My Support backfired and now I’m gaining weight

(Carolyn) #1

Hi all! I am new to this group and new to keto. I started keto to support my husband who wanted to lose about 40-45 pounds. He has a family history of horrible health and is the only one out of Five kids and his parents that isn’t morbidly obese. He works hard to keep his weight down but it has crept on him the past few years. I thought that by doing this with him it would be easier for him and I also thought the added health benefits sounded appealing for me as well. I wasn’t trying to lose weight but definitely didn’t want to gain any either. I have five kids and worked very hard to keep my weight at a healthy BMI for myself after each pregnancy. I am 5”5 and staring keto I was at 117 and now I am 123. Still not a bad weight but I have gained 6 pounds in 1 1/2 months! This is very frustrating because I feel like I have been trying hard to do everything right. I want to keep supporting him but can’t let the weight keep creeping on. I’m thinking that because I didn’t have any weight to lose that my body is just keeping the fat instead of using it? Here is what I eat on a typical day.
Breakfast: two eggs cooked in butter, half avacado, either a chicken thigh or bacon and tea with two tablespoons of HWC. Sometimes a few almonds

Lunch: huge salad with homemade olive oil dressing and a chicken thigh and some cheese.

Dinner: veggies with sour cream, a smaller salad than lunch with same dressing and some fatty meat and cheese.

Sometimes I will have about 1-2 carbs worth of dark chocolate and a few almonds if I get a sweet craving.

Any suggestions to lose the six pounds that I gained and just maintain would be great, thank you!

(Candy Lind) #2

Too much protein - two chicken thighs is nearly all the protein I would eat in a day, and I weigh 235. Thighs, though higher in fat than breasts, are still very high in protein, and as big as they grow chickens these days a traditionally grown chicken thigh is 5 ounces or more of meat.The excess protein is turning to sugar, so you gain. Stick to bacon for breakfast, and when you do a chicken thigh, eat less or skip the cheese and go with more fat (mayo, sour cream, hollandaise, compound butter) instead for satiety.

Being so close to goal weight, I would suggest you use Cronometer or My Fitness Pal to log your food so you can keep your macros in line. Yes, logging is a pain but it will help with those last few pounds.

I hope this helps, and that hubby is doing great! Try not to be jealous as he shucks off the weight with seemingly no effort. Oh, and come join the “Vintage Ladies Keto Club!” :innocent:

(Carolyn) #3

Thanks! That was great info. And yes, he’s lost 22 pounds already and nearing his goal weight quickly. Luckily I’m more happy for him than jealous even though it’s frustrating. I’ll try backing away from more protein for a while and see if that helps. I was playing around with the idea of easing up on fats and doing a more low carb diet instead of keto but not sure what direction to take. I’m just worried the weight will continue to creep up when before I switched my diet To keto I didn’t have to worry about that. Ugh… thanks for your tips!

(Penelope) #4

Veg, huge salad, almonds, chocolate. Could be the carbs. As far as you’re husband’s support, just move forward. Your battle with your metabolism is your fight - what he does or doesn’t eat won’t help you. Focus on your needs, ignore his intake and move forward!

I know it is difficult and I don’t mean to minimize, but really he can’t help you. Only you can. I believe in you! I’m doing it so I believe in you!

(Karen) #5

Oh and check the dark chocolate. My 90% is still 3 g carbs for one square. Others are right on the too much meat I think too. You are small/low bmi already. It’s harder. Good luck, and more fat.

#6

Make sure you read labels for hidden carbs. For example, not all sour creams are alike. Some will have less than 1 carb a serving, while another might have 2. And of course, salads can have carbs too, though certainly less ‘offensive’ carbs.

One or two here and there may not seem like much, but they all add up. I know because not being totally vigiient, I gained my first year of doing keto. I never ate outlandish or had serious lapses or high carby ‘treats’, just a bit too much here and there, too often. I have had to resort to writing every morsel down so I dont’ fool myself.

#7

Carb cravings is a sign that the body is still burning carbs on a calorie/carb restricted diet. Validate consumption and ditch the carbs(chocolate) until the body no longer craves carbs.

Like potato chips, with chocolate nobody can have just one.

#8

Ignore the scale. In fact, throw that sucker out!

They are right, you’re most likely getting too much protein. Have you carefully calculated your macros?

But also consider that, with your improved nutrition, your body may be replacing bone that had been lost. Or maybe muscle. Or maybe you are much better hydrated now. Could be a number of things happening.

You are talking like some arbitrary number on some arbitrary, doesn’t-really-work-well-or-scientifically mass market machine has the power to decide over you whether you are a “success” or not.

Please don’t let your self-worth be determined by a $7.99 appliance! (If we can add signatures to our posts, someone tell me how 'cause that would be mine!)

KCKO and commit to six months fully-compliant keto before you weigh yourself again. Go by measurements, how clothes fit, how you feel, etc. We’re all here to encourage you and support you!

(Carolyn) #9

Thanks everyone for all the good info. I definitely have a lot to think about and will now be easier with all the suggestions!!

(Karen Parrott) #10

I haven’t read the other replies. For me, switching ever so slightly to get my fat and protein grams close to equal really helps me to lean out if I start to gain weight close to my goal ( I’m 5’1", 51 years old, normal weight 6 years, obese or binge eating for 40 years prior).

It’s a slight shift, but I find that overeating fat (and total calorie intake) well, makes me gain weight. I’m doing it right for me. I know there are many who say that’s not the reason, but it works for me. And also many others who find weight gain after initial success.

I also find Time Restricted eating (17:7) with my food from 6am-1pm to be a huge help.

Best wishes and a small amount of experimentation will get you the results you are looking for. Nobody else is going to pay for my bigger pants or increased health insurance, so I make sure I use tools and methods that get me results. Tracking my food intake and weight is almost free with MFP and a home scale. A little time involvement, but I can’t manage what I don’t measure. I record the data and move on about my day. I make adjustments once every 4-5 days, based on trends.

It’s really, really easy for me to gain weight. Always has been, and always will be, even while Keto.

(Carolyn) #11

I think that’s exactly what I need to do. I haven’t ever paid much attention to counting calories but have always tried to eat a healthy diet. I think now that I’m getting older I will have to learn how to tweak my diet a little here and here so the weight doesn’t creep up. Thanks for your input!!

(Ken) #12

It’s highly doubtfull that eating excess protein (according to keto dogma, or nutty keto) causes fat gain if you’re lipolytic, and haven’t overcompensated glycogen. Plenty of people eat a 33% protein macro and lose fat, I’m one of them. Your weight flux is probably due to some type of water retention, not fat gain.

(Karen) #13

Think it might be unusual that a gal can eat that much protein though. Chime in gals with your % protein that still allows weight loss.

K

#14

“Keto” is a LC diet. It’s not about macros. It’s about maintaining the physiological state of ketosis, so the body uses fat for fuel. So the important question is: are you in ketosis? Without that knowledge, you’re shooting in the dark. And that works fine for many folks. But when troubleshooting, knowing glucose and ketone levels is useful.

(Donna ) #15

You went from 117 lbs to 123 lbs, but you didn’t say if your pants and other clothes are getting tighter. How are you feeling? Are you experiencing any health benefits not related to weight?

Lots of people on this journey are frustrated because the scale doesn’t move, yet their pants are falling off. I’m wondering if you’re building muscle and bone with all this good nutrition. Just a thought.

(Carolyn) #16

Yeah my pants are getting tighter and I’m not losing inches. I work out three times a week doing a mix of cardio and strength training so I thought that was the case but then my pants should be getting looser and not tighter. I’m not sure if I’m in Ketosis or not because I don’t have anything but the strips which I know are useless.

#17

The strips are not useless at 6 weeks. They may still show ketones this early. At 6 months less useful.

You should put your daily consumption through an app and see how many calories you are eating (as well as grams of protein). I feel like you are eating a lot but I did not add it up. You are also eating often. I try to eat no more than twice a day.

Finally, keton is not necessarily a weight loss diet, it is more a weight regulating diet. If you eat enough fat, especially if you are lean, you can gain weight. I think you may have been too thin before. This is regulating your weight a little higher, or at least that is possible

(Troy) #18

Agree. So true

Try Lindt 90%
(4) squares
7 NC

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(Miss E) #19

I’m probably going to be the odd one out for saying this but is it possible your body functions better and is more of a homeostatic state at 123 pounds?

Depending on many variables there is every likelihood that 123 pounds is very healthy for 5’5. Maybe get your body fat% checked to put your mind at ease.

(Hala) #20

Fast ! I have the same situation no diabetic and not obese and when I started keto I was 120 then after 2 month i gain 5 pounds when I started to fast I can see more results and btw to lose weight it’s not abt ketones level only u should have lower glucose level like 85 max to be fat adapted … however I used to have 3 as ketones level and 100 glucose level and no weight loss only when my glucose level is 85 or less I feel I’m losing weight with fasting and it’s not easy for us to lose weight bcz the body fat is not high