Just upped my carbs and am gaining weight rapidly - HELP

GoddessG

I have been 60 days on 5 carbs a day. Not NET carbs. Just carbs. (from heavy whipping cream in my coffee and eggs).

Then, Tuesday, I started taking in 15 NET carbs per day. I have gained 3.3 pounds since then. But that's not the whole of it.

On 5 carbs a day, I was never hungry. But on 15 NET carbs a day, I am always feeling stuffed- and being required to eat anyhow to keep the calorie count up (to about 1250). I do not understand why I should eat when I"m feeling so FULL. I'm usually somewhere around 775 to 850 calories as evening approaches and still FULL prior to eating more calories.

I'm ready to give up the whole "NET" carb idea.

Can someone explain what is going on??????? 3.3 pounds since Tuesday seems unreasonable.

ladysixstring

4-5lbs is within normal water weight fluctuations. keto works because of the calorie deficit. if increasing your carbs isn't causing you to increase calories, then you wont be gaining fat.

and 775-850 calories seems unnecessarily low. have you tried the keto calculator? there is a maximum rate of fat loss that will happen on a daily basis, and eating below those calories will just result in muscle loss. muscle actually makes you look like you weigh less than you do, so you want to keep it.

kiramaniac

How is your water intake? I find if I go low, I tend to gain. If I drink a LOT (like in the 96 oz range) I do much better.
How are your macros? Enough Fat? Protein levels kept moderate?
Any changes in exercise? I find when my muscles are sore, I tend to retain more water and may gain.

I like ladysixstring's suggestion of the keto calculator.

Akimajuktuq

A ketogenic state allows our body to function even in prolonged absence of food, which is great but should not be abused just in the name of weight loss. I eat ketogenically and I rarely have any strong hunger signals, however, I eat enough every day. Even if I have to eat in the evening before bed.

I love keeping my carbs low but I do it on mostly healthy, natural food which includes some veggies. If you are trying to get a TOTAL of 5 carbs, then you are obviously not eating many leafy greens or other veggies. Even though I'm totally aware that the human body can live on 100% animal sourced foods, the people who did that ate fatty animals, organs and organ contents, not just the meat. LOTS of FAT.

Personally, it looks like you are taking a healthy lifestyle and using it in an unhealthy, extreme way. Perhaps it would help you to change your focus from "weight loss" to "optimal health". You are not gaining weight just because you are eating 15 of carbs; come on!

GoddessG

How is your water intake? I find if I go low, I tend to gain. If I drink a LOT (like in the 96 oz range) I do much better.

Thanks! I just went to my log to total my water intake over the past few days and I'm WAY below my requirements, and have been since I started feeling full all the time. I'm upping it immediately. (And to hint at the unseemly side of things, all that food must still be in my digestive tract because I haven't eliminated it since Tuesday) Water should fix that.

I appreciate the help and will look into the keto calculator.

EricCowperthwaite

How is your water intake? I find if I go low, I tend to gain. If I drink a LOT (like in the 96 oz range) I do much better.

Thanks! I just went to my log to total my water intake over the past few days and I'm WAY below my requirements, and have been since I started feeling full all the time. I'm upping it immediately. (And to hint at the unseemly side of things, all that food must still be in my digestive tract because I haven't eliminated it since Tuesday) Water should fix that.

I appreciate the help and will look into the keto calculator.

You may also need to add a source of fiber. I did the following when I was having trouble with bowel movements on low carb.

1. added 16 oz of a sugar free sports drink (PowerAde Zero for me). That gave me a bunch of supplements I needed, but more importantly it gave me the electrolytes my body needs for hydration and digestive health. You can also achieve this with 2 cups of chicken broth, but I prefer the PowerAde.

2. Made sure I was getting a minimum of 64 oz of water daily.

3. Added Psyllium husks to my daily intake of fiber. I have difficulty getting over 20g of fiber per day and you generally won't have a healthy digestive system on less than 20g of fiber.

Like others have said, I'm concerned about your calorie intake.