Rapid Weight Gain AGAIN

Hey everyone! So a few months ago I had noted that I was gaining weight at a very rapid pace (somewhere around 6lbs in 10 days to 142 at the highest point) when I was previously maintaining (around 136-137). I posted about the issue here, and noted that I was under stress with examinations, recently stopped drinking caffeine, and had a dip in activity (2 miles a day from average 4) which all may have explained the rise. I ended up decreasing calories (to 2300 from 2700), which saw me lose about 10lbs IMMEDIATELY after into a weight range BELOW my normal range (133, my weight range is 135).

So I went back up to around 2600 in July and was just about maintaining for over a month and a half. THEN, I hit my weight range again two weeks ago (135) and so decreased calories to between 2400 and 2500 these past two weeks. HOWEVER, I am now UP over 5.2lbs AGAIN (to 140.4) in a single week! The weight gain is completely linear in that each day now I am gaining at least 1lb like clockwork EVERYDAY. I am currently going through medical examinations and publications that I am very stressed about and this is my ONLY change in lifestyle otherwise I am extremely regimented and nothing notable has changed. But I keep convincing myself that there must be something really wrong because this is the first year I have ever noticed my body respond like this to weight.

A little about me:
24 years old
Weight Range: 135-140 usually
Male
Calories: 2400-2500 currently (always take one day off from counting and while I definitely eat more than usual b/c I eat out on these days I don't treat it as a binge day...I just try to enjoy food and alcohol that is out of my normal routine)
Work Out 7 days a week (6 days lifting and one day of running between 3 and 5 miles)
Daily Activity: exactly 3.7-4.0 miles everyday walking (not including gym activities)

Does anyone have a better explanation for what is happening? As I said, stress seems to be my only common denominator in both events. However, my body never responded to stress like this.
The other new thing this year is that I go to the gym 7 days a week (I usually took one or two days off from the gym previously), but I began this back in December and these weird weight gain episodes started once in March and once now.
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Replies

  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,970 Member
    Stress can definitely cause water retention.

    Are you weighing everything you eat?
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    edited September 2019
    LyndaBSS wrote: »
    Stress can definitely cause water retention.

    Are you weighing everything you eat?

    Yes religiously! Except on the one day a week I take off where I still will count probably two meals and leave like 1200-1300 calories for a meal and some drinks (again I don’t really binge and this has never ever presented an issue for me in the past—usually my tendency is actually losing weight not gaining)

    Also I forgot to mention: I also was waking up last week with fatigue, muscle aches, low grade fever, and chills just in the morning for three mornings (a very very strange viral prodrome.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,913 Member
    no need to gym 7 days a week for starters - rest is actually important.

    Other than that - not that that should be contributing to your weight gain - unless just more overall stress, I don't really know sorry!

    Just wanted to say no need to gym 7 days per week that's all. Take one rest day. (which doesn't mean sitting on your *kitten* all day long - walk or whatever)
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    Cahgetsfit wrote: »
    no need to gym 7 days a week for starters - rest is actually important.

    Other than that - not that that should be contributing to your weight gain - unless just more overall stress, I don't really know sorry!

    Just wanted to say no need to gym 7 days per week that's all. Take one rest day. (which doesn't mean sitting on your *kitten* all day long - walk or whatever)

    Well I do three days of powerlifting and three days of hypertrophy. Plus on one day it is running so no lifting whatsoever. So I do take a day off from lifting
  • warukimedesu
    warukimedesu Posts: 27 Member
    How tall are you?

    I'm 5'6" and I exercise everyday (weights 4x, run 2x, cycling 1x), and reverse computing my TDEE from my weight loss and calorie intake gives me around 2400 calories. I'm thinking 2400-2500 may be too high for you. And/or, you're underestimating how many calories you're actually consuming on your binge day. And/or you think you've eaten 2500 but actually it's 2600 or 2700 just because usually how much we think we've eaten underestimates how much we actually ate.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    edited September 2019
    How tall are you?

    I'm 5'6" and I exercise everyday (weights 4x, run 2x, cycling 1x), and reverse computing my TDEE from my weight loss and calorie intake gives me around 2400 calories. I'm thinking 2400-2500 may be too high for you. And/or, you're underestimating how many calories you're actually consuming on your binge day. And/or you think you've eaten 2500 but actually it's 2600 or 2700 just because usually how much we think we've eaten underestimates how much we actually ate.
    I am 5’7. But if 2600 calories were indeed too much for me (again I’m a man) then I wouldn’t just gain 5lbs in three days. It would be gradual. My weight gain is literally only occurring over one week
    Also, my calorie allowance is estimated after several years of tracking and usually losing on anything lower than 2500 (and that was when I was lifting only 5 times a week)
    Also, you really must not have read everything I said. I don’t binge. I go out to dinner, I have a couple drinks. I stay mindful (save for a few occasions every so often). I hate overeating and commonly am the one at the table taking tastes of things rather than going crazy.
    Lastly, if I were really gaining weight then it would be in the order of half a pound a week (as my surplus would be in theory 200 approximately if my maintenance really were 2400) well...i would have just barely gained 5lbs since upping calories in mid July. But again, all the weight gain has come in this week alone (and if anything my calories have been decreased back to 2400 most recently).
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    FOR THOSE WONDERING:
    My weigh ins this week—
  • elfin168
    elfin168 Posts: 202 Member
    No idea. But it is not a lot of weight and sounds like it is not genuine weight gain so does it really matter? The scales arent the only thing. If it causing you concern and you are already under a lot of stress then perhaps just go back to logging until life is less stressful
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    How’s your sleep, resting heart rate, blood pressure?

    And a long shot: could it be your scale? Low battery?
  • It’s unlikely to be all fat gain over such a short time period. Just waste and or water. I can go up a pound a day for several days even eating maintenance cals.

    Unless you are eating thousands and thousands of cals on yr day off.
  • Oh and you’ve been unwell with a virus ? And under a high level stress. Just do the best you can to ignore the scale.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    It’s unlikely to be all fat gain over such a short time period. Just waste and or water. I can go up a pound a day for several days even eating maintenance cals.

    Unless you are eating thousands and thousands of cals on yr day off.

    I totally agree! It’s the advise I give other people but it’s difficult to follow when it happens to you!
    Anyway, yes I think I need to put very little stock in that and continue alerting at maintenance. I gained another lb today which just seems totally off
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    edited September 2019
    Bro! 7 days a week? Might add decide to hypertrophy or power lift! One or the other! You do a lot of damage to your muscles and need time to recover for proper growth! Do some research on minimal effective volume vs maximum recovery volume.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    edited September 2019
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Bro! 7 days a week? Might add decide to hypertrophy or power lift! One or the other! You do a lot of damage to your muscles and need time to recover for proper growth! Do some research on minimal effective volume vs maximum recovery volume.

    Um. Some of the best intermediate programs are both hypertrophy and power
    And I’ll repeat—one of the 7 days is a cardio day without any lifting
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    edited September 2019
    dpr73 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Bro! 7 days a week? Might add decide to hypertrophy or power lift! One or the other! You do a lot of damage to your muscles and need time to recover for proper growth! Do some research on minimal effective volume vs maximum recovery volume.

    Um. Some of the best intermediate programs are both hypertrophy and power
    And I’ll repeat—one of the 7 days is a cardio day without any lifting

    How's it working out for ya?😉
    Only reason I mentioned it was, If you are over reaching and causing high muscle damage. Thus, holding water. Add in stress ,slow bowels, bam... weight gain.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    dpr73 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Bro! 7 days a week? Might add decide to hypertrophy or power lift! One or the other! You do a lot of damage to your muscles and need time to recover for proper growth! Do some research on minimal effective volume vs maximum recovery volume.

    Um. Some of the best intermediate programs are both hypertrophy and power
    And I’ll repeat—one of the 7 days is a cardio day without any lifting

    How's it working out for ya?😉
    Only reason I mentioned it was, If you are over reaching and causing high muscle damage. Thus, holding water. Add in stress ,slow bowels, bam... weight gain.

    I’m very proud of my physique actually. But your point here is valid and was on my initial differential for the cause. It’s just that you didn’t say that from the start.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    dpr73 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    dpr73 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Bro! 7 days a week? Might add decide to hypertrophy or power lift! One or the other! You do a lot of damage to your muscles and need time to recover for proper growth! Do some research on minimal effective volume vs maximum recovery volume.

    Um. Some of the best intermediate programs are both hypertrophy and power
    And I’ll repeat—one of the 7 days is a cardio day without any lifting

    How's it working out for ya?😉
    Only reason I mentioned it was, If you are over reaching and causing high muscle damage. Thus, holding water. Add in stress ,slow bowels, bam... weight gain.

    I’m very proud of my physique actually. But your point here is valid and was on my initial differential for the cause. It’s just that you didn’t say that from the start.

    Maybe deload for a week or two. How long have you been in progressive overload? Could help...🤷‍♂️
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    dpr73 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    dpr73 wrote: »
    psychod787 wrote: »
    Bro! 7 days a week? Might add decide to hypertrophy or power lift! One or the other! You do a lot of damage to your muscles and need time to recover for proper growth! Do some research on minimal effective volume vs maximum recovery volume.

    Um. Some of the best intermediate programs are both hypertrophy and power
    And I’ll repeat—one of the 7 days is a cardio day without any lifting

    How's it working out for ya?😉
    Only reason I mentioned it was, If you are over reaching and causing high muscle damage. Thus, holding water. Add in stress ,slow bowels, bam... weight gain.

    I’m very proud of my physique actually. But your point here is valid and was on my initial differential for the cause. It’s just that you didn’t say that from the start.

    Maybe deload for a week or two. How long have you been in progressive overload? Could help...🤷‍♂️

    Hmm...I would say since about April
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    dpr73 wrote: »
    Hey everyone! So a few months ago I had noted that I was gaining weight at a very rapid pace (somewhere around 6lbs in 10 days to 142 at the highest point) when I was previously maintaining (around 136-137). I posted about the issue here, and noted that I was under stress with examinations, recently stopped drinking caffeine, and had a dip in activity (2 miles a day from average 4) which all may have explained the rise. I ended up decreasing calories (to 2300 from 2700), which saw me lose about 10lbs IMMEDIATELY after into a weight range BELOW my normal range (133, my weight range is 135).

    So I went back up to around 2600 in July and was just about maintaining for over a month and a half. THEN, I hit my weight range again two weeks ago (135) and so decreased calories to between 2400 and 2500 these past two weeks. HOWEVER, I am now UP over 5.2lbs AGAIN (to 140.4) in a single week! The weight gain is completely linear in that each day now I am gaining at least 1lb like clockwork EVERYDAY. I am currently going through medical examinations and publications that I am very stressed about and this is my ONLY change in lifestyle otherwise I am extremely regimented and nothing notable has changed. But I keep convincing myself that there must be something really wrong because this is the first year I have ever noticed my body respond like this to weight.

    A little about me:
    24 years old
    Weight Range: 135-140 usually
    Male
    Calories: 2400-2500 currently (always take one day off from counting and while I definitely eat more than usual b/c I eat out on these days I don't treat it as a binge day...I just try to enjoy food and alcohol that is out of my normal routine)
    Work Out 7 days a week (6 days lifting and one day of running between 3 and 5 miles)
    Daily Activity: exactly 3.7-4.0 miles everyday walking (not including gym activities)

    Does anyone have a better explanation for what is happening? As I said, stress seems to be my only common denominator in both events. However, my body never responded to stress like this.
    The other new thing this year is that I go to the gym 7 days a week (I usually took one or two days off from the gym previously), but I began this back in December and these weird weight gain episodes started once in March and once now.

    Finding that exact calorie range to maintain can be hard sometimes. Especially when you have outside stress factors.
    You will have water gain sometimes, but if you know you aren't over eating it should go back down.