Sudden weight gain and about it

[Minnie09]

How many lbs max can you possibly lose, in let’s say 10 days, if you go from a very unhealthy lifestyle (for a looooong time, with too much wine, sedentary, NO exercising, not the healthiest of nutrition), to everyday working out (45-60 min, cardio and resistance), cutting all alcohol, and eating better (no sugar, protein-focused), and WAYYY fewer calories? Just looking for educated guesses. I know the question seems silly for reasonable eaters, and people who exercise regularly.

 

I’m mostly trying to lose belly fat, which I’ve never had, but all of a sudden, it’s here and it’s not going anywhere. I have always (or most of the time in my life) been thin, without having to do much about it, except for the occasional “emergency fasting”. Menopause is a bitch.

 

Female, 5’4, 140 lbs. I’m used to weighing 120.

 

I’m interested in the how much how fast question, because that’s the only way I can get motivated. If I don’t see results relatively quickly, i usually get frustrated and give up.

[alphamale]

you can probably lose 5-10 lbs in ten days with that scenario

[No_Go]

If you reduce the sodium in your diet significantly - not unlikely to drop 5-10 pounds indeed. You are aware that it won't be permanent but enough to motivate you.

 

Btw 2-3 pounds or under are frankly hard/impossible to measure - that's normal variation within a day...

[Minnie09]

Thanks for the reply so far. What foods and drinks are to be avoided with regards to sodium? I don’t drink soda anyways, just water and green tea. And a lot of coffee obviously.

[KBob]

If you work out hard for 45 minutes you're going to be too sore the next day to repeat the same workout. If you're looking to burn fat, do low intensity workouts like power walking or aerobics, they get you to the heart rate that is optimal for fat burning, and you'll be able to them for longer since they're low intensity. Heavy, intense cardio will elevate your heart rate to levels where your body starts burning carbohydrates for fuel.

 

As far as diet, you should be eating nothing but raw or plain cooked vegetables (preferably steamed), lean meat (chicken or fish), and a small amount of carbs (brown rice). No fast food or heavy carbohydrates.

[CryForNoOne]

If you work out hard for 45 minutes you're going to be too sore the next day to repeat the same workout.

 

I wouldn't make such sweeping statements. 45-minutes is a pretty short workout if you're already in shape. I do 40-minutes of intense cardio every day along with weight training 3 days a week. That's nothing after you've been working out for about 6 weeks or so. 40-minutes of cardio is only going to burn 300-400 calories which is sadly less than a small order of fries or half a slice of pizza. So there is NO WAY you can lose more than 5 lbs/month unless you combine drastic calorie reduction with an intense workout regimen.

 

OP, I dropped 11 lbs (186 to 175) in slightly less than 2 months and more importantly - maintained it. It's a bit harder for women than men to achieve

rapid weight loss BTW. I completely eliminated snacking and drank nothing but tea and water. Cutting out alcohol made a huge difference. I also went to the gym 6 days a week. I'm a really big fan of the 5/2 fasting diet. I restricted myself to under 500 calories two days a week and had no restrictions the other 5 days. It worked really well for me. Fasting is really misunderstood by the general public. It's actually completely natural and one of the healthiest ways to lose weight if implemented correctly.

[CautiouslyOptimistic]

I'd say 4-7 pounds.

[OpenBook]

For belly fat? Stop eating at night. And drink milk.

[Minnie09]

Milk? For belt fat? How so? I’m going to try it, don’t get me wrong.

Never heard of it before, though.

 

What I am doing, though is the Apple cider vinegar thing. I don’t know why it is recommended exactly, but it doesn’t taste that awful.

[No_Go]

Thanks for the reply so far. What foods and drinks are to be avoided with regards to sodium? I don’t drink soda anyways, just water and green tea. And a lot of coffee obviously.

 

Anything salty - because the sodium will make you retain more water.

 

Coffee/tea is good - caffein is diuretic - you'd be losing more water (now I'm sure I'd get people commenting against this advice - but hell, it works that way. To my understanding you need quick weight loss to keep motivated - I'm the same way btw - so I see no harm reducing a bit the water weight you carry).

 

Btw I personally bloat if I eat protein-heavy food. It's not exactly what people describe (the protein diet fad) but watch your own body to see how you react to different nutrients more than 'conventional' advice.

[CryForNoOne]

Anything salty - because the sodium will make you retain more water.

 

Coffee/tea is good - caffein is diuretic - you'd be losing more water (now I'm sure I'd get people commenting against this advice - but hell, it works that way. To my understanding you need quick weight loss to keep motivated - I'm the same way btw - so I see no harm reducing a bit the water weight you carry).

 

Btw I personally bloat if I eat protein-heavy food. It's not exactly what people describe (the protein diet fad) but watch your own body to see how you react to different nutrients more than 'conventional' advice.

 

Bear in mind your not actually losing weight. You're just retaining less water temporarily. I guess if it's to help you motivate, that's OK, but you're deluding yourself if you think dropping 5 lbs of water weight in a week is actual weight loss. That's a recipe for getting depressed a week later when you gain it all back but didn't actually increase your calorie count...

[No_Go]

Bear in mind your not actually losing weight. You're just retaining less water temporarily. I guess if it's to help you motivate, that's OK, but you're deluding yourself if you think dropping 5 lbs of water weight in a week is actual weight loss. That's a recipe for getting depressed a week later when you gain it all back but didn't actually increase your calorie count...

 

I think she just wants to drop few pounds fast to motivate herself. That's why I told her the sodium/caffeine stuff - it will do the trick in the beginning, hopefully enough to keep her motivated to continue eating less/exercising more until she reaches her goal weight. Both her current and desired weight are within the normal range so it is more psychological than anything.

[KBob]

I wouldn't make such sweeping statements. 45-minutes is a pretty short workout if you're already in shape. I do 40-minutes of intense cardio every day along with weight training 3 days a week. That's nothing after you've been working out for about 6 weeks or so. 40-minutes of cardio is only going to burn 300-400 calories which is sadly less than a small order of fries or half a slice of pizza. So there is NO WAY you can lose more than 5 lbs/month unless you combine drastic calorie reduction with an intense workout regimen..

 

She said sedentary with no exercise, so I can definitely make such a sweeping statement.

[OpenBook]

Milk? For belt fat? How so? I’m going to try it, don’t get me wrong.

Never heard of it before, though.

 

Yes, milk. I was skeptical too until I tried it. Something about it reduces the lower-abdomen swelling that plagues a lot of us older women. It helps tremendously with digestion too - keeps defecation regular, clean, and easy to come out. (sorry about the graphics)

 

Try this for one night: instead of eating dinner, drink a glass or two of 1% milk. Then see how you look & feel when you wake up in the morning.

[Emilia]

In such a short period you will only lose water, especially when you are unfit.

 

By the way, just wanted to bust a myth posted here and it's everywhere: that fat loss is somehow related to length of exercise. You can certainly lose a lot of muscle if you maintain long term calorie deficiency, the reason why marathon runners are so skinny.

 

However, for fat loss the key is intensity. Sprinting and weight lifting are both excellent for fat loss. Unfortunately, you need a fair amount of fitness to even get started with these.

[GemmaUK]

If you work out hard for 45 minutes you're going to be too sore the next day to repeat the same workout. If you're looking to burn fat, do low intensity workouts like power walking or aerobics, they get you to the heart rate that is optimal for fat burning, and you'll be able to them for longer since they're low intensity. Heavy, intense cardio will elevate your heart rate to levels where your body starts burning carbohydrates for fuel.

 

 

Totally agree, even just 15 minutes of intense exercise from zero exercise you would be too sore to repeat it the following day, along with that I agree too with low intensity regular exercise being best for fat loss - but that would be a life changing thing - you only appear to want to lose weight fast, not maintain it OP.

The first couple of weeks will be water loss, not weight loss.

 

Beware of milk if you have any intolerance to it - you could find that over a couple of weeks of drinking milk that your stomach is bloated and bigger than it is now. Intolerance can cause symptoms immediately or over a week or several weeks.

Plus drinking milk can be a very (far too) easy way to put weight on over the course of a couple of weeks even if sticking with 1& milk.

 

You don't need to go all clean/raw to lose some weight over two weeks either - definitely not if you are looking to just lose 8-10lbs and have been eating very unhealthily consistently.

Plus you can't just lose belly fat - you do know this? Fat is all over our bodies.

 

You say this weight gain is sudden - does your belly feel actually fat or is it some fat on top of a very hard feeling - literally prod and poke around to find out. Your colon may be bloated to a degree where it feels like it's all fat but actually isn't.

You may have or may have acquired a food intolerance and this could be the result of that.

Hit your stomach with the palm of your hand - if it sounds hollow - you're bloated/distended.

 

What have you been eating recently? Pertinent since prior to a couple of weeks before your sudden weight gain?

Also, is it actually a weight gain or is it an increase in size?

There's a difference.

 

A distended stomach could be a sign of something else entirely though.

[Minnie09]

Thanks! Haven’t been back in a while, but again - thanks very much for your replies!!

 

I think my belly fat (I mean it’s everywhere, but I feel that it’s more obvious (for myself) around my midsection) is a result everything I listed in my OP, plus peri-menopause/menopause/hormones.

 

I joined a bootcamp and have lost 4 lbs so far (in like 5 days), not lost any body fat so far......the workouts are ****ing rough, but worth it. Coaches are super-helpful, and I am def one of the “slimmer” participants, which is motivating.....(however, I’m not one of the stronger, faster, fitter ones for sure!!!!)

 

Anyways, planning on going there 3-4 times a week (1 hour each). The diet, according to them, should not include any dairy at all, no cheese, obvs no carbs, alcohol, sugar, no gluten etc. ...... basically clean eating, which I’m determined to stick with for those 6 weeks........and drinking 1 gallon of water a day is part of it, too. I’ll keep you posted about how it goes.

 

And keep commenting, if you can think of anything you might like to add, or commenting on the program, etc.

 

Nuts of all kinds are also recommended (minus peanuts), which is great because I LOVE walnuts. Just a little worried about the calories here. Can I eat those a few times a week?

 

Thanks again, guys!

Edited January 22, 2018 by Minnie09

[basil67]

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Anyways, planning on going there 3-4 times a week (1 hour each). The diet, according to them, should not include any dairy at all, no cheese, obvs no carbs, alcohol, sugar, no gluten etc. ...... basically clean eating, which I’m determined to stick with for those 6 weeks........and drinking 1 gallon of water a day is part of it, too. I’ll keep you posted about how it goes.

 

Oh that diet sounds like Hell!

 

My concern is that because the diet isn't sustainable due to it's strictness, you'll lose the weight early on and then put it back on when you relax and start living again.

[lana-banana]

Nuts are healthy for you, but they're generally not recommended for people trying to lose weight because people tend to massively underestimate how many they're eating. If portion control isn't a problem for you, an occasional handful of unsalted almonds, cashews, walnuts etc. is fine. Or you can get a box of the little 100-calorie packs.

 

You are not going to make any substantive improvements to your body fat levels in five days. You may have "lost" four pounds, but that's water weight, and that can swing around like crazy depending on everything from sleep to salt to where you are in your cycle. Think of it this way: did a single piece of cake make you fat? No? Then a single salad isn't going to make you thin, either. You should be thinking of progress in terms of weeks and months, not days.

 

Weighing yourself daily isn't a bad idea but focus on taking the average of your weight over the week. One pound per week is perfectly reasonable for most people, while two pounds is possible if you're very aggressive. Just eat well, get exercise and be kind to yourself.

[Minnie09]

 

You are not going to make any substantive improvements to your body fat levels in five days. You may have "lost" four pounds, but that's water weight, and that can swing around like crazy depending on everything from sleep to salt to where you are ....... .

 

Yeah, I know.......the weigh-in is once a week, I don’t weigh myself every day.......and I haven’t lost body fat. So yeah, probably water.

[springs]

The diet, according to them, should not include any dairy at all, no cheese, obvs no carbs, alcohol, sugar, no gluten etc. ...... basically clean eating, which I’m determined to stick with for those 6 weeks........and drinking 1 gallon of water a day is part of it, too.

 

So basically no food but you must drink a gallon of water daily.

 

Yuck.

 

I'd rethink that diet.

[Standard-Fare]

When I'm trying to lose some weight, I make an effort to cut down carbs and sodium as much as possible, while exercising and drinking water as much as possible. Absolute no's = fast food, desserts, alcohol.

 

To me that simple guiding mindset works better than a strictly regimented diet full of all sorts of unrealistic rules and restrictions. (And let's face it, the guidelines above are hard enough to pull off as it is.)

 

I also think it's helpful to ditch the scale entirely. It's too easy to obsess over minor weight fluctuations, and either feel too defeated for not losing or "reward" yourself too much for insignificant victories. You can tell when you're making progress WITHOUT the scale. Your bloat dies down and your clothes fit better. That should be satisfaction enough.

[Minnie09]

When I'm trying to lose some weight, I make an effort to cut down carbs and sodium as much as possible, while exercising and drinking water as much as possible. Absolute no's = fast food, desserts, alcohol.

 

To me that simple guiding mindset works better than a strictly regimented diet full of all sorts of unrealistic rules and restrictions. (And let's face it, the guidelines above are hard enough to pull off as it is.)

 

I also think it's helpful to ditch the scale entirely. It's too easy to obsess over minor weight fluctuations, and either feel too defeated for not losing or "reward" yourself too much for insignificant victories. You can tell when you're making progress WITHOUT the scale. Your bloat dies down and your clothes fit better. That should be satisfaction enough.

 

 

 

Thanks, and I definitely must get my bloating under control as well! But what you wrote - that’s pretty much my mindset and describes how I handle it, too. I also try to watch my calorie intake, ie I really try to eat only when I’m really hungry, and I try to up my water intake as well. But if I want a little bit of cream in my coffee, I just go for it as well. Definitely no fast food and sugar for me, either. At least for a while now. I think you can get pretty much used to it if you do it day in and day out. Even though I do crave my carbs, especially fresh baguette straight from the bakery, with a little bit of shaved ham and cheese, maybe mayo and some pickles.....but oh well.....not gonna happen for now.

 

What really surprises me, though, is that even though I should technically be sleeping better, because after all I am now exercising on a pretty regular basis, but I am actually not. My sleep has gotten worse, and sleep is an important factor wrt weight management and staying healthy. I don’t know what’s going on. I AM physically exhausted after my workouts, in a good way, but I sleep less than ever. I just don’t get tired at night. It makes no difference if I work out at 9:30 in the morning or at 6:30 at night. Same thing. And I wake up quite often during the night after falling asleep, and I wake up early in the morning, too - this is so weird. And I do need more and better sleep than I’m currently getting; I know that, because I’m tired when I wake up. Not very energized. Maybe my body is just confused about all these changes.

Edited January 24, 2018 by Minnie09

[No_Go]

'Water weight' loss comes from depletion of glycogen - very hydrophilic molecule - i.e. keeps water. Glycogen stores in the muscles & liver.

 

If muscle glycogen is depleted - it WILL change appearance significantly, so if that's the 'water weight' loss - not bad. Leaner appearance: check. Less glycogen - > body needs to start using up slower fuels (aka fats) - check.

 

So you're actually on the track to your goal, but obviously that won't change the shape of your abdomen (your main goal) because glycogen stores elsewhere.

[Minnie09]

'Water weight' loss comes from depletion of glycogen - very hydrophilic molecule - i.e. keeps water. Glycogen stores in the muscles & liver.

 

If muscle glycogen is depleted - it WILL change appearance significantly, so if that's the 'water weight' loss - not bad. Leaner appearance: check. Less glycogen - > body needs to start using up slower fuels (aka fats) - check.

 

So you're actually on the track to your goal, but obviously that won't change the shape of your abdomen (your main goal) because glycogen stores elsewhere.

 

Well, I DO ab workouts, too. But not much has changed. Maybe some diuretics might help?