Help – I’m on week one but haven’t lost any weight!

Does a keto diet reduce inflammation? How low in carbs should you go? And what should you do if you didn’t lose any weight in the first week?
Get the answers in this week’s Q&A with Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt:
Does being in ketosis reduce inflammation in the body?
I have acute inflammation in my body and I would like to know if living a low-carb diet will reduce the inflammation?
Jeanie
It appears that inflammation can be reduced for some people, and some studies have shown reduced inflammatory markers on low-carb diets. So possibly, yes. But it may depend on the cause of the inflammation, get rid of the root cause and the inflammation will definitely be reduced.
Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt
How low in carbs should I go?
I just started a week ago, down 8 lbs (4 kg), and am trying to keep my carbs down under 20 g. It’s very difficult when I try to accurately score carb grams as there seems to be carbs in everything.
I thought I heard you say in an interview that your daily carb intake was around 5? Did I hear wrong and if not, how do you keep so low and where are you getting your carbs from?
Dave
Getting carbs down to 5 grams per day is extremely hard, and no, I do not do that myself.
I think it’s usually enough to get down to 20 net carbs daily which is substantially easier than 20 total carbs.
Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt
Week 1 and I did not lose weight
I am 344 pounds (156 kg) and thought it would melt off, but the scale has not moved. I’m a little confused with a few things.
- Are there portions I should be limiting myself to? Or just eat until full?
- Track food so i know exactly how many carbs I am eating? Should calories be counted too?
I do not want to give up because I see the success others have. How can I tweak this so I lose weight?
Kim
Hi Kim!
Sometimes it takes one or several weeks before weight loss starts, especially when going from calorie reduction to eating as much low-carb foods as required to stay satiated. I still believe – as do most low-carb experts – that eating as much as you need to feel satisfied is the best way to get started, even if it occasionally takes slightly longer to get the weight loss going.
Tracking carbs can be a good idea when starting out, and limiting them to 20 grams per day, but I do not recommend limiting calories, especially not initially. Instead, try to get used to feel when you’re hungry or not, and only eat when you’re hungry.
To make it simple to stay under 20 grams of carbs per day – with no counting – use our free 2-week keto challenge.
Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt

More
More questions and answers
Many more questions and answers:
Read all earlier questions and answers – and ask your own! – here:
Good luck.
Matt Oka
I lost the 70 lbs over a period of one year. This February 1018 will be 3 years for me. I have gained back around 15 lbs over the past three years. And I am convinced that I will not loose the weight unless I accurately track every carb and calorie. I use my fitness pal to do that. I hate the extra time involved with tracking. It seems I lie to my self about what I am eating. Tracking tells me the truth. Lol
Brittany
Thanks
Something is off. I'm 62 yo and 210 lbs. I am keeping my carbs well under 20, IF for 16 hours (without hunger until about hour 15, but probably could not eat for 18-19 if I don't eat at 16). I keep track of calories, just out of curiosity and am eat between 1200-1300 but am struggling to meet that range when I do IF. When I do, my protein is higher than the fat. Here's the problem: THE NEEDLE WON'T BUDGE! Seeing no weight loss, but feel better and more energized.
Help! Ready to throw up hands in defeat! Thanks
I got very tired of reading all the posts and finally scrolled to pose my question, which is the same as your! See above . Brothers and sisters in frustration. If you've received any advice, please share with me. Otherwise, I just have to hit the send button to order a pizza from Pasta Mista! Oh, and I don't use any of the flours, although I do eat nut butters. Dairy is very low.
Here is our post with more troubleshooting tips that may help you - https://www.dietdoctor.com/how-to-lose-weight
Check out our free two week challenge!
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/get-started
Also, rather than checking ketosis, you may want to try checking your blood sugar, before and after a meal to see how much each meal is impacting your blood sugar.
Yes, weight loss can affect hormones, especially estrogen which can affect your cycle. This should resolve soon but if it doesn't, please check in with your doctor. The best thing you can do now is just go back to eating very low carb and high fat!
You may find our two week challenge helpful as it can get you on track with no tracking or logging necessary. Also, a heads up that the Splenda has artificial sweeteners which can hinder progress.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/get-started
Same with all those keto treats and bars. Young folks may often get away with it. But the older we get, the more trigger-happy our insulin is.
If your following strict keto and not losing weight, find out what might be causing your body to produce excess insulin. Now that I'm older, my body is very sensitive to sweet things. I'm losing 2-3 pounds a week by removing anything that might trick my body into thinking it's getting carbs or sweets...