Help- Weight gain on Carnivore, pics look fatter

zerocarb
(Brittany) #1

Hi- Thanks for looking at the post.
I have been keto for @ 2 years and lost @ 50lbs. I stopped losing, and actually started gaining, so…I’m trying carnivore. I have been carnivore for 7 weeks, and today is day 6 of no dairy. (wanted to see if that effected me, I used a tad too much HWC) I also had my birth control removed (I’m really determined) but…at the end of the day I’m up maybe 5 lbs and my pics have depressed me. BUT, I am feeling great (not about myself) but I’m sleeping and have energy, my memory has even improved , and that’s what people say focus on, but that’s hard when your goals are going the wrong way. I don’t overeat, I just eat when I’m hungry - thanks again

(Chris) #2

Cutting dairy / eggs is probably a good thing, but we’ll see how that pans out in a while.

Have you messed around with time-restricted eating / intermittent fasting at all? This could potentially further regulate your hormones to help keep fat storage under control.

On to weight: The scale is a terrible indicator of fat loss. On keto, but especially on ZC, you’re building lean mass just by eating this way- muscle and bone are far more dense than fat, and thus weight may go up while bodyfat % drops. I’m not at all saying this is true in your case, that would be impossible, but it’s a probability based on the teeny amount of info I have. There are quite a few knowledgeable ZC ladies on these forums also, would love to see their input.

(Brittany) #3

thank you. I was expecting see a change in the before and after photos but you can actually see the weight gain. I’ll keep up the no dairy too see. I was scared to IF much bc I think I messed up metabolism by undereating for so long. But I can give it a shot
Thank you

(Ken) #4

A five pound gain is easily within the range of water weight or glycogen. If you haven’t been eating carbs, water has to be the reason. I suggest you focus on that if you’re trying to figure out why the scale moved.

(Brittany) #5

maybe I should increase water? but I look fatter in the pics …thanks for the response

(Leslie) #6

I was a little intimidated by the idea of fasting too.
I have a history of anorexia and thought my metabolism was deranged as a part of that.
However, within a few weeks of going keto, I no longer felt hungry in the morning, so I pushed breakfast back until I began to feel hunger.
These days I’m having my breakfast around 2:00 everyday. I eat all of my calories between then and 6:30 when we have dinner.
The key to my success with IF has been to eat, eat, eat in that window so I’m getting all of my nutrition and calories.

My weight loss has been consistent and continues.

I hope you find this helpful
Keep calm and keto on

(Elizabeth ) #7

Intermittent fasting is rarely recommended at least by the ladies in zeroing in on health and zero carb Health on Facebook. I came to zero carb almost 4 months ago from strict keto for 2 years. Eat the food you like and can afford. Eat when you’re hungry and drink water. What I found really helps me and I gained a few pounds but have lost it, is to eat just a couple more bites that I really want. That seems to satisfy me for 6 to 8 hours at a time.

(Brittany) #8

Thank you, I will start IF again :slight_smile: thanks for your reply!

(Elizabeth ) #9

I’m not sure that this is smart. Especially if you’ve restricted before, like I have.

(Elizabeth ) #10
(Brittany) #11

How much weight have you gained? Can I show you my pics? So you can see what I’m talking about?

(Elizabeth ) #12

Sorry I just read the part about your birth control as well, you know that that has to be an issue that only women can really understand. And at the most cellular level weight is controlled by are hormones. Just don’t give up, and keep doing what you know to do.

(Brittany) #13

It’s hard, thank you- but when I tell you I am doing everything right…it’s so frustrating

(Leslie) #15

Six to eight hours of fasting is considered intermittent. That’s why your doctor will order fasting blood glucose tests after six hours of fasting

(Elizabeth ) #16

I eat two meals a day normally with zero carb the first one is whenever I get hungry sometimes that’s 9:30 in the morning sometimes it’s not till 11 or 12. The second is sometime before 8 in the evening so that could be as early as 5 or as late as 7:30. But I eat so much at least a pound of meat, per meal that I have no interest in snacking. But since I’m going a minimum of 14 hours without eating the next day it is self-regulated fasting but not forced.

(Jay AM) #17

If you’re sure you’re doing everything else right, this is your culprit. Not only can it cause weight fluctuations when you’re taking it, it can cause them when you stop. Including water retention and bloating. Because, let’s be honest, 5 lbs of weight without bloating or puffiness isn’t going to be super visible in pictures to anyone who isn’t obsessed and already stick thin or super muscular. Just keep doing what you’re doing, making sure you are doing your ZC correctly. If a scale or other tracking method is causing you to distrust what you’re doing, get rid of it. Would you let someone in your life tell you you look fat because you gained five pounds and make you feel bad? I would hope not, so, don’t let your scale and camera do it either.

(Genevieve Biggs) #18
  1. 7 weeks in is too soon to judge on zero carb. It really takes 3-6 months.

But most importantly…

  1. You just removed your birth control!! Woah! Congratulations on taking that big step. But most importantly your body is STILL recalibrating your hormones. Weight loss/gain is all hormonal. Keep calm, ZC on, and let your body figure itself out. Until your hormones calm down you won’t see any progress.

ZC 16 months

(Chris) #19

I gotta say, I haven’t read a single one of your comments I didn’t agree with.

(Genevieve Biggs) #20

:sunglasses:

(Brittany) #21

Thank you so much, and I am going to continue ZC for now :slight_smile: