Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

2

I've been gaining weight since September and don't know why! I'm a 38 year old woman who is 5 feet tall. I began Paleo in February and lost 15 pounds. I held at 100 lbs. steadily up until then. I have also gone up a pants size. I'm also noticing an increase on my hips and thighs (which is where it all fell off first). I began a stressful job in August, but I try to get enough sleep and I am always moving. I really don't do any exercise since my job is running after kids and I'm always on my feet. I take probiotics, 1000 mg of calcium, 800 mg of magnesium, digestive enzymes, 5000 iu of vitamin D, iodine and B12.

My menu looks like this:

Breakfast: 2 eggs cooked in coconut oil with veggies and fennel tea Snack: (4hours later) homemade beef jerky with only Celtic sea salt, maybe some raw veggies like cucumbers, and maybe a hard boiled egg Lunch: some kind of meat from last nights dinner, broccoli with butter and a slice of homemade pumpkin bread made with coconut flour Dinner: meat and veggies in butter

I do not eat dairy, nuts, grains or fruit....and I drink only water or fennel/chamomile tea

Also my period got very weird in September (and it never does). My period was late for 2 weeks and that's when I started noticing more weight gain....I also had a cyst rupture this past month and I've been very bloated for 2 weeks and I just got my period yesterday (which was on time). I also tried on pants that I bought last month and I can't even button them! Oh, I've also been taking 2.5 mg of Lexapro (anti-anxiety medication) since June. I've read that it can cause weight gain...

So, if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know! I used to weigh 100 lbs in the morning and by the evening would weigh 103 lbs. Now I wake up and I weigh 105 and in the evening I'm at 107! I just want my pants to fit!

flag	asked Nov 10 2011 at 13:04 Monique Prohaska 51●3

That seems like a huge amount of calcium to me. Why would you be taking so much? – gydle Nov 10 2011 at 13:59

3

The Lexapro is the likely cause. – Annie Nov 10 2011 at 14:44

Stress can be the cause of all the symptoms you mentioned. Are you getting sufficent Magnesium & Zinc? – Dragonfly Nov 10 2011 at 16:44

1

Go get a salivary hormone test done. The medication can definitely cause weight gain. – Sue Nov 10 2011 at 22:19

Kewpie · Answer 1 · 2011-11-10 17:08:41Z UTC

A couple of things jump out at me. First, it's great that you are getting enough sleep, but it still sounds like you are under a lot of stress. Cortisol can interfere with weight loss/cause weight gain even if you are getting enough sleep. The medication you are taking can cause weight gain, as well. Have you considered seeing a therapist/counselor about your stress/anxiety? S/he will likely be able to give you non-pharmaceutical tools to help you deal with it better.

Second, the changes in your menstrual cycle, coupled with your age, suggest you could be entering perimenopause. Hormonal changes can definitely lead to weight gain--particularly in the area you are describing. Exercising and reducing your stress level can help here, too.

The only thing that I see in your diet that seems problematic is the pumpkin bread. Paleo "breads" are usually considered treats, not daily fare. It could also be that you are not eating enough, but overall I think your diet looks good.

Britt_H · Answer 2 · 2011-11-10 15:23:25Z UTC

I agree with Cliff. After being VLC for a long period of time, I was having regular anxiety attacks, my periods started going crazy, and I started gaining weight on all the same foods I had been eating. Once I increased my carbs... no more anxiety, period back to normal, and the couple extra pounds dropped.

Monique Prohaska · Answer 3 · 2011-11-10 15:14:53Z UTC

2

Oh, I also have been avoiding starches and fruit because I'm doing a semi-GAPS diet....

answered Nov 10 2011 at 15:14

Monique Prohaska
51●3

	Stress may be exacerbating your body's desire/need for carbs. I'm not sure about your specific needs regarding your Gaps diet and health situation but I've found personally that restricting carbs makes me pretty anxious/stressed. N=1, YMMV – Grocket Nov 10 2011 at 15:24
	Wouldn't the pumpkin bread help with increasing my carbs? I use coconut flour, eggs, butter, pumpkin and spices....I also make homemade flaxseed crackers that contain only flax, water and Celtic sea salt....would those help with carbs? – Monique Prohaska Nov 10 2011 at 23:02
	First off I would second Kewpie's recommendation for more Paleo carb sources. Although foods like squash and sweet potatoes aren't part of a traditional GAPS diet, Chris Kresser has mentioned that many of his patients respond better to a GAPS + starch approach. As far as tracking your carb intake, you could plug a few days worth of food into something like fitday.com or CRON-O-METER to see where you're at. I personally feel much better when I average >100g carbs/day. Good luck! – Grocket Nov 13 2011 at 21:32

cliff · Answer 4 · 2011-11-10 14:04:37Z UTC

1

you need more carbohydrates i.e. fruits or tubers.

answered Nov 10 2011 at 14:04

cliff
13.4k●1●9●28

jrc · Answer 5 · 2011-11-11 02:58:13Z UTC

1

Perimenopause, estrogen dominance, lack of progesterone. Exercise.

answered Nov 11 2011 at 2:58

jrc
11●1

Renee · Answer 6 · 2011-11-10 13:59:18Z UTC

0

I'm wondering if your body's set point weight is simply closer to 105 than 100, in which case it will fight tooth-and-nail to defend it. 100 is pretty low for 5'1 - borderline underweight.

answered Nov 10 2011 at 13:59

Renee
11.1k●1●4●42

	She said she is 5'. 100 lbs for a 5' medium boned woman is about right. As I am also 5' and medium boned I know this. I have weighed 100 pounds a couple of times as an adult and it is perfect. – Deb Nov 10 2011 at 14:40
	Agreed ^ especially if she is not doing any strength training exercise and doesn't have a great amount of muscle mass. – stevianut Sep 10 at 22:08

jessyannb · Answer 7 · 2011-11-11 10:12:34Z UTC

0

Possibly slightly off topic, but can you give me the recipe for your pumpkin bread please?

answered Nov 11 2011 at 10:12

jessyannb
131●3

Rebekah · Answer 8 · 2012-07-11 23:10:00Z UTC

0

i bloat without starches. i wonder if you might as well? my body just doesn't run without starchy carbs. also, when i was on lexapro a few years ago, it's what started my food issues... it changed my body chemistry somehow and i couldn't maintain weight or digest things as easily. not a scientific proof thing, just a realization of change. maybe that's your issue?

answered Jul 11 at 23:10

Rebekah
567●1●5

also, as i reread your question, it seems you might eat more than you think you do. it sounds like a good amount of calories for someone 100lbs. have you tallied your intake before? and i am a bit alarmed that you weigh yourself at night and in the morning... is there a reason for this? – Rebekah Jul 11 at 23:12

stevianut · Answer 9 · 2012-09-10 22:11:51Z UTC

Start an exercise routine! And cut out the pumpkin bread.Also, make sure you aren't smothering your veggies in butter. Remember butter is 100% fat, and even though we know fat does not make you fat; butter is very calorie dense and does end up getting stored as fat if you are not burning it off throughout the day.

Sudden weight gain

9 Answers