4lbs gain after two weeks 18:6 fasting

(Adriana) #1

So I’ve been doing 18:6 IF for two weeks I even through a 24 hours one this past week… And so far I gained 4lbs. It seems its water, I feel swollen. Is this normal? Yesterday I did my best to get in as much potassium as I could. I decided to eat regularly yesterday and today to see if my body would reset? I don’t know. I just want to know if this is normal so I can continue on with if. Or maybe tone it down to 16:8?

(Robert C) #2

Did you change your diet at all 2 weeks ago or are you eating the exact same foods and quantities - just inside of that 6 hour window?

(Jennibc) #3

How long had you been doing keto prior to doing a fast? 18:6 means you are restricting calories but that’s not a good idea until you are fat adapted from what I have read because it can bring down your bmr. If you can easily access your fat stores, then going to a lower calorie level than your body needs won’t hurt you because it makes up the deficit from your body fat stores, so bmr isn’t affected. The only time I have gained 4 pounds doing this is when on vacation and indulging - eating some starch or a dessert. I didn’t start doing the 16:8 until I’d been essentially keto for at least 2 months. I don’t think it took me as long as it takes a lot of newer folks because I’d given up grain years prior and was already eating a higher percentage of my calories from fat.

(Adriana) #4

Same keto food, but probably about 1000 calories or less because I couldn’t it. I normally 3at about 1500 calories. I’m 5’4 226lbs before IF. Friday morning was 231

(Adriana) #5

I’ve been doing keto for about 6 months. I only lost 12 lbs since then so I thought I would do intermittent fasting.

(Robert C) #6

Well I can see two possibilities:

  • Since your calorie count went down significantly - your body might be holding on to extra water weight (it is unlikely, with the low calories, that you put on 4 pounds of fat in 2 weeks). It thinks this new low daily count is the new norm and not happy about it.
  • Stress could be a factor. Are you waking up and constantly thinking about not being able to eat until a certain time? Is it consuming your thoughts until you eat? This too will lead your body to hang on to weight sensing a food shortage is coming.

Of course, both of those might be happening.

(Carl Keller) #7

I was thinking this could be bloating… a reaction to something you are eating that your body is having a hard time processing. Bloating could be caused by certain vegetables, dairy or artificial sweeteners, to name a few things. Can you think of anything that is new to your diet?

(Adriana) #8

No nothing new. Pretty much the same I eat all the time.

(Kirk Wolak) #9

Can you write down what you actually ate?
Please include any artificial sweeteners.
What are your blood glucose and blood ketone levels?

I gain 1 lb for every avocado I eat. I eat 3, I gain 3lbs.
Many foods cause me to gain water weight like that.

(Jennibc) #10

I’d think you would be fat adapted by then.