Weight Gain w/o calorie increase?

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HeatFury
HeatFury Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been dieting for a little over 2 months now. As of two days ago, I had lost a total of 15 lbs. In the past 2 day, I've gained 6 of them back, and I'm struggling to understand why. I have not increased my calorie intake. In fact, I just decreased my total by 100 several days ago. I overate one day in the past week, and it was only by a couple of hundred calories. Why am I gaining?

The only thing I can guess is it's caused by a difference in the quality of food I've been eating. Normally, I try to focus on nutrient dense choices. However, for past 3 days I have eaten mostly processed foods. Although I am staying within my calorie range, is it possible I am gaining because I've been consuming more carbs and fat than normal?

FYI, I do measure my food.

Thanks for your input!

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    Did your foods you've eaten in the last three days have a lot of sodium in them?
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
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    Six pounds of fat is about 21,000 calories. You did not eat that much over your maintenance in two days!

    So the weight is something else. Since you mention eating more processed foods, it's almost certainly water retention due to higher sodium, possibly combined with a little glycogen+water storage in your muscles if the percentage of carbs was a lot higher than usual.

    It'll slowly disappear if you stick to your calorie goal. You might find it interesting to read the chapter on "The Rubber Bag" in John Walker's free ebook The Hacker's Diet, which explains the concept of water weight fluctuation.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    Did your foods you've eaten in the last three days have a lot of sodium in them?

    ^^ This.
    Also, not sure if you are male or female, OP, but for women, ToM can also cause an increase on the scale. If you're eating in a calorie deficit, your macros (fat/carbs/protein) aren't going to cause you to gain fat weight, nor is eating proceseed foods. It's most likely water weight.
    Also, when you say 'measure' your food, are you referring to measuring cups, or weighing it on a food scale?
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Sounds like water retention due to the sodium in the food you've eaten the last few days.
  • HeatFury
    HeatFury Posts: 6 Member
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    Yes, the food I have eaten these last few days is quite high in sodium. I'm surprised I could retain such a significant amount of water weight, but it's the only thing that makes sense.

    And yes, I weigh my food using a scale.

    Thanks, everyone.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I'll be up tomorrow. At least a pound. Sashimi for lunch and I use too much soy sauce with it. That's all it is.
  • spiffychick85
    spiffychick85 Posts: 311 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    I'll be up tomorrow. At least a pound. Sashimi for lunch and I use too much soy sauce with it. That's all it is.

    Oh man...soy sauce does it to me every time!
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    As above; it's likely to be water weight if you have honestly tracked your calories.

    I've mentioned this in previous threads but I have gained nearly 20lbs overnight caused by glycogen, water and "food in transit" after a very high calorie day.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    I'm currently trending about 8lbs up from where I should be. it's the most that's ever happened to me outside a long haul flight puff up.

    But, I increased carbs after three weeks being lower, I have just started increasing a med I'm on every two weeks and this week is my usual TOM week where I always gain 2-3lbs anyway. Plus I have upped my exercise again after a period of not doing nearly as much as would be my usual normal. This has been happening for 3 weeks. Is it frustrating as hell? Yes. Do I know my logging is tight and I can't possibly in a million years have eaten 28'000 calories over maintenance? Yes. And I have gotten physically smaller in those three weeks.

    So you just ride it out, keep logging, keep your deficit and in time, the scale will catch up.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    I'll be up tomorrow. At least a pound. Sashimi for lunch and I use too much soy sauce with it. That's all it is.

    Up 1.6 lbs. Take a couple days to flush it out. Sucks but was expected.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    Six pounds in two days is water weight, not fat. Processed foods have a lot of sodium, so that is probably what is causing it.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    I'll be up tomorrow. At least a pound. Sashimi for lunch and I use too much soy sauce with it. That's all it is.

    Up 1.6 lbs. Take a couple days to flush it out. Sucks but was expected.

    Drink some ACV :drinker:

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