I am in week 7 of keto. Started at 182 lbs, had been down to 162 last week. Did my first 18/6 fasts on Monday and Tuesday and felt fine. Tuesday was the first time I didn’t feel like I was dying during Crossfit and I was so hopeful that these signs meant maybe I was becoming fat adapted. Weighed in this morning and am back up 8 lbs! Do not know how that is possible but it knocked my hope way back down. My macros are the same, my exercise is the same…why would fasting cause such weight gain? Any advice on what I need to change would be greatly appreciated!
Went from hopeful to ugh...7 weeks in
cadori
(Jessica)
#2
Up 8 pounds is water. Retention from unknown carbs, a harder workout, or hormones (if you’re a woman).
Rajseth
(Raj Seth)
#3
Can’t gain 8lbs of fat in a day. So it HAS to be mostly water. Don’t fret it. KCKO
warburg
#5
Cortisol reacts to stress (Crossfit and fasting are both stressful to the body) and causes water retention. Generally speaking, gentler exercise when fasting is better than intense exercise. Long walks are best. And make sure your electrolytes are OK, especially sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Ro_Sitaram
(Ro Sitaram)
#6
Are you tracking the inches around your waste? Much better market and can give you motivation that is not a scale. I agree with others, scale doesn’t matter especially for us women. Focus on your other improvements. You’re doing great!
Anniegirl9
(LeeAnn Brooks)
#7
One thing I’ve noticed about Keto is that weight fluctuates day to day much more so than LF diets. I chalk this up to water and the dehydrating effects Keto has on the body while we continuously try to rehydrate with ketoaide and salt to keep our electrolytes in balance. Just keep it in prospective and as long as the overall trend is downwards, don’t sweat the daily bumps. or even the occasional spike.
Roy_D_Rushing_Jr
(Roy D Rushing Jr )
#8
I’ve already seen as much as 6lbs difference from morning to afternoon and I’m on my third week. I’ve fasted all day and ate in about a 6 hour window every evening for the last 2-3 years though. That’s long before I ever considered a ketogenic diet. I’ve always heard that you should weigh in the morning because that’s when your weight will be the most stable, but I’ve found that when you’re fasting the most stable you’ll be is in the afternoon just before you break your fast.
I’m by far the heaviest in the morning now. If you’ve just begun fasting then you’re probably following a similar patter to me. Eat little or nothing all day, then have a rather large meal in the evening. That large meal is causing you to retain a lot of water, much of which is still with you when you wake the next morning.
A normal person should weigh in the morning because the 8 hours that they sleep through would be their longest fast of the day, so that makes sense for them. For us you have to include the additional 9-10 hours during the day where you eat nothing as well. Your morning weight then becomes the most variable measure because it will fluctuate a lot depending on how much and what kind of food you had the night before, salt content, etc.
Kbk
(Kelly)
#9
I haven’t tracked inches, although I can tell from clothes that I have to have lost a few. I did weigh the morning after “feasting”, so that would all make sense. Any thoughts on fat adaption signs? I am normally a “hangry” person, so I am still clinging to hope that maybe I am getting adapted…the past six weeks in the gym have been tough 
Swiftynix
#10
Hi Kelly,
I started about the same time as you. I think I’m in early stage of fat adaption and the signs for me are a) markedly reduced hunger, b) consistent energy levels, and c) ease with fasting- I do 16-8 half the days now, and have done 24 with no problem.
The biggest change is feeling like I choose what and when I eat, rather than being driven by cravings. So hopefully that means I’m on track. If you feel like this then perhaps you are too?
One difference- I haven’t been excercising at all- keto flu and electrolyte issues sapped me of energy for five weeks, but I have started gentle walking each day. That’s getting much more tolerable! One day, I may try cross fit, but for now my body has enough stress!
Kbk
(Kelly)
#11
I have most of those symptoms too and am hoping they good signs! I never got hit with the keto flu or anything like that, luckily, but I couldn’t give up my workouts no matter how crappy I felt. Here’s to hoping we are fat adapted soon!