weight gain from eating at maintenance

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babycorns
babycorns Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
I usually eat around 1400 calories a day and I am losing very slowly, which I'm fine with. From Fri ti Sun I have been eating at restaurants since I've been quite busy, but I haven't been eating over maintenance at all. Even if I did, it was probably only 200 calories more.

After Friday's meal, I weighed 4 pounds heavier the next morning. I figured it was water weight and let it slide. But I'm still 4 pounds heavier now. I drink a lot of water every single day. 4L worth of water. Can all that sodium cause that much harm despite all the water I've drank?

How long does water weight usually last? I've eaten out many times before, sometimes even eaten over my limit by many many more calories but I am usually back to my normal weight in a day. I'm kind of worried that I ruined my progress.

I don't weigh myself every day, by the way, though it might sound like that. I was just curious if I was still retaining those 4 pounds.

Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    I ate at my estimated maintenance (also likely above) for a week and put on 2lbs. Once I stopped eating at maintenance for a few days I lost the weight. I also was eating at maintenance the week before my period, and dropped the weight basically on my last day of my period.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    What you are calling water may be the food you ate. It takes two days for food to exit the body.
  • Tim_Simons
    Tim_Simons Posts: 64 Member
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    This is water. It's pretty much impossible to gain this much actual mass in 3 days. If you're eating more sodium, maybe you are retaining more water and gained weight.Short term water variations are possible.
  • babycorns
    babycorns Posts: 20
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    What you are calling water may be the food you ate. It takes two days for food to exit the body.

    Oh, I didn't think of that. I have been having rather bad stomach pains too and a lot of bloating. Maybe it's a digestive issue. I'm going to up my fibre this week and hopefully that'll help.

    I just needed reassurance that I didn't really gain 4 pounds of fat from eating at maintenance (1600!).
  • lolly715
    lolly715 Posts: 106
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    I'm sure didn't gain 4lbs of genuine weight from a couple of restaurant meals. I'd agree it's probably mostly water, especially if you are feeling bloated. Although are you sure of their calorie counts? I rarely eat out now as even some of my "healthier" favourites in a restaurant are close to or even over 1000 calories a plate. So you may be more than 200 cals over what you think you ate.
  • babycorns
    babycorns Posts: 20
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    lolly715 wrote: »
    I'm sure didn't gain 4lbs of genuine weight from a couple of restaurant meals. I'd agree it's probably mostly water, especially if you are feeling bloated. Although are you sure of their calorie counts? I rarely eat out now as even some of my "healthier" favourites in a restaurant are close to or even over 1000 calories a plate. So you may be more than 200 cals over what you think you ate.

    I counted the entire meal as 1200 calories. I had a bowl of white rice (400), stir fry veggies (250), tofu (350) and I added a few extra phantom calories. I'm pretty sure I overestimated the veggie calories too. If the meal was more than that, I'm never eating at a restaurant ever again in my life haha
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    You didn't gain 4 pounds in two days. Water retention due to the increase in sodium, most likely.
  • refuseresist
    refuseresist Posts: 934 Member
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    Also, your maintenance level, is the amount of calories that you maintain your weight on. If you put on weight (not overnight, but a long period of time), that is not your maintenance level
  • babycorns
    babycorns Posts: 20
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    refuseresist wrote: »
    Also, your maintenance level, is the amount of calories that you maintain your weight on. If you put on weight (not overnight, but a long period of time), that is not your maintenance level

    I know. I always maintain on 1600 calories when I'm sedentary, which is why I'm confused about this sudden gain.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    babycorns wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    What you are calling water may be the food you ate. It takes two days for food to exit the body.

    Oh, I didn't think of that. I have been having rather bad stomach pains too and a lot of bloating. Maybe it's a digestive issue. I'm going to up my fibre this week and hopefully that'll help.

    I just needed reassurance that I didn't really gain 4 pounds of fat from eating at maintenance (1600!).

    Just how would one gain 14,000 calories worth of fat (4 lbs) eating at/near maintenance for a couple of days?
  • threnjen
    threnjen Posts: 687 Member
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    This is why:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/993576/why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut/p1

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