Why am I gaining weight on keto?

Frustrating but diagnosable. Most common causes:

1. Over-eating fat: Keto does not mean unlimited calories. Fat has 9 calories/gram vs 4 for protein and carbs. People often dramatically increase fat intake without realizing the caloric impact. If you added butter, oils, and fatty meats without reducing overall quantity, you may be in a caloric surplus.

2. Too much protein: Excess protein (above what your body needs for muscle maintenance) converts to glucose via gluconeogenesis, raising insulin and potentially causing fat storage even under 20g carbs.

3. Not actually in ketosis: Hidden carbs keeping you out of ketosis means your body is still running on glucose + stored fat can't mobilize efficiently. Check with a blood meter.

4. Water retention from inflammation: Some people retain water from high sodium intake or from foods they're sensitive to (dairy is common). Try removing dairy for 2 weeks.

Track your calories for exactly one week without changing anything else. Just observe. This will tell you whether over-eating is the cause without judgment. Many people are shocked to discover their "moderate" keto eating is 3,000-3,500+ calories because fat is so energy-dense.

Had a friend with this exact issue — turned out she was putting 4+ tablespoons of butter and MCT oil in her coffee twice daily. That's an extra 600-700 calories before breakfast even happened. Perfectly keto, perfectly capable of causing weight gain.

Tracking calories this week. I think it might be the nuts — I've been eating handfuls throughout the day thinking they're fine. Macadamia nuts are 200 calories per oz and I've probably been eating 3-4 oz per day without thinking.

Nuts are the sneakiest calorie source on keto. They feel like a healthy snack, technically are keto, but 400-600 extra calories from nuts daily absolutely affects weight. Portion them into small containers — 1oz per serving — and only have one serving.