UPDATE: Don’t read this and despair! Things have gotten better since I posted this.

It’s been a while since my last post for a reason. I was frustrated with my lack of weight loss on a ketogenic diet and then listened to Jimmy Moore’s Ask the Low-Carb Experts interview with Dr. Stephen Phinney. I was very hopeful that I would learn why I wasn’t losing weight.

Instead what I heard was very upsetting and demoralizing. Ultimately my negative reaction completely derailed me which I accept as my fault and has nothing to do with the interview really. However, I’m still struggling to get back on track. I have decided to not go into a rant  and “commit into the eternity of the internet” what is most likely an emotionally biased interpretation of the advice given that I will come to regret later.

The short version is that the question in my heart was “If I am 100% following the diet prescribed in the books, am registering ketones and have a calorie deficit, but am not losing body fat, what should I do?” While I didn’t get a chance to ask that question, based on his answers to the other questions this is what I heard:

• Ketosis does not equal weight loss. Instead it only facilitates fat mobilization. Calories will ultimately dictate weight loss.
• His answer to most questions about being stalled is that they must not be following the diet correctly.
• One should not be hungry on this diet.

Since I didn’t like my pieced together answer to my question, I reacted poorly. If you are interested, please listen to the episode and let me know if I completely misunderstood. I received some replies to my comment on the show page and they all agreed that I am “not getting the message”. I accept that but then what is the answer to my original question? I am not trying to be perverse, but am still stuck in the same position and don’t know how to proceed. “Ask your doctor” is probably the right answer but I find it unsatisfactory, due to the complete lack of help they have been in the past.

I would have preferred to not share this at all since it doesn’t really make me feel good or proud of myself. The fact that I allowed being told that calories matter to throw me off so much (even compromising my hard wrought blood sugar control) reflects poorly upon me. The fact that it’s been a month and I still don’t have my blood sugar under control again… shows a lack of will power and self respect that again shames me to report.

I’m not sure why I am sharing this at all. The point is not to bash anyone or elicit replies that “It’s working for me” or “You must be either not following the diet or eating too many calories”, etc. Honestly, I would rather not have to read those right now… Maybe I’m just hoping that sharing my failure will help stop a self-destructive cycle…