How is this even possible?!

[d!abolic]

Wow, in two years of training, i've never experienced anything like this. Check it out, on the 29th of January i was a few weeks into my cutting phase, and at 10.5%. I've gradually reduced my calories from 2800 to 2000 over those two weeks, and was now where i wanted to be. I started doing cardio, HIIT three times a week, and my 5th session will be today. So in 9 days, i've gained 5lbs. And my body fat went up to 11.7%. How the hell is it even possible? My calories are lower than they were before AND i'm doing cardio! I was losing fat before, and instead of continuing to lose more, started gaining some! I'm lost!

[night-trainer]

Maybe your body didnt have time to adjust to the drop in calories and reverted to storing fat, although you said you lowered your calorie intake gradually. Perhapse it was due to water retention or some other factors, keep at it and measure again in a week or two.

[BiggJohn]

Hard to say, possibly you are retaining more water for what ever reason. Are you spacing your meals out every 2 to 3 hours? Give it more time, stick to your plan and you'll start droping the fat.


2 weeks is a short time to drop 800 cals. 4 weeks sounds a little better IMO.

[A.FreeRadical]

I've gradually reduced my calories from 2800 to 2000 over those two weeks, and was now where i wanted to be. I started doing cardio, HIIT three times a week, and my 5th session will be today. So in 9 days, i've gained 5lbs. And my body fat went up to 11.7%. How the hell is it even possible?

Gradually reduced your calories from 2800 to 2000 in two weeks. That will do it. That IS NOT gradual. 2800 to 2600 or maybe even 2400 is gradual. And then you threw HIIT on top of that. What was that? 1200 more calories burned per week?

My guess is your body went into starvation mode and stored fat and catabolized your muscles. The numbers seem to fit, don't they?

*
aA.FreeRadical a
Visit my 8 week cutting journal. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=382697

[bkman4]

Just kicking up your activity that much would be enough for awhile.

[gymratluke]

Maybe your body didnt have time to adjust to the drop in calories and reverted to storing fat, although you said you lowered your calorie intake gradually. Perhapse it was due to water retention or some other factors, keep at it and measure again in a week or two.

Thats is correct. Plus unless your B/F was tested in the water, its not very accurate and I gain in water weight will make the calculations come up with high B/F, you probably didn't really gain much fat, if any. Plus your weight is different at all times of the day, so when you weight your self for B/F, you take the morning reading before breakfast, after you piss and crap. Other than that, I can't tell ya what might have happened.

[d!abolic]

Over a week later and still no change. What the hell do i do? Eat more? Eat less? How to get my body out of the 'emergency fat storage' mode?

[marcFE]

Maybe Starvation mode or maybe .... Just maybe ....... You lost water?

Water reads the same as LBM, anything in the body that isn't fat reads as LBM, if you lose alot of water (for example starting a cut) you will lose "LBM" since its water.

Or maybe you just went a little crazy on calories who knows

[Shortfuze]

Over a week later and still no change. What the hell do i do? Eat more? Eat less? How to get my body out of the 'emergency fat storage' mode?

you heard the guys, bump up your calories(eat more, eat frequent) and start cutting them slowly. You went to fast too soon. Save your muscles first!