Weight gain whole60

[Lesha191]

I am currently on day 67, and I just know I've gained weight. At my weigh-in last week (day 61), I had gained about 2 kilos. I went on the whole30 in hopes of losing weight healthily. I am now 4 kilos away from my goal weight. I have followed the whole30 meal template as much as possible, and just eaten whenever hungry. Should I be counting calories again? Why am I gaining weight?! I am aiming for a whole90, but this process is very discouraging.

[jmcbn]

I'm sorry to hear you are feeling so discouraged.

First off though, know that weight loss on Whole30, or in general,  is not linear. Your weight will go up & down a pound here or there as your body deals with healing inflammation, internal & external stressors (lack of sleep, illness, exercise etc), and your time of the month.

Secondly calorie restriction is counter productive as your body will panic if you start to restrict calories, thinking there is a famine on the way, and hold on to every pound for dear life so that it can have fat stores to burn during the 'famine' - even if that famine never actually comes...

Thirdly, women have a tendency to believe they should weigh less than they do. Often our natural weight is not as light as we'd like. Our bodies instinctively hold on to weight, particularly around our middle, to protect our reproductive organs allowing us to reproduce for as long as possible - hence the so called middle aged spread. Please don't obsess over a number on the scale. It says nothing about who you really are. 

That said if you can you post a few days worth of your typical food/liquid intake, along with activity/stress/sleep levels we can take a look and see if you can't make any tweaks going forward...

[Loulabelle]

I gained 2kg on my W30 but lost 15cm, you need to take more into account than just the number on the scale. Your body composition may have changed to less fat & more muscle for instance. I also lost the 2kg then a bit more too as I kept on going, my weight has stabilised to more then I originally thought it should be but my size continues to diminish. 

[eboyle86]

I started my first whole30 on May 1, 2014 as a means to reset myself after starting a new relationship. Through calorie counting and cardio I had gone from 240 to 158 but gained about 20 back (perks of eating at restaurants and movies during dates). So I started the whole30 because I was super bloated, tired etc. I dropped 13 pounds that first month and felt great. I fell off the bandwagon in June and jumped back on in July. I ended July at the same place I was at the end of May. August 2014 was the month of gluttony and I gained 24 pounds while on vacation for two weeks. My body had had enough so I started a whole90 on September 1. My official start weight was 179.8lbs. I ended those 90 days at 153.7lbs. 90 days of proper eating helped me get back to where I was pre-boyfriend and lose an additional 5 lbs. I did fairly well as far as eating went in December (went on a cruise, christmas, new years etc) and decided to go 100% on January 1. I've been 99.9999% compliant with whole30 since then (I've had the occasional SWYPO but still only whole30 compliant ingredients) and have gotten down to 141lbs, my lowest weight since I was, I don't know really lol. I remember weighing 180lbs in grade 9 gym class.

 

With the above background, I can tell you that weight loss on whole30 isn't drastic. I've lost 10 lbs in 7 and a half months. I can also tell you that on any given day I can be back up to 148-149 for seemingly no reason. Whether it's just water weight, food retention, bloating, I don't know but it passes and I hover around 141-143 most days (weighed when I wake up).

 

My overall goal of staying whole30 is that I feel better and I don't binge eat on bad food all the time. I have a hard time controlling/stopping what I eat so I don't eat too much and eating whole30 foods at least helps me with not eating "bad" food like pizza, ice cream, pasta, bread, cheese (ooooh do I miss cheese) etc.

Erin

[Guest Andria]

I gained 2kg on my W30 but lost 15cm, you need to take more into account than just the number on the scale. Your body composition may have changed to less fat & more muscle for instance. I also lost the 2kg then a bit more too as I kept on going, my weight has stabilised to more then I originally thought it should be but my size continues to diminish. 

^^This!  Lesha, did you take before and after measurements?  The scale does not tell the whole story.

[Carlaccini]

How are your stress levels like?  Sleep?

 

Stress is a big factor in terms of weight loss.  So is chronically underfeeding yourself.

 

Back in December my SO had a heart attack a week after I found out that my uncle (whom I am close with) has terminal cancer - to say I was stressed and overwhelmed was an understatement.  My food intake did not change much - however I did gain 6 - 7lbs in that time period.  Bloated and uncomfortable like crazy and I had to buy a new pair of jeans a size up just so I could feel more comfortable/better.

 

Initially I freaked out - but then I realized my body was doing exactly what it was supposed to do under stressful circumstances.  I calmed down a bit an relaxed and knew that this weight gain would be only temporary. 

 

So it could be that your body is healing itself, or you are gaining muscle (muscle weighs more) - keep in mind it's really hard to gage on how healthy you are based on a number on the scale.