Gaining Instead of Losing Fat


(Marianne) #41

That’s up to you. This forum is great because you can ask for opinions, get a lot of input from people who have firsthand experience with keto, too, weigh the responses (okay to weigh those :rofl:) and then decide for yourself. If time passes and you want to try something else, you can do that.

Good luck.


(mole person) #42

Ok, so if you want to address your lack of weight loss I’d consider dropping the snacking. Jason Fung says that if you aren’t hungry enough to sit to a full meal than you should just wait. When you have a small snack you are causing an insulin surge that will prevent fat loss for hours, then if you eat again in a couple of hours it happens again. That’s how people get fat in the first place. Their insulin is elevated enough that they are in storage mode more often then depletion mode. It sounds like you are pretty much in maintenance mode.

This is why extended fasting and intermittent fasting are so powerful. The more hours between meals the better. I’m in maintenance now and eat two meals a day on about a 16/8 schedule (about 1700 calories) but while I was losing weight this was more like four days 24/1 and three days 16/8 and averaging about 1300 calories. I could not lose a single pound after my initial 10 lbs until I switched to having one meal days.


(David Mathis) #43

This is good to know. Maybe this is exactly what’s going on. I do eat in an 8 hour window already. So 2 meals in the 8 hour window?


(Susan) #44

I eat lunch at 1pm then supper at 4:30 and no snacking in between and no food from 5pm until 1pm the next day for a 20:4 IF.

Divide your calories for 2 meals, you choose your times, what works best for you =). Maybe try a Fast for a couple of days of just water/tea/coffee to help your body as well? That works for some people as well =). Good Luck =).


(PSackmann) #45

Yes, I generally eat lunch around 12 and dinner between 7 and 8 (depending on how late I work), so have at least 6 hours between meals. It can take 2-4 hours for insulin levels to return to normal, and a few bites can raise insulin levels as much as a meal. It can be a challenge at first to eat enough at one time to tide over 6 hours or so, but it can be done.


(mole person) #46

Yes. You can even shorten it more. Some people do six, or four hour windows. Some people only have one meal in a one hour window. And some people do extended fasting, but I never do myself. I do plenty of days with only a single meal, however.


(Susan) #47

I eat TMAD -1pm is my Lunch, and then no snacking (only water, tea, electrolytes) until supper at 4:30 then no food from 5pm-1pm the next day for an IF of 20:4 daily. I do drink Herbal teas/water and electrolytes in that 20 hours but no food or calories =).

I am currently doing a 48 hour fast – then I will have one supper Friday at 4:30 pm then another 48 hour fast for the current ZornFast. I would love to do 96 hours consecutively but going out for Friday evening grocery shopping with my 3 year old grand daughter requires me to eat first. This is because I am worried I might pass out or something alone with her, and I have to lug her in and out of the shopping carts, and run to the bathrooms with her when she is “I have to go potty grandma” which she seems to love to do in all stores for fun hehe.

The reason I don’t do well with OMAD is because I have a problem getting enough calories in one meal. Sometimes I do an OMAD accidentally because I simply am not hungry and forget to eat, or I get too busy and don’t have the time to make food.


(David Mathis) #48

Latest update. I’m now losing after buying the Apple Watch (allowing me to be religious about burning 700 extra calories each day) and adding electrolytes (2 cups of cooked spinach each morning and electrolyte powders).

I eat 1800 calories per day, still, but walk 7 miles a day and lift weights. Putting me in a 700+ calorie deficit a day.

I’m finally down to 181 and the fat around the stomach is lessening. My goal is still 155 - 165 or wherever I land at less than 10% body fat.

I think age is definitely making it harder to lose.

I had forgotten that I rode my bike 2000 miles in 2014ish when I was last in the 150s, and I was not tracking calories burned back then. Could be I was burning 1000+ calories a day.


(David Mathis) #49

So stuck on 181 for a while now. I’m starting to think it’s partly muscle gain that’s canceling out fat loss. I keep making huge strength gains in the gym. :man_shrugging:


(David Mathis) #50

I lost down to 179 then gained back up to 182 within a few days.

Definitely seems to be a combination of muscle gain and water loss and gain. The muscle gain explains the lack of “weight” loss in general and the water loss and gain explains the wild spikes up and down.

I use three separate scales to rule a malfunctioning scale.

There’s definitely fat loss as my stomach is nearly flat, love handles are disappearing and the fat under my chin is gone.

One of those 3D body scales would be helpful.


(Jennibc) #51

Those scales are not accurate. Either go have a DEXA scan or do the underwater weighing. Both are far more accurate.


(David Mathis) #52

Which scales are not accurate?


(David Mathis) #53

I’m referring to this: https://shapescale.com/

It shows muscle gain and fat loss from a 3D scan of the body, which would be good enough for seeing what’s going on. Accurate within 1mm.


(traci simpson) #54

It’s $500!!! That’s a lot.


(David Mathis) #55

Hovering at around 179 exactly but can see signs of massive fat loss without the needle on the scale moving much at all.

I was wearing a waist size 34 jeans but will now need to buy new clothes as they are falling off me with too much extra material to tighten down with a belt. I have no idea what size I’m at now but I suspect 30 - 31.

If it’s muscle gain that’s offsetting the fat loss I should expect one of three things to happen:

  1. My weight stays about the same until I reach my muscle gain max and as fat loss continues I should start losing weight again until I hit my 7% body fat goal and stabilize.

  2. I continue gaining muscle while my weight stays about the same until the fat is gone and slowly start gaining muscle weight until I hit the muscle gain max and stabilize.

  3. Muscle gain and fat loss hit their max at the same time and I stabilize.

In any case I can definitely see the fat loss in the mirror and so can my wife.


(Susan) #56

This is fantastic =)). Congratulations.


(David Mathis) #57

Down to 177.


(Susan) #58

Congrats David!!


(David Mathis) #59

Back up to 181.4 today. Keep in mind this is measured on three different scales so it is my actual weight and not a faulty scale.

My guess once again is that I’ve gained water weight for whatever reason because it’s not possible to go from 177 to 181.4 in roughly a day, especially when I eat about the same each day and burn approximately 1000 extra calories a day through walking, anaerobic exercise and weights.

My waist size measured even smaller today and my arms and chest last night appeared much bigger than the days before, seemingly out of nowhere.

Hope someone out there in my situation finds this useful because between muscle gains, water gains and losses and fat loss I have no idea what’s happening.

Food on a typical day Lately .

Morning:

2 Scrambled eggs and 3 slices of bacon cooked gently in avocado, macadamia, olive or walnut oil. I rotate through the oils.

2 cups of boiled collard greens, spinach or some other dark leafy green

An electrolyte drink with a scoop of fiber mixed in (no carbs)

Lunch:

A handful of peanuts and a 4 oz can of tuna in olive oil.

Dinner:

A 6 oz cut of some type of fish or chicken breaded with almond meal and herbs baked.

A side of riced cauliflower and about 1/8 to 1/4 cup full fat cream mixed in.

A side of dark greens.

About 3 squares of 90% dark chocolate. About 5 carbs.

An almond milk drink with unprocessed dark chocolate powder (no sugar), fiber (no carbs), stevia and some type of nut oil frothed and heated.

Another electrolyte drink when I workout.

Drinks:

Green tea and 8 glasses of water through the day.

Coffee with half and half in it some days.


(Edith) #60

Overworking muscles can cause them to swell.
Also, if you are working out too much your body can find it stressful and release too much cortisol. I think that makes us hold some extra water as well.