Long term keto, gaining weight

#1

I have been keto since April 2015… lost 40lbs after having a baby… high weight was 185lbs and last time I was weighed at the doctors (which was last year) was 126lbs… the last few months I’ve noticed my pants and clothes fitting snug… I do not own a scale and do not weigh myself as I’ve had issues with becoming obsessive over it.

I was eating around 1,200 calories net a day. Aimed for less than 25-30 NET carbs a day… I exercise almost 6 days a week just walking on a treadmill and average around 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day so I’m pretty active.

I give myself one cheat day but I never get out of control with it and usually am back into ketosis the next day by afternoon.

My question is why? Why are my clothes feeling more snug and/or why am I gaining weight? Is my calories too low? I test my strips and they say I am in ketosis. I just don’t get it. I even calculate my calories if I drink alcohol to keep myself accountable. Could it be hormones?! Anyone else experience this? Any advice is appreciated! Thank you in advanced!

EDIT: I have upped my calorie intake to 1,500-1,700 calories thinking maybe my calories are way too low for too long… it just hasn’t been long enough to tell if it is making a difference or not.

(Chris) #2

It could be the calories. The body does adapt to the level you give it after a while.

(Allie) #3

I’d go with the calories too, 1200 is very low…

#4

I thought so but wasn’t sure. I maintained on 1,200 for a while. It’s just been the past few months I e noticed the gaining of weight when I’ve changed nothing. Should I keep my calories at 1500? 1700?

(Chris) #5

I unfortunately can’t answer that one. I don’t personally track or count anything, but I know that keeping a steady restriction will lower metabolism. It comes up often on the Obesity Code podcast how the metabolism adapts to steady energy intake.

(Allie) #6

You might get benefits from taking up a fasting / feasting cycle as this will really shock your metabolism into waking up.

#7

Can you get me a brief run down of what that consists of? Or direct me to a link

(Adam Kirby) #8

You’re starving yourself based on your amount of activity. Why not give your body a rest from the constant exercise for a bit? Just let your body relax for awhile. Also, I feel that counting your calories is another thing you’ve become obsessive over, I would suggest trying to eat intuitively as an experiment.

(Allie) #9

There’s a long thread on the subject here -

Loads of info elsewhere online too. Basically fast 24 hours or however long you want, then feast for about the same time and rotate in that way.

#10

I have also thought the same. I’ve only been strict with the calorie counting since I’ve noticed the weight gain. I did try intuitive eating a day or two and ate probably around 2000… I know that I have obsessive tendencies. It’s just nice to see other people’s inputs! How long of a break do you think I should do from doing any exercise?

#11

Thank you I will definitely look into this! I appreciate all the info! Was hesitate to join an online forum but I am at a standstill with what to do.

(Tina Emmons) #12

BMR calculators don’t know you but depending on your age and height, I would bet you come in right around 1200-1300 cal JUST LYING IN BED all day so yeah, I’d say you’re calorie restricting. With your exercise schedule I would think your TDEE is more like 2000-2200. And definitely from what I’ve heard, feast and fast, never doing the same thing more than theee days in a row, keeps the body on its toes!

#13

Thanks for the input! When I first started this, 1200 just seemed to really work for me. So I kept it around that. My activity has definitely grown over the past few years now that I have a toddler running around and what not and since buying a Fitbit. Never bother d upping my calories. Makes sense. Just like other people’s input. Definitely going to have to try the fast and feast and up my calories! It just scares me to since I’m already gaining! Yikes!

(Roy D) #14

The 2 aspects to a keto diet is 1) what you eat, and 2) when you eat.

With respect to what you eat, there are different viewpoints on a keto diet of net carbs vs. total carbs. A presentation was recently given by Dr Westman on this subject in the link to a YouTube video below;

It’s not uncommon to become more insulin resistant (IR) as you age. I have not heard if this is also the case after pregnancy, but would not be surprised because of the possiblity of gestational diabetes that can be associated with pregnancy. (Maybe you’ve become more IR now?)

The second aspect of when you eat goes to allowing insulin levels to lower between periods of eating. Some diets allow eating multiple meals (and snacks) each day. This pattern of eating allows consistent elevated insulin levels during the day. The when you eat aspect of a keto diet eliminates snacking, and also potentially some meals (aka intermittent fasting, or IF) so insulin levels in can decrease between feedings. (The reduction of insulin levels allow energy to more easily exit fat cells, and therefore lose weight). There’s a good explanation on this topic from Dr. Jason Fung in his book The Obesity Code. (There are also multiple YouTube videos of Dr. Jason Fung available that will give a high level overview on this topic.)

With respect to alcohol, I’ve seen/heard others state they can lose weight and also drink alcohol, unfortunately I’ve never had any luck with this. :disappointed_relieved: My experience has been that my weight either remains the same, or I slightly gain. Below are some links that may help;

https://www.dietdoctor.com/?s=Alcohol

KCKO

(Roy D) #15

Another thought (if other suggestions don’t work out) is to purchase a meter to measure your body’s reaction (Blood Glucose (BG)/ketone levels) to the keto diet. Although this is not required to be successful for a keto diet, this approach would give you quantitive data that would allow you to make individual diet modifications to better your understanding/increase the performance of the keto diet.

Just a thought …

(Sharon) #16

Personally, I think a cheat day confuses your body. The “woosh” is because our body becomes convinced that no carbs are on the way so it gives up the water that use to be a place holder in fat cells. If you cheat once in awhile, it confuses those fat cells and they start hanging onto water to hold the place for more carbs up the road. I am no expert but that would be my guess…Just sayin’

#17

Possibly! But when I cheat, it’s not that bad. Every now and then yes. But usually no. I might have less than 100 net carbs if that on a cheat day! I usually either wake up or by the afternoon am back into ketosis. So I could see this if I was forging myself on carbs all day. But that’s not the case on my chest says :frowning:

#18

It’s funny. I usually drink my keto coffee in the mornings. Around 250 cals. Then I don’t eat till 1-2 in the afternoon. And never usually eat after 7 pm unless at a party, out to eat etc… but that’s usually only weekends if at all. I am getting older. Which is plausible. It just has me stumped. I work out. Eat right. It does honestly seem like the more I eat (carbs included) I am more lean??? There was a summer that I got out of control and ate more than usual. But I was very lean??? I didn’t understand but was ok with it. The more I got strict. The more weight I gained. Which isn’t much. Maybe 5lbs? But it’s enough to cause me concern. (I’m only 5’4 so 5lbs is more than others)

(Roy D) #19

I’ve seen comments on this board and various videos that state exercise itself does not have a major impact on weight loss. Values I recall states that exercise only contributes ~20% to weight loss, whereas diet contributes the other ~80%. Conclusion is that if you want to lose weight, concentrate on diet much more than exercise.

Another approach to understanding diet is to become very strict in keeping a food diary for the next week or two. Record everything you eat, both type of food & drink and quantity. Weight/measure the food if you can. Review the diary after the end of the week. This will most likely will be a PIA, but will nail down what you have consumed.

Insulin is a hormone, so yes it could be a hormone.

You may also be running into some female specific issues. Have you thought of listening to women specific podcasts and/or YouTube videos such as;

www.ketowomanpodcast.com/

(Not really recommending the above youtube videos, have just included them here as examples of videos that have come up in searches within YouTube.)

#20

I do keep a very strict diet and mark everything that goes into my body down, even alcohol! If I do drink it’s just usually plain vodka and a diet soda of some sort. I keep it very low carb.

I also use a digital food scale to weight everything out. Food and alcohol alike. I’m very particular. Yet I’m still gaining (or something is going on because my jeans feel snugger. ) it’s really odd because my face looks thinner (had people comment on it) yet my jeans feel snugger??? It’s really frustrating.

I will have to look into that hormones and women’s keto issues. Maybe I could find something there. Thank you for your input!