How can I gain some body fat?

(Colin) #1

I’ve been keto for a little over 18 months for my type 1 diabetes, with fantastic results. At this point, there’s no way I’ll stop keto, as I love it so much.

However, I would like to be able to put back on some of the weight I’ve lost. I’ve never been overweight – I’m 180 cm tall (5’ 11"), and historically around 75 kg (165 lbs). I’m now down to a steady 68 kg (150 lbs), with a BMI of just under 21.

I’m not so concerned about this from a health point of view, but as a type 1 diabetic, I use a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and an insulin pump, both of which are worn 24/7 with small cannulas under the skin. My lack of subcutaneous fat is making both of these problematic, and I have very few places I can put them where they’re (a) comfortable and (b) reliable.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to put weight on while remaining on keto?

(Susan) #2

I think if you were to increase your proteins and fats but keep your carbs low still; then you would probably be able to stay in Ketosis and still be doing Keto, but the increase in both, which would increase your calories a lot, should help you to gain weight =).

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #3

Eat more fat. Bump it up a little at a time until you start gaining weight. Alternatively, eat more protein and start pumping iron. But if you want subcutaneous fat, eat more fat.

(mole person) #4

I agree with @amwassil about eating more fat however I’m on a very high fat diet and I find it difficult to get in much more fat unless I also increase the number of meals that I’m eating.

For me gaining weight on keto is as easy as increasing the number of times a day in which I eat. If I eat once a day I’m below 104 lb, twice a day and I move up to about 108 pounds, three times a day and I’ll move up beyond 112 lbs.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #5

I think the ‘fat limit wall’ is when you start seeing it in the toilet. :nauseated_face:

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #6

Hi Colin,

I find if I add a cheese course to my evening meal every night for a couple of weeks I can add a bit of padding. I like to stay within a 4lb weight range, and I control this literally with my level of cheese consumption!

We have some things in common! I’m doing keto for better control of my T1D too, and I’m around your height and weight. I’m just over 6ft, and my happy weight range is 10st 10 (150lb) to 11st (154lb). I’m currently 10st 13, but my ‘eat more cheese’ threshold is 10st 10.

I’m fairly comfortable with 6mm cannulas anywhere round my middle (sides of front and sides of back), but I know how awful it was when I first started pumping and used 8mm ones initially - that deep was a) painful and b) absolutely useless!

I don’t have a CGM but I do have a Libre and I reckon it’s pretty reliable - I guess my upper arms don’t change much when I lose or gain weight.

When I was gymming and running a lot I was finding my muscly leanness to be detrimental to the efficacy of my cannulas - I’ve put my fitness obsession on hold for a bit so I’m a little softer-built now!

(Full Metal KETO AF) #7

Wow, that’s a drag gaining four pounds per meal! :joy::joy::grin::cowboy_hat_face:

(Colin) #8

Yes, that’s exactly what I need. I will try increasing my fat intake, and maybe stop fasting so much.

(Colin) #9

Hi Rebecca, thank you for your insights, they’re really helpful. When I say ‘CGM’, it’s actually a Libre too, but pimped up with a Blucon Nightrider and xDrip+.

I have been fasting quite a bit, and enjoying it, for about six months or more. I mainly have a 16:8 eating pattern, but more relaxed on the weekends. I’ve also managed a handful of 36-hour fasts. My reasoning for this was (a) to increase autophagy and try to heal my heart disease, and (b) to reduce my LDL cholesterol, for the sake of my doctors. (However, I have had an NMR lipid panel, and the LDL is mostly pattern A, so that’s okay.)

On reflection, given what you guys are all saying, I think maybe I should revert to three meals a day. I do already eat a fair bit of cheese, but I do love it, so won’t have a problem eating a bit more!

I also run 5km at least three times a week.

The other thought I’ve had is whether I’m metabolizing the fat properly. My wife commented to me this morning that she thinks my cognitive function has declined since going keto. It could just be coincidence, but I certainly don’t feel the improvement in brain power and overall wellbeing that many others seem to report when they’ve started keto.

How would I know whether I’m digesting and metabolizing the fat well enough?

(Susan) #10

Many people on the forum have reported taking MCT oil (two tablespoons a day) to improve their brain functions and for other benefits, so that might be a great fat to add daily as well =).

(Colin) #11

Thanks. I will think about it, but I’m put off by the price of MCT oil.

(Susan) #12

Oh okay. I buy a double pack at Costco -it is $30 normally and I wait until they are on sale for about $22 and I buy 2 times 2 packs when they are.

It is two bottles of 591ml each. Nutiva Nurture Valley Organic MCT Oil.

I don’t take any atm and I have noticed a decline in my mental alertness, but I am trying to do very basic eating this month without adding things. I will probably start using it again in December after I am done this protocol though.

(Todd Allen) #13

Insulin is a key driver of fat storage and upping your insulin dosing a little would likely help. If your insulin pump is controlled by your CGM that would mean upping your carbs and protein a little to raise your insulin. If you manually adjust insulin you would instead be watching the CGM and tweaking your carbs and protein to keep you BG where you want it. Either way I expect gradually adding in a modest amount of slower digesting carbs is probably going to be the most effective way to balance your goals of keeping stable blood sugar while boosting insulin and fat storage. Adding protein would help raise your insulin too but without added carbs your glucagon will rise more and likely negate some of the insulin stimulated fat storage.

(Todd Allen) #14

Fasting is one of the more potent ways to raise LDL, at least in the short term. Many of us have made the mistake of going in for a test having fasted significantly longer than the recommended 12 hours before a test expecting a lower LDL and being surprised by a big increase. Going in fasted less than 10 hours will also spike calculated LDL tests because triglycerides will still be high, especially if eating keto.

Dave Feldman’s protocol to game LDL tests involves boosting dietary fat for a few days prior to a test.


Here’s a decent write up of how the process is thought to work: https://www.bulletproof.com/diet/healthy-eating/how-to-lower-cholesterol-fast/

I don’t recommend this though unless you have a need to produce an artificially low LDL score to fool an ignorant doctor or insurance company. Personally I think standard lipid testing is mostly useful for increasing statin prescriptions but has little predictive power of heart disease risk, especially for people with stable blood sugar and without hyperinsulinemia.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #15

Buy so-called ‘Liquid Coconut Cooking Oil’ in any grocery store instead. It’s a fraction of the price. Technically it’s ‘Lauric Acid-rich MCT’ because it contains C12 in addition to C8 and C10. There are lots of good things about having some C12 in the mix other than making it cheaper.

https://openheart.bmj.com/content/3/2/e000467… BMJ Journals, Openheart

(Susan) #16

Is this with the cooking oils at Walmart, Michael? Can you drink a few tablespoons of it directly, like I do with the MCT oil?

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #17

Yes, you can drink it! It is MCT oil. Look specifically for ‘Liquid Coconut Cooking Oil’. The Walmart where I work does not have it, although it does stock Nutiva MCT Oil and Powder in the supplement department. I buy Jaga Liquid Coconut Cooking Oil at Loblaws City Market at $10 for 500 ml and often it’s discounted by a couple dollars. In comparison, Nutiva MCT Oil at Walmart is $20 for 473 ml! Read the article I linked previously. It tells you all you need to know about MCT oil and how the addition of C12 affects its metabolism.

(Susan) #18

Okay, thanks Michael =). I will look for that.

My Nutiva MCT Oil that I currently have has the C12 as well as the C8 and C10. I would rather get this big pot though, as it is way cheaper so thanks for the information. I will watch for it, maybe my Food Basics store at my local mall will carry it if my Walmart doesn’t =).

(Colin) #19

I agree, for the most part. I don’t have any desire to hack my numbers just to produce a certain result on paper. As for CVD risk, I’m sorry to say I already have heart disease, caused by the diabetes and stress, in my opinion. Historically, my total cholesterol has never been elevated - until I started keto, that is. I’m guessing the quality of my cholesterol may have been worse before, but I don’t know, as it wasn’t tested.

Would you have any references/evidence I could look at to support your view that “standard lipid testing is mostly useful for increasing statin prescriptions”? My GP is due to call me tomorrow morning and will try to persuade me to take a statin.

(Todd Allen) #20

Here’s a good place to start.
http://thincs.org/links-cholesterol2018.php