For the first time since we started keto in August 2020, Bill and I both gained weight. We weigh ourselves every Saturday morning to check where we are on our journey. This past Saturday, we had both gained 2 pounds. It was quite a jolt! Suddenly, my mind went to the weight I used to be. All we had worked for, all we had preached – was it all for nothing? There goes the website, the blog, the books. It’s over. It’s a Keto Fail.
How Can 2 Pounds Be a Keto Fail
Then I came back to reality. It was 2 pounds. I’m still under where I ever thought I would be. But it was a bit of a wake-up call. One of us had gained a pound here and there over the last year or so, but the other one always lost so we knew it was just a little hiccup and we were on the right track. What had we been doing that we both gained for the first time since starting keto?
We started thinking about the last week or so. Well, it was a stressful week. I had dealt with a death of someone from work. We were short-staffed on top of that. Bill had dealt with working 16-hour days all week. We had two people we care about in hospital. It had definitely been a week! How do we deal with stress? Eat!
Finding the Weight Gain
We’re on track with our carbs. We had eaten more fat than protein. We don’t usually measure and track macros like we used to, but we have that pretty much under control. So, what was the issue? Sweetener. We think it was the amount of sweetener we were using.
A couple of weeks ago, we bought an espresso maker. We had been using sweetener or sugar-free syrups in them. On top of that, we made blueberry tarts as our desserts for the week and we had eaten two of them a night instead of our usual one. With whipped cream. All had sweetener in them. But we felt we deserved it with the week we were having.
I had said to Bill that I was finding keto difficult last week. A coworker brought in little cupcakes and I was craving them like I haven’t craved something in a long time. Here I was struggling and dreaming of having another day loaded with carbs. I knew something was off, but I kept going and fought off the urges day-by-day, minute-by-minute. It was hard but I did it.
The Scale Creates the Keto Fail
The scale reminded me that I was struggling and it reigned me in. Sugar alcohols are not a free pass for us. They are what our bodies use for energy before fat so if we take in too many, we don’t burn as much fat. And unburned fat turns into fat storage. It also makes me crave sweets and makes my lifestyle choice much, much harder.
So, how do you handle a weight gain when you are on keto? For us, it was 2 pounds. It’s not the end of the world but it can be disheartening. We took it as a reminder that we were getting a bit too comfortable with eating the sweets and turning to food to manage stress. This week is all about getting back to basics with a bit stricter measuring and using our other coping techniques to deal with the stress that happens in life. It’s important to refocus sometimes and really listen to what your body is telling you.
Wendy
