Gaining weight on a low carb diet! Please help!

Lisa1971

I've been exercising for the last few months and losing weight steadily. I was at roughly 80g of carbs/day. I then decreased my carbs to 50 and lost 6lbs the week of thanksgiving but didn't exercise that week. I was thrilled to say the least! I then started exercising again because I missed it so much and now I am gaining!

I am 5'4 and my weight was 127lbs just a few weeks ago. I've been eating around 1,000-1,300 calories a day and keeping my carbs at 50/day and I've been gaining weight! I am very disappointed and frustrated. My starting weight was 196lbs and my goal is 120lbs. I burn roughly 300-400 calories a day through exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I am now 130lbs and don't know what to do at this point. I'd really like to hit goal at 120 and then maintain.

Do you think I should increase my carbs and/or calories? I don't want to stop exercising, but I'm concerned that I'm burning too many calories.

Any suggestions and comments would be great! I also drink tons of water, no alcohol, no sugar, and very low sodium. Thanks so much!

Oh, and why am I gaining weight? Please don't tell me it's muscle because I gained 3lbs in one week! I am SO beyond frustrated! Also not TOM.

Thanks so much!
Lisa

ChitownFoodie

I eat anywhere from 150-200g of carbs a day and I continue to lose weight. Unintentionally. Maybe you aren't eating enough every day. 1200 is just an average baseline that people go by.

voluptas63

You're not eating enough... *sings*

voluptas63

You're not eating enough... *sings*

demuralist

http://doingspeed.com/fat-loss/how-the-hell-do-i-break-this-weight-loss-plateau/ Hope this helps.

FITnFIRM4LIFE

You're not eating enough... *sings*

Starts singing along with above

FITnFIRM4LIFE

You're not eating enough... *sings*

Starts singing along with above

HealthyWayorNoWay

You need to eat more....stop starving yourself..your body is most likely holding on to fat!

FITnFIRM4LIFE

sorry double post

ejohndrow

Go back to what was working for you.
And yes, eat more.

erickirb

You should be eating a minimum of 1200 Net (1200 plus what you burn) So on days you burn 400, you should not eat less than 1600 (1200+400)

agthorn

You're not eating enough... *sings*

Starts singing along with above

Truth. You should probably be NETTING about 1300 calories a day to lose half a pound a week (at 130 you're well within a healthy BMI for your height, so you really shouldn't set a goal higher than half a pound a week).

Also, if you just started exercising again after a period of no exercise your gain is probably mostly water weight.

MissFit0101

Eat your exercise calories, and increase your daily caloric goals.. you should be starting to eat closer and closer to maintenance calories as you approach your goal ... No need to reduce your carbs that low either... Carbs don't make you fat..

psuLemon

What erickirb said, also, you don't need low carb unless your body has an intolerance to carbs, like people that have PCOS. Carbs are an essential fuel source for quick and long term energy.

hausofnichele

I am doing a low carb diet for medical reasons and I keep mine at 100 per day. I read that 100/day is optimal for trying to lose weight. 50 is way too low and maybe your body just needs more fuel to burn more fuel. Good luck!

Also - hopefully you didn't lose the weight so fast that you can't reap the long term benefits of it. With such low carbs I imagine you must have lost a lot of weight very quickly. That might be why the weight is creeping back up now. It's next to impossible to live off 50 carbs a day for life so eventually the weight will come sneaking back. Up your intakes and keep at it.

ShadowSoldier23

From my own personal experience with Atkins/low carb dieting....it doesn't work. Long term it will not sustain you food wise and you wind up gaining ALL the weight back plus some if you ever do quit like I did. You should eat fruits and veggies, nuts along with the low carb stuff regardless of whether they have carbs. Plus the sugar free junk is not as good for you as you'd think. The artificial sweeteners have been known to cause weight gain (although I'm too lazy to look up details at the moment). I would eat more carbs and calories both, it may actually help in the long run. If you are burning too many calories and not consuming enough your body with go into shock mode and store more fat...that may be what is happening to you now.

NoExcuseTina

are you eating natural low carb foods or processed/packaged low carb foods??? tried to check your diary, but it requires a code

Bob_III

I would eat the same amount and try exercising more. Your body has adapted to your reduced calorie lifestyle so you have to stoke the fire by exercising more. If you have to eat more to fuel the exercise, that's fine, just make sure you burn off more than you are taking in.
Are you in ketosis? When I've done low-carb dieting, I'd buy the test strips from CVS and see if I was actually in a state of ketosis or not while on the diet. If you are, you should be burning up your body fat pretty consistently at your caloric intake levels.

neanderthin

Probably water and inflammation from starting to exercise again.........weight loss isn't linear and eat more.

mandylooo

Oh, and why am I gaining weight? Please don't tell me it's muscle because I gained 3lbs in one week! I am SO beyond frustrated! Also not TOM.

3lb in a week change in either direction is going to be mostly water.

And what everyone else has said about not eating enough.

hpsnickers1

I am doing a low carb diet for medical reasons and I keep mine at 100 per day. I read that 100/day is optimal for trying to lose weight. 50 is way too low and maybe your body just needs more fuel to burn more fuel. Good luck!

Also - hopefully you didn't lose the weight so fast that you can't reap the long term benefits of it. With such low carbs I imagine you must have lost a lot of weight very quickly. That might be why the weight is creeping back up now. It's next to impossible to live off 50 carbs a day for life so eventually the weight will come sneaking back. Up your intakes and keep at it.

50g isn't necessarily too low. I have to stay below 50g or my fasting blood sugars start to creep upward. It is very, very possible to live and thrive on 50g or less a day - I do it and I have also hit my lowest weight ever while maintaining my lean muscle mass. It could just be the change in macronutrients. You could definitely eat more. You might need more carbs for the exercise you do. The harder you exercise the more carbs your body can handle.

And be careful on increasing the exercise. Excessive exercise can do just as much damage to the body as a poor diet. I agree with low-carb real foods but it sounds to me like you are probably eating pretty clean.

Gee45

You are not eating enough.
Make sure you are set to at most .5 lbs a week to lose. Eat back your exercise calories. Do strength training to change the composition of your body.

psuLemon

I would eat the same amount and try exercising more. Your body has adapted to your reduced calorie lifestyle so you have to stoke the fire by exercising more. If you have to eat more to fuel the exercise, that's fine, just make sure you burn off more than you are taking in.
Are you in ketosis? When I've done low-carb dieting, I'd buy the test strips from CVS and see if I was actually in a state of ketosis or not while on the diet. If you are, you should be burning up your body fat pretty consistently at your caloric intake levels.

The problem with exercising more is your body will break down the proteins in your muscles for a fuel source. She will actually lose muscle mass as a result, which will slow the metabolism. Additionally, eating 1000 calories while exercising is like eating only 500 calories a day, so her body is not properly fueled. I can't stress enough, how many times it has been proven to eat more to lose more, especially when your body is at a lower body fat percentage. Your body has mechanisms to store food as fat when it feels it isn't being fueled properly.

hpsnickers1

What erickirb said, also, you don't need low carb unless your body has an intolerance to carbs, like people that have PCOS. Carbs are an essential fuel source for quick and long term energy.

There is no such thing as an essential dietary carbohydrate (yet fat and protein are necessary nutrients). And people can suffer from high blood sugars and never develop full blown diabetes. And one in every five diabetics are thin. You can have an intolerance to carbs and never know it yet suffer damage from it. (And the Standard American Diet contains WAY TOO MANY CARBS).

Look for advice on low-carb websites, Primal/Paleo sites, etc. Your best advice will come from fellow low-carbers (most of them have done extensive research and that is why they are low-carb).

I follow Primal Blueprint and am maintaining a very healthy weight and body composition with very little exercise. I don't have to count calories, weigh and log food, watch portion control. I just eat fibrous veggies and have some berries occasionally and these are all the carbs my body needs. I do have to make sure I eat enough because protein and fat keeps me full for so long.
My body thanked me when I stopped eating all of those grain/flour/sugar/dairy carbs. I feel normal for the first time in my life

hpsnickers1

I would eat the same amount and try exercising more. Your body has adapted to your reduced calorie lifestyle so you have to stoke the fire by exercising more. If you have to eat more to fuel the exercise, that's fine, just make sure you burn off more than you are taking in.
Are you in ketosis? When I've done low-carb dieting, I'd buy the test strips from CVS and see if I was actually in a state of ketosis or not while on the diet. If you are, you should be burning up your body fat pretty consistently at your caloric intake levels.

The problem with exercising more is your body will break down the proteins in your muscles for a fuel source. She will actually lose muscle mass as a result, which will slow the metabolism. Additionally, eating 1000 calories while exercising is like eating only 500 calories a day, so her body is not properly fueled. I can't stress enough, how many times it has been proven to eat more to lose more, especially when your body is at a lower body fat percentage. Your body has mechanisms to store food as fat when it feels it isn't being fueled properly.

I agree 100% with this. All the research I have done for the last year has shown this. I even went there back in September when I realized I wasn't eating enough (I was never hungry!!!). I have a Body Media Fit Armband and actually saw my metabolism slow down a bit and I gained a little bit of weight. But it was a good thing because my body is happier at 114lbs than it was at 110lbs.

Sublog

You lost 6 lbs of water weight Thanksgiving week. Not fat.

Please understand the difference.

Bob_III

If you have to eat more to fuel the exercise, that's fine, just make sure you burn off more than you are taking in.

The problem with exercising more is your body will break down the proteins in your muscles for a fuel source. She will actually lose muscle mass as a result, which will slow the metabolism. Additionally, eating 1000 calories while exercising is like eating only 500 calories a day, so her body is not properly fueled. I can't stress enough, how many times it has been proven to eat more to lose more, especially when your body is at a lower body fat percentage. Your body has mechanisms to store food as fat when it feels it isn't being fueled properly.

I did say she could eat more to fuel the additional exercise. I don't think by just increasing food intake without exercising more she'll just drop weight. At least it never worked for me that way. I do think there is some merit to "carbing up" once in a while to kickstart the metabolic burn again, but not every day.

Lisa1971

You lost 6 lbs of water weight Thanksgiving week. Not fat.

Please understand the difference.

Can you please explain why this is water and not fat? I did lose 7lbs my first week when I started clean eating, which was def water weight but it was back in April when I started. I thought the water weight is the first to go and then the fat. I've already lost almost 70lbs of fat so how could just that week be from water? I'm confused!

Sublog

You lost 6 lbs of water weight Thanksgiving week. Not fat.

Please understand the difference.

Can you please explain why this is water and not fat? I did lose 7lbs my first week when I started clean eating, which was def water weight but it was back in April when I started. I thought the water weight is the first to go and then the fat. I've already lost almost 70lbs of fat so how could just that week be from water? I'm confused!

When you go on low carb diets, your body drops water weight in the form of muscle glycogen.

Read this for more info:

http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19058097.php

psuLemon

What erickirb said, also, you don't need low carb unless your body has an intolerance to carbs, like people that have PCOS. Carbs are an essential fuel source for quick and long term energy.

There is no such thing as an essential dietary carbohydrate (yet fat and protein are necessary nutrients). And people can suffer from high blood sugars and never develop full blown diabetes. And one in every five diabetics are thin. You can have an intolerance to carbs and never know it yet suffer damage from it. (And the Standard American Diet contains WAY TOO MANY CARBS).

Look for advice on low-carb websites, Primal/Paleo sites, etc. Your best advice will come from fellow low-carbers (most of them have done extensive research and that is why they are low-carb).

I follow Primal Blueprint and am maintaining a very healthy weight and body composition with very little exercise. I don't have to count calories, weigh and log food, watch portion control. I just eat fibrous veggies and have some berries occasionally and these are all the carbs my body needs. I do have to make sure I eat enough because protein and fat keeps me full for so long.
My body thanked me when I stopped eating all of those grain/flour/sugar/dairy carbs. I feel normal for the first time in my life

Maybe I am not misinterpreting your information, but carbs are an essential part of your diet. Below are three sources which all state that, including the NIH and mayo clinic. So if you can expand on that, it would be appreciated. Also, I tend to steer away from websites dedicated to stuff like Paleo or Primal for one reason. In the end, it's a diet and are in it for money. I tend to get my information from sources outside. For example, if you go to HCG websites, they will all state how good it is and effective, but there are several studies that have suggested otherwise.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/carbohydrates/MY01458/METHOD=print

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carbohydrates.html

http://www.editorsweb.org/nutrition/essential-nutrients.htm

psuLemon

If you have to eat more to fuel the exercise, that's fine, just make sure you burn off more than you are taking in.

The problem with exercising more is your body will break down the proteins in your muscles for a fuel source. She will actually lose muscle mass as a result, which will slow the metabolism. Additionally, eating 1000 calories while exercising is like eating only 500 calories a day, so her body is not properly fueled. I can't stress enough, how many times it has been proven to eat more to lose more, especially when your body is at a lower body fat percentage. Your body has mechanisms to store food as fat when it feels it isn't being fueled properly.

I did say she could eat more to fuel the additional exercise. I don't think by just increasing food intake without exercising more she'll just drop weight. At least it never worked for me that way. I do think there is some merit to "carbing up" once in a while to kickstart the metabolic burn again, but not every day.

May I ask how long you tried this method? A body needs time to adapt (more than a week or two), so an increase in calories will make your body kind of freak out and can lead to weight increases. After a few weeks of your body seeing increase calories, it will then drop the weight quickly. Some bodies needs to be tracked over a month or two. If you start gaining in excess of 5+ lbs, consistently, then you are eating too much and need to back off a few hundred calories. Also, when you eat too little, you tend to lose muscle mass, which will make it even harder to lose later. I have worked probably 50+ members and only 2 didn't lose weight quickly but that was due to medical issues (PCOS).

My biggest question usually is, do you want to lose weight or fat? If you want to lose weight, huge deficits can work but you kill your metabolism and lean muscle mass (this is very apparent with those that do HCG). If you want to convert fat to muscle, well then you need a properly fueled body. In fact, I have managed to maintain lean muscle mass but have lost 7% body fat over 9 months (ish) with a .5lb per week deficit.