Feeling down after last 2 weigh ins showing weight gain

(Les) #1

So I have done keto off and on for years. Normally last 3-9 months and get to my goal weight in that time frame at which point I have added in other foods and maintained my weight. Over the last year and a half I gained a bunch of weight back. Beer is good but obviously that and life happening caused me to gain back to 250-260. I’m 6ft solid build (athletic build) man that has always been bigger than most or thick. Me at 225 has me sitting at a 32” waist and 58” chest. Currently 244 with 38” waist (or close)
I’ve done this before and this time I am only a month in. I had my initial first week drop from 251 to 241 which was nothing surprising but since the last few weigh ins I have gained instead of dropping any at all. I have stayed under 23 total carbs, average 16-2000 calories, test with a keto-mojo in which GKI stays anywhere from low to high ketosis. Ketones sit no lower than 0.8 all the way up to 2.8 at the highest. Problem now is I have just this overwhelming feeling of it’s not working this time. My clothes fit slightly better so far and I feel less bloated but the mental challenge is kicking my butt.

Ketones are strange as well. I will be at 0.8 and then eat healthy meal and they jump to 2+ with BGL dropping. Blood sugar stays 90’s until I eat and then it drops to 75-85 range. Is this normal??

I guess more than anything I’m typing all this out knowing the answers to any questions I would have but I don’t have any other than the one. This is more for support from others that have felt defeated at times. I know the min I break this and indulge in something I shouldn’t, I will only have instant regret and have to pull out of that.
What have you guys done to keep motivation and not get grouchy and down.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

It sounds as though you may be more insulin-resistant this time around. The first thing to do is to take a really hard look at just how much carbohydrate you are actually eating. Take an especially hard look at anything that is not a single-ingredient whole food, since manufacturers often change the formulations of their products. You have to look at the list of ingredients as well as the nutrition panel, because under U.S. law, manufacturers can deliberately choose a portion size that allows them to say 0 g of sugar in the nutrition panel, if the amount is less than 0.5 g/serving.

For now, you might wish to keep your carbohydrate intake under 20 g total, not just 20 g net. If you are really insulin-resistant, you might need to go even lower. Now that the end-of-year holidays are over, it should be easier to avoid sugar, grains, and starches and stick to vegetables such as leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, squashes, and the like. A quite satisfying meal can be made from a meat (with gravy made from heavy cream, if you like) and a vegetable or salad.

The other factor to look at besides low carbohydrate intake is food amount. We strongly advise people to eat ad libitum, that is, to satisfy their hunger, rather than to a specific calorie count. The reason is that cutting calories risks triggering a famine reflex in which the body reduces the metabolism and hangs on to fat stores. When we eat enough food, the metabolic rate rises again and the body feels safe letting go of excess stored fat. The low carb intake keeps your insulin level low enough to permit fatty acids to leave your fat tissue, and the active metabolism allows those fatty acids to be metabolised.

In a low-carb milieu, most people’s appetite hormones start working properly again, which makes appetite a reliable guide to the quantity of food to eat. The hormones generally put our appetite at a level where we can metabolise both our excess stored fat and the fat we eat. Since the metabolism responds by speeding up to match intake, the caloric value of our food becomes less important than this hormonal response. There are documented cases of people eating 3000-5000 calories a day and still being able to shed excess stored fat, so eat when you are hungry, and eat enough to satisfy your hunger for long periods of time.

The psychological issue of craving carbohydrate-rich food is a totally different matter, but I can say that on a well-formulated ketogenic diet eaten to satiety, the cravings become more manageable. You may still have to take a page from the A.A. Big Book and work on postponing your carb intake a day at a time. It seems that swearing off for ever just triggers binges, whereas promising yourself all the carbs you can eat tomorrow can be a strategy for not eating them right now.

(Les) #3

Thank you for that info. I normally do eat until I’m satisfied and then stop and don’t eat unless I become hungry which is one of the things I’ve always loved the most about keto. As far as craving carbs that to has subsided and the only reason I’d feel I wanted to jump off the wagon was due to that dang scale not moving the direction I want it to, although I know I know, the scale doesn’t tell the truth always and my clothes fitting better is the key. It’s a mental game for me some days which is why I started this post. I thought maybe if I talk about it I can over come it, and so far this has helped.

As far as becoming insulin resistant this time around, what would have caused that and can it be overcome in time by lower carbs like you said.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

Insulin resistance can indeed be reversed, as the Virta Health study has shown, but the key lies in consistently eating a ketogenic diet. Unfortunately, reverting to the type of diet that got us into trouble in the first place is highly likely to get us into trouble all over again. Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt says that a ketogenic diet is like showering, if you stop doing it, you stop getting the benefits, unfair as that may seem.

(Robin) #5

It’s always a head game, isn’t it? I would suggest you put away the scales for a good 6 months. They can F-up your head more than anything else. Focus on what you eat (obviously) but mostly, how you feel, how your clothes fit, and just keep on keeping on. But ditch the scales for now. They are workin against you.

(Les) #6

Yeah the scale is out for me! Clothes are fitting way better. Now I have my self really confused though on some other things maybe y’all can answer. So I have been fasting from 6pm to 3-6pm the next day before I eat. Haven’t been hungry at all. Today I decided not to eat but had coffee with coconut oil. So not a true fast but what I noticed is my blood sugar went from 74 to 96 and ketones 1.8 to 1.6. I had NOTHING else so why is my sugar jumping from only black coffee with coconut oil. Am I missing something??

(Les) #7

Thank you for the reply btw! Talking with others is helping me stay focused

(Les) #8

Awesome to know. I appreciate all your input. This helps me more than you know!

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #9

One thing necessary to success with keto is an attitude adjustment. For most folks that adjustment means to stop obsessing about what you ‘gave up’ and remind yourself as often as needed what you ‘gained in place’. In your case maybe it just means to stop obsessing. Eat sub-20 grams of carbs per day. Eat when you’re hungry stop when you’re not. Stop measuring ketones and glucose. Weigh youself once a month until further notice. Don’t overthink it. Stay active and get lots of sleep. Best wishes.

(Les) #10

Awesome advice! I’m putting too much thought into the glucose and ketone readings and def the scale