Weird weight gain after changing food?

I've been bulking for a few months now and my weight has stagnated at 173lbs. I have been carb cycling and eating 3200 cals on low carb days and 3500 cals on my high carb days. I was gaining .5lbs a week as planned but 1200 of my daily calories came from poptarts(3packs).

I decided to change that for some real food like 6 eggs, half an avacado, and kodiak protein pancakes. The calories totaled to 1200 like the poptarts but the macros were very different. Pop tart macros were about 200 carbs 12 protein and 9 fat. The new breakfast meal macros I had were 53 carbs, 73 protein, and 80 fat. It can't be water weight because I've been bulking for a while now, and secondly, I'm eating less carbs since eliminating the pop tarts.

Now that I'm eating this omlet, my weight has been going up too fast and I feel and look like I'm putting on fat. I can't see my abs anymore and my stomach protrudes, yet the rest of my body is pretty lean. I weigh and track all of my food and weigh myself every morning. The only thing that changed in my lifestyle was changing the junk food to better food.

My diet is healthier but I feel like crap. I now weigh 181 from weighing 173 9 days ago. Should I go back to eating that poptart junk food?

Water weight. Fat doesn't come or go quickly.

Genuine fat gain is always explainable. If you gained 1lb of fat, ask yourself where did the additional 3500 calories come from?

[QUOTE=SuffolkPunch;1596245211]Water weight. Fat doesn't come or go quickly.

Genuine fat gain is always explainable. If you gained 1lb of fat, ask yourself where did the additional 3500 calories come from?[/QUOTE]

Could you elaborate how it it eater weight when I'm eating significantly less carbs? My stomach looks like its put on fat as well and I can't see ANY ab definition now, yet I never changed calories. Only macros. On my low carb days, I should be able to see them, right?

Carbs is not the only thing that affects hydration. Salt, foods that are not as easily digestible (e.g. dairy, beans, lentils) are two other common ones.

Whatever other problems junk foods may have, they are usually easily digestible... plus your body takes time to adjust to new eating patterns.

Even a reduction in muscular glycogen (from eating less carbs) could result in less definition.

The key point here is that it doesn't matter. if you are accurately tracking calories and they really didn't change - then you haven't suddenly gotten fat.

As SP stated above you have to question what else could it be within 9 days if it is not water weight.....

If it isn't that well you just gained 8lbs of fat in 9 days that is sad news for you......

You must have eaten an extra 28000 calories in the last 9 days rather impressive.

Or your weighing ability isnt great.

Interesting. So when my body gets used to the food I eat, I can expect less bloating and for my weight to start going back down? I probably also have to take into account digestion due to macros that are harder to break down since poptarts are 50% sugar.

Even stress can dramatically affect water weight. It's not always that simple unfortunately.

[QUOTE=ncsuLuke;1596260491]Even stress can dramatically affect water weight. It's not always that simple unfortunately.[/QUOTE]

Funny you mentioned that, because I'm going back to college this semester. Thank you all for the comments. I will experiment further to see if my body adapts to the food this week. Next week I will go back to the poptarts and see what happens.

[QUOTE=JayGrxxn;1596298241]Funny you mentioned that, because I'm going back to college this semester. Thank you all for the comments. I will experiment further to see if my body adapts to the food this week. Next week I will go back to the poptarts and see what happens.[/QUOTE]

Why would you eat over 1/3 of your calories from pop tarts?

[QUOTE=AdamWW;1596298991]Why would you eat over 1/3 of your calories from pop tarts?[/QUOTE]

For one, they were easy to eat and calculate since one poptart was 200 calories. Secondly, working a lot and rarely having breaks, I never really had time to eat a meal regardless if I can pack it or not. Poptarts were quick to eat. Third, it is significantly cheap. Especially since I have to pay for college out of pocket.

I also read around that any calories I add should be carbs and they seem like the easiest carb source. I'm not proud of it, hence why I changed what I ate to end up posting on these forums in the first place. Hopefully that answers any questions.

[QUOTE=JayGrxxn;1596308511]For one, they were easy to eat and calculate since one poptart was 200 calories. Secondly, working a lot and rarely having breaks, I never really had time to eat a meal regardless if I can pack it or not. Poptarts were quick to eat. Third, it is significantly cheap. Especially since I have to pay for college out of pocket.

I also read around that any calories I add should be carbs and they seem like the easiest carb source. I'm not proud of it, hence why I changed what I ate to end up posting on these forums in the first place. Hopefully that answers any questions.[/QUOTE]

I would think you could just buy some granola or granola bars for very cheap too, that actually have some health-promoting ingredients... or even just trail mix.

Or if you prefer carbs, dried fruit like dates, etc, are very convenient.

Heck even a fig newton would be better than a pop tart IMO if it’s 1200 calories worth