Weight Gain

This topic contains 11 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by roberth 8 years, 3 months ago.

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roberth

3:35 am
12 Apr 16
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I’m new to this forum so, if I’ve posted to the wrong place, please let me know.

After gaining 10kg in 10 weeks, I started the 5:2 diet 5 weeks ago with intermittent fasting on Fridays and Sundays( always less than 600 calories). The other days are regulated caloric intake with meals provided from Aussie firm Lite n Easy.

Weekly weigh-in on Tuesday: Week 1 89kg; Week 2 87kg; Week 3 85kg Week 4 82kg; Week 5 86kg.

There was no variation in the diet during the rest of the week. Is there any explanation for such an increase?

simcoeluv

7:09 am
12 Apr 16
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Hi roberth and welcome:

If you gained 10kg in 10 weeks, most of it had to be water weight. Losing it will be just as inexplicable as gaining it.

Just keep on doing 5:2 and you will lose your 10kg, plus. You might look at this link to help you understand more: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/tdee-for-the-curious-or-why-dont-i-lose-weight-faster/

Good Luck!

roberth

2:38 am
13 Apr 16
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Thanks for the welcome, simcoeluv. Quite an interesting forum.

Your explanations for the first weight gain does make sense as I increased my liquid intake over Summer. Previously I tended to loose weight in summer.

Your posting which you pointed me to provided me with a lot more information. I originally got the trigger for the diet from the BBC Horizon Program with Michael Mosley.

However, I still haven’t quite got my head around the weight increase in Week 5 – up 4kg. Fast days I tend to eat less that the 600 cal and nf day 1500 cal with a TDEE 1961. When should I be cutting caloric intake.

simcoeluv

4:40 am
13 Apr 16
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Hi roberth:

I guess it depends on what kinds of food you were eating. People usually put on weight quickly because they are eating too many carbs or drinking too much alcohol, or both – the famous water weight gain after holiday issue. You might relate to this: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/easy-on-easy-off/

There are some issues that cause weight gain, so you might google unexplained rapid weight gain to see if any might apply.

Good Luck!

roberth

2:21 pm
13 Apr 16
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Thanks for the information, simcoeluv.

I think I’ve isolated the problem but I am surprised at the impact. I had a “day off” and had lunch and dinner at two different restaurants. I thought I was conscious of caloric intake when I ordered but it obviously my choices came back to bite me. Incidentally, neither experience was worth writing home about.

It has to be this as it is the only departure from the diet routine in the last fortnight, indeed in the last five weeks: 1500 calories on nf days and < 600 on the other 2. And I was going so well too.

After your feedback and the other information provided, this is the only option left. Does a lapse like this account for weight increase in your opinion?

simcoeluv

4:26 pm
13 Apr 16
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Hi roberth:

Sure – the body gains and loses weight all of the time. Most people don’t realize this, and the extent of the variations, until they go on a diet and start watching their weight. The fluctuations often cause concern, and sometimes lead to people abandoning their diets because they ‘don’t work’.

You just have to get used to the ups and downs and go with the trend rather than the daily/weekly weights. If you do 5:2 correctly you can expect to lose about a pound a week over time, often after an initial water weight loss that is a little larger. Then, as mentioned, weight will fluctuate depending on what people are eating on their diets. In addition to simply the weight of what you are eating (you gain a half a pound if you drink a glass of water), if you look around this site you will find many people that have figured out that if they eat carbs, their weight either goes up or their loss of weight is moderated or eliminated.

Science has identified why and now knows the low fat diet causes obesity, but most people still have not gotten the message.

Here are some other tips: https://thefastdiet.co.uk/forums/topic/the-basics-for-newbies-your-questions-answered/

Good Luck!

roberth

12:34 am
14 Apr 16
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Again thanks for your tips which has filled in a few gaps.

I was not expecting the weight gain and I missed any reference to it in the Horizon program. I’m not sure why I got the impression from the series that you could fast for two day and not worry about the amount of calories you could consume on the other 5 days. Not logical when you think about it and read what you have on this site.

The most useful lesson I think that comes across it that 5:2 diet is only incidentally about weight loss. I though it would be a short term project but now see that it is a long term commitment.

For me, the fast days have been relatively easy, no hunger pains or other side effects. I’m keeping my eye on the long term and will continue my weekly weigh-in. I’m also happy with the results so far and will be a regular visitor (maybe not contributing so much as there are plenty more expert than me).

Thanks again for the encouragement and the advice.

Pot-bellied Heron

6:40 am
14 Apr 16
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I had a similar week not too long ago and it struck me that I hadn’t so much put on weight (your week 5) as had an unusually light weigh in (your week 4) due to my being very dehydrated that day.
As with any graph, it’s the trend that matters, not the fluctuations.

roberth

8:38 am
14 Apr 16
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Pot-bellied Heron

From the Horizon program, I was not expecting the weight gain. However, after reading the posts that simcoeluv recommended, I narrowed the culprit down to a greasy seafood dish which should have had not that many calories. This was a disappointment as I have been very careful about food choices.

Dehydration is something that I must be mindful of. I have to remember to keep up the fluid intake. Apart from that there should not be too much to get in the way to watch the trend downwards.

I noticed from the program that the rate of weight loss in the final weeks of the 8 weeks trials that the weight loss slowed. I am now getting to that stage.

Have you been through your first 8 week period? Did you notice anything unusual during this period?

Pot-bellied Heron

3:16 pm
14 Apr 16
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I’ve been alternate day fasting since October and it’s been slow and consistently steady. I only had a belly and some almost-jowls to get rid of and they’re long gone. My goal weight is 11 stone (I’m 7 pounds away) after which I’ll go on 5:2 to maintain anywhere between 11 and 11 and a half stone.

feret

9:52 pm
20 Jul 16
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Roberth, weight gain is possible on intermittent fasting because everyone should keep in mind that fasting is not a magic fat loss pill. I think your situation is already well described in this post “Can You Gain Weight while You Fast?” – http://eatstopeat.us/can-you-gain-weight-while-you-fast/

roberth

11:20 pm
22 Jul 16
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Hi Feret. Thanks for the follow up and the URL. I was relating one of my experiences on the IF.

I am incidentally facing a plateau which means that I am consuming too many calories but the reason for which I’m currently working on. But that is another story which I’ll take up later.

Here, and unrelated to the present plateau, I was referring to a dining experience (on a non fast day) at a once reputable seafood resteraunt in Sydney. The plate served on that occusion was greasy but edible. After eating there I had a spike in weight and diarrhea. I had a whinge on social media about my experience.

Incidentally, when starting the IF regemin I wanted reasonable meals still and found two web sites that catered for low caloiie recipies suitable for fast days.