To be worried at 10 pound weight gain

[Amandahugandkisses]

Hi I'm posting on here for more responses I know it's not a classic AIBU but I'm genuinely baffled.
I lost a lot of weight through emotional issues over the last year. 2 stone in fact.
Recently I've been feeling better, being kinder to myself and allowing myself to eat.
I looked on the scales and I've gained 10 pounds in 4 weeks . This seems like a massive gain just from eating 3 small meals in a day again. I don't understand it.
Will I keep gaining at this rate simply by eating normally again? Quite concerned.

How close is AF?

Oh next week I think.

I always gain weight when I'm happy and lose it when I'm miserable - something happens to my metabolism it seems to speed up when I'm miserable and slow down when I'm content. 10 lbs does seem quite a lot in 4 weeks but very possible. Sorry, probably not much help.

Ye af will do it. As will fluid and increased salt intake. Exercise will help sweat out the extra water weight.

Congrats on being in a better place emotionally and feeling able to eat again.
If I understand correctly after a period of famine your body will suck the fat, as it were, out of any food it gets and weight gain will be quick to begin with. But as your body gets used to regular food it will regulate itself.

Step away from the scales and enjoy food again.

Thanks everyone.
Yes it's like my body has sucked into the fat! I am a bit concerned to eat again now to be honest.

There's your answer then. I routinely gain up to 8 lbs the week before AF and drop it by the day AF ends. I hate it and it's so uncomfortable, but not much I can do. My body loves water before AF!

But eat you must! Honestly the weight gain will slow right down. Just keep food relatively healthy and portions you are comfortable with.

nothing to do with AF. You haven't been eating properly and have dropped in weight, now you have started to eat properly it is perfectly normal for you to regain weight. That's what's supposed to happen. I would focus less on the scale and more on the healthy meals as they are what you need.

So it's normal to gain this quickly after a v long period of not eating?

Will it level off ?

Your body will be rushing to store far after a famine period. It's also coming into winter, temp drop, nights drawing in, when your body is more inclined to store fat.

Just eat sensibly and try to exercise. It will stabilise.

And yes, some of it will be water retention before your period (I can gain up to 6lbs the week before mine!)

Recovered anorexic here. I experienced a fast weight gain when I started eating again. It is a bit scary.

It's unlikely to be 10lbs of fat you have put on.

If you lost a lot of weight you will have lost water and muscle. Your body will be replacing those as well. There is more food passing through your body - not to be TMI but even going for a shit loses me 2lbs!

It WILL level off. Don't worry. And just think how lovely your skin and hair etc will start looking too! And your weight will fluctuate, that's normal.

If you're still concerned, see your GP for reassurance.

Thank you so much.
Yes my hair is thicker I noticed that so I suppose that's something positive. It just feels so strange to be covered in softness if that makes sense.
Definitely don't want it to continue at this rate. But if I cut portions again that will be unkind to myself which I've worked so hard to correct.
Sorry if none of this makes sense.

Don't cut portions, just make sure you are eating sensibly.

As long as your eating the right foods then I wouldn't worry about the weight gain, it is more than likely your body adjusting to you eating properly once again.

Maybe you could use my fitness pal for 1 week and track the calories you eat? There access your weight gain again

Yes I'm eating the right foods. Super healthy. V Small portions.

I experienced similar in the past - it really depends on whether the two stone loss took you to a less than healthy BMI (in my experience) - mine did, and the faster than normal gain was my body's way of saying that it wasn't happy that I had starved it to lower than it should be. At least that was my logic - the half stone or so that I regained put me back to a BMI of about 18.5 which is normal for me. After that I didn't gain any more. I don't think it would have mattered how much, within reason, I ate when I started eating again - the body just hangs onto what it can get. It's far more important that you're healthy and happy again.

Some of it will be water weight. When you eat at a calorie deficit, your body uses up your glycogen stores and in doing so liberates a whole lot of water (which is why people often lose a lot in the first week). When you start eating at maintenance levels, you will build up the glycogen stores again and so will need that water back again. This is why some people overshoot the weight they want to maintain at before upping their calories. I don't think it matters what the actual number on the scale is if you are happy where you are and it's not creeping up. So it could be that, or where you are in your cycle, or a combination, all you can do is keep an eye on it.

Sounds incredibly normal I'm afraid.

If you have gone through a period of not eating at all your body would have gone into starvation mode. Now you are eating 'normally' again your body is adjusting.

As long as you aren't overeating / bingeing / gorging then I am sure you'll be fine once your body gets used to food again.

I'd limit weighing yourself to once a week (morning, naked) and try not to let it take over your life.

If it's any consolation, you sound in a much healtier place now.

Yes the weight loss took me to a v low Bmi. I was underweight after the loss. Not sure now I don't think so.
Thank you for all your advice. It's a v quick gain but hopefully will level off.

You say you're eating super healthy, but very small portions. This could possibly mean that your body is storing everything it can because you're not actually eating enough.

I know it's hard when recovering from an ED, but you do need to make sure you're eating enough.

You're probably bloated before AF. Give it a couple of weeks and weigh yourself again. Don't be too hard on yourself, you've had a hard time.

Thank you. Yes it's v strange I've come to see my meals as me being kind by deserving nutrition. This hasn't been a normal feeling for a year now and it's an odd sensation to have a full tummy and my bones covered. I think my despression was so severe that was focussed on more and my Dr always said the starvation would stop when I was less depressed so it wasn't treated as an eating disorder. Possibly correctly.