Gaining Weight on OS Plan?
Hello all,
This is my first "serious" post as an EN member. Looking forward to training with you all.
Anyway, I was curious if anyone has experience with weight gain on the OS plan? Here's my situation:
This Oct. I was 178 pounds, 5'10, and measured at 8% BF using BodPod and Calipers. I've lost about 220 pounds, and I'm still rather heavy for my height, which I think can mostly be attributed to a good amount of extra skin from the weight loss. I'm very careful about my weight, after my previous battle with obesity. I measure and log my food, I've had my RMR measured, and I have a pretty good handle on my calories out based on physio lab data. My diet is very controlled.
Early November I started training shorter, but harder, after my season ended, using EN theory, but not a structured EN plan. This January I offically started the OS plan.
In that time since I've been training hard my weight has gone from 178 to 184. I've been eating at a .5 to 1 pound per week deficit in that time, which is normal when I see my weight go up. My body fat % seems to be about the same. My FTP has increased by about 20W, my VDOT hasn't increased but I now feel limited by my lungs and not my legs, which is a BIG change in my run.
I have a few theories
1. Maybe I'm putting on lean muscle mass that I had lost during the big weight loss. Lean muscle mass is good to an extent, but it's not doing any favors for my W/Kg. I want to be stronger, but not heavier
2. I very well might be holding on to alot of fluid from inflammation. This style of training has my legs feeling worked over more than anything I've ever done. I know from previous strenght training that I can put on a decent amount of fluid gains after a hard weight session...maybe this is the same?
3. Somehow I'm gaining fat and it hasn't shown up on the calipers yet?
Sorry for the really long post. Anyone have any ideas or experience with this?
Comments
This is my first OS so I can't help you there but in my own experience I think you might have a point on #1 and #2. Doubtful #3 given your good control on diet.
I have noticed my weight will go up a couple pounds after a particularly intense session only to normalize after I recover and am no longer sore so you may have some fluid gains.
I also think you may have increased lean muscle mass as the OS seems to require more strength than "noodling" for hours on the bike or run. I seem to have more definition in my legs than in past winters. My legs muscles certainly seem to "talk" to me more after my sessions than in past suggesting I'm working the muscles pretty well.
Either way you have a nice bump in FTP that more than offsets your small weight gain which I suspect will turn into a loss soon.
Jeff
Michael – First off Congratulations on your huge weight loss!
It sounds like you have a solid handle on your current calories in and calories burned situation. So I don’t think it is likely that you are putting on fat during a more intense training period. I think this the weight gain is as you pointed out driven by 2 factors. You have added muscle mass and you likely are better hydrated – say went from 62% to 65% water content.
That level of % hydration swing is easy to see pre work out to post. Question was your 178 weight back in October taken before or after a workout? Independent of workouts I see my weight swin 3-4 lbs in a day due to water levels. I suggest getting on the scales at the same time each day to minimize the variation of fluid levels on the numbers. I do first thing in the AM.
I think your thoughts on fluids due to inflammation may be real but I would expect that to be a 1-3 day situation and would be accompanied with muscle soreness. As to fat being built and not showing up on the calipers – I would say unlikely. If the Body has more fat the calipers should see it.
I looked at my log for last year’s OS and I gained some weight during it. I started in October at 160 and hit a high of 170 mid March. As the volume built during race prep, the weight came down to 158 for CDA in June and 155 for IM lOU in August.
You are doing the right things – watching intakes and outputs and WORKING HARD! Keep the faith.
As far as muscle gain is concerned...probably not the reason for the weight gain. Matt made a couple of great points about the actual weigh in, and I would take that to heart too. In the end, you are just trying to put more weight on the bar during OS, just building performance-specific strength. When you enter into the race prep training you will undoubtedly experience the endurance-style work and will likely have the weight loss you were expecting.
I usually pick up a couple of pounds in the OS. If I can get to late Feb with only a couple of extra pounds, no worries. I flunked out of our weight loss challenge in the Club House Forum. I know that once my volume picks up a little, get outside more, start swimming a little more, etc, the pounds come right back off. Each YEAR my racing weight gets a pound or two lower. I say YEAR, because I don't want to fool myself into thinking I should drop too many pounds too quickly. I would be a bear to live with.
I like the approach that I've been hearing from some top pro's and vets out there...If I work hard and fuel the workout and recovery properly (I could do much better with this but I usually don't start looking at it until spring, sorry guys), then my body will respond appropriately (ie, get in race shape), the body will take care of itself. If you're doing the work, 'it' will come around. Trust the work you're putting in and be disciplined and patient. You probably know a lot more about how many calories you need than anyone else. Stay focused. Trust the work YOU put in.
Sounds like you've come along way and I expect you still have many years of looking over your shoulder to see if that 'Big' Guy is catching up to you. You picked a great lifestyle to maintain fitness over the years. If you are training smart, have some goals, have some local friends who are riding and/or running, I would bet you're safe. My weight loss looks like the stock market in a bad economy....overall downward trend but some upticks and big dropoffs, nothing linear.
Good Luck!
C
This is all very helpful, thanks everyone!
Hey Michael - like Matt said earlier, keep in mind that as you ramp up your INTENSITY (instead of endurance/duration) you will be very likely to gain "weight" in the form of stored water. This is because the increased intensity of your workouts will deplete glycogen stores in the exercise muscles (for example, your quads/glutes after cycling intervals) - and your body will respond with improved glycogen storage in those muscles - BUT the extra glycogen will also come along with a lot of "extra" water (every gram of glycogen will bring 3 grams of water).
I always notice a 4-5lb jump in my body weight when I cycle between endurance (long/slow) and interval (short/fast) periods of training (I'm a nutritionist/physiologist and I have access to all the cool gadgets) ;^)
Like to others have said - you seem to have an excellent handle on your calories in/out and your performance - so "don't sweat" a bit of fluctuation right now - as long as you're feeling good and strong and fit, then keep on workin' it!
For what it's worth, every year, since the very first OS there has been a post asking about unexpected weight gain during the OS. You are getting stronger, faster, and tougher - and often times that comes at a price. No worries my friend, this is the kind of weight you WANT to be gaining!
Mike
Shawn, that's awesome, I hadn't thought about that adaptation at all, but you're totally right. Pretty much all of my OS workouts are being fueld by more glycogen and less fat than ever before... Cool!
Mike, thank you, thats great perspective! Last OS I didn't gain a pound, so gaining a bit of weight is scary territory for me. As someone said above, my previous fat self is always just a few steps behind me... I'll stay the course though, again, thank you!