Fast weight gain during reintroductions?

[katieblue]

Hey all! I finished my second Whole 30 on Saturday April 30, and started a very slow roll of reintroductions.

 

On Wednesday May 4th, I reintroduced corn chips with dinner, and all the rest of my food for the day was compliant. I felt totally fine afterward, but didn't feel a need to reintro anything else.

 

On Sunday May 8th, I had regular ketchup with sugar in it, but no other yucky additives.

 

I know sugar doesn't technically have to be its own reintro day, so I went ahead and reintroduced non-gluten grains in the form of a gluten-free gingersnap gravy on Tuesday May 10th. Unfortunately, this was for my birthday dinner, and my dad also bought me an ice cream cake and I was so touched and surprised I had a slice of it.. I took the smallest sliver, but I felt AWFUL the following day - the usual dairy symptoms of headache, nausea, and bad gas. By Thursday, though, I felt much better, and continued eating compliant.

 

On Friday I had the last of the leftover gingersnap gravy to try and reintro non-gluten grains. Physically, I felt fine afterward. Maybe a little fuller than usual, but nothing notable.

 

However, all throughout the past week I have felt like I look bigger, bloated and blown up. My clothes have been clinging to me in uncomfortable ways, and feel so tight. I wondered what was up, so I stepped on the scale yesterday. I'm up FOUR pounds since I weighed myself on May 1st... I know there are a ton of factors that can influence the scale weight and that it doesn't really matter, but I come from a history of disordered eating and a terrible relationship with my body, so to me it does... I know that the scale was not the best idea for me, and it just fueled the depression, and I don't plan on getting on it again.

 

But now I'm concerned. I don't want to keep on gaining weight. Should I stop reintroducing things and stay the Whole 30 course for a while again? Should I stay away from the specific things I have already reintroduced? I know it's up to me to ride my own bike and figure this out, but I'm aware that my brain is malfunctioning right now because of the anxiety/depression that hit me and I'd love for any personal input on the matter.

[ShannonM816]

Some foods definitely cause bloating and water retention, it sounds like that's what happened to you. I'd go back to Whole30 eating until you feel good again (and be sure you're drinking plenty of water too). 

 

After that you could try the non-gluten grains again and see if that's what it was, if you want, or avoid that for a while and do some other reintroduction. You don't mention what non-gluten grain you tried, but different ones could cause different effects (corn vs. oatmeal vs. quinoa, for instance), and if what you had was a gluten free flour mix, it could have had a bunch of nut or seed flours, which can also cause bloating and digestive issues. Or it could have been the dairy in the ice cream cake and nothing to do with the grains.

 

Try not to stress about this, though. It's all an experiment -- you have things now, and watch for reactions, so that in the future, you know what reactions to expect and can use that to decide whether something is worth it. The effects are temporary, and in the long run, you'll be better able to decide what is and isn't worth it to have based on your reactions.

[katieblue]

Thank you, Shannon. I appreciate the calm and kind words.

 

I don't remember which grains were in the ginger snaps, but I know it wasn't a large mixture of anything or I wouldn't have used that as my reintro. I'll double check again, though.

 

I think it does sound like the best approach to go back to Whole 30 eating for a while, then see about reintroductions later on in the future. And trying not to go crazy in the meantime!

[CaGirl]

I gotta ask, what is gingersnap gravy?

[katieblue]

I gotta ask, what is gingersnap gravy?

Have you ever heard of sauerbraten? It's a German pot roast and my dad cooks it in a crock pot with spices and water and then makes the gravy from gingersnaps and the juices from the pot. It's my favorite meal ever, hence the birthday dinner.

[SugarcubeOD]

Holy cow, that sounds amazing! (sorry to hear of the bloat and uncomfortableness... Shannon is right, the weight would be bloating, water retention and inflammation...)

[katieblue]

It is! I'm wondering if there is a way to make it compliant with just some gingersnap-type spices and a different type of thickener.

And thank you!! I'll try and be patient and ride it out.

[LadyM]

I made a compliant sauerbraten one Christmas, so I know it can be done. But it's not the same. It may be one of those things that's worth it every once in a while, like for a birthday dinner, to have exactly as you remember it.

 

And I, too, support the decision to return to W30 until you feel more like yourself and to stay off the scale. It doesn't give you any information you don't already know and it only feeds the demon that destroys your hard-earned healing surrounding your body image.

[CaGirl]

Thanks for the gingersnap gravy explanation.  

[katieblue]

Thanks, LadyM. I appreciate all the encouragement and support from all you ladies. You rock. I feel much better and stronger about continuing on.

[ruigteach]

I gained and lost the same 2 pounds all through reintroduction.  When I was done and went back to good eating, I started to lose again.  I definitely learned not to obsess with the scale on my Whole30, but I also watch weight gain like any other symptom - something to notice and wonder if it was something I ate.  For years I've been telling my doctors and counselors that gaining 5 pounds overnight had to mean something and yet no one could tell me. Especially when I see how much is in restaurant food, I feel like it's all starting to make sense.  I want to lose weight, but more than anything I am grateful to Whole30 for the peace of mind... the freedom from cravings and obsessions...and the feeling that someone knows what they are talking about and what I have been asking. 

[katieblue]

Thank you so much for sharing your story! Definitely good to know that I'm not alone.

[praxisproject]

I get really crazy overnight inflammation from grains (except white rice), as much as 10 kilos if it's wheat (gluten).

I had complained about this overnight weight gain to many doctors for over a decade, but they all ignored it.

 

I also get slower but consistently building inflammation from dairy, so if you're finding some things do hit you on the scale, it may not just be weight gain, but your body struggling to cope with something and it's feeling really sick.

 

Inflammation is the natural defence system of your body, so if something is triggering it, it doesn't like it (infection, cell damage, injury, irritants).

 

You can also measure inflammation without a scale, via blood tests.

[katieblue]

Thank you, praxisproject! I appreciate the input. I have noticed in the past that sometimes I blow up overnight, too, and it takes a day or two to return to "normal". I had just assumed it was an influx of sodium/carbs/overeating, but I wonder if it could be a specific trigger. It's tricky because I feel like small amounts of things (even gluten, which I've been diagnosed as intolerant of), don't really bother me, and I generally am not inclined to go eating a ton of dairy or something that I cut out via the Whole30. So I feel like I'd have to eat a significant amount of something to see the effects, but I just don't have the motivation to add soy to all three meals of the day, even though I do understand the importance of this process!

[ruigteach]

That's how I feel katieblue.  And yes, praxisproject, thank you!!  One of my favorite things about Whole30 is that I finally feel that someone understands and is figuring out how I feel.  I can't wait for Melissa's new book.

[praxisproject]

I always thought it was carbs too (ex-Atkins), but I don't get the same reaction from non-grain carbs, I'd just never tried it that way before my first Whole30, grains are pretty pervasive where I live, prior to Whole30 I don't think a single day of my life was wheat free (even my first baby cereal contained wheat and many Atkins & low carb products contain wheat & gluten).

 

I've also found it's a multiplier. If I had wheat + dairy + soy + seed oils, the result is extreme. Each one gives me inflammation, but to different degrees. Wheat is the worst, but dairy amplifies all the others (pretty sure it punches little holes in my guts and all the other rubbish just invades my body through the holes). However some dishes contain several items by default (eg. takeaway pizza) and these are things I have to completely cut from my life, there is no 20% flexibility for me. A little dairy I can tolerate from time to time, but it's critical I don't mix it with any other inflammatories.

 

A lot of doctors ignore inflammation "water weight", "fluid retention" etc.

It has serious implications for the body and should not be ignored, it's not just water, there are markers in your blood too and they are not good.

I have inflammation trouble with all of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolamin

 

I lost an entire cup size giving up wheat, at first I was horrified, then the horror actually sunk in that it was really inflammation, not a real part of my body.