Gained weight 1st week, what the heck?

(shelley) #1

Hi,
Started my Keto diet, 1st week weighed in, gained 3 pounds, I am so depressed and frustrated, I did everything I was supposed to, no cheating, what happened?

(Donna ) #2

Did you eat a lot of salty processed meats? Pepperoni, bacon, and salami come to mind. It could be that.

#3

when I first started keto, I gained 3 lbs also, but quickly lost those 3 lbs once I started listening to my body better (it took a while to then start losing actual weight but that’s another story… I got smaller for a while without any difference on the scale). I don’t track calories or macros… I eat only when I’m hungry, and stop when I’m full. And that’s how I started out, too (the non-tracking part)… but I think I was eating WAYYY TOO MUCH because I thought it was allowed. So, I don’t recommend counting calories, but I do recommend listening to your body. And maybe you are, and maybe it’s a different issue. :slight_smile: I’m just responding with my experience.

#4

oh yeah, true. That was also a problem with me way back when I started.

(shelley) #5

come to think of it, I did eat a lot of processed meats

(Charlotte) #6

Starting can be rough if you don’t see the magical loss the first week. Depending on your age it could be some slight bloating from pms. I gain 3 lbs right before my period and it just comes right off a couple days later.
Here is common advice I see on here:
Keep in mind its not a sprint. There will be plenty of ups and downs. Try not to get hung up on the numbers focus on how you feel. Your body is only just starting to adjust to a new way of life. It takes time for everything to be purged and become adapted. Try to be patient and things will get easier after the adjustment period is over. I’ve been keto 3 months and now I’m maintaining a steady .9 ketone level without work. I was a carb fiend and it took me that long to get adjusted. Don’t forget to read up on how to make keto flu easier to get through. Don’t get discouraged by numbers or the initial adjustment phase. Keep your chin up. :slight_smile:

(Carl Keller) #7

hi shelley.

Our body weight can fluctuate 1-3 pound every day just from water loss and gains. This isn’t anything to be concerned about. Try not to weigh your success or failure in short frames of time. It took us years or decades to become overweight so we can’t expect the weight to come off in daily chunks. Be patient and focus on healing your body and your hormones while keeping carbs low, fat high and your protein moderate.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #8

Where are you in your monthly cycle? How much carbohydrate are you eating? What kinds of fats? How many grams of protein? How insulin-resistant are you? How much do you weigh, and how tall are you? How much fat do you hope to lose? What sort of food are you eating?

Keto takes time. It’s a long-term change in eating habits, not a quick-term diet fix. Any weight loss comes about as the result of the return to metabolic health, and even on a low-carbohydrate diet, it depends on the body getting enough calories to be able to do the healing it needs to do.

#9

I’ve been on Keto for going on 3 weeks and I haven’t lost a single pound. I feel your frustration

(Running from stupidity) #10

Keto is this easy (Keto for beloved noobs)

This is for Phase One - the starter phase. It’s still not complicated later, but this is the really easy to explain version which will help you no end.

  • Eat under 20g of carbs a day

  • Don’t worry about the scale. All it tells you is weight, it tells you nothing about body composition, even the “smart” scales.

  • Eat plenty of good food - fat and protein - while adhering to 20g/carbs/day. Don’t worry too much about macros and calories EXCEPT carbs. Keep them below 20g/day. (Prioritize the animal protein (i.e. not protein powder) - always start with protein in every meal, but don’t panic about it.) Your job is to get fat-adapted, so give your body the fuel you want it to use. Also, your appetite will vary - it’ll disappear, then it’ll come roaring back. Happens to most people, don’t sweat it.

  • ELECTROLYTES/SALT - KEEP THEM UP

  • Buy the meat you can afford - don’t stress about grass-fed, organic (con), etc… The worst meat is better than the best bread.

  • Fasting is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. Works for lots, not for others. Don’t let tools tell you to use it before you’re fat-adapted and it makes sense.

  • This site has a search function (magnifying glass at the top of the page) and a newbies section - use them both, you’ll get a better variety of answers to your questions far more quickly that way. SERIOUSLY, THIS IS VERY USEFUL.[1]

That’s as difficult as it needs to be for a couple of months.

My good friend Terence (being friends with a Kiwi feels kinda dirty, but there you have it, keto makes for strange bedfellows) tells me this thing I have described above is called “dirty keto.” So yeah, do dirty keto, kids! :slight_smile:
Lots of Love, THE JUICE

Expanded version is HERE

[1]If you can’t find a useful answer after searching and reading for a while, we can help you a lot more if you tell us relevant data about yourself such as your reasons for doing keto, your weight/height/age/gender, a sample menu plan & any relevant health conditions.

#11

Definitely agree with you about listening to your body. :blush:

#12

Hi, everyone stumbles in one way or another. In my first few days I ate twice as much protein as I should have, then another time half as much, I went up to 50g carbs (oops) and so on. It was all over the place.

Maybe you have some hidden carbs, I got hit by that twice and I am very meticulous but still they were. hidden (in plan site)… so you need to check, recheck and then triple check everything you eat. How we enter food into apps can make a difference. Was it cooked weight vs raw, this brand versus that one. Thought it had 1 oz milk but had 8 …

Also how you weight yourself matters. I use the same scale first thing in the morning straight after 1st pee. BUT the body only regulates water to +/- 4lbs (2kg ) so that’s like chasing shadows. Must look at over all trend over weeks not a day or three.

Plus what everyone else said …

It does get easy, it turned out the perfect numbers can be had very easily for dinner just meat and veggies with butter. Brilliant. Lunch is fish and avocado with cheese. It’s that easy…

Hang in there, it does work, it really does.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #13

I did Atkins in the late 90’s and the book tells you to measure all over before you start because you can’t rely on the scale like you think you should be able to. You could be shrinking and the scale may not reflect it. There’s a fine balance between muscle, water and fat weight (not including organs and bone density to consider). It’s a nice adjunct tool to use if you are long term tracking but it’s a fickle B if for daily use. I found that my brain is much more satisfied tape measuring all the parts once a week and watching those numbers change instead of chasing the elusive weight.

Also, a friendly reminder not to forget all of the other benefits you may be experiencing from better sleep to fewer GI issues. The non scale victories are true and important!

(shelley) #14

So I noticed yesterday that I was going to urinate every half hour (or even every 15 minutes), weighed myself this morning and was down 3 1/2 pounds. It seems that I had just retained a lot of water.

(Frank) #15

Whoooossshhhhh.

(shelley) #16

So on Keto for 2 1/2 weeks and I havent lost any weight, getting very frustrated

(Frank) #17

Are you tracking everything?

(shelley) #18

Tracking fats and carbs.

(Frank) #19

And protein I’m assuming? What do your macros and calorie counts look like? You’ve given very little information to build off of. Typical day of eating. Some basic stats would be helpful as well. Height weight, etc.

#20

That can happen leaving the scales alone for a minute are your clothes fitting more loosely now?

Sometimes our body can retain more water weight as it resists any weight loss.

Are you aiming for 20 g total carbs or 20 g net carbs? Going total carbs is more strict but then again it is more certain, once you get in ketosis then it’s all a lot easier.

If you are taking any medication whatsoever they can totally affect weight loss. I’m not suggesting you stop any but so you can understand What might be going on

Have you had any lab work recently, especially thyroid function tests?

You may have some hidden carbohydrates which are putting you over the limit.

Maybe check out Dr Westmans “ask adapt “YouTube channel and see if anything the applies to you.

Otherwise definitely give it another week and let’s see how you go. I know it would be frustrating but if you don’t give your body any carbohydrates it will have no choice but to burn fat. Ketones is absolute worth it.

So confused after 4 days