ask!
Low carb is the only thing that works for me. Problem I have is not knowing or getting to a maintenance level. I lost over 70 pounds lasted for a second. I still have size 10 with tags on. But Iโm on it again excited to have found your page I think this will help and encourage me alot! I do have a question for you why donโt you drink protein shakes? I work morning shift and donโt take the time to make breakfast so I do a shake and a Atkins snack bar. Wondering if this could be another of my staying in ketosis problems?
Great question, Tricia! I do find they tend to stall me or slow down my weight loss AND if I have them on hand I just eat/drink them until theyโre gone, lol.
Plus they get expensive.:)
I often eat at my desk for the same reason, and 1/2 cup of pecan halves (60 grams) is just as portable โ and 420 calories, and very high fat / low carb, so fillingโฆ and convenient! Plus a real food. ๐
Ok I guess I will eliminate them and see what happens. Thank you for your quick response!
Try it for just two weeks and see what happens. ๐ Keep pecans with you. And make up something like this to grab & go too:
Ham & Cheese Baked Cups
http://cooktopcove.com/2017/01/10/watch-how-to-make-low-carb-ham-cheese-and-eggs-baked-cups/