Gaining Weight Back on Week 2 of Keto

newbies
#1

I’ve been doing the keto diet for 2 weeks now and the first week I had amazing results. My roommate and I stuck with the wellness clinic’s suggests on what to eat for the first 6 days. At the end of the week we both weighed in and I lost 11 pounds and my roommate lost 10. (My roommate is smaller than me and has 20 more lbs to lose and I have 40 lbs to lose)

We both use the keto strips and measure in the large range of ketones everyday.

We weigh every Monday and noticed the first week a big dip but the second week we have both put on 4 lbs. This is confusing because we are still in large ketosis and are sticking to eating meat, eggs and cheese with little veggies and fruit. We have stayed under 20 g of net carbs as well. Could this be due to a seasoning or using horseradish mustard with meat?

Does anyone know why we would be gaining?

(Jenn Monaghan) #2

It is very normal on this to not lose in a linear pattern, especially for women. Here’s my weight loss over the last year. My advice is to keep calm and keto on.

Capture

#3

Do you use a tracking app?

(Jenn Monaghan) #4

I use the free version of My Fitness Pal. I tracked every day for the first 6 months but now just track the food every now and then to keep myself honest.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #5

The initial weight loss is mostly water weight. As you work out your electrolytes, much of this will come back on. From there out it will typically be a bouncing ball, up down, up down, up down, with each cycle getting progressively lower.

That is unless you hit a stall, which is most likely to happen if you are under eating.

#6

I keep hearing you should stay at 20g of carbs a day. Do you measure by net carbs or carbs in general? I’ve heard people advice to subtract the amount of fiber from the amount of carbs to get the net.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #7

Yes, almost everyone counts Net carbs, and that’s what you should stick to.

(Dom DePlume) #8

From what I’ve found over time, a 2nd or 3rd week gain is very common, especially for women. Women’s metabolisms are much slower to change and adapt. Just stick to 20g net carbs, absolutely no sugar, and ride it out. You’ll be fine.

(Alec) #9

LeeAnn
At last… a point of debate… :laughing::laughing:, are stalls “most likely caused by undereating”? I am not so sure. I am on a stall and I know I am not undereating, and I see quite a few on here that are stalled and don’t seem to be undereating.

I am currently reading Jonathan Bailor The Calorie Myth, and he subscribes to the set point theory. I was thinking, this is it, and then I read one of @richard ‘s posts that he used to believe in set point, implying that he no longer does.

@richard, you referred a few podcasts ago to a theory you have about stalls that you wanted to test, but it was going to take 3 years to get a result (gulp!). Would you care to explain a bit? Or does someone else know what he was referring to?

IMHO, stalls are an extremely interesting arena right now, lots of folks are there, and there is seemingly no clear keto explanation. I would be happy to be educated if I am wrong!
Cheers
Alec

(LeeAnn Brooks) #10

I was really referring to those new to Keto. I’m sure there’s lots of reasons for stalls. Even for newbies like me. But the most obvious one is under eating. It’s the biggest mistake I see us making when we first start Keto.

If one eliminates that as a cause for a stall in the beginning, they could look at hidden carbs, too high protein, not enough fats, artificial sweeteners and dairy to name a few.