Getting Fatter on keto

(Amanda ) #1

Hi everyone,
I’ve been strict keto for 12 weeks. I am 110 pounds and am following these macros;
Protein grams
79
Carbohydrate grams
18
Fat
113

I have not gone up or down in weight, but I have added fat since starting this diet. My clothes are tighter (some don’t fit now) and I can visibly see more fat on my legs and stomach.

I am unable to fast yet. The longest I can stretch it is to stop eating at 6pm and not eat again until 6am, and that is a struggle because I wake up around 4:30-5am hungry most days.

Here is what I’ve had today, and I’m still very hungry.

Bullet proof coffee @7am:
One collagen peptids scoop, 2 teaspons MCT oil, 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Breakfast: 1oz avocado with 2 hardboiled eggs and 2 tablespoons trader joes blue cheese and pecans spread. 2 slices bacon.
Lunch:
2oz salami
2 oz kerrygold sharp cheddar cheese
cucumbers
1oz almonds

That leaves 335 calories for the day, if you’re into counting calories. The keto books I’ve read make me think calories shouldn’t be of concern though. I listen to keto podcasts and read about keto constantly so I feel like I get how to do it. Anyone see what I’m doing wrong? While I don’t need to lose a ton of weight, I wasn’t wanting to gain any either!

(LeeAnn Brooks) #2

Are you sure it’s fat gain and not bloating?

Too little sodium can cause bloating.

(Amanda ) #3

Hmmm, I feel like bloating could happen in my tummy, but i’m not sure that I’ve ever experienced bloating in my a** and thighs which is where the weight gain and extra fat appears to be…

(Sarah Grady) #4

We would call arms and legs swelling as edema not necessarily bloating.

(Short224) #5

I am still fairly new so I’m not positive but I weigh way more and my protein is less than what your taking in maybe to much protein but calculations are different depending on the site . :woman_shrugging:t2:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #6

How tall are you, and are you young? Fasting is not necessarily recommended for younger, thin people. It’s not a prerequisite on keto. I am 116 and still need to eat two meals a day. I still get hungry, though I’ve been doing Keto for three months. But I still have belly fat to lose (I’m 60 years old). I have a small frame. If I were you I would each more real food.

#7

It looks like you’re too focused on meeting macros. As @Regina suggested, focus on eating real food. 4-6 ounces of a meat, a couple of cups of LC veggies, and some fat (from a sauce, avocado, nuts, coconut, or olives).

#8

Ditch the bulletproof coffee. Eat a big lunch and a big dinner and you’ll feel satiated enough to stretch the fasting window a bit.

#9

Bulletproof coffee (with 2 tablespoons coconut oil + HWC - each morning for me!) has served me well so I wouldn’t blithely go advising anyone to ditch it! Keto is brain nourishment and body recomposition - not weight loss per se, esp if you’re not obese!!!

The MCT mitochondrial support is amazing for brain nourishment, and in turn, for fat burning. I’ve lost incredible amounts of inches on my non-obese bod the last year, while feeling really great! :herb: :avocado: :steakcake: :coconut: :sparkles:

Yer poundage matters not - it’s really about recomposition of fat vs. muscle/bones. You also didn’t state your height, so how could anyone have a clue as to whether you’re getting fatter???

There are phases during fat cell changes which involve extra water in fat cells and in between cells (interstitial fluid). It’s tough to feel larger and wobblier temporarily, but hold fast - it may well be prep for a “swoosh” (search this here forum via the search bar for more on that).

I don’t weigh - I just measure. Anyone who is not obese is likely to not have much change in weight, just a huge change in measurements :wink: In addition, those with eating disorders may need assistance that is beyond the scope of this forum.

This may help you - it’s helped me this past year whilst gettin’ leaner and leaner. Nurse Cindy is so great! She recorded this very early in her keto journey to help herself AND help others:

#10

Also, this recent cross-cultural documentary on LCHF/keto is very helpful for emotional & psychological support:

(Amanda ) #11

Thank you for all the in put. I am 5’ 2", so 110 is well within the “healthy” range, but I haven’t been this heavy since I was 6 months pregnant. I now have love handles and it is uncomfortable to run with the extra chub on my legs. So no, I won’t die but this isn’t what I was hoping for with this way of eating!

I counted macros for the first 2 weeks of keto and felt I had a good handle on how it worked. I then ditched counting all together for 2 months. Once I started realizing my clothes weren’t fitting, I went back to counting macros to see if I was misunderstanding some of the foods or making an obvious mistake. I found that I was usually within the 68-70% of fat, 5% of carb and the rest protein so it didn’t seem too “off”.

I LOVE the way I feel after a bullet proof coffee. I absolutely do feel the brain clarity from it. But it never makes me ‘full’ so I still eat a large breakfast.

I haven’t had any sugar at all for the 3 months and I think my anxiety has reduced greatly, so I do see the benefits and don’t plan to jump off the plan. I guess I was just hoping there might be something I could tweak to help my body mellow out with the fat storage.

(Diane) #12

I would consider if you’re drinking enough water and getting enough electrolytes. Electrolyte imbalance can cause bloat/edema.

Just a thought.

(Amanda ) #13

I drink one electrolyte drink a day, but I would say I’m not too great about drinking water. I have a day that is usually packed with back to back meetings with little time to use the restroom! I can work on that.

(KCKO, KCFO) #14

Then you are not like the rest of the women of the world. Bloating can happen anywhere. My ankles/legs and wrist/arms can balloon up when I am bloated even a little bit.

You seem very concerned about calories, grams, etc. Are you eating enough fats? Maybe your body is trying to tell you something?

Up the keto friendly fats like avocado and coconut oil so you can reach satiety. You might want to add some green leaves in there as well. OR try going carnivore. Try one of these protocols for a week and see how it goes. None of this really happens overnight, it takes a while to put on weight and even longer to take it off.

Good luck sorting it out.

(Kel Ta) #15

I’m short too and I gained weight on Keto and ZC, cut the dairy and nuts and I found that it was in the end too much fat for me- so did burnfatnotsugar.com and did great but I should say I didn’t need to lose weight in the first place- I was using Keto to heal my gut

(Amanda ) #16

Interesting!! It makes me sad to think of cutting out nuts and dairy :frowning:

(Ron) #17

@amc2007
You have gotten some good suggestions here but I have one you might try.
Your a smaller person and consuming the same amount of protein I am (I’m over 200lbs) so you might try cutting your protein down to around 50g. The typical recommendation is ,07g per kg of LBM but even if you just use total weight of 110lbs (50kg) that would suggest 35g but 50 would be a good goal. Do this a few days in a row and I would be surprised if you don’t see positive change.:slightly_smiling_face:

(Leslie) #18

@amc2007 I too am 5’2” and weighed 100lbs nearly my entire adult life except when I was pregnant. However, many of those years were spent in calorie deprivation and using stimulants to suppress my appetite. The end result has been that at 50 years old I was going to the gym every day and spending two hours sweating and lifting only to get heavier every year. I was 150 pounds before I started keto in December of last year. My metabolism was so messed up from all the ‘dieting’ I had done for so many years that I’m pretty sure I will never be normal (whatever that is).

Today I am 120ish which I have come to the conclusion is just fine.

The more important things are my overall health and well being. I sleep. This is a miracle in and of itself. I am never hungry or hangry. I don’t have menopause symptoms or irritability. My libido is high and my skin looks twenty years younger than my age. My asthma is improved, my traumatic brain injury symptoms are decreased. I have energy and stamina. I am lifting heavier than I ever did when I was younger. I can read and concentrate and remember things like never before.

My life is better
My body is better
My marriage is better
My family is better

I started keto to lose fat
I continue keto to remain healthy

Sometimes when we embark on a journey we think we know what the future looks like and we don’t anticipate the curve balls that are thrown at us. Life is a journey.

Enjoy the adventure.
Try not to focus on what you think you want the destination to look like

Healing comes first when we fix our deranged metabolism

Weight loss is meaningless when we consider restoration of muscle and bone and other lean tissue

Balance is the key

I hope you find this helpful
Keep calm and keto on

(Amanda ) #19

I used a keto calculator I found online. I totally understand your suggestion. I’m nervous that I would still feel hungry on that ratio since the protein seems to be the thing that satiates me. I’ll think on it, but most likely, I’ll try it!!

(Amanda ) #20

I find this really helpful - thank you!

I spent 20 years being vegetarian and calorie restricting so my metabolism IS off. I don’t feel like I have a goal of being super thin, but I wasn’t expecting to change body shop in this way. I agree that I want to feel good, have energy and sleep as a higher priority than size, which is really huge for me! I would have jumped off this WOE 2 months ago if I wasn’t feeling so much better. So, I’m trying to stay calm, and keto on. It’s hard, after so many years of doing the opposite!!

I’ve had zero sugar for 3 months. I really thought this would be the magic pill to cure all that ails. I definitely do see a reduction in anxiety so that is a major plus.