Keto trouble

(Jim Thompson) #1

Hey all. Have been on keto for 5 months and all was going well. Was fasting 2.5 days once every other week and after 30lbs I’ve stopped loosing.

On top of that I decided to quit smoking and started taking chantex.

Well now I am having all sorts of issues. My weight is rising and I can’t seem to get control of it even on the same keto diet as before except for a few bourbons a week

I’m not counting calories but have started again and added some exercise but weight keeps rising
Anyone had a similar issue?

(Lisa F) #2

I’m definitely not an expert but I think nicotine can speed up your metabolism, so removing it could cause weight gain. Tracking calories is likely not a bad idea but it may take some time to figure out where your metabolic rate has landed without the cigarettes. When you are a bit further away from quitting the smokes (by the way - that is AWESOME!!!) maybe really delving into ways to increase your BMR is something you’d consider. I’d take a look at fasting for example.

I’d be patient and give yourself time to heal - get past the nicotine addiction, off the Chantix etc.

#3

Not sure what you mean by the same keto routine, except for a few bourbons a week. Are the bourbons new?

(Cathy) #4

I had been keto for a couple of years when I finally quit smoking and despite eating the very same, I did gain some weight. It took a long time to get it off again. Had I not been eating keto, I am sure it would have been much worse. It did eventually come off again. Congratulations on quitting!

(Lauren Casapulla) #5

Great job with the quitting smoking! I can’t imagine how hard that is, especially on top of adjusting to dietary changes.

My guess is that the booze is making your liver do the hard work of processing it out of your system. It’s hogging the liver so you have fat burning on hold. Plus, drinking one’s calories is likely to put you over your caloric need.

One cannot expect to exercise off a bad dietary choice. I’d say focus on staying off ciggies while continuing to assess your caloric intake. Weighing and measuring my food is the only way that keeps me honest with myself with being able to sensibly record my chow.

Good luck staying smoke free. Oh, advice from my mom, who quit cigs in 1982: Walk around the block when you want a cigarette. She’s pushing 80 and has not smoked again.

(Mike W.) #6

Put the scale away. KCKO. Congrats on quitting smoking. That’s HUGE! You’ll feel better in no time.

(Michelle) #7

Agree with comments here. First, excellent that you are quitting cigs. I quit 15 years ago and never looked back. Feel so much better.

Chantix is a drug that your body has to process. This may screw up your hormones while your liver is figuring this out. I would give it some time, focus on being nicotine free and then look at macros/diet again. Calories not as much. Keto is about hormones and not ‘burn more than you take in’ mentality.

Good Luck!!! Let us know how you are doing.

(Tom) #8

Congrats on quitting smoking! That’s super amazing!

First off, (and anyone who reads more than a couple of my posts will think I sound like a broken record) are you tracking waist and neck measurements? The scale lies, and cannot account for changes in muscle vs fat mass. You may see your weight go up, but if the tape goes down, you’re on the right track! So if you aren’t doing that, start now!

Second, an exhaustive 37-second search of Pubmed yielded this study:
Smoking cessation-related weight gain–beneficial effects on muscle mass, strength and bone health.
In a nutshell, there is weight gain, but it’s not all fat.