Unexplainable weight gain - to me anyway!

ipiddock

Hi Everyone,

First of all I just like to say that I am very happy with my progress over the past 9 months and I use MFP almost religiously. I have done much reading on nutrition and fitness and again very happy with my regime. I have quite a mathematical approach to life and crave facts in order to explain things, but this nutrition Vs the metabolism process just stumps me. I know that different nutrients get processed at different speeds by the body and that that certain chemicals can effect weight loss - i.e. sodium intake. So I was just wondering if there is anyone out there that can offer an explanation for the following:

My MFP program is set at a calorie deficit to result in 1 pound loss per week - made up of 55% protein 15% Carbs, 30% fat. I workout x3 a week with weights (2 hour sessions), and mix in some cardio on other days if I have the time. I always eat back calories. The result is pretty much spot on, I loose between 0.8 and 1.2 lbs each week. I weigh-in every Monday morning. My objective is to get to 11% body fat and then change my diet to lean gains.

So - If I overindulge at the weekend at all - straying from my normal eating plan, but calorie intake for the week still nets within the weight-loss zone, why then do I weigh-in 3 pounds heavier on Monday morning? I did not consume 12,600 calories over my normal goal on Friday and Saturday night - I consumed 3000 calories over. Net for week was just 1,400 over goal.

This happens every time! But it all drops off during the week. I know that when I weigh-in next monday it will all have disappeared and that I would probably have made gains.

Some people might just think - What's the problem then? But, I just like to better understand the why's of this?

Personal Stats: Age: 43, Height: 5f 9in, Weight 136 pounds (last week 133), Body Fat%: 13.7 (last week 12.7), Water Hydration%: 61.1 (last week 62.4), Muscle Mass%: 44.3 (last week 45.2) - BMR 1500

Regards

Ian

pullem

If it comes back off over the next week then almost certainly it won't be a true weight gain but down to water retention.

You didn't state what you 'overindulge' in at the weekends but I'm guessing as you are low carbing during the week you will be having high carb foods. Over-indulgence in carbohydrates following a low carb period can make your body over-produce the hormone insulin. It’s this insulin which causes water retention as it makes you retain sodium, a mineral that’s found in salt. Whenever you retain sodium, you also retain water.

It would be better to set an achievable goal for macros, usually 1g/lb LBM for protein and 0.35g/lb fat as a minimum and the remainder as you please and stick to them all the time rather than binge at weekends

ipiddock

You didn't state what you 'overindulge' in at the weekends but I'm guessing as you are low carbing during the week you will be having high carb foods.

Does overindulging come in any other form than Carbs?! lol ;-)

Yes I'm on low carb as a rule, around 50g per day. On Friday and Saturday I did 500g of carbs (10 days worth) - lol. I'm sure that would have been a big shock to the system.

As I said in my post I'm just looking for some explanation for the gain, not advice on my diet. I wasn't aware that insulin causes water retention to be honest - that's a new one on me, although sodium I agree with. My understanding of insulin is that it turns carbs into glucose that enters the blood stream which can then be used as immediate energy, any surplus of which is turned to fat.

Thanks for your reply.

pullem

Does overindulging come in any other form than Carbs?! lol ;-)

Yes I'm on low carb as a rule, around 50g per day. On Friday and Saturday I did 500g of carbs (10 days worth) - lol. I'm sure that would have been a big shock to the system.

As I said in my post I'm just looking for some explanation for the gain, not advice on my diet. I wasn't aware that insulin causes water retention to be honest - that's a new one on me, although sodium I agree with. My understanding of insulin is that it turns carbs into glucose that enters the blood stream which can then be used as immediate energy, any surplus of which is turned to fat.

Thanks for your reply.

You are correct Insulin utilises glucose to store glycogen (a glucose polymer) in the tissues which is then broken down or excess stored as fat. Glucose already contains water (consists of Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen) and to get the glycogen into the tissues water is required as a carrier. Glycogen storage increases total body water and a secondary effect of the insulin response invoked by hyperglycemia (from the excess carbs) leads to increased renal tubular resportion of sodium and fluid in the kidneys which is why you feel thirsty after large ingestion of carbs. Basically you get a double effect of the increased glycogen filling the muscle with water and the effect on renal resorption on sodium and fluid causing water retention as the body tries to maintain it's osmotic balance. :explode:

ipiddock

Thank you. This makes sense and offers a good explanation for the effect.

Craigamears

I agree with our friend with the physique. I would add that another culprit is the salt that goes so well with those carbs! Between the sodium causing retention and the carbs, you set yourself up for becoming a GoodYear blimp come Monday morning!

tross0924

And to top it off - lets say on an average Saturday before your over indulgence your have 5 lbs of yet to be excreted . . . stuff in your stomach and intestines. Then after your indulgence you have 6.5 lbs of stuff in there. Once it gets excreted Monday after noon you're back to your usual 5 lbs at any given time.

HaywireII

Add my vote to the salt and water retention list. Every "diet" out there seems to show a miracle 10 pound loss the first week and it's almost aways water weight that comes off because you went from a normal life of not paying attention and taking in triple the recommended sodium levles down to a more sane level. If you indulge over the weekend you are probably spiking your bodies sodium levels and holding in extra water.

I have a scale that displays weight and body fat and whenever the weight goes up in a very short time period the body fat goes down becuase there's extra water and the same amount of fat is now a lower percentage of total body weight.

Tross's poing about "stuff" traveling through your body is also a great point.