Why did i gain weight on deficit

Went from 199 to 204.2 in 4 days.. Any explanation besides. Measuring food and water retention.
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Do you have a new exercise routine? Have you had more sodium than usual? These things can cause (temporary) water weight gain.

    How are you measuring your intake? Sometimes we think we're in a deficit when we aren't. Things like using measuring cups for solid food or faulty database entries can lead us to think we're eating less than we really are.
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    Hit gym 4-5 dsys a week. Cardio/strength training.measure food... Seems quick to gain so much so fast.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Hit gym 4-5 dsys a week. Cardio/strength training.measure food... Seems quick to gain so much so fast.

    Is it usual for you to work out 4-5 days a week or is this new?
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    Usual 3 months straight now. Was doing good. Just blew me away how 4 days could go up so quick
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    Is it possible that you were dehydrated when you weighed 199? I've had a couple occurrences of doing cardio just before bed, seeing a great drop on the scales the next morning but then staying at or above that weight for a couple weeks.
  • shanae727
    shanae727 Posts: 546 Member
    Are you taking any new supplements? BCAAs make me "gain" faster that first week I adjust to a higher amount but it usually mellows out after two weeks. Also when I eat more protein (180-200 grams a day), I weigh more but again it evens out. Have you increased weight training at all? Also when did you step on the scale? End of day..then yes you'll weigh more. Just my 2 cents. Carry on.
  • linsdog
    linsdog Posts: 94 Member
    For that much weight so quick, its most likely water weight from increased sodium or you maybe ate more carbs than typical? Both can cause increase in water retention.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Why can't I use the explanations that are the cause (eating too much aka "measuring food" and "water retention")? You want those ruled out? Then.. there's nothing left to say.. because those are the reasons. You named them yourself.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    Do you eat really light during the week so you can indulge on the weekend? I saw very low calorie (some were under 1200 and a couple around 400 calories) days last week and then Friday and Sat you ate a lot of calories and very high sodium and upped the carbs so this to me would show immensely on the scale probably more.
  • shanae727
    shanae727 Posts: 546 Member
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  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    So what do you suggest Roxie
  • BarbellzNBrotein
    BarbellzNBrotein Posts: 306 Member
    edited July 2016
    1) The deficit you thought you were in may well be a surplus
    2) Water weight pal
    3) The body isn't a calculator
    4) Undigested food
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    I drink a lot of water....
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    So what do you suggest Roxie

    My suggestion is to consistency until you get really good with the logging process. The sodium is over two and three days worth. And the carbs are fine but when you lower carb during the week (lesser calories) the increase in carbs are gonna show on the scale no doubt. There is also more food in the gut, possibly still waste in your body, etc..

    Tell me your weekly and weekend eating stragegies and let me see what I can advice better>
  • scoii
    scoii Posts: 160 Member
    I put on 4lbs on Friday night. One burger and chips all within maintenance calories but the sodium must have been through the roof. 2 days of maintenance later and I've lost it all
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    Water is only good for hydration. It does nothing to aid in weight loss, It will help you flush some excess sodium but sodium can take 24 - 48 hours to balance back to normal and this too means that you do not drink TOO much to flush out all electrolytes in order to quickly try to remove the sodium from your body. There is a catch 22 to drinking too little and too much.
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    Honestly. Eat good during week. Weekends drink beer and eat more. Close or over maintenance.
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    I do measure food. And log what i digest. Just confused with macros. Feel as long as im under calorie intake. I should be good. Guess not...
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    I will add that my weekends always result in weight gain.. not fat gain. I always know that I will balance back out around Wed .. but I do not do very low calories for 3 - 4 days leading to a weekend, this would kill me and my exercise.

    So just beware of the fluctuations.. because unless you eat 3500 calorie over Maintenance calories to gain a real pound of fat, so this is not fat gain.
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    Okay..thank you. Ill see what the scale says in a couple days..also i changed my scale from dial sxale to digital. Dial scale eas last at 199. 4 days ago. Today..digital is 204.2
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    Scale at gym confirmed digital weight..maybe the dial has been off the whole time. I dunno
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited July 2016
    My dial scale was replaced with a bluetooth scale last week. My dial scale was off around 2 pounds. I have put the dial scale in the closet and now use the new one.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Don't forget that eating at maintenance on the weekends can mean going over if your exercise calories are not accurate. It can easily negate your deficit during the week if not careful. I had to learn to like ultra light beer to counteract those calories or I completely blew my diet on the weekends BBQ'ing. I also had to invest in a HR strap to keep my calorie estimates more accurate. Even then I still leave 20% of the exercise calories untouched most of the time.
  • solieco1
    solieco1 Posts: 1,559 Member
    Give it a week.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    I drink a lot of water....

    It might help dealing with water weight, but it does not eliminate it. No matter what it is, the most likely causes are not fat increase.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    Okay..thank you. Ill see what the scale says in a couple days..also i changed my scale from dial sxale to digital. Dial scale eas last at 199. 4 days ago. Today..digital is 204.2

    Sure, throw that in at this point. Scales are not accurate unless they are legal for trade. In other words, they can be off by several pounds especially dial scales, right within what you are asking about. You could have saved a lot of answers by sharing this tidbit in your first post.
  • Shadyhuero805
    Shadyhuero805 Posts: 97 Member
    Well any information is good information..thanks
  • holmesj747
    holmesj747 Posts: 29 Member
    Okay..thank you. Ill see what the scale says in a couple days..also i changed my scale from dial sxale to digital. Dial scale eas last at 199. 4 days ago. Today..digital is 204.2

    This sounds like the main reason. No 2 scales will weight the same. Now that you have changed scales, wait a couple of weeks and see if you are still losing.