I just hit 200 pounds today. Partly, it’s because I’ve been drinking a lot of water, but whatever, I’m obese again.
It took only a few months to get from 185 to 200.
I know what I have to do to keep things under control, but I’m not doing it:
- Targeting a blood glucose of 100 in the morning.
- Targeting 50g of carbs per day, all day long.
- Keeping a food diary, looking up foods in an app, and tracking the blood glucose on paper.
My big error has been cheats. I cheated and ate ramen today. I cheated and ate bread yesterday. I did some social eating, and broke the carb bank. My carb counts are probably up in the 100g – 200g range.
I’m not metering daily, and the number has been around 120 in the morning. That is NOT GOOD.
Glycogen = Water Weight
The main thing I’m gaining right now is glycogen. Starch breaks down into glucose, and the body stores excess glucose as glycogen.
Glycogen is a starch-like molecule. It’s a long chain, but in a ball-like form, that’s “fluffy” because it attracts water.
I have read that glycogen attracts three times its weight in water.
The body can store 1500 grams of glycogen.
That should attract 4500 grams of water. This is a total of 6000 grams, or 6 kilograms, or around 15 pounds.
Storing sugar and water adds 15 pounds.
This glycogen will allow you to go a full day without eating, before you need to switch from a glucose energy source to a mixed ketone-glucose energy source.
Ketosis
When the glycogen runs out, that’s when my body goes into ketosis. I haven’t been consistently in keto in months.
When it’s happening, it’s a pretty familiar feeling.
- You feel hungry and sick as the days go by, until you suddenly don’t.
- Hunger abates over time.
- You have a slow-burn energy.
Then, the morning blood sugar declines, and weight comes down.
Photos
Here is me at 200 lbs.
