Gaining weight on WAPF

I've new to WAPF and have been eating (mostly) per their recommendations for about 2 months now. I'm really enjoying raw milk, real butter, etc. but I notice my clothes are feeling a bit tight. I don't think I've been eating much more than normal and my exercise patterns haven't really changed. Do I need to adjust how much I eat to compensate for the higher calorie and fat levels I'm consuming?

Have you cut out the carbs?

I've cut out processed carbs with an occasional exception, but really I didn't eat a lot of those before anyway. I have been eating brown rice, quinoa, beans etc. (all prepared properly) as a means to stretch the food budget. I also eat veggies and some fruit. Plenty of protein as well, and I try to have broth a couple of times a day.

I really don't know the particulars of WAPF but I do know that carbs stimulate insulin and insulin promotes fat storage and water retention. I think if you cut out sugar, HFCS, honey, all natural sweeteners and so on, and white flour you should be OK. You may need to cut back on fruit and beans if the above is true and you're gaining.

I'd recommend tracking what you eat for a week and see what you're break down is. 30% protein seems standard overall and is important to make you feel satiated.

I did gain some weight when I started drinking raw milk because it has a higher fat content and I drink coffee/tea sweet. The only sweetener I use now is xylitol.

Kim - you didn't say if you were overweight to begin with? I was underweight and have gained enough to be a good weight now, so yes, I did gain, but not overly so. Just gained a little more cuddle factor :> (i.e 120lb at 5'4")

Sometimes folks have a slight weight gain for awhile after first starting to eat traditionally .. it's almost as if the body is so relieved to finally be getting some nourishment. If this is the case, after awhile, the weight should stabilize and normalize.

Another possible reason is that folks sometimes don't cut down on other foods and just incorporate all these additional healthy fats in the diet so they actually increase the amount of food they are consuming substantially. Try to make sure you are eating less of other foods as you incorporate these wonderful healthy fats like butter into your daily diet.

Also, don't forget to move your body! I hear folks sometimes say that exercise is unimportant and unnecessary if you eat a nutrient dense, traditional diet. Nothing could be further from the truth. You need to sweat and you need to move. Eating butter will give you more energy to do this fortunately

Hi Ann, that's a very relevant point. I started at an ideal weight for me, neither needing to gain or lose. I may have only gained 5 pounds, but that is actually a lot for just 2 months, especially if the trend continued. And it does make a noticeable and unwelcome difference in how my clothes fit.

Thanks for the your comments, too, Sarah. I actually enjoy exercise, but have had a knee issue that has prevented me from my normal routine for the last couple of weeks; of course that isn't helping matters any. Maybe I just need to give things a little more time; I do seem to crave some of the fats, so maybe my body needs that for now. I even find myself wanting more than 1 teaspoon of cinnamon-flavored high-ft butter and cod liver oil!

I'm currently overweight (sitting pretty at 163 lbs - down from 190 lbs two years ago!) and I've noticed that when I cut out all sugar and keep the carbs very low - basically eating lots of bone broth, raw milk, grassfed beef, eggs, pastured chickens, low-sugar veggies, etc. - that my weight will slowly begin again to decrease. The *moment* I sneak in a few servings of sugary fruit or ice cream, I hit a plateau.

All that said, I agree with everyone else - your best bet is to cut sugar and grains.