Low Carb Backfire?
sheryl792
Posts: 19 Member
Hi
I could use some help. I thought I was decent with knowing what to eat to have a somewhat 'clean' diet. I've been back on the wagon for a month and going strong, I lost 7 lbs and went away over the weekend. I didn't eat horrible but ate some things (hamburger vs turkey burger) that I've been staying away from. I get home and see on Mon I've gained everything back. I do realize I've been gaining some muscle and can see myself toning up. I've been doing 30 min cardio in the AM and boot camp or weights at night for an hour.
This happened to me last year when I was working out, I gained 10 lbs in about 2 weeks and I never lost it.
I cant figure out what is going on with my body. I had my thyroid checked last year and it was fine.
I did read that a low carb diet can cause glycogen starved muscles which hold onto normal food causing weight gain when you eat it.
I dont know what to do. Am I not eating enough? Not enough of the right foods? Not the right combinations at certain times of the day? Help I'm at a loss.
Thanks in advance
Sheryl
I could use some help. I thought I was decent with knowing what to eat to have a somewhat 'clean' diet. I've been back on the wagon for a month and going strong, I lost 7 lbs and went away over the weekend. I didn't eat horrible but ate some things (hamburger vs turkey burger) that I've been staying away from. I get home and see on Mon I've gained everything back. I do realize I've been gaining some muscle and can see myself toning up. I've been doing 30 min cardio in the AM and boot camp or weights at night for an hour.
This happened to me last year when I was working out, I gained 10 lbs in about 2 weeks and I never lost it.
I cant figure out what is going on with my body. I had my thyroid checked last year and it was fine.
I did read that a low carb diet can cause glycogen starved muscles which hold onto normal food causing weight gain when you eat it.
I dont know what to do. Am I not eating enough? Not enough of the right foods? Not the right combinations at certain times of the day? Help I'm at a loss.
Thanks in advance
Sheryl
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Replies
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You've been gaining muscle? How much in a certain time period?
If you went back to eating carbohydrates, it's likely that you are retaining water. Going back to low carb will probably get rid of the water weight as carbs hold water.0 -
Hi
I could use some help. I thought I was decent with knowing what to eat to have a somewhat 'clean' diet. I've been back on the wagon for a month and going strong, I lost 7 lbs and went away over the weekend. I didn't eat horrible but ate some things (hamburger vs turkey burger) that I've been staying away from. I get home and see on Mon I've gained everything back. I do realize I've been gaining some muscle and can see myself toning up. I've been doing 30 min cardio in the AM and boot camp or weights at night for an hour.
This happened to me last year when I was working out, I gained 10 lbs in about 2 weeks and I never lost it.
I cant figure out what is going on with my body. I had my thyroid checked last year and it was fine.
I did read that a low carb diet can cause glycogen starved muscles which hold onto normal food causing weight gain when you eat it.
I dont know what to do. Am I not eating enough? Not enough of the right foods? Not the right combinations at certain times of the day? Help I'm at a loss.
Thanks in advance
Sheryl
Don't worry. It it hard to imagine that you ate 24 500 extra calories ONTOP of your maintenance to really gain seven pounds.
It is a combination of different food ( especially carbs, if before you ate low carb ), more salt, maybe a few drinks you usually would not have, maybe some activities that caused your body to hold on to water.
Just continue with what you did before, drink some extra water and be a bit patient. I bet in a few days you will be back to normal.
Good Luck !
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You don't gain muscle eating at a deficit.
You just ate too much this week end and are probably retaining water (although some of it is probably fat too).
And for what it's worth, the calorie difference between a turkey burger and a hamburger can be minimal, depending on the fat % of the meat used...0 -
OP, do you know how many calories you are eating?? Low carb, food combinations or timing, etc are all personal preference. If you eat less calories than you burn, you lose weight. Regardless of how many carbs or how clean.0
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How do your clothes fit? I'd imagine probably much the same right? A good chunk of that is probably water weight and bloat due to eating foods you usually don't. Probably higher carb and higher sodium. I wouldn't worry about it...I know that's not exactly easy to do. I went from low carb to a fairly normal, macro balanced diet and the weekend that I transitioned I ate a few more carb heavy things than I had intended (I didn't stuff my face though) and gained 14 lbs in a weekend. That weight never really went away (except for 5 lbs that I fluctuate all the time). But my clothes fit the same so after my initial freakout/breakdown I just forgot about it.0
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IsaackGMOON wrote: »You've been gaining muscle? How much in a certain time period?
If you went back to eating carbohydrates, it's likely that you are retaining water. Going back to low carb will probably get rid of the water weight as carbs hold water.
Gaining muscle while eating at a deficit is apart from a few oz of beiginner's gain impossible. You can't make something ( muscle ) out of nothing ( deficit ).
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I'm really curious what makes a turkey burger a 'clean' food as opposed to a hamburger?0
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Kim, that is what happened to me last year. I've worked out my entire life and 4 years ago dropped from a size 8 to a 4 in 2 months doing kettle bell workouts. Last year I was in PT after knee surgery and had some limitations but gained 10lbs and never lost it. I've now gone to a size 8 and my pants are really tight. My clothes are definitely tighter I feel like I'm about to rip my pants.
I know you cant really gain 10 lbs in a weekend and keep it on, though I have done it before over 2 weeks. I dont eat junk foods but I really feel like something else is going on and I'm out of balance with eating. And yes though I am at a low caloric intake I am weight lifting and gaining back muscle tone.0 -
@Ang108IsaackGMOON wrote: »You've been gaining muscle? How much in a certain time period?
If you went back to eating carbohydrates, it's likely that you are retaining water. Going back to low carb will probably get rid of the water weight as carbs hold water.
Gaining muscle while eating at a deficit is apart from a few oz of beiginner's gain impossible. You can't make something ( muscle ) out of nothing ( deficit ).
You seem to equate a calorie deficit with eating nothing!
OP could be new to training, with an adequate protein intake and a plentiful supply of energy (fat) to make up for a modest calorie deficit for all you know,
Saying gains are limited to a few ounces is based on what exactly?0 -
I'm getting 100g+ of protein a day. Last year I was doing 150g+ and thought that was the issue for gaining weight even though I know protein burns fat. So I've stayed around 100g the last month.
MFP tracking ....
Calorie avg 1100-1300
Protein avg: 95-145g
Carb avg: 90-120g
Fat avg: 25-45g
AND a gallon of water a day0 -
Sound like water weight. Wait 5-7 days and see if this disappears.0
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No, protein does NOT burn fat. There's no such thing. The only way your body burns fat is by expending more energy than it consumes regardless of your macros.I'm getting 100g+ of protein a day. Last year I was doing 150g+ and thought that was the issue for gaining weight even though I know protein burns fat. So I've stayed around 100g the last month.
MFP tracking ....
Calorie avg 1100-1300
Protein avg: 95-145g
Carb avg: 90-120g
Fat avg: 25-45g
AND a gallon of water a day
So if you ate a higher amount of carbs than you're used to, automatically you'd gain water weight. That's normal.
If you're exercising 1.5 hrs a day (bootcamp+cardio) and eating 1300 calories and gaining weight, then you're NOT eating 1300 calories.
If your weight is staying the same, then it means you're eating at maintenance calories (whatever the real # is). Solution is to double check calories in.
BUT, it's possible to be doing everything right (calorie deficit) and still not lose scale weight. This could be explained by water retention which can mask fat loss depending on where you are on your menstrual cycle. For me, that's the week before and during. I don't even bother to weigh myself during these 2 weeks.0 -
I can drop 2kg of water during a long run. That's 4.5 pounds. Likewise I can gain quite a bit of water / glucose related water binding when off my regular eating due to a special event, an IV drip (recent experience), or travel.
"Protein burns fat"? Nope. Eat the protein you need, or what's tasty, don't over do it with notions of micro-optimizing calorie burn.
Your macro breakdown looks similar to mine. I'm lower carb, not low-carb, and I'm a distance runner. I try to keep my carbs below 35%, get sufficient protein (0.65g-0.85g/lb of lean mass), and let fats float where they will. This seems to work for me. I'm down 78 pounds since last September.
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jennifer_417 wrote: »I'm really curious what makes a turkey burger a 'clean' food as opposed to a hamburger?
this one always gets me too...
my preferred grocery sells both 85% and 93% ground turkey and ground beef...nutritional profiles are pretty much identical for each...I think it's hilarious that so many people think ground turkey is so much healthier or whatever. 85% fat is 85% fat is 85% fat....0 -
It sounds like mostly water weight (with some fat if went over your calories) from going off low carb and eating higher sodium. For a women to gain 10 lbs of muscle would take a good year of lifting very heavy weights.0
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When you started a sentence with "no one can gain 10 pounds in a weekend...." I had to laugh. I just got back from a long weekend in Chicago and gained ten pounds in four days. Boy I had a lot of beer too. Five have come off this week already so yes its water. The worst part is my Aria scale when I stepped on it did't say "YOU" it said "GUEST" because I gained so fast.0
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jennifer_417 wrote: »I'm really curious what makes a turkey burger a 'clean' food as opposed to a hamburger?
Really? Turkey has less fat overall and is leaner0 -
jennifer_417 wrote: »I'm really curious what makes a turkey burger a 'clean' food as opposed to a hamburger?
Really? Turkey has less fat overall and is leaner
That doesn't explain how one is clean and the other is not.0 -
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jennifer_417 wrote: »I'm really curious what makes a turkey burger a 'clean' food as opposed to a hamburger?
Really? Turkey has less fat overall and is leaner
and unless you actually ground the pure turkey breast yourself then you don't even know thats 'clean' .... just saying.0 -
I'm getting 100g+ of protein a day. Last year I was doing 150g+ and thought that was the issue for gaining weight even though I know protein burns fat. So I've stayed around 100g the last month.
MFP tracking ....
Calorie avg 1100-1300
Protein avg: 95-145g
Carb avg: 90-120g
Fat avg: 25-45g
AND a gallon of water a day
A typical low carb dieter eats much more fat than you're eating. While your diet isn't all that "low carb", I wouldn't limit fat quite so much. (and I'd eat more calories).
If you ate a burger and a bun, and more carbs than you've been eating, then you probably retained a few LBS of water.
And no, protein doesn't burn fat.0 -
[
[/quote]
@Ang108
You seem to equate a calorie deficit with eating nothing!
OP could be new to training, with an adequate protein intake and a plentiful supply of energy (fat) to make up for a modest calorie deficit for all you know,
Saying gains are limited to a few ounces is based on what exactly?[/quote]
I did not say what you think you read/understood. To gain muscle we need more energy than maintenance level calories and that energy comes from extra food intake. That is why weight lifters talk about " bulking ". That is when they eat more ( sometimes a little bit, sometimes more than that ), because the extra energy and nutrition is needed to build muscle.
The " cut " cycle ( when losing fat ) is done by eating at a caloric deficit. It is science that during a deficit cycle gaining muscle is not possible.
As I mentioned in my previous post. a tiny muscle gain can be achieved by absolute newcomers to exercise, which is called as I did in my post " beginner's gain ". For women this is due to their hormonal make-up much more difficult to do than for man. In general it is more difficult for women to gain muscle, because of hormones.
Saying gains are limited to a few ounces is based on what exactly?
Maybe this will not be satisfactory for you, but my opinion is based on my 40 year plus career in the field of nutrition with two MA degrees ( one in Nutrition & Disease Prevention and the other in Nutrition and Humanitarian Aid ) and my personal experience as a formerly ( I am going on 70 now and had to give up ) competitive weight lifter and contact over 15 years plus years in the gym with very dedicated and knowledgeable lifters and of course studying and reading, books and things like that...:o).
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Rule of thumb: Anytime you lose/gain large amounts of weight that fast, it's water not fat. And we don't really care about water weight. It comes and goes. We want fat loss! That comes from a consistent calorie deficit.
It's likely your original huge losses are in part water weight. Then you regain some of it, which is to be expected.
ETA: I think OP is confusing protein with muscle. As stated protein does not burn fat. However, our muscles (which are built with protein) burn more fat in an hour than fat does. That said, our bodies do not store extra protein as muscles the way it stores extra calories as fat. The only way to get extra protein stores is to build muscles. This very hard to do it you are eating at a calorie deficit and not weight lifting.0 -
@Ang108[
You seem to equate a calorie deficit with eating nothing!
OP could be new to training, with an adequate protein intake and a plentiful supply of energy (fat) to make up for a modest calorie deficit for all you know,
Saying gains are limited to a few ounces is based on what exactly?[/quote]
I did not say what you think you read/understood. To gain muscle we need more energy than maintenance level calories and that energy comes from extra food intake. That is why weight lifters talk about " bulking ". That is when they eat more ( sometimes a little bit, sometimes more than that ), because the extra energy and nutrition is needed to build muscle.
The " cut " cycle ( when losing fat ) is done by eating at a caloric deficit. It is science that during a deficit cycle gaining muscle is not possible.
As I mentioned in my previous post. a tiny muscle gain can be achieved by absolute newcomers to exercise, which is called as I did in my post " beginner's gain ". For women this is due to their hormonal make-up much more difficult to do than for man. In general it is more difficult for women to gain muscle, because of hormones.
Saying gains are limited to a few ounces is based on what exactly?
Maybe this will not be satisfactory for you, but my opinion is based on my 40 year plus career in the field of nutrition with two MA degrees ( one in Nutrition & Disease Prevention and the other in Nutrition and Humanitarian Aid ) and my personal experience as a formerly ( I am going on 70 now and had to give up ) competitive weight lifter and contact over 15 years plus years in the gym with very dedicated and knowledgeable lifters and of course studying and reading, books and things like that...:o).
[/quote]
Sorry you are plain wrong to equate ordinary people to competitive weight lifters.
There is no magic switch that gets thrown at TDEE minus 1 to prevent muscle gain.
Bulk/cut cycles are absolutely not the only way to gain muscle.
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@Ang108[
You seem to equate a calorie deficit with eating nothing!
OP could be new to training, with an adequate protein intake and a plentiful supply of energy (fat) to make up for a modest calorie deficit for all you know,
Saying gains are limited to a few ounces is based on what exactly?
I did not say what you think you read/understood. To gain muscle we need more energy than maintenance level calories and that energy comes from extra food intake. That is why weight lifters talk about " bulking ". That is when they eat more ( sometimes a little bit, sometimes more than that ), because the extra energy and nutrition is needed to build muscle.
The " cut " cycle ( when losing fat ) is done by eating at a caloric deficit. It is science that during a deficit cycle gaining muscle is not possible.
As I mentioned in my previous post. a tiny muscle gain can be achieved by absolute newcomers to exercise, which is called as I did in my post " beginner's gain ". For women this is due to their hormonal make-up much more difficult to do than for man. In general it is more difficult for women to gain muscle, because of hormones.
Saying gains are limited to a few ounces is based on what exactly?
Maybe this will not be satisfactory for you, but my opinion is based on my 40 year plus career in the field of nutrition with two MA degrees ( one in Nutrition & Disease Prevention and the other in Nutrition and Humanitarian Aid ) and my personal experience as a formerly ( I am going on 70 now and had to give up ) competitive weight lifter and contact over 15 years plus years in the gym with very dedicated and knowledgeable lifters and of course studying and reading, books and things like that...:o).
[/quote]
Sorry you are plain wrong to equate ordinary people to competitive weight lifters.
There is no magic switch that gets thrown at TDEE minus 1 to prevent muscle gain.
Bulk/cut cycles are absolutely not the only way to gain muscle.
[/quote]
Careful, I said this before and you should have seen the post and all the flags I got after.
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jennifer_417 wrote: »I'm really curious what makes a turkey burger a 'clean' food as opposed to a hamburger?
Really? Turkey has less fat overall and is leaner
my grocery store sells 85% ground turkey and 93% ground turkey...and they also sell 85% ground beef and 93% ground beef.
so...which is leaner, 93% ground turkey or 93% ground beef?
also, dietary fat doesn't make something "clean" or "dirty"...dietary fat is an essential macro-nutrient.
sometimes i'm just straight up baffled by the lack of even rudimentary knowledge of nutrition.0 -
Thanks for all the feedback and the back/forth on details. I am pretty much down to my weight a week ago but guess I need to find the balance to have a 'cheat day' and not gain 10 lbs of water weight.
I am teetering between doing a calorie deficit and eating more protein to gain muscle and loose weight (as Josh notes).
I'm not new to working out or eating healthy ... it is a balanced science of knowing what works for YOUR body as I would guess everyone could agree on, right?!?!?
Any suggestions on finding a balance between having a cheat day and paying a week for it in loosing water weight I appreciate the suggestions to try. Thanks!!
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Thanks for all the feedback and the back/forth on details. I am pretty much down to my weight a week ago but guess I need to find the balance to have a 'cheat day' and not gain 10 lbs of water weight.
I am teetering between doing a calorie deficit and eating more protein to gain muscle and loose weight (as Josh notes).
I'm not new to working out or eating healthy ... it is a balanced science of knowing what works for YOUR body as I would guess everyone could agree on, right?!?!?
Any suggestions on finding a balance between having a cheat day and paying a week for it in loosing water weight I appreciate the suggestions to try. Thanks!!
That's the problem with low carbing... if you have a cheat day, you're most likely gonna eat carbs and then kick yourself out of ketosis and gain back water weight.
Here's my suggestion
Stop low carbing0 -
Low carbing only worked for me after I was able to leave living on carbs cold turkey. 11 months later I still eat <50 carbs daily because staying in nutritional ketosis manages my pain better than any NSAID over the past 40 years.
I agree someone is going to have to have a serious concern and what to reduce/prevent risk of like diabetes, stroke, cancer (as in my case), heartattack, Parkinson, Alzheimer's, high blood pressure, etc or they will never be willing to give up living on mainly carbs.
I find LCHF works very well if it is 'worked' very well. Normal healthy people should be able to manage weight just by eating less food in general, not just by limiting carbs.0 -
I feel like its instilled in me rice, pasta, sweet potatoes are bad for you even small amounts.
What's the right balance to eat them or other carbs so this doesn't happen?0
This discussion has been closed.
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