Special snowflake question about weight gain from zero carb

#1

Greetings all! I’ve searched high and low for answers to my question, to no avail. So, smart keto veterans, what could be my issue? I was doing fabulous on a 100g veggie and berries carb, 50g fat, 60g protein diet, well, except for my gi tract issues, energy, and all the rest, and switched to full keto 20g veggie carbs, 80g protein, fats to 1800 calories. I then thought that a little was awesome (I went from my “fighting weight” of 120 down to 117, which was a bit too skinny for me. I’m a 47 year old female, 2 kids, 5’ 3.5" person who does kettlebells, running, pilates, yoga, jiu jitzu each 2x per week), but a lot of meat would be better!

Due to a shoulder grappling injury, I’ve had to stop kettlebells and most of my jiu jitzu, but am working with a personal trainer to keep my muscle mass and heal from this blasted thing. I am still doing everything else - and picked up 2.5 hours of contact dance, so I do believe my exercise level is fine.

So I discovered zero carb. Farmer’s market, grass fed and finished, local, organic, gorgeous meat! My ketone meter readings (blood) went through the roof (5.7ish), I gained a full pound per day for two weeks before I gave up (14 lb total), my swelling was so bad that I couldn’t make fists, my face was totally puffy, and I felt gross - no sleep, ramped energy, and frantic. I went back to regular keto and lost 4 lbs, but the extra 10 has not budged for 3 months (and I know that 130 is a good weight, just not the weight I’m used to. My pants don’t fit!). I’ve messed with different foods to see what may be my issue, to no avail. I don’t eat dairy, and I’m trying a vegan keto just to see if it was my delicious meat that’s bothering me. My blood ketone meter reading last evening was 2.7 (with net carbs of 30-40g, protein around 35g, and fats to bring me to 1700-1900 calories) aside from the zero carb experience, my ketones have read between 0.7-3.2. I track EVERYTHING, and am staying away from animal products to give my bod a break. I eat no fruit, sweeteners, coffee, carby look-alikes, only whole foods, nuts, seeds, olive oil, some vinegar for dressing, water, and no-caffeine herbal tea.

I can’t for the life of me see what I did to break myself! I know I have a lot of health issues, none of which have changed with my experiment, and I’m trying the vegan way of eating for only 2 weeks (I don’t metabolize the ammonia and urea from the meat well due to a genetic batch of weirdness) to see if that changes things.

Keto wizards, what do you suggest? I’m open to questions, comments, suggestions, and such. Please keep in mind that I do measure all my foods according to a digital scale, measure using a blood ketone meter, and weigh myself using an adjustable scale for accuracy. I am not perimenopausal, and had zero weight issues before my meat debacle.

many thanks!
Shanti,
Quinn

(Sarah Herlihy) #2

Hiya
My reply might be nothing but unhelpful but i identified with your post for a few reasons. Im a 34 year old female with two kids who loves fitness and once upon a time did as much exercise as you do. I was raw food vegan for the past 4 years and recently had major bloat, weight gain and just body break down episode. Do you think maybe you are doing too much exercise? Not eating enough and over thinking it? I have toned it back gym wise and am now including so many foods like butter and avocado and cheese that i denied myself for years. I dare say it but hormones are a huge issue for us girls too and i think a major hormone imbalance is to blame for a lot of my body problems. Since going high fat i have had nothing but positives and my body is healing.
Probably completely irrelevant but thought i would send you a quick message back. Good luck with it all.

(Chris) #3

I’m wondering if your body was dealing with an underlying plant allergy at that two week mark. Usually the advice is meat and water for 30 days at least before introducing other things back into the diet. If you try it again, and the same thing happens, have a doctor try to do an allergy test maybe? I don’t think it’s possible to be allergic to just beef. I could be wrong though, that’s common.

(Linda Culbreth) #4

I have no clue on most of what you said, personally. However - your herbal tea caught my attention. Started enjoying a non-caffeinated peach tea with no sweeteners of any kind and found myself on my breathe meter at .00 ketones. Off of it for 2-3 days, back in ketosis. Man, I am going to miss my peach tea! But, just a thought with your herbal tea.

#5

I’m actually genetically unable to process ammonia or uric acid, the byproducts of meat and animal products. So, my bod was becoming increasingly toxic. I did try some lovely roast beef after not having any for a week, and promptly swelled up again (fun times). I know, everyone on the zero carb forums was so helpful and encouraging - and encouraging me to stay the course. I’m glad I didn’t, but it’s exactly the diet I loved the most!

#6

Thanks for the suggestion! I checked, and my ketones are in the 2.4 range. It’s a complete mystery.

#7

Well, that’s a scary thought. I thought I HAD cut back since I’m not doing kettlebells or grappling (much). I love training!

(Gabe “No Dogma, Only Science Please!” ) #8

Dr Peter Attia, a huge keto guy, says he doesn’t think keto is advantageous to all of his patients and he doesn’t recommend it for everyone. Some people don’t respond well to it.

I’m no doctor, but you’re not responding well to it, by the sounds of it.

My guess would be that high carb diets are likely never a great idea, but a low carb but non-keto diet might be a better fit for you. The new Atkins, Gary Taubes, and plenty of other authorities are all about eating plenty of veggies. No need for zero-carb or very low carb ketogenic diets, necessarily.

Anyway, that’s my 2c. YMMV

(Jules Swart) #9

How are you doing now? Has cutting out the beef done it for you?

#10

Jules, you are so sweet to check! Nope, nothing I’m doing is flipping off that switch. My doc has no idea, since my blood test markers are totally fine, and I’m not showing an allergy to beef or any other meat besides shrimp - whew! My newest theory is that my bod is getting back to a more nutrient-fed state. Since I was nigh zero-fat and zero-protein for at least 5 years, and raw food vegan for 14ish, I think that this is refeeding edema. It’s totally a thing for people who were malnourished going to a nourished state. It sucks, as my weight continues to increase, but I can go dancing! Multiple times in the same week! And I am going for another college degree, and getting fantastic grades - hi there brain! So, I get to choose between gaining 15-20 lbs (I’m at 137 instead of my fighting weight of 122 as an active 47 year old woman 5’ 3.5") and have a totally awesome life, or looking fab (but grey skin and lethargy) and not being able to go out at all. It takes an average of 18 months to heal from what they call “Almost Anorexia” to lose the edema. I’m not losing any muscle mass, tho, but I’m ready to lose this water and show off my guns. Please send patience my way…

(Linda Culbreth) #11

Here’s a “box of patience” - You are doing great! :tada: :man_cartwheeling: :1st_place_medal: :bacon: :bacon: :bacon: