Keto Diet Weight Gain

Hello! I have just started the Keto Diet 3 days ago. I keep my calories around 1250, my fat is 75g, protein around 60g and my net carbs are under 20g. I do a good amount of exercise at the gym with about 45 minutes of cardio and then followed by 30-45 minutes of strength/weights. Before I started Keto, I was 200 and had dropped to 196.3 just from regular healthy eating and good exercise in about 2 weeks time. Now after these 3 days of keto, I have actually gained a little more than 2 pounds. Its very frustrating and has me wondering if Keto is right or if i have wasted time with keto when I couldve been doing before and actually losing weight. If anybody has any advice or personal stories, I would love to hear! Thanks!

Replies

  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    I peeked at your profile and see that you're female.

    Is it anywhere in your cycle like around ovulation or your period?

    While keto normally causes losses of water weight, women are notorious for crazy gains of it thanks to their hormones.

    If you're accurately tracking your calories, it's only been 2 days, and the explanation for your weight gain is most likely not what you're eating. I seriously doubt you ate 7000 calories over your maintenance weight. That's roughly what you'd have to eat to put on that much fat in 2 days.

    Relax and give it a bit of time.
  • JodehFoster
    JodehFoster Posts: 419 Member
    Have you just started the "good amount of exercise" as well or have you been going to the gym for a while? Freshly stressed muscle will retain water.

    3-Days? Advice: Stick with it for a month & hide your scale...then worry about it if you don't like the numbers.

    Also being a female, you will have fluctuations due to hormones regardless of your activity & diet.
  • neogramps
    neogramps Posts: 79 Member
    It's been 3 days; you won't even be in ketosis yet.

    That and your bodyweight will fluctuate 4-5lb a day depending on your amount of salt, carbs and hormone etcs changing your water retention.

    Give it time and track accurately; it'll come off.
  • esibner
    esibner Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you for the help!!! If my fat is pretty close to my protein intake, would that adversely affect ketosis being that you need high fat and moderate protein?
  • Ainevethe
    Ainevethe Posts: 209 Member
    A tip I was given once upon a time was to only compare my weight (as a woman with a cycle) with the same time in my cycle the previous month, as it can (and will, in my experience) fluctuate madly during the month. But, if you compare the same time in your cycle, you can see legit trends in your weight loss/gain. I weigh daily, and chart it for that very reason, to compare next month. It does nothing for "immediate" gratification (sometimes its downright depressing so if that will get you down, I advise against it!), but it also teaches that results are a long term thing and not a quick fix. lowcarb/keto is working for me currently, and there are days I go up and down 6 pounds. lol Just stay the course, track everything and be consistent/patient and it will work.
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
    esibner wrote: »
    Thank you for the help!!! If my fat is pretty close to my protein intake, would that adversely affect ketosis being that you need high fat and moderate protein?

    Yes. Fat is suppose to be high but protein is suppose to be .6 to 1g per pound. Approximately 30-40%.. To much protein and your body starts using it to replace carbs, not the fat it's suppose to be aiming for. But since it's only day 2, like another person said, it's IMPOSSIBLE that you gained fat. Unless you literally ate about 5000+ calories a day for two days. That's a lot of food. I'd be sick.

    I'd suggest reading up on keto and joining some groups. You still have to calorie count. It isn't a magic solution, it just helps you stay satiated so you don't binge. You still lose the same amount on any diet with a similar deficit. It's beneficial if you have medical issues that are relieved from cutting carbs, like arthritis, inflammation, IBS.. etc.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    Weight naturally fluctuates a lot from day to day. How much poop/pee/water weight is in your body makes your weight bounce up and down several pounds constantly.

    That's why it's best to focus on the downwards trend over weeks and months rather than days. Check out Libra on Android or HappyScale on IOS for weight-trending.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    I have got to say this. I have two forms of arthritis. Eating low carb did NOTHING to relieve them.

    I'm happy some people might experience relief, but the single best thing people with arthritis can do is maintain a normal weight and exercise.

    It's frustrating as a person who suffers multiple immune issues who is doing amazingly well with them, to continually see a diet that did nothing for me (in fact, I felt awful and depressed and at my worst while on it) continually touted as a prescription that WILL work.

    Agreed. At this rate, soon it will be easier to just list what keto apparently *isn't* able to cure yet. :s