Broth/boullion and weight gain?

[briped]

I've managed to 'gain' 4.6kgs/ 10lbs in just 8 short days. Usually I'm quite easy going if we're talking 1-2kgs over night, but this is a bit much. I'll assume it's down to water retention, because I'm on less than 16g of carbs per day, and 1300 cals.
The only change in diet is the sudden shine I've taken to making myself a mug of beef boullion with about 5g of butter. Carb and cal wise that should be ok, right? My sudden craving for boullion could be down to my being too low on salt, or what do you think? That's my theory anyway.
The question is, could I have become a bit too fond of this drink? Should I limit myself to perhaps 2 mugs per day? Might it be the increased intake of salt that caused this rather impressive weight gain?
I'm very happy with my BG levels even if I've cut down on my meds. They're usually in their 4s and 5s, so going off keto and finding a different way of losing weight is not really an option. I now weigh the same as I did in October
Edited to add, I'm way past menopause, but perhaps my homones don't know that ...? I'm just wondering.

 

[Pipp]

It is a constant battle, isn’t it, @briped ?
I thought it was just me who had this sort of problem, seeing fluctuations in weight of up and / or down 5or 6 kg in the space of a week. It is possible that it is water retention, and if so do your clothes feel tight and do your feet swell? My guess is the salt in the broth. What else have you been eating? If you can’t pinpoint anything in your diet, and there is oedema pethaps a discussion with the doc is in order.

 

[Brunneria]

Are you prone to water retention through salt or other chemicals?

I am. Carbs, salt and stuff like monosodium glutamate and the artificial sweeteners, flavours and colours, all seem to act like little sponges in my system. Ordinary stock cubes and bouillon do the same, so I have to choose the brand very carefully.

I tend to hold the water for several days, then pee it out on the 4th or 5th day.

Last night we went out for a fabulous steak. I ate the steak, 3 onion rings* with sprinkled salt, and two blogs of icecream
Today, I feel like a whale, with significant water retention around my middle, on my hands, and it will slip south to my ankles by the end of my day. Probably the salt and the onion rings. Ironically, the icecream, while stuffed with carbs, was good quality and home made, so not full of nasties.

C'est la vie.

It was a wonderful meal, and I won't have another like it for a good long while.

* I am gluten intolerant, and the wheat batter on the onion rings will have had a significant effect, and will last for days.

 

[briped]

It is a constant battle, isn’t it, @briped ?
I thought it was just me who had this sort of problem, seeing fluctuations in weight of up and / or down 5or 6 kg in the space of a week. It is possible that it is water retention, and if so do your clothes feel tight and do your feet swell? My guess is the salt in the broth. What else have you been eating? If you can’t pinpoint anything in your diet, and there is oedema pethaps a discussion with the doc is in order.

Thanks Pipp. True, it is a constant battle, and yes I do tend to retain water, but knowing that too shall pass, literally speaking, I never bothered my GP with it. I know she's likely to just prescribe diuretics anyway. It's just so demotivating, isn't it?
My feet and lower legs do look a little more puffed up than they did just one week ago, but nothing too obvious. I can still see the blue veins under the skin of my feet, but pressing down on a shin with a finger does leave an indent. Also my legs feel heavier when I climb stairs. Do you get the same feeling of suddenly having to drag your corpus up when you retain water?
Apart from my sudden love of broth I've been eating much the same. I'm checking my food diary and see ground beef, cream (mostly in tea), cheese, pork chops, creamed spinach, cod, butter, carefully weighed out helpings of almonds and pork rinds, 10 or 20 g. of dark chocolate.
Checking the stats I see that my weight gain started on Jan. 31st, but I didn't run amuck on the broth till Feb. 3rd, so I don't know ... I was down to 91.6kgs (after a sudden drop that made me very optimistic) and now 96.2.

 

[briped]

Are you prone to water retention through salt or other chemicals?

Thanks Brunneria, very helpful. Perhaps I am. I just never thought about it much. Like I said to Pipp I started gaining weight 3-4 days before 'discovering' broth, and yes, I am using stock cubes, about 1/3 to a mug. Maybe my stock cube abuse caught my weight gain on an upwards slope and aggravated the matter. Which brand of stock cubes do you go for? I'm not in the UK, but might be able to get it online.
Why is it that my body seems to have a radar for food stuffs that turn out to be bad for me?

Last night we went out for a fabulous steak. I ate the steak, 3 onion rings* with sprinkled salt, and two blogs of icecream
Today, I feel like a whale, with significant water retention around my middle, on my hands, and it will slip south to my ankles by the end of my day. Probably the salt and the onion rings. Ironically, the icecream, while stuffed with carbs, was good quality and home made, so not full of nasties.

That sounds a bit like me, only I look like one too I hope you enjoyed it. This leaves me in a bit of a dilemma, though. 'They' say that when on keto one should make sure to get enough salt. I haven't really done that till I started craving broth, but now that my salt balance is better , presumably, I feel less tired and lethargic. So be an energetic whale or a lethargic I-dunno-what?
I better go back to drinking just tea w. cream.

 

[Pipp]

@briped , I mentioned checking with the doc, as the water retention can be a symptom of other problems.
I Don’t take diruetic meds, but find a cup of strong coffee starts the flushing out, drink plenty of water, around 2 or 3 litres spaced through the day. I try to keep moving, but when resting elevate my legs, or even lie down on the floor with feet up the wall. I do find getting to the swimming pool for exercise helps.

I would reduce salt intake. Unfortunately cheese can be high in salt. As can pork rinds if you mean the dried ones .I would not use stock cubes, either, as they are very salty. Prefer to make my own broth.