Maintenance is harder than I thought!

#21

I am no where near maintenance. But if I was, I would be very afraid of being so hungry again after I eat carbs. To fight that sense of hunger elicited by insulin is fatal for me. I dont have the strength. And that is what would scare me. I guess I would try to slowly see how much I could up the carbs from 20g. Maybe try 25 and then 30 to see how far I could go before gaining weight ( and hopefully not getting myself into the maelstrom of insulin hunger again). But I would keep it all keto.

(Ken) #22

First of all, you should understand that a four pound weight gain from your keto low is not fat. It is Glycogen. Probably around two pounds of it is muscular glycogen, with the rest being held by the liver. Youā€™re also holding a little more water so your inches changed a bit. What youā€™re doing is fine, you really are in Maintenance. If occasionally you do eat more carbs due to stress, just make sure you restrict them afterwards to avoid filling your liver glycogen up. If you do that you wonā€™t regain fat. Nothing here to stress about, as long as you donā€™t go back to a chronic high carb pattern youā€™ll be fine.

#23

Agreed, itā€™s not a one size fits all and there are definitely things that change it up. Iā€™m not familiar with Einkorn but have read a lot about old/ancient grains (before we screwed with them) act very differently in our systems. As a whole though I know when I eat an ice cream covered brownie with a ton of crap on it that if I have a lot of fat floating around thereā€™s a decent chance I may store a bunch of it. Since Iā€™ve been going about it this way Iā€™ve had little to no side effects from a cheat meal/desert in over a year now.

(Bob M) #24

Iā€™ll see what happens, as I usually only make Einkorn for holidays. I am trying it this week, as a recovery carb for my workouts, to try to replace glycogen. Iā€™m also using them as a high fat delivery vehicle, to get higher saturated fat into me to test the theory that saturated fat + starch is satiating. I just wish I had a CGM.

Iā€™ve tried mashed potatoes for two weeks, but those caused me many dietary issues. Weā€™ll see what happens with Einkorn. I donā€™t plan on using Einkorn much, but if it works for me, it might allow my family to eat some ā€œbreadā€ while also achieving satiety. Weā€™ll see what I think of it. I still plan to be in ketosis, so for me, itā€™s not going to be a lot of carbs.

(Bob M) #25

This is what I have a hard time with on this board. Every time the scale changes at all, people freak out. I personally stopped using the scale years ago, because the thing varied so much as to be useless. And I was regaining lost muscle, so my muscle mass went up (verified by DEXA scans), but the scale does not show that. And DEXA scans are too expensive and too time consuming to get.

Instead, I use my wedding ring (if it pops off my finger easily, thatā€™s good), pants and belts, and even a waist measurement (though even that fails, as the error is pretty high).

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #26

For those of us not trying to lose weight and possibly engaged in recomp, a tape measure and a caliper are probably more useful than a scale. Although I find this intriguing:

(Gregory - You can teach an old dog new tricks.) #27

Iā€™ve always thought NITM to be the best way to track my body compositionā€¦

( NTIM = naked in the mirror ) :grin:

(Jill F.) #28

I am looking at how much clothes are fitting and measurements too. I definitely have some pants that are tighter than they were a few months ago and have regained a couple of inches in my waist and hip area.
I started re tracking a few days ago and that helps a lot. When I looked up the nemesis cheese sticks I was horrified! No wonder why I have started to regain! When I track religiously I would never eat those types of things, too painful to enter! :sweat_smile:

(Jill F.) #29

I agree, I think once in a blue moon is one thing but several times a week is another. So glad I reached out on here it helps me put things back into perspective!

(Doing a Mediterranean Keto) #30

I am on the same boat. Some recommendations: what about chaffles? what about low-carb protein bars? Probably not ideal, but probably better than candies and desserts, loaded with sugar.

I also think it is necessary to feel that we can maintain the style of eating forever. You and me have been able to lose weight, so we have a strong will, but it is not the same to put lots of mental effort for a few months, than to do it forever.

I am trying to see what things I can eat, without returning to old bad habits. I know it is a path loaded with false roads. I hope I can make it.

#31

Go to YouTube search keto desserts and you donā€™t thank me later :yum:

(Gregory - You can teach an old dog new tricks.) #32

The problem with Keto desserts, IMO, is that they mimic old bad habits, and make it harder to leave the real thing alone.

Iā€™m fortunate that Iā€™ve never had much of a sweet toothā€¦ However, I did have a beer, nacho and popcorn toothā€¦

(Bob M) #33

If I could look at myself, I could do that. :wink:

(Bob M) #34

If tracking helps, then thatā€™s great. What helps is good.

(Sunny S) #35

Wow! I need to try rhe Einkorn flour. I was going to try it before mt husband and I went on Keto 13 months ago. If my husband could have bread, ans me too, I think we would be in heaven!

(KCKO, KCFO šŸ„„) #36

Check out the postings under the Maintenance subforum. Some good info over there.
https://www.ketogenicforums.com/c/progress/maintenance

For many, maintenance is the hardest thing. It sure has been for me. I have lost 30+ lbs, way too many times in my life. Keto is keeping me at or below my goal weight now. I also do some fasting.

(Jill F.) #37

Same here all while I was losing I did IF after I became fat adapted. I usually eat from 12 to 7 pm daily and that is something I got away from too recently. I have started it again about a week ago and I have lost a couple of pounds already. It is so much easier to get back on track and lose 5 pounds than to have to re lose 40 again.
I saw a clip from Dr. Phil show of a guy who lost 400 pounds and regained it and then some. I cant even imagine!!!
I think we can do this! Inhave lost and regained same 20 pounds over and over again. Keeping this much weight off this long is definitely a first for me so I really want to maintain it longterm.

(Natasha) #38

This is the subject of nightmares for meā€¦ regaining, not Dr. Phil!

(Ken) #39

IMO, the best way to track during Maintenance is the Scale, as long as you know how much Glycogen you carry. Since Iā€™ve done countless CKD glycogen recompensations, I know I carry around 14 pounds of it. As long as I never get near that I know itā€™s not fat. It takes quite a bit of carb consumption to get to that if not intentionally overeating. Iā€™ve gone multiple weeks of eating some supplemental carbs, even up to three weeks, then dropped down to Keto levels and lost it all fairly rapidly.

(Bob M) #40

14 pounds? Thatā€™s amazing. I assume that relates to amount of muscle mass?