Is it normal to gain 12 lbs back in one month?

vasinger1

I notice I gain weight very easily and lose weight only slightly less easily. I put on about 12 lbs after Christmas. So after about January 6th- February 6th I put on 12 lbs. Is that typical, or just a sign that I have some sort of underlying issue?

Tblackdogs

Sounds like you ate a lot and probably a lot of salty food. It's likely a mix of fat and water weight. If you think you have an underlying issue, you should get a physical and talk to your doctor. But I could gain 12 pounds pretty easily eating in restaurants and just eating big portions.

abirdintherain

It's definitely possible, especially, as the previous response said, if you're eating a lot of salty or processed foods. It'll be more water weight and bloat than fat, which is why it comes back off fairly easily, as well. If it feels abnormal for you or your body, doesn't hurt to bring it up with your doctor, though.

L1zardQueen

Let’s think this through. 12 pounds X 3500 calories is 42,000calories / 30 days is 1400 calories a day. Did you eat over your maintaiance by 1400 calories. I bet you did not. I’m going with normal fluctuations.

SummerSkier

OH - I could do this I think if I just ate like a binge. So are you saying you have put back on 24 total pounds or just the 12. How much did you lose. I think guys can put on and lose a lot faster than women. I don't think you have any underlying issue but that's for you to know or a doc to say for sure. My guess is if you ate it, it's gain. Good luck. Maybe the first step is ack that you are gaining quickly and logging again at a small deficit,

LivingtheLeanDream

If you've been tracking your calorie intake you'll know if its real gain or mostly just a fluctuation.

spiriteagle99

I do this if I'm on vacation and eating out a lot. Restaurant calories add up quickly. I would go back into weight loss mode. If it is mostly water, you'll lose it quickly. If it's the result of too many calories, it will take a while.

ritzvin

Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »

Let’s think this through. 12 pounds X 3500 calories is 42,000calories / 30 days is 1400 calories a day. Did you eat over your maintaiance by 1400 calories. I bet you did not. I’m going with normal fluctuations.

spiriteagle99 wrote: »

I do this if I'm on vacation and eating out a lot. Restaurant calories add up quickly. I would go back into weight loss mode. If it is mostly water, you'll lose it quickly. If it's the result of too many calories, it will take a while.

Enough days of restaurant meals -> yeah..1400 extra/day would be pretty easy to do. Large portions of VERY calorie-dense items and multiple courses=a ridiculous number of extra calories if you are not counting. But- also almost always very, very high in salt - so a lot of that would still also be water weight.

vasinger1

Yes, I think it was sodium intake. I was eating out at Chick Fil A right often. They give me free meals since I'm an employee. But I decided to taper off lately, and the weight is coming off again.

Fitnessmom82

If you ate enough, then yeah it's possible, unfortunately!! Over the summer (before I started MFP) I gained 15 pounds in a month. We took a two week vacation back home, where we ate insane amounts of food and drank tons of alcohol every single day. The party continued when we got home. Joined the gym a few weeks later saw what I had done to my weight! At first I was in disbelief, blaming sodium. Now that I am calorie counting I think back to how I ate those few weeks, and I am horrified and totally understand how the weight piled on!

DragonHasTheSapphire

Sadly it is possible, when I had depression at 11 with a combo of PCOS, I ate and ate and ate! I didn't realize how much I was eating, and I gained a near 30 lbs over a 3 month summer! That's roughly 10 lbs per month, and that's close to 12 lbs.

I really am very sorry if you may take some sort of offense, but I would advise to lay off any sort of junk food or unhealthy calorie-dense foods like pizza (pizza is my enemy lol). Really salty foods may "add a few pounds" but really it's from water retention. Keep in mind that weight does fluctuate too, to get a real weight you should do it first thing in the morning after using it.

chase7612

If you can easily lose 2 lbs or more a week, you can gain 2 lbs or more a week. 4 weeks in a month thats 8+lbs safe gain and i fluctuate 2-4lbs of water weight a day. + whatever sewage you might have backed up. Its very possible to even lose/gain way more than that. Alot of weightloss scams take advantage of this fooling people into thinking it is real weight loss saying you can lose "10lbs this week" or some bs like that... Don't worry about failing now and then as long as you get back to succeeding.

rossdarragh

I put on 11.5 lbs this week alone. I had just reached my target goal and allowed myself to splurge. I was expecting a gain but certainly not expecting so much. It's a vital lesson that has bought me (mentally dedicated) back on track.

vasinger1

This is all very true! Also, I was not counting my calories for a whole month. I think I am one of those types that gain/lose weight easily.

gamerbabe14

Weight? Yes! Fat? Probably not.

YvetteK2015

gamerbabe14 wrote: »

Weight? Yes! Fat? Probably not.

But how do you know?

kristingjertsen

Cooking at home and eating at home seems to be the best defense against overindulgence. You have control over the cooking so you know exactly what you are putting into dish. You have control over portion size as well (helpful to those of us charter members of the clean plate club). I have started using "half portions" to help with my weight loss. I am simply eating half the amount I usually take (1/2 cup of rice instead of a full cup for example or 2 ounces of chicken instead of 4 ounces). I figure that since I am 25 lbs. overweight, I must be overeating even healthy food. I am trying to retrain my appetite to reflect my real needs rather than my cravings. So don't beat yourself up over 12 lbs. Learn from the experience, tweak your diet and exercise routine, and move on.

bbell1985

For me, yes. But I'm a jerk.