Weight Going Up With Hunger...

[CGally81]

I'm 5'6" and male.

Well, I'm up to 190 pounds. I was 153 when I was at my lowest, feeling sick all the time from gluten, and no longer trying to lose weight, but losing it anyway. And having the constant blood sugar drops (caused by gluten), and the cravings that came with them.

But since becoming hungry all the time, I have started to gain weight. At first it seemed like nothing was really changing, until I felt my muscles tighten, and later discovered that my muscles were somehow growing, despite not working out (or having the energy to, with all this hunger!!).

After a while, though, my gut started to stick out (it always had to at least some extent, even when I was 153 pounds). And my waist slowly grew, until I switched from a size 30 to size 32 pants. And stayed there for well over 2 months, as somehow my waist hasn't grown since then.

My weight is still going up, and as I sit here, if I move my arms up, I feel tightness in my arm muscles, as though I'd worked out, even though I didn't. It's like my arms and legs (and I bike ride a lot, when I have the energy) have been toughening up or something. As if the weight is being transferred there?

Anyway, who's been through a situation like this? Will this last until the hunger goes away? Will I hopefully be left with a well-formed body once my hunger goes and I can lose weight again? (That would be nice!) And why on earth is my body seemingly transferring most of my weight to my muscles, when I used to work them out in the past but hadn't for a long time?

Do you think the foods I eat help shape it? Like, eating too many bad carbs (i.e. gluten-free cookies) would result in more fat, but more protein would result in more muscle? I intend to eat healthy anyway, but do you think there's a method to this madness?

Any ideas would be much appreciated. I can't wait for the recovery period to end!

[Erin Elberson]

I'm 5'6" and male.

Well, I'm up to 190 pounds. I was 153 when I was at my lowest, feeling sick all the time from gluten, and no longer trying to lose weight, but losing it anyway. And having the constant blood sugar drops (caused by gluten), and the cravings that came with them.

But since becoming hungry all the time, I have started to gain weight. At first it seemed like nothing was really changing, until I felt my muscles tighten, and later discovered that my muscles were somehow growing, despite not working out (or having the energy to, with all this hunger!!).

After a while, though, my gut started to stick out (it always had to at least some extent, even when I was 153 pounds). And my waist slowly grew, until I switched from a size 30 to size 32 pants. And stayed there for well over 2 months, as somehow my waist hasn't grown since then.

My weight is still going up, and as I sit here, if I move my arms up, I feel tightness in my arm muscles, as though I'd worked out, even though I didn't. It's like my arms and legs (and I bike ride a lot, when I have the energy) have been toughening up or something. As if the weight is being transferred there?

Anyway, who's been through a situation like this? Will this last until the hunger goes away? Will I hopefully be left with a well-formed body once my hunger goes and I can lose weight again? (That would be nice!) And why on earth is my body seemingly transferring most of my weight to my muscles, when I used to work them out in the past but hadn't for a long time?

Do you think the foods I eat help shape it? Like, eating too many bad carbs (i.e. gluten-free cookies) would result in more fat, but more protein would result in more muscle? I intend to eat healthy anyway, but do you think there's a method to this madness?

Any ideas would be much appreciated. I can't wait for the recovery period to end!

Honestly, I have no idea. Without some kind of activity (are you very physically active in your job?) you are not going to gain muscle. Diet composition only has an effect on tissue modification when some kind of physical activity is involved. Generally people who have been overweight, once they lose fat, do have fairly decent musculature underneath the fat from carrying around the extra weight, and also just by having higher body mass including lean mass. But I don't think that was what you were referring to...

Definitely eating more naturally gluten free whole foods will help with health as well as appearance.