Cheat meal = 2 pounds gain !!??

fitnessdedication
fitnessdedication Posts: 20
in Food and Nutrition
Hello there !!

I've been eating very clean for the past weeks. Two days ago, I've decided to have a cheat meal since I felt like I deserved it. Thus, I ate a poutine and a chocolate bar.. Problem is, I weighed myself the day after and realized I've gain 2 pounds....! I first thought I was just bloated from eating so much carbs so I didn't worry much and just kept on eating clean like I usually do. But then, I weighed myself again this morning and I was still 2 pounds over.

Whaaaaat the hell. Is that normal ?!
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Replies

  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Hello there !!

    I've been eating very clean for the past weeks. Two days ago, I've decided to have a cheat meal since I felt like I deserved it. Thus, I ate a poutine and a chocolate bar.. Problem is, I weighed myself the day after and realized I've gain 2 pounds....! I first thought I was just bloated from eating so much carbs so I didn't worry much and just keep on eating clean like I usually do. But then, I weighed myself again this morning and I was still 2 pounds over.

    Whaaaaat the hell. It's that normal ?!

    Unless it was a 7000 calorie cheat meal - in addition to a full days calories - you did not gain 2 pounds from that meal.

    More likely it's water and/or waste weight. Keep eating according to your weight loss plan, and it will come back off.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Yes, weight fluctuation is normal. Stop weighing yourself so often.
  • Seraphemz
    Seraphemz Posts: 84 Member
    I hate when that happens. Just go back to eating healthy and it will come right off...
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Water weight due to amount of sodium in the meal, or you need to have a bowel movement from said food.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Hello there !!

    I've been eating very clean for the past weeks. Two days ago, I've decided to have a cheat meal since I felt like I deserved it. Thus, I ate a poutine and a chocolate bar.. Problem is, I weighed myself the day after and realized I've gain 2 pounds....! I first thought I was just bloated from eating so much carbs so I didn't worry much and just keep on eating clean like I usually do. But then, I weighed myself again this morning and I was still 2 pounds over.

    Whaaaaat the hell. It's that normal ?!

    First, you realistically can't gain, or lose...2lbs of fat in 24hrs. Or 48hrs for that matter. Second, out of curiosity, did the poutine and chocolate bar put you over your calories? And if so...how much? To gain 2lbs of fat would theoretically require being 7000cal over.

    Just relax...it's probably water retention...it'll fall off as long as you're eating under your calorie limit.
  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
    Water weight due to amount of sodium in the meal, or you need to have a bowl movement from said food.

    Don't use the salad bowls, though. Those are for company.
  • Josee76
    Josee76 Posts: 533 Member
    Water weight due to amount of sodium in the meal, or you need to have a bowl movement from said food.

    Don't use the salad bowls, though. Those are for company.

    LMFAO!!! ;)
  • turboturtlepower
    turboturtlepower Posts: 79
    If you can still button up your jeans, don't worry about it. Drink some water, the weight will go down in a few days.
  • AlicesNirvanaHealthWellness
    AlicesNirvanaHealthWellness Posts: 111 Member
    I drive myself crazy with this same problem,,,weigh in once a week only,,don't make yourself crazy, just go back to doing the healthy stuff and you will be great
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
    Poutine is a really salty dish. I'd say it's water retention.
  • Ta2dchic20
    Ta2dchic20 Posts: 376 Member
    Hello there !!

    I've been eating very clean for the past weeks. Two days ago, I've decided to have a cheat meal since I felt like I deserved it. Thus, I ate a poutine and a chocolate bar.. Problem is, I weighed myself the day after and realized I've gain 2 pounds....! I first thought I was just bloated from eating so much carbs so I didn't worry much and just keep on eating clean like I usually do. But then, I weighed myself again this morning and I was still 2 pounds over.

    Whaaaaat the hell. Is that normal ?!

    You ate Poutine? I love you...but yes, all that gravy=sodium. drink lots of water, you'll lose it :drinker:
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    So in 2 days you expected it to go away? That's rather unrealistic. It's not a 2 pound gain--in the future don't weigh yourself for at least 3-5 days and drink lots of water. I routinely gain 5 pounds after a particularly indulgent weekend.
  • BamaBreezeNSaltAire
    BamaBreezeNSaltAire Posts: 966 Member
    Water retention and bloat. This too shall pass.
  • VeganZombie13
    VeganZombie13 Posts: 297
    I think you are probably just bloated.. don't worry..
  • kmccormick42
    kmccormick42 Posts: 78 Member
    That's why I only weigh once a week, same time - same scale. Had a drs appt last week & was up 3 lbs but was back down before my next regular weigh in.
  • xMonroeMisfit
    xMonroeMisfit Posts: 411 Member
    Hello there !!

    I've been eating very clean for the past weeks. Two days ago, I've decided to have a cheat meal since I felt like I deserved it. Thus, I ate a poutine and a chocolate bar.. Problem is, I weighed myself the day after and realized I've gain 2 pounds....! I first thought I was just bloated from eating so much carbs so I didn't worry much and just keep on eating clean like I usually do. But then, I weighed myself again this morning and I was still 2 pounds over.

    Whaaaaat the hell. It's that normal ?!

    Unless it was a 7000 calorie cheat meal - in addition to a full days calories - you did not gain 2 pounds from that meal.

    More likely it's water and/or waste weight. Keep eating according to your weight loss plan, and it will come back off.

    ^
  • MyPureSteez
    MyPureSteez Posts: 265 Member
    Hide your scale. It's a lying *kitten*! Only weight your self once every two weeks. I was weighing myself 3 times a day like a mad man. it's not healthy
  • VeinsAndBones
    VeinsAndBones Posts: 550 Member
    Did you eat a whole buffet!?! :O If not than it's water weight from excess carbs and glucose and glycogen ;) No worries
  • elleloch
    elleloch Posts: 739 Member
    You are literally going to drive yourself nuts if you are trying to get yourself to weigh the same exact number every time you get on the scale.
  • pnubn1
    pnubn1 Posts: 339 Member
    It's just water weight gain..probably from a sudden influx of salt...sugar
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
    That happens to me too. But I only cheat when I reach certain weight goals and I go for a whole day. I usually gain 1-2 pounds for the day. What I have found that helps it come off faster is to double my water on the cheat day and overload on fiber the following 2 days. And I actually end up losing the 2 pounds from the cheat day and 1 extra one.
  • WishfulShrinking331
    WishfulShrinking331 Posts: 244 Member
    The same thing happened to me between today and yesterday. I'm not gonna worry about it!
  • laceylucas86
    laceylucas86 Posts: 120
    water weight from sodium!!!!! been there done that! scarey! lol
  • IIISpartacusIII
    IIISpartacusIII Posts: 252 Member
    Hello there !!

    I've been eating very clean for the past weeks. Two days ago, I've decided to have a cheat meal since I felt like I deserved it. Thus, I ate a poutine and a chocolate bar.. Problem is, I weighed myself the day after and realized I've gain 2 pounds....! I first thought I was just bloated from eating so much carbs so I didn't worry much and just kept on eating clean like I usually do. But then, I weighed myself again this morning and I was still 2 pounds over.

    Whaaaaat the hell. Is that normal ?!

    So whilst you were keeping your macros consistent, the glycogen in your body was depleted and when you ate the extra carbs it was replenished and is still replenished. This isn't a fat gain, just your muscles trying to hold on to glycogen (which bonds with water to make you gain a little weight). Don't let it get you down, it's temporary. What you should be focused on are "trends". Overall, are you dropping week to week, month to month and so on? That's what's going to determine whether you reach your goal, not a little bit of carbing up somewhere along the journey. Stay on point.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Hello there !!

    I've been eating very clean for the past weeks. Two days ago, I've decided to have a cheat meal since I felt like I deserved it. Thus, I ate a poutine and a chocolate bar.. Problem is, I weighed myself the day after and realized I've gain 2 pounds....! I first thought I was just bloated from eating so much carbs so I didn't worry much and just kept on eating clean like I usually do. But then, I weighed myself again this morning and I was still 2 pounds over.

    Whaaaaat the hell. Is that normal ?!

    Hell yeah! That's how you do it!

    Poutine is crazy good. So is chocolate.

    Head to the head, you'll get light.
  • Naywifey07
    Naywifey07 Posts: 74 Member
    Yeah I agree with the friends above, if you didn't eat 7000 calories then its impossible that you have gained 2lbs. For example I am on the Lemonade Diet and I have been going down 2lbs everyday. Now I had 3 forks of salad and drank plenty of water last night and I woke up and it said I gained 2.5lbs... That was completely impossible. But yeah maybe its just water weight like what I have :)
  • sunnyhlw77
    sunnyhlw77 Posts: 204 Member
    Watch your sodium intake, poutine (fries, gravy & cheese curds) = high sodium! unfortunately there is no healthy version of poutine, not if you want the real thing, what you can do, depending on the restaurant is ask them for unsalted fries, but the other two, well, they are what they are. I know places like McD's actually have to clear out a bin and make a new batch if someone asks for unsalted fries. Also a lot of cheat foods, pre-packaged foods and restaurant meals are notorious for being high in sodium, its like they don't understand if you flavour your foods with herbs and spices you don't need the extra salt to make it taste better. Here's a test, get Mrs. Dash or McCormick's salt free seasoning, cook with it for 2 or 3 weeks, don't add salt. I use either of those seasonings in my cooking or on my meals, I don't use much salt if any. Sodium is a huge culprit.
  • ccllnply
    ccllnply Posts: 13 Member
    Hide your scale. It's a lying *kitten*! Only weight your self once every two weeks. I was weighing myself 3 times a day like a mad man. it's not healthy

    Probably the best post in the whole thread. Just like someone said you can't gain 2lbs in 24 hours, retaining 2lbs of water (almost a litre) in 24 hours is almost impossible.

    It's could be a huge amount of factors. Inaccurate scales, the time you weighed yourself, when you ate your meals, the clothes you were wearing etc.

    Moral of the story is don't weigh yourself so often, you can't be sure of progress until you've allowed yourself enough time to a substantial change. Just keep eating a calorie deficit and you will lose weight
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Hide your scale. It's a lying *kitten*! Only weight your self once every two weeks. I was weighing myself 3 times a day like a mad man. it's not healthy

    What's unhealthy about weighing more than once a day?

    Now, I can understand being obsessed to the point where the numbers actually affect your self image being unhealthy. But stepping on a scale to see what it says you weigh...even if you do it 20x a day...isn't unhealthy at all. I regularly weigh myself multiple times a day, because it's interesting to see how the things I do throughout the day affect the number.

    What I find unhealthy, is when people weigh themselves once every couple weeks, and freak out because they've gained weight on their magic time and day they weigh themselves. Maybe they had a salty meal the night before, or ate a good bit more protein and aren't quite as 'regular' as they would otherwise be. I regularly fluctuate 5lbs or more during the week. And it's not timeable. Some Fridays (butt naked in the morning after the bathroom) I'll be 5lbs heavier than my previous low, some Fridays I'll be 2lbs lighter. This is with a consistent deficit also.

    Tracking every day helps you keep track of those things...just don't let the numbers upset you. As long as every once in awhile there's a number lower than your previous low, you're moving right along.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Hide your scale. It's a lying *kitten*! Only weight your self once every two weeks. I was weighing myself 3 times a day like a mad man. it's not healthy

    Probably the best post in the whole thread. Just like someone said you can't gain 2lbs in 24 hours, retaining 2lbs of water (almost a litre) in 24 hours is almost impossible.

    It's could be a huge amount of factors. Inaccurate scales, the time you weighed yourself, when you ate your meals, the clothes you were wearing etc.

    Moral of the story is don't weigh yourself so often, you can't be sure of progress until you've allowed yourself enough time to a substantial change. Just keep eating a calorie deficit and you will lose weight

    Really? 2 pounds of water is almost impossible? Not hardly. 2 pounds = 896 grams. A whopping 224 grams of carbohydrates beyond what you normally eat can EASILY cause a gain of 2 pounds in 1 day. I've gained substantially more than that--I've also lost substantially more than that..in a single day.

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