2lb overnight gain...I need some validation!

mazmataz

Hey all...okay I've been playing the weight loss game long enough to know why this might have happened, but this is me back on the wagon after a long time off so just in case I'm missing anything...

MY PLAN

- I currently eat TDEE-20%, so that works out at around 1825 cals for me a day.
- I track my excercise but don't eat the cals (my TDEE is based on light activity, but I do try and run every day and don't include this)
- I have been doing fairly vigerous excercise for the past 5 days straight (hill walking and running)
- I walk for 70 mins most days to work and back
- I was down 3lbs this week so far, then suddenly 2 back on overnight!
- This is my first week 'on it' for a few months, usually this means a bigger weight loss?

ISSUES?

- I have been running every day, could this cause water retention?
- I have been eating within my cals...but not necessarily eating the best foods all of the time (take a peak at my diary)
- I guess I did cook with quite a bit of salt last night, maybe too much sodium?
- Yesterday I drank maybe 1L of water and a few cups of herbal tea. Maybe with the running this isn't enough fluid?

I know that fluctuations are normal, I just thought that during my first week back I would get a freebie...and I also want to make sure that I'm not starting out with a plan that is going to cause me problems down the line.

Thanks for your input

cwolfman13

Yes...it's water...either from your workouts or from having too much sodium last night...also, if your diet is rather carb heavy you're going to keep your glycogen stores (basically water) full all of the time. All of this shows up on a scale.

This is math and science...it's imposible mathematically to gain 2 Lbs of fat overnight. To do so, you would have to consume 7000 calories above and beyond your MAINTENANCE level of calories. For me, that would be 9,700 calories; I guarantee you I'd be puking sick before I ever got there. Even then, your body can compensate for that kind of over consumption occasionally...it's when you routinely over eat or undereat that you override your bodies ability to maintain.

Last Sat morning I was 182.6...Sunday morning I was 179.2...Monday morning I was 184.9...Tuesday morning I was 184...Wednesday morning I was 183...this AM I am 182.4. You know what happened...on Saturday morning I went to the gym and had a killer session...hit the weights hard and set some PRs...then to celebrate my achievements I went for a 1/2 mile swim. After that, my wife and I spent about 4 hours riding our bikes and tasting wine. By Sunday morning I had completely depleted my water and glycogen stores...which probably weren't completely full to begin with. I spent all day Sunday trying to get my energy levels back up as I pretty much felt like I had been run over by a truck...I carb loaded my *kitten* off....boom...basically 185 Lbs by the next morning. Now, I've just been going about my business and eating my normal meals for the week..exercising, etc. My glycogen and water stores are stabalizing and I'm back to my average maintenance weight today.

bitflogger

"cwolfman13" is correct. Focus on your sodium intake and try to keep it low, I think the level is below 2500mg a day???

Also, try not to weigh yourself each day. Pick one day a week to check in and do it the same time each day. You will drive yourself crazy with the day to day fluctuations.

mazmataz

Thanks wolfman, that's actually really helpful! I guess it's just all about taking note and figuring out how my body works. I figured it wasn't fat...unless I had sleepwalked over to Wendy's last night and ordered 5 baconators! My food intake has been pretty carb heavy the past few days (damn work colleagues keep baking and bringing in amazing food!). So today I think I'm just going to watch my sodium intake, drink a ton of water and try and eat as cleanly possible.

Tomorrow is my 'official' weigh in day, hence the freak out lol!

michail71

Don't worry about water weight so much. It's daily fluctuation is way outside the bounds of daily body fat changes. So it's difficult, if not impossible, to detect daily body fat changes. If you were low on carbs and had a big carb day it would cause your glycogen supplies to refill. This is a good thing.

Muscles full of glycogen actually look better too.