Why you gain weight if you eat more than your cut
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Good post!0
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bump to read later0
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This is such a great post and explains what I've found so annoying! I always wondered why eating just a couple hundred calories over my deficit calories should cause me to gain (logically I should be able to eat all the way up to maintenance without gaining). I'll aim for 5 lbs lower than my end goal and won't beat myself up for gaining back 5 or so lbs. Thanks!0
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Thank you for posting this! It was very informative! ^_^0
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Very good post, I've been ill the past week, so ate nearer my maintenance (1700-1850) and gained almost three pound in 5 days. Was freaking out until I read this, makes a lot of sense. I suffer from a lot of weight fluctuations anyway due to water retention, if I'm stressed I can gain up to 5 pounds in a few days. Makes it hard to know whether you're making good progress when your weight can change so much in days.0
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I have recently hit maintenance but even though I've been eating much more than when losing weight I have still felt jaded. Last night I consumed around 2000 or more extra calories in about one hour from coffee ice cream, cornflakes, Nakd bars, meringues, etc. This was of course done purely in the interests of science and not at all a large binge triggered by recent serious health concerns.
I can therefore confirm that the approximate 5lbs in weight gained when fully replenishing the bodies' glycogen store is bang on the money. I hit the scales on Saturday morning at 54.1kg (119.3lbs) and after last night's "experiment" I measured up today at 56.5kg (124.6lbs). Not saying that my maths is perfect but I'm assuming that this figure is made up from 5lbs (water/glycogen) + 0.3lbs (fat from the approximate 2500 extra calories) = total gain of 5.3lbs? One thing's for sure the difference in my energy levels and general alertness from yesterday to today are in huge contrast.0 -
Very good post, I've been ill the past week, so ate nearer my maintenance (1700-1850) and gained almost three pound in 5 days. Was freaking out until I read this, makes a lot of sense. I suffer from a lot of weight fluctuations anyway due to water retention, if I'm stressed I can gain up to 5 pounds in a few days. Makes it hard to know whether you're making good progress when your weight can change so much in days.
This is exactly what this post is about. As soon as you're back to a reasonable cut those will drop right off.0 -
I have recently hit maintenance but even though I've been eating much more than when losing weight I have still felt jaded. Last night I consumed around 2000 or more extra calories in about one hour from coffee ice cream, cornflakes, Nakd bars, meringues, etc. This was of course done purely in the interests of science and not at all a large binge triggered by recent serious health concerns.
I can therefore confirm that the approximate 5lbs in weight gained when fully replenishing the bodies' glycogen store is bang on the money. I hit the scales on Saturday morning at 54.1kg (119.3lbs) and after last night's "experiment" I measured up today at 56.5kg (124.6lbs). Not saying that my maths is perfect but I'm assuming that this figure is made up from 5lbs (water/glycogen) + 0.3lbs (fat from the approximate 2500 extra calories) = total gain of 5.3lbs? One thing's for sure the difference in my energy levels and general alertness from yesterday to today are in huge contrast.
As I said before, it's not 5 lbs for everyone... you can't replenish glycogen stores in one evening. It typically takes 2-3 days eating a 90% carb diet to get it done that fast, but you are still experiencing a non-fat weight fluctuation of water, some glycogen storage AND the weight of the food in your body. One evening doesn't make or break your diet, so get back to normal and those will go away.
However, as I have also said before, the super lean feeling you get at the bottom of a cut is unsustainable long-term. You feel that lean precisely because of glycogen and water depletion. As soon as you are back to "normal" you will store glycogen and water and will not feel quite as lean.
It's VERY important to realize that super-lean feeling is not sustainable. The "most lean" you can get is always depleted and unsustainable. And, when you're in a steep deficit, I have found water weight fluctuations are much higher than when you're eating at maintenance.0 -
I have only a basic knowledge of what's going on from a biological viewpoint but thought it might be useful to others to post what actually happened to me. I didn't weigh myself on Sunday and I suspect that I was somewhat economical with my diary for the whole weekend. I am notorious for letting go when not at work and in fact late Saturday night I also had a severe case of the munchies and demolished several bowls of cereal before bed. If nothing else it's at least helped me to understand my own body better. I had previously read your original post on this subject which prevented me from being shocked at the increased weight, so I appreciate you making the effort to post the explanation in the first place.As I said before, it's not 5 lbs for everyone... you can't replenish glycogen stores in one evening. It typically takes 2-3 days eating a 90% carb diet to get it done that fast, but you are still experiencing a non-fat weight fluctuation of water, some glycogen storage AND the weight of the food in your body. One evening doesn't make or break your diet, so get back to normal and those will go away.
However, as I have also said before, the super lean feeling you get at the bottom of a cut is unsustainable long-term. You feel that lean precisely because of glycogen and water depletion. As soon as you are back to "normal" you will store glycogen and water and will not feel quite as lean.
It's VERY important to realize that super-lean feeling is not sustainable. The "most lean" you can get is always depleted and unsustainable. And, when you're in a steep deficit, I have found water weight fluctuations are much higher than when you're eating at maintenance.0 -
tagged for the future0
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bump for when I get to maintenance..thanks0
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Awesome post! Really helps me understand weight influxes0
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I just snorted tea out all over my laptop when I read this post title as 'Why you gain weight if you eat more than your cat'
haha x0 -
Hello,
Please can you help me, I did the Lipotrim diet (3 shakes a day no food, 2 ltrs water a day only) it works I lost a lot of weight and fast but I never came of the diet properly and now I have put on so much weight and fast. Apparently Lipotrim if you dont come off it properly it causes problems with the Glycogen pockets and you will put on weight and fast. Is there any way I can diet again and lose the weight naturally. I really need advice, please help your advice is great.0 -
bump for reference.0
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Bump, thank you!0
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bump0
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Hi, Lipotrim is a great diet for losing weight quickly but it all goes back on quicky once you finish. You need something that you can do all the time to keep weight off, not just 3 shakes a day. My mum tried it and couldn't do it. She is now using Juice Plus Complete shakes, using it to replace one meal a day (breakfast) and just having two other healthy meals a day. She has lost a lot of weight and only been doing it about a month now. (Its also loads cheaper and much better for you from what i have read) So maybe give that a try.0
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Great information!0
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Bump.0
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I like what you had to say, but if I'm 5 ft and weigh 104 lbs and would like my weight to be about 98 consistently after I start adding some carbs back in, do I still need to get down to 93 first? That would put me well below a normal BMI. I can keep my weight at 98 as long as I don't eat carbs, but the minute I do (like starches and sweets on a weekend) I gain like 7 lbs just like that. I would like to be able to eat low carb during my morning and lunch times but maybe eat a cheeseburger and some chips or something similar like every other normal person on this earth and not gain. All my friends eat like that every single day and don't gain (of course they weigh more than they want). I'm just starting to not feel very good on this diet and I feel deprived. I walk 3.5 mph on my treadmill for 37 min at least 4 days a week and sometimes ride either my bicycle or stationary bike 20 min at a moderate pace 2-3 days as well. I'm hypoglycemic so I'm not sure whats healthiest for me. Thanks for any advice.0
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BUMP FOR LATER0
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I hope somebody can respond to my last reply. I could really use advice and I'm new to this community and how the website works. I filled out my fitness and food diary and apparently I'm actually eating like 500-700 calories less than I should be to be healthy. So if the tracker tells me I should be consuming 1450 calories a day including my fitness to be able to drop from 106 to 98 by October something, won't I gain weight if my body has been used to eating so little calories and carbs for so long? I am 5ft tall and about 106 lbs. The doctors tell me I should weigh between 98 and 105. I look best at around 98 because I'm so short. I probably only get about 20 carbs a day. I am hypoglycemic and I am tired of being on Atkins for 7 years. Its true it has helped me stay close to my target weight, but I am noticing that I don't feel that good anymore and I'd like to start eating some carbs once a day like "normal" people do and not pork out. Please give me some advice. When you get to be 44 and have had three kids, things just don't look the same and keeping your weight down is tough. Thank you!0
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I hope somebody can respond to my last reply. I could really use advice and I'm new to this community and how the website works. I filled out my fitness and food diary and apparently I'm actually eating like 500-700 calories less than I should be to be healthy. So if the tracker tells me I should be consuming 1450 calories a day including my fitness to be able to drop from 106 to 98 by October something, won't I gain weight if my body has been used to eating so little calories and carbs for so long? I am 5ft tall and about 106 lbs. The doctors tell me I should weigh between 98 and 105. I look best at around 98 because I'm so short. I probably only get about 20 carbs a day. I am hypoglycemic and I am tired of being on Atkins for 7 years. Its true it has helped me stay close to my target weight, but I am noticing that I don't feel that good anymore and I'd like to start eating some carbs once a day like "normal" people do and not pork out. Please give me some advice. When you get to be 44 and have had three kids, things just don't look the same and keeping your weight down is tough. Thank you!0
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Awesome post! Thank you for sharing!
Seriously, this is good to know as I have never been down to my "ideal weight" before, but at this point it seems like I can definitely do it. I would have been frustrated pretty much exactly as you described putting 5 pounds back on, and probably would have just given up eventually and said. "Yeah, well, my body won't go down tot eh 180 BMI recommendation, it only stays at 185 minimum".
Knowing this, I can at least anticipate this gain, and maybe even get ahead of it as you described by shooting for 175 first.
That is unless I look to scrawny to everyone at the gym before I get to 180. I mean, I am building some muscle, so the "ideal BMI weight" might not be where I wind up either.
But this knowledge is very, very good to have. Thanks again.0 -
I hope somebody can respond to my last reply. I could really use advice and I'm new to this community and how the website works. I filled out my fitness and food diary and apparently I'm actually eating like 500-700 calories less than I should be to be healthy. So if the tracker tells me I should be consuming 1450 calories a day including my fitness to be able to drop from 106 to 98 by October something, won't I gain weight if my body has been used to eating so little calories and carbs for so long? I am 5ft tall and about 106 lbs. The doctors tell me I should weigh between 98 and 105. I look best at around 98 because I'm so short. I probably only get about 20 carbs a day. I am hypoglycemic and I am tired of being on Atkins for 7 years. Its true it has helped me stay close to my target weight, but I am noticing that I don't feel that good anymore and I'd like to start eating some carbs once a day like "normal" people do and not pork out. Please give me some advice. When you get to be 44 and have had three kids, things just don't look the same and keeping your weight down is tough. Thank you!
Hey I see you messaged me but I haven't had a chance to respond... I'm not an expert here, and it sounds like you've been dieting a long time. This isn't necessarily the right place for this post, but I'll respond here anyhow. At 44 years of age, 5'0" and 106 lbs you have a BMI of 20. You're aiming for a BMI of 19. That's unlikely to be reasonable for you. If you want to look less soft, I'd aim to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure and eat right around that (estimate maybe 100-200 calories less because you probably eat more than you journal) and then lift weights. Full body weights in the 8-10 rep range as heavy as you can for 3 sets of each exercise and do it 3 times a week. You will end up adding muscle and burning a little fat... it's a very slow process and you will not add significant muscle without eating at a caloric surplus. But if you put on 2 lbs of muscle and lose 3 lbs of fat I bet you'll love the difference it makes to your body.0 -
Thank you so much for getting back to me! My husband is a swim coach and I talked to him about it after seeing your post. He said he thinks I have been eating too little and causing my body to go into starvation mode. He thinks that I've messed up my metabolism. I'm hypoglycemic and sometimes I go for hours before eating and I'm tired of worrying about my weight and not feeling good. He suggested I quite focusing on a perfect weight and work towards a better body. He thinks I should incorporate weights and strengthening exercises along with my walking on the treadmill (40 min at 3.5 mph) and eat smaller more frequent meals with some more complex carbohydrates. What do you think. I don't think my eating between 700-1100 calories a day and not losing fat is healthy. Thanks for any advice.0
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Great post! thanks for putting it so clearly ☺0
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Awesome read!0
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mrsbigmack wrote: »........ I have found water weight fluctuations are much higher than when you're eating at maintenance.
^^ interesting thought
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