High protein/lower carb, clean eating .....

michaela_everest

Hi all,

Never posted on here yet so here goes!

I've decided since January that I'm going to follow a clean eating diet as much as possible, involving a lower carb/sugar intake (but not to to Atkins scale!!) and a higher protein intake to help lean up.
I have by no means decided to adopt this way of eating to try and lose weight as I already have a slim figure (Size 10, 5ft 9"), it is simply because I want to make my body feel healthy/get lots of nutrients and to also feed my muscles so I can keep toned.

At the beginning of the year my weight was at 9st 3lbs, and since eating this way I have now gone up to 9st 11lbs on the scale. However, I feel a lot healthier, and my clothes definitely don't feel tighter - my legs/bum/stomach feel and look more defined and toned.

I walk 6 miles to work a minimum of 3 times a week (400 cals each time) and also use the gym on saturdays and sundays to do an hour of cardio which is usually 45 mins cross trainer and 15 mins jog. I also have resistance bands which i use for 10 mins most evenings and I also incorporate a mini toning session into my evenings before my shower which involves 30 lunges on each leg, 2 x 1 min plank, 2 x 1 min side plank (each side) and various ab exercises. I even have a slendertone ab machine which I use when doing house chores which I use now and again.

I usually hover somewhere around the 1500 cal mark give or take a 100 or so...I often have a treat now and again - as everyone should :-)
I also generally have at least 1 serving of my Pro 10 Whey protein isolate shake a day to up my protein further - I can often take a second or third serving depending on if I've done a workout or had a heavy day of exercising.

My question is.....Should I be concerned that eating clean/high protein/lower carb has made the scales heavier? Does this mean it is unhealthy for me and thus causing me to put on weight, or is it because my diet and daily exercise routine has caused any excess body fat to turn to muscle...which is heavier...and would therefore explain the increase in weight but no increase in dress size?

I'd be interested to know as I thrive on being as healthy and lean as possible and would hate to think I'm going about my whole regime the wrong way!!

Thanks in advance for your responses :-)

Michaela x

melissam226

I don't know if it's muscle or just water retention. If you're feeling better and notice that you look better then by all means keep doing what you're doing!

Weight loss measured on the scale isn't always linear so it might seem like you gained but if you're eating right and working out, you might be actually losing fat despite what the scale says.

Try weighing yourself only once a week only and give yourself a few more months. Also, take measurements. You might be losing cm's.

And if it helps any, the scale says I gained 7 lbs in a week but the dress that wouldn't fit a month ago definitely fit finally. :-)

SandraNancy

I started eating Paleo (which is a form of high fat/protein low-carb eating) a few weeks ago to see how I would react to it. I'm 5'7 and size 6 (135 lbs) so I'm also not trying to lose weight. In tweaking different metrics I found that I feel way better when I'm eating about 50-60g carbs per day, and that I'll lose inches without actually losing weight.

In the first week, I actually gained a pound or two, but by end of this week I'm back to 135 again. I've actually lost half an inch from my waist and an inch from my bust, so while the weight's the same as when I started, the measurements are smaller. Physical vanity aside, I just feel better. I am a sucker for pasta, pizza, bread (basically, anything involving wheat!) and I love cheese, but after I eat it I find I usually feel bloated/sluggish/not my best.

Since I'm just starting out with Paleo, I'm following the 85/15 rule-- 85% of my meals are Paleo, with about 3 "cheat" meals per week. As you say, it's important to have treats!

I also have been aiming for 1500 calories, so I would say if you feel good, keep doing what you're doing. As long as you're maintaining your calories at a reasonable level, I think you'll start to see results. If you continue gaining weight after a few weeks, perhaps whatever you're eating just isn't the right mix of food for you.

Good luck!

Arkhos

Hello, and welcome and great first post! The low carb/sugar w/higher protein is a great way to eat and stay healthy. Don't mind the scale, especially when you FEEL healthier and your clothes are fitting the same or better! When making a major change in diet sometimes the body doesn't know what to do at first and may try to store carbs/fats thinking that it is starving. But after a couple weeks with keeping to a routine the body will adjust. Sounds like you've been doing this for a month? Your body should be burning away on those proteins and building lean muscles - thus your great stomach! Keep going and you will just feel better and better! just keep to quality protein (lean meats/powder shakes)

michaela_everest

First of all - thank you for all your replies!! I've only just got back on here to check and they've been wonderful to read!

It turns out I weighed myself this weekend and I'm back down to my usual weight so I'm thinking 2/3 weeks into this eating regime I must have been carrying excess water/ or as Arkhos mentioned my body may have been fooled into thinking it was starving and grabbing everything I ate! I've been eating this way for about 6/7 weeks now so I feel like my body has got used to it and don't get any side effects.

I initially felt a lack of energy which was obviously due to less carbs where as now I feel...strong?! Sounds silly but I feel like I have all over body strenght as though what I've been eating and the exercise I've been doing has made my body more resistant and strong....

I generally eat around 1500 calories...sometimes I have my treats and this pushes it up but never exceeds 2000! I think sometimes I am needing to eat more as I'm expending so much energy every day :-) And having treats/more calories some days never makes an difference to my overall progress so it must be ok!

It's funny how everyones bodys work differently really isn't it?! It's definitely finding what works best for you but I love everyones input and making use of different pieces of knowledge!

Thanks,

Michaela x