The First Few Days — Bloating, Scales & Panic
If I’m honest, the first few days were confronting.
Not because I doubted the science.
Not because I didn’t expect some adjustment.
But because the scale moved fast — and my body felt unfamiliar.
The moment everything felt wrong
Within the first 24 hours of increasing starch and easing off fasting, the number on the scale jumped 2 kilograms.
Two.
I felt it immediately:
- abdominal bloating
- cramping
- heaviness
- a tight, stretched feeling through my midsection
And emotionally?
I panicked.
My mind went straight to old narratives:
- “I’ve ruined everything.”
- “This is why carbs don’t work for me.”
- “I knew this was a mistake.”
Even with years of experience in health coaching, scale anxiety is real — especially for women who’ve relied on restriction to feel safe in their bodies.
When your body reacts faster than your rational brain
What made this harder was how quickly it happened.
I hadn’t been eating more often.
I wasn’t overeating.
My meals were simple: oats, potatoes, vegetables.
Yet my body felt swollen and reactive.
This is where long-term low-carb conditioning shows up — not just physically, but neurologically.
The body does something unfamiliar.
The brain interprets it as danger.
📦 What’s Actually Happening in Your Body Right Now
If you’re reading this because you’re in the same place — here’s what’s important to understand.
1. Glycogen + water (not fat)
After long-term keto or very low carb eating, your glycogen stores are depleted.
When you reintroduce carbohydrates:
- glycogen refills in the muscles and liver
- each gram of glycogen binds 3–4 grams of water
That alone can explain a 1–3 kg increase within days.
This is not body fat.
This is hydration and energy storage being restored.
2. Fibre reintroduction
After years of low-fibre eating, suddenly introducing:
- oats
- potatoes
- raw cruciferous vegetables
means your digestive system has to relearn how to move bulk.
This can cause:
- bloating
- cramping
- pressure
- slower transit initially
It’s uncomfortable — but it’s not pathological.
3. Gut microbiome adaptation
Your gut bacteria adapt to what you feed them.
Low-carb eating supports a different microbial profile than a starch-based diet.
When you increase fibre:
- new bacteria populations begin to grow
- fermentation increases temporarily
- gas and bloating can occur
This phase usually settles within days to a couple of weeks, especially when changes are gradual and foods are cooked.
Knowing this didn’t stop the fear — but it helped me stay
Even with all of this knowledge, I’ll be honest:
Understanding didn’t instantly calm my nervous system.
What helped was:
- not weighing daily
- choosing cooked vegetables over raw
- easing back on salads
- reminding myself: adaptation feels uncomfortable before it feels stabilising
By day three, something shifted.
The bloating eased.
The cramps settled.
And the scale — without any effort — moved back down.
What surprised me most
The biggest surprise?
I wasn’t hungry.
Despite eating oats for breakfast and a large bowl of vegetables and starch at lunch, there was no urgency around food.
No white-knuckling.
No clock-watching.
No mental negotiation.
For someone used to fasting, that calm was unfamiliar — and quietly reassuring.
If you’re in this phase right now
If you’re bloated.
If the scale has jumped.
If your anxiety is loud.
Please hear this:
This does not mean you’re failing.
It does not mean starch “doesn’t work for you.”
And it does not mean you need to retreat back to restriction.
It means your body is adjusting to nourishment.
And adjustment is rarely comfortable — but it is often necessary.
In the next post, I’ll explore something deeper:
how long-term keto and fasting can become a form of metabolic stress for women, and why safety matters as much as discipline.
