Gaining weight whilst low carbing

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Have been low carbing since September 2012 and love this WOE, have had all the benefits like better sleep, less pmt and more energy so it suits me.
Apart from a couple of big cheats at Xmas and Easter I have been pretty consistent and have lost about 22lbs from the start.
In the last week or so I have started gaining weight but have not cheated, I have however been eating a couple of teaspoons of total Greek yoghurt with ground flaxseed and a few strawberries every day for a month or so. My other not so good thing is tea with double cream which I drink about 6-8 mugs of a day but have done since the start. Don't eat much cheese but do drink gallons of water too.
Is it just that I've got accustomed to the food and now need to calorie restrict, I've got about 10lbs to go?
Any help and advice much appreciated.

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

I stayed at about 10st 3lbs for about a month and now I've gained about 4lbs in all and just don't want it to start slipping back up. I was hoping to get down to about 9st 7lbs but anything under 10 would be good. I eat quite a lot of salad and coleslaw (do watch carb content) and keep the fat content up, in fact have been wondering if maybe I eat too much fat. Just not sure why I haven't continued to lose, never mind gain.
Thanks.

[BIWI]

Could you be eating too much dairy? It can impede weight loss for some people.

Also, flaxseed has been a problem for some people.

If you've only got 10lbs to go, then you may need to look at portion sizes. So in other words, calorie restriction might be something to consider - but still in a low carb way.

And it would do no harm to cut the fat down a little, and see if this makes a difference. But if the result of this is that you start to feel hungry, then revert to a higher fat day!

List out for me what you've eaten over the last few days - maybe there's something obvious that I can help with? Also, all the drinks/amount of water.

[isitsnowingyet]

I'm trying to lose weight as well, but don't know about low carb diet. To me 6 to 8 cups of tea with double cream sounds quite a lot and greek yoghurt can be very creamy indeed!

I'm cutting down generally on sweet stuff/crisps etc, and have lost 3 lbs, and would like to lose another 6 or 7lbs which is proving more difficullt...

[WillieWaggledagger]

lavender if it's just in the last week, has it been hot where you are? above about 25C almost always causes me to stall or gain (i think i must retain water easily, as if anything the heat makes me eat less rather than more) so i don't know whether you are susceptible to that too?

[BIWI]

isitsnowingyet - the whole point of low carbing is that it is a high fat way of eating.

[BettyandDon]

Have you tried stopping the diet for a week or so then kick starting it again? This has worked for me in the past. When kick starting to cut carbs very low no fruit, cream, flax etc.

Could it be water retention?

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Thank you for the replies, Biwi my food over the last few days has been Greek yoghurt with flaxseed and 4 strawberries or raspberries. Lunch has been leftover roast chicken and coleslaw and dinner has been sausages (black farmer) or cheese/egg mayonnaise with salad (leaves, a tomato, cucumber, half a cucumber and an olive oil/cider vinegar dressing). Snacks have been things like Brazil nuts or a spoonful of whole earth PB. I do drink too much tea even tho it's hot, prob about 8 cups a day and about 5 litres of water. No other drinks apart from 1 Pepsi max a few days ago.
Willie I do think water retention could be part of it as feel my ankles and legs are a little puffy but I'm peeing for England and don't think I could drink more water.
Isitsnowingyet the high fat bit is really important for low carbing and I love it, don't miss bread pasta or sugary things at all.
I have wondered if the yoghurt/flaxseed combination wasn't helping but I really enjoy it and it stops me craving other fruits.
BettyandDon I have considered coming off for a few days to see if I can kick start things but then I know from experience that I can put on 7-8lbs I overnight but it takes me weeks to lose again and I want to keep the other benefits if low carbing.
I think I should prob cut dairy for a week to see if that helps but would find it really hard.

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Just remembered I have had a few slices of Edam cheese with mayonnaise as snacks and day before yesterday lunch was 4 pork belly strips which are yummy and had with coleslaw. I eat coleslaw most days but its low carbish 6.5g/100g so thought would be ok. Also eaten literally a couple if almonds most days as had bag in fridge but had hoped nuts etc ok after all this time.
Flaxseed is 2 tbs a day and 2 tbs Greek yog.

[daisychicken]

Was the coleslaw homemade? Did it have carrots in? That might be a factor..

I'd be tempted to reduce dairy, stop the flaxseed and maybe even the strawberries just to kickstart you into losing again & then introduce stuff carefully?

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Daisy coleslaw is sainsburys taste the difference so some carrot but not loads.
I'm really going to miss my breakfasts if I have to give up flax/yoghurt etc. could go back to eggs for a couple of weeks, must admit I have been quite peckish recently. Maybe I'm picking at food more than I realise, it's all low carb stuff but maybe I'm just eating too much. I'm not hungry as such just fancy a bit of something so nuts or PB are quick and easy.

[ChunkyPickle]

Could something you eat have changed recipe?

Alternatively, could it just be retained water from the heat?

[BIWI]

I would recommend that you return to Bootcamp for a few days - be ultra strict and cut out all those little things that could be adding up. So cut out the fruit, nuts, peanut butter and (occasional) Pepsi Max. I really would suggest that you ditch the flaxseed too, and definitely the coleslaw - you could be eating a lot of carbs that way.

It also sounds like it's worth cutting out the dairy - just for a couple of days.

But I think Willie is probably right when she talks about the heat/water retention.

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Thank you I'm off to dig up the bootcamp rules I think. I'll give it a couple of weeks and see what happens. Will be really sad to lose the yoghurt/flaxseed for breakfast and will definitely miss peanut butter but will be worth it to get under 10st again I guess. Just need to be a bit stricter and remember that low carb doesn't really mean unlimited.

[ihatethecold]

Can I ask?
What's wrong with flaxseed?
Thanks

[BIWI]

I don't know, ihatethecold - it's just that many people report that it stalls them

Good luck, lavendersblue!

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Thank you Biwi I will update in a couple of weeks and let you know if it works.

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

No flax, berries or yoghurt for a couple of days now and constantly drinking water and not an ounce down, am feeling a bit glum and demotivated. Sticking with it tho as I know if I stop now I will be downing biscuits and buttery toast with wild abandon, once those carb cravings get hold if me I just am hungry all the time.

[BIWI]

Lavendersblue - it's difficult in this weather though.

But.

IT'S ONLY TWO DAYS SINCE YOU POSTED YOUR OP!

I think you're being too focused on the day-by-day weight. Try and take a step back and relax about it.

If you're following Bootcamp rules, then you will lose the weight. Have you cut out the rest of your dairy, and the coleslaw?

Weight loss isn't linear - you know that! You really need to give it a bit longer.

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

I know Biwi I think it's because it's so hot and I want to wear shorts etc ur feel and look unfortunately a bit chunkier than I did a couple of weeks ago. Was hoping for that first week flush of success when you seem to lose on a daily basis.
Also am on holiday in a few weeks so really want to have lots this and a bit more by then. Am off to Cornwall so I know I will have a few cheats (I love cream teas, Cornish ice cream and pasties), so would like a couple of pounds under my belt as it were so I don't feel so bad.
I have been reading the bootcamp thread every day. I will definitely join the autumn bootcamp again.

[GiraffesEatPineapples]

Lavender did you cut out the nuts and nut butters?

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

Giraffe yes I have been really strict since my post and had no yoghurt, nuts,berries, flax, peanut butter, or Pepsi max etc. the only thing I haven reduced totally is the double cream in tea but I've had had less than before. Also still drinking tons of water.
I've dropped a couple of pounds but I do think that was water retention due to the heat as suggested above but seem to be stuck where I am and varying about 1/2 a pound on a daily basis. I'm going to give it a bit longer but not sure it's worth giving up my yoghurt breakfasts as I really miss them. I would like to lose another 7lbs or so but maybe if I can eat these things and stay at around 10 3 or 4 then I will just have to compromise. It's feels too much like a diet otherwise and I don't want to go down that path.

[RobotBananas]

Did you ditch the coleslaw? Id think that the likely suspect tbh.

[Lavendersbluedillydilly1969]

The funny thing is though Robot, I have eaten coleslaw since I started low carbing last year and it hasn't stopped me losing till now. It's a fairly low carb one and I don't eat loads of it. I just feel like my body is saying that if I'm going to keep eating things like double cream then it's not going to drop any more weight and that to do so I need to properly reduce how much I eat and do uber boot camp all the time but being that strict long term is not satisfying and I know I would go off plan.

[ChippingInHopHopHop]

Lavenders - I lost 6lbs and regained it last month - so overall weightloss for the month - NIL. I was pissed off. I was 'good' the whole month and I have A LOT to lose. Grrr.

I eat almonds (I'm a non egg eating vegetarian) daily - several times a day and it doesn't seem to change how much weight I do or don't lose. Cream, blue cheese & yogurt all seem to stall my weight loss though - sorry to say.

If I was you, I'd just go back to egg breakfasts etc and ditch the yogurt for now, you can look forward to it as a 'treat' when you are at your goal :) Kind of treat this short while as a bit of a 'diet' and then allow them moderately once you are maintaining.

I do understand what you mean though about not being able to be That Strict long term, it is a bit of a worry isn't it.

[GiraffesEatPineapples]

Ok sounds like a plateau :( one option is just to concentrate on maintaing for a while then hopefuly the plateau will break and you will lose more weight. From what I have read on these boards it is pretty common and usually lasts 1 - 3months but patience will pay off and weight loss will resume (I would find this diffciult tbh). This is tricky if you want to lose more weight before holiday though! I guess the problem is that if you do something more dramatic (adding IF or counting carbs say) you might lose weight for your target but end up gaining back even more once you have reached the target so carrying on as you are for now probably makes sense. Another thing you could try is replacing the cream with coconut milk from a tin or hommade from dry coconut. I like it much more than cream tbh. It would be an easy way to shake things up? Well done on losing 22 lbs btw