Sudden Inexplicable Weight Gain?

dpr73
dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
So I have been in maintenance for about 6 years. I go through periods of muscle gain goals, but I usually elect to maintain by the end, as I am fairly comfortable with my physique now. However, very recently, I have noted my number creeping up on the scale (about the past week or so). It's strange... two and a half weeks ago I was near the bottom of my weight range (134.6lbs), but then suddenly today my weight has gone to the tip top of my range (140lbs) and has been around there all week (between 137.5-140lbs). I cannot quite figure out the issue. I have kept calories the exact same and have been following my normal gym routine. I recently had to leave my dog, whom I used to walk about 1.5 miles daily, with my parents (about three weeks ago). Is the weight gain because of this decrease in activity? I assumed this was a possibility and reduced calories by about 300 all week and my number has still been holding steady at the high end.

Stats:
Male
24 y/o
135-140lb weight range
Active (6 days weight lifting, one day running 3 to 4 miles)
Calories: have been maintaining on 2700-2800 for MONTHS (since september), but recently reduced to 2400-2500 this week
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Replies

  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    If you decreased activity that would certainly be a part of it.

    You've had a 5 pound difference for two weeks.

    Not long enough nor enough weight to worry about.

    Could be a virus, injury (?), lack of sleep, stress, new parts to your lifting or exercise plan, more salt.

    Stay the course. If it continues see a doctor.

    http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

    Yeah, I decreased about 1.5 miles a day, which should correlate with about 200 calories. So I cannot see how such a massive fluctuation might happen after maintaining perfectly on the same exercise routine for months. I have also been somewhat constipated this whole week so I think that definitely is playing into it.

    Its just so strange. For the past 6 years, I can honestly say I have never found my weigh-ins to be so unpredictable. I am usually very predictable at each weigh in
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
    Is this thevsame scale? Are the batteries getting old?
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    Is this thevsame scale? Are the batteries getting old?

    Yes the exact same scale in the exact same place and the same time.
    Some things that I have assumed may be contributing:
    (1) Dog is no longer here (so less 1.5 miles of walking): to solve this I decreased 300 calories this week
    (2) I moved from coffee to matcha tea every morning: might contribute to constipation (which increases scale weight)
    (3) Simple water retention for some strange reason
  • Florida_Superstar
    Florida_Superstar Posts: 194 Member
    Day to day shifts like that are usually reflecting water fluctuations, not real fat gain. The only time I have a sudden increase like that is when I've increased HIIT training or weight training, either volume or amount of weight. Doesn't sound like you've changed anything, though, right? Being constipated can definitely have that effect as you noted. Just eat a lot of fiber and see if things get back to normal once you're regular again. Also, if you've been really intense in the weight room, a short break or lighter routine for a week sometimes helps me drop the bloat.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    dpr73 wrote: »
    L1zardQueen wrote: »
    Is this thevsame scale? Are the batteries getting old?

    Yes the exact same scale in the exact same place and the same time.
    Some things that I have assumed may be contributing:
    (1) Dog is no longer here (so less 1.5 miles of walking): to solve this I decreased 300 calories this week
    (2) I moved from coffee to matcha tea every morning: might contribute to constipation (which increases scale weight)
    (3) Simple water retention for some strange reason

    Any reason you skipped the question about the batteries? Digital scales do funny things when the batteries are about to die. It's worth swapping them out to check if you haven't changed the batteries in a while.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,547 Member
    Constipation. 5 lbs. Not enough data for any decision other than taking an over the counter pill to fix the issue
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Go get your dog back — it probably misses the walks too!
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    I think this thread from another long-term maintainer might interest you:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10653130/yep-i-can-still-get-spooked/p1

    If you don't have much time, just read the woman's original post and her updates on the third page.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
    I bet without a dog around your overall burn is a lot less than just missing the walks. I know my dog is a lot of work. Taking her out, playing with her, feeding her, and all the other small active tasks that come with having a dog. If you reduced by 300, that could be your new maintenance level. I doubt you gained 5lbs of real weight though. Even if you were 300 over maintenance, it's not even enough to gain 3lbs so it could just be your body holding onto water with the sudden drop in activity. Bodies do weird things when we change our routines and you might find if you weigh in a week or two at the lower calorie amount you will be back to normal.

  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,190 Member
    edited March 2019
    Seriously mate, don't worry about 5lb weight gain in a week. If over a month it continues to creep up, then worry but its only been a week - if you are weighing daily (which it sounds like you are) what is your 30 day trend doing? if that hasn't shifted or ever so slightly increased, then just shrug your shoulders and keep going. you probably had a slightly saltier meal or something like that. Also Illness, slight change in weights, stress (hint hint), can all cause you to retain water, and therefore see the scale go up.

    I can have that and then drop dramatically the following week. Heck I suddenly lost 5lb in one day, stayed there for a few days, suddenly gained 3lb back and have lost another 2lb, all in the space of 2 weeks. Overall trend was down, even though it was alll over the place.

    A week is a blip. you will forget about this blip in less than a year. Try not sweat the small stuff and just worry about the long game.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    edited March 2019
    So now I have hopped up to 142.6 (so another 3lbs higher). I am not 3lbs out of my weight range. I am seriously at a loss. This has NEVER happened to me before (at least not unintentionally). Plus, I have been reducing calories and increasing activity. It makes really little sense.
    What should I do? I just decreased the 300 calories and increased activity a little bit last week (4 miles walking a day as opposed to 2 plus the gym). Do I need to change it more?
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
    dpr73 wrote: »
    So now I have hopped up to 142.6 (so another 3lbs higher). I am not 3lbs out of my weight range. I am seriously at a loss. This has NEVER happened to me before (at least not unintentionally). Plus, I have been reducing calories and increasing activity. It makes really little sense.
    What should I do? I just decreased the 300 calories and increased activity a little bit last week (4 miles walking a day as opposed to 2 plus the gym). Do I need to change it more?

    Do you have any other symptoms? Do you feel okay health wise? I just ask because it seems strange you are having such a rapid weight gain out of no where like this despite decreasing calories.

    Did you make sure the scale batteries were new? DO you feel as though you are retaining water? Have you had any other changes in diet lately from what you used to eat? You are sure you are weighing everything correctly right?
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    edited March 2019
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    dpr73 wrote: »
    So now I have hopped up to 142.6 (so another 3lbs higher). I am not 3lbs out of my weight range. I am seriously at a loss. This has NEVER happened to me before (at least not unintentionally). Plus, I have been reducing calories and increasing activity. It makes really little sense.
    What should I do? I just decreased the 300 calories and increased activity a little bit last week (4 miles walking a day as opposed to 2 plus the gym). Do I need to change it more?

    Do you have any other symptoms? Do you feel okay health wise? I just ask because it seems strange you are having such a rapid weight gain out of no where like this despite decreasing calories.

    Did you make sure the scale batteries were new? DO you feel as though you are retaining water? Have you had any other changes in diet lately from what you used to eat? You are sure you are weighing everything correctly right?

    I hadnt changed batteries for a year, so I switched batteries but they weren’t fresh ones (just ones I had laying around). I can buy new batteries today.

    And I recently changed my breakfast but that’s been about a month and a half since the change. I doubt it is the reason. I also cut two cups of coffee out of my diet but added two cups of matcha instead in the morning. I don’t think that would do it...they’re both essentially noncaloric.

    I feel like I’ve been overly constipated lately (I have had many days without a movement) and do feel like I’m bloated. All my pants fit the same (and they are all very skinny fit pants) but I notice bloat in my stomach...at least I think so. But I’ve never just hopped up to 143 before and especially not on 2400-2500 calories.

    I am wildly accurate with calories. Everything is weighed to the gram. I recently bought a new kitchen scale but I calibrated this morning with a nickle for reference (nickles are 5g) and it was accurate. So I’m unsure what is going on
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    dpr73 wrote: »
    I feel like I’ve been overly constipated lately (I have had many days without a movement) and do feel like I’m bloated. All my pants fit the same (and they are all very skinny fit pants) but I notice bloat in my stomach...at least I think so.

    Two things.

    If constipated and not resolved what is the point of worrying about weight? Resolve the issue first.

    And... being sensitive to this due to certain family issues the past couple of years... if you have unexplained and unusual constipation (and possibly weight changes)... why don't you mosey on to visit your doctor and have a look-see--just to be safe, hey?

    I understand. I am having movements just not as regular as usual. And I understand what you’re saying, but I am myself in training to be a doctor and actually have little time to get to the doctor at the moment :(.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    Another update: the weight still trends up despite being able to go to the bathroom this morning (now at 143.2). I still haven’t gotten batteries for the scale, and that must be the issue because this much weight in such a short period especially with how accurately I count calories is absurd...
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    dpr73 wrote: »
    Another update: the weight still trends up despite being able to go to the bathroom this morning (now at 143.2). I still haven’t gotten batteries for the scale, and that must be the issue because this much weight in such a short period especially with how accurately I count calories is absurd...

    Also to the person who was wondering about my trend... I hadn't been keeping a trend on my app for the past two months. Because my weight is characteristically stable, I just hopped on the scale every morning, noted it was the same, and moved on with my life. I just started inputting the weight since I have noticed this disturbance. BUT, I do know for a fact that on Friday, March 1, I weighed in just under 135lbs (I know because I started to worry I was falling out of my weight on the low end, but elected not to increase calories as I assumed it would even out).
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    If you can account for weight change due to an energy imbalance... great: fix the imbalance and all's good.

    If you can account for weight gain due to known reasons for "water retention"... great: you know why it's happening and you can elect whether to do something about it or not... [sodium, muscles hurting from exercise, food in transit, hormones being some common ones where you would not do something about it; depression, cardiac, cancer, or kidney history being some situations I've heard about where you might want to do something about it]

    If you can not account for weight gain based on one of the above known reasons and if the weight gain is sudden and persistent... well... based on your studies... what would YOU advise if someone presented to you with unexpected and unexplained water retention / weight change?

    This is so well said. And I don’t think such a drastic change could possibly due to energy imbalance. I have decided to wait it out another week with my current calories (2400-2500) and activity (7 days at the gym plus 4 miles outside of gym). If my weight doesn’t stabilize on Monday I will reduce calories and assume some strange energy imbalance.

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