Question for long term LCHF eaters and experts

cedarsidefarm

About a year ago I stared a LCHF diet. It took 44 days and the gaining of 5 pounds before I started to lose any weight. Eventually I settled into a half pound loss a week. Then Thanksgiving came and I ate many carbs. Even going as high as 150 g one day. But in January, I brushed myself off and went back to under 50 g total a day. I am really happy to be back and much of the swelling caused by the carbs has gone.

So, here is the question. I'm gaining weight again. I'm not worried, it happened last time too. Eventully that weight plus 20lbs more will fall away. But why do I gain each time I start on the low carbs? This time I'm watching calories (which honestly doesn't seem to matter much for me.). I'm 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carb most days. In a week it seems to even out to about 1200 calories a day. I have 20 lbs to lose to get back to my normal weight but I want to lose another10 to get to my healthiest weight. I'm just curious if anyone else has had this happen or if someone has an explanation of why I gain about 5 lbs each time I start up low carbing.

And here's something weird. My mother has started to do some low carbing too and she said when she was younger, she tried a similar diet but she gained weight before she started losing. And it would discourage her.

I think it's water weight but I thought low carb makes you lose water weight and there is a noticeable decrease in swelling.....weird.

Sunny_Bunny_

Do you have any chronic health problems? It's possible that your body is prioritizing healing of some condition that suddenly has an opportunity to improve with the absence of an instigator.

My daughter was a very poorly controlled Type 1 diabetic when she first started keto. Her blood sugar got into and stayed in normal range pretty much immediately. Within hours of stopping the carbs.
Also within hours she began to put on weight that topped out at 20 pounds in 2 days! It was really painful and didn't go away even 3 months later even with keto being diuretic and also taking the maximum allowable prescription diuretic dosage for that whole time.
She was also underweight when she started. It seems that upon her blood sugar becoming healthy and her body being fed properly that it went immediately to work on trying to heal her damaged vascular system and attempting to gain much needed bodyfat.
Her blood vessels are basically porous and leak fluid into the tissues and she isn't able to lose the water like it's supposed to happen.
She actually quit keto and the swelling went away as soon as her blood sugar started going high again. The sticky blood somehow keeps the fluid from leaking and of course the insulin keeps the kidneys holding water so it's not released into the blood so much.
She started again more recently, but isn't going as aggressively and allowing blood sugar to run higher than normal in order to heal more slowly and not get the release of all the water like before. She still swelled up on the first day and stays that way every day but it's not as bad as before. She didn't start out underweight this time either so she's not a fan of the weight gain that comes with it.
Anyway, her situation is probably the most extreme example of the body's inflammation response to create healing. I've since talked to only one other person that was familiar with her unique issue. Another T1D girl that had the exact same thing happen. Only she didn't quit and said it took 5 months for her swelling to go down.

I suspect even chronic digestive issues could immediately respond with inflammation for the purpose of healing in the sudden absence of an instigator. Inflammation is part of healing. Even if you're not aware it's there, you might not feel it anywhere... it can still be there.

cedarsidefarm

I do have some joint issues, Arthritis and inflammation from old injuries. But no diabetes or high blood pressure or anything that requires medication.

Your daughter is a strong soul to manage such medical issues. Sorry to hear how painful it was for her. She is lucky to have such a great Mom.

Here is something I just thought of. I was doing calorie restriction right before I started low carb. Maybe it is the normal response to restrictive low fat diets. The body thinks it's in starvation and slows down the metabolism and destroys lean muscle tissue. Then I go on low carb and gain weight because my metabolism has slowed. Then when I keep feeding my body right, the lean body mass increases and metabolsm increases, and I lose weight. Calories don't seem to make a difference for me only when I'm on LCHF.

Also, I really need to be at 30g of carbs to be 10% carb but I'm happy when I make under 50. It's a process.

Thank god for this forum. My hubby gets tired of me talking about LCHF. You guys are the best.

Sunny_Bunny_

cedarsidefarm wrote: »

I do have some joint issues, Arthritis and inflammation from old injuries. But no diabetes or high blood pressure or anything that requires medication.

Your daughter is a strong soul to manage such medical issues. Sorry to hear how painful it was for her. She is lucky to have such a great Mom.

Here is something I just thought of. I was doing calorie restriction right before I started low carb. Maybe it is the normal response to restrictive low fat diets. The body thinks it's in starvation and slows down the metabolism and destroys lean muscle tissue. Then I go on low carb and gain weight because my metabolism has slowed. Then when I keep feeding my body right, the lean body mass increases and metabolsm increases, and I lose weight. Calories don't seem to make a difference for me only when I'm on LCHF.

Also, I really need to be at 30g of carbs to be 10% carb but I'm happy when I make under 50. It's a process.

Thank god for this forum. My hubby gets tired of me talking about LCHF. You guys are the best.

Honestly, it could be all sorts of things and combinations of things.
It does seem to be consistent though, that when someone is not eating too much too often, and they put on weight going low carb, that they do say they have some kind of chronic condition.

The only other time I've seen an obvious answer for it was when someone is eating to reach macros even when they are not hungry. It happens a lot. In some places the people discuss eating fat right off a spoon, even in the presence of nausea at times, because they think they HAVE TO eat all the fat. I've even seen people asking why no weight loss or why they're gaining even though they are eating all their fats and how hard it has been to do because they aren't even hungry.... there's always at least a few commenters convinced they still need more fat and less protein and carbs though. Lol

Anyway. That's a whole different thing that doesn't apply here. Sorry. Got sidetracked.

KarlaYP

My problem was artificial sweeteners. After adding them back into my diet (approximately 6 months without them) I began to gain weight while maintaining my macros, and was consuming about 1000 calories a day! After eliminating them I slowly began to lose the gained weight, then get back to losing more weight (it took four months, but I was losing so I stuck with it). I still avoid them. If I accidentally consume them, now, I can feel a warmth spread through my chest (beginnings of my inflammation from them)! I now realize they affect me this way (they are lab created, and aren't natural to the body), and I avoid them!

I hope you find your culprit and get to losing quickly! Hang in there! So glad to see you back here!

cstehansen

Karlottap wrote: »

My problem was artificial sweeteners. After adding them back into my diet (approximately 6 months without them) I began to gain weight while maintaining my macros, and was consuming about 1000 calories a day! After eliminating them I slowly began to lose the gained weight, then get back to losing more weight (it took four months, but I was losing so I stuck with it). I still avoid them. If I accidentally consume them, now, I can feel a warmth spread through my chest (beginnings of my inflammation from them)! I now realize they affect me this way (they are lab created, and aren't natural to the body), and I avoid them!

I hope you find your culprit and get to losing quickly! Hang in there! So glad to see you back here!

Here is an article you may be interested in reading about artificial sweeteners:

https://chriskresser.com/how-artificial-sweeteners-wreak-havoc-on-your-gut/?utm_source=ChrisKresser.com&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7d56abf8a-ee9c9ca3ac-95902905&utm_content&utm_campaign=ee9c9ca3ac-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_11_09&mc_cid=ee9c9ca3ac&mc_eid=56daae840f

nvmomketo

I tend to gain on low carb, but I eat more too. Carbs seem to prime my appetite. I don't go calorie crazy but I eat more than I need.... but it isn't a huge amount. I tend to be one of those people whose weight drops easier with very low carb, even at the same caloric levels as a low or moderate carb diet.

I also have health issues that could affect that. I have some insulin resistance and a few autoimmune problems. When I'm not feeling my best, I gain weight. When I gain weight I tend to eat more carbs (and food in general, and not feel as well so I gain weight.... It's a hard merry go round to get off of.

cedarsidefarm

Thanks for all the info.

Sunny bunny I think you're psychic. I do have this minor foot problem. I was suppose to get the problem taken care of but the clinic kept postponing the very minor surgery and now it is infected and I'm on antibiotics. I just found out it was infected yesterday and I started the medication today. It's like you knew my foot was infected even before I did Sunny bunny.

So the antibiotics are definitely going to throw off my metabolism. I think I'll just stick to the diet and not expect weight loss for awhile.