Is it normal to GAIN weight when you start eating healthy?

AHealthierSuzyQ

I've been counting calories and exercising her at MFP since Mid-February. I have stopped eating sweets, carbonated beverages and fried foods and have finally lost enough weight that my husband has decided maybe this eating healthy thing is working, so he's been trying to do better.

Before he had a major root beer, ice cream and late night snacking habit. He regularly ate second helpings, lots of fried foods and red meat almost every day. (I only eat it once a week.) Problem is no seconds and healthy food choices have made him gain weight! So now he wants to go back to junk food.

AHealthierSuzyQ

I've been counting calories and exercising her at MFP since Mid-February. I have stopped eating sweets, carbonated beverages and fried foods and have finally lost enough weight that my husband has decided maybe this eating healthy thing is working, so he's been trying to do better.

Before he had a major root beer, ice cream and late night snacking habit. He regularly ate second helpings, lots of fried foods and red meat almost every day. (I only eat it once a week.) Problem is no seconds and healthy food choices have made him gain weight! So now he wants to go back to junk food.

aprilvet

Hmmmmm......

What does he eat when he's not at home??:laugh:

fjtcjt

There must be more to the story, unless somehow with the healthy food choices he is managing to consume more calories.

genabug

Does he eat a double whopper with cheese on his way home every day? :laugh:

fatstrat

Hmmm. Sounds like amnesia...

AHealthierSuzyQ

He hasn't started keeping a food diary or counting calories, so it Is possible he is somehow getting more calories. He usually eats lunch with the guys from work at the local greasy spoon, but said he has stopped ordering fried everything and started getting a side salad. I'm not with him to see what he eats then, but he's eating the same thing as me for breakfast and supper now.

adopt4

It's also possible his system is in "shock" and he is retaining water, or possibly has gained a few pounds that will easily come off. It's also possible he's not eating enough since men require more cals than women, and he's eating the same as you 2 meals a day.

Logging is the only way to really understand what's going on, even if you log it for him.

SHBoss1673

how much weight are we talking here? There is the possibility that with better food choices, his body is "waking up" and starting to actually put energy in the right places, which could temporarilly cause weight gain.

Also, how much time are we talking about. if this is a two week thing, disregard it, it takes a while for people to change.


There are lots and lots of processes in the human body, any one of which can cause the storage of excess weight. Some of the things I can name top of the head are, changes in body chemistry leading to fluid retention and glycogen storage. Change in food consumption leading to how often he has movements, and how much waste is being stored daily. Changes in ph level which can lead to excess water retention, changes in bone density which can lead to weight increase...etc

these all can play factors along with about a million other things, give it time, as the body re-regulates, then he will start seeing positive results. That can be a month or two in, but it will start happening.

Also remind him, even if he isn't seeing scale numbers, that if you eat healthy you live longer and are healthier in general, even if you don't lose weight (cholesterol, sodium, plaque, blood suger, blood pressure, bowels and colon, liver, kidneys...etc all become healthier if you eat better).

and if after all this, he's still not seeing positive changes, then he's probably eating badly when not at home (it wouldn't be the first time I've heard of this).