Increased activity and gained weight. Thinking I'm not eating enough

#1

Wrapping-up my 14th week of keto and this past week I increased my activity (walking) thinking it would help with weight loss and I gained .5 lb. I know it’s not a major deal, and I’m not freaking out over it, just odd because I’ve had consistent weight loss of a couple lbs every week except the week that I added activity.

I keep my total carbs under 20g (I think I’ve gone over by 1 or 2 grams once or twice), eat 16:8, keep macros at 70/25/5 and total calories around 1500. I’m currently 5’10" and about 234 lbs, started at 265-370.

I’m wondering with increasing my activity am I not eating enough and thus didn’t lose any weight as my body has gone into starvation mode. Any thoughts here? I’ve read both calories matter and calories don’t matter. My thoughts on this are it probably varies by person. I’ve been losing weight consistently at 1500-1600 so I figured being in a deficit worked for me.

Again not freaking out, I did lose a total of 1" between neck, chest, belly, waist, hips, and calf but for me that’s not much. Thoughts?

I included a screenshot of what a typical day looks like for me for critique. Thanks in advance!

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(Allie) #2

Are you tracking your progress in any way other than the scale? How’s your hunger?

#3

Yes, inches. Haven’t added them up but I’ve consistently lost inches. I measure neck, chest, belly, waist, hips, and calf.

Hunger no issues, I do 18 hours of not eating easily, the couple of 24 hour fasts have been a piece of cake. When I eat like I did yesterday (see screenshot above) no hunger issues at all.

I sleep great, have a ton of energy, no more joint pain, head is totally clear, don’t crash after a meal, it’s all good as they say.

(JGL) #4

I strongly echo this. This is why I am not interested in chasing numbers on a scale, but looking at my overall health improvements, looking at my increased energy levels, blood work, looking at how my body feels, inches if that is significant for you. I think these end up being way more psychologically and physiologically healthy and meaningful.

A half a pound isn’t a sign of failure or stalling at all and is really within a margin of error for even standing on a scale differently. I think if you look at the picture more holistically, you will be making your modifications based on more significant biomarkers and emotional markers of health. It is great that you’re moving more! If you slightly recalibrate your relationship to that movement from “increasing my deficit” to "supporting my overall wellbeing, including through increasing your endorphins,"I think it might decrease stress and increase your ease with all of these transitions.

The one thing I will add is that fixating too much on the deficit is also perhaps not the best strategy while your activity levels are increasing. Make sure you’re listening to your hunger or fullness (and electrolytes, I can’t say this one enough!) and feed your body what and when it starts to tell you it needs nutrition rather than chaining yourself to a flow of numbers in and out. Data can be useful and important, but when it supersedes the bigger picture: healing metabolism, learning to look for non-numerical signs of increasing health and wellbeing, then data, in my opinion, becomes a distraction or a fixation that can verge on a distorted relationship between body, food and self.

This is my way of saying that I don’t think you’re doing anything “wrong” by the numbers. A small shift in perception might help this feel less frustrating and more, dare I say, joyful, beyond the change in the number on a scale.

(Allie) #5

Sounds like you’re doing great and need to stop worrying about what the scale says.

(Michael ) #6

That’s a pretty small gain. It’s absolutely possible to gain a half pound of muscle a week. As far as gaining a half pound and not losing weight, entirely possible your muscles are pulling water for energy and repair. Exercise can complicate the scale. I fluctuate 5 pounds day to day depending on what i do. Weighing every day can help you see when you are just storing water and fat or muscle didn’t change. If you gain 5 pounds in a day or 2, it’s not fat or muscle. A pound of fat is approximately 3500 calories. And the most muscle gains average people achieve is a half pound a week. Muscle memory, genetics and vitamin T can alter these numbers a little but even adding 500 calories a day or doing resistance training, you shouldn’t see more than a pound of gain a week, unless it’s fluids

(Pete A) #7

.5 gained, how about exhaling?

My experience 18 weeks keto 5’10, 156 lbs, 60 lbs lost, averaging 1500 ,calories per day is the scale may very well move tomorrow. It all sounds fine to me, and I pretty much eat your menu!

#8

@JGL Thank you for your well laid-out response. I agree perception is everything.

@Shortstuff - I agree, very proud of the progress I’ve made, and all from changing my diet, AMAZING!

@Fat_Mike - I competly agree, very small gain.

@Pete_A - Dude, amazing, congrats! Well done. Have you achieved that strictly on diet or have you included exercise?

All - I’m really not freaking out over the .5 gain, or even no weight-loss. Really more of the fact that I changed something-up and what was working before (consistent weekly weight-loss measured every Friday a.m. at the same time) suddenly changed. Quite honestly, I’ve been shocked that in the prior 13 weeks there wasn’t a week where I didn’t lose weight or that i didn’t gain weight, but I’ve been as consistent as the sun coming-up in the morning. Also, the one change I made, adding activity produced what I thought would be the opposite effect. Could be I was due for a mini-“stall” and it just happened on the week that I added activity.

Thanks for all the positive comments.

(Pete A) #9

I’ve exercised regularly since day 1. Hiking (AT trailhead a mile from here) as well as walking on flat macadam. Various intensities but I’ve ramped up and gotten in much better shape which is my overall goal. Also Callisthenics and stretching at home.

I’m pretty focused on the 1500 calories too so I understand. I’m thinking I’m going to have to change it up soon (add calories), as I probably only have several pounds of fat and wrinkly skin left to lose. Not attractive haha And a different kind of challenge.