There are a few reasons for experiencing slowed weight loss or small gains when deviating from the plan...
- Fluid retention: Our body's primary source of energy is glucose, found in starchy carbs, sugar, high-sugar fruits and converted from fructose, sucrose and other sugars. Glucose is stored in our body in the form on glycogen with water. When eating as per plan, we're using up the majority of our glycogen stores before our body looks to lipids (fats) to convert into energy. This means we're also removing stored fluids. Most off-plan foods contain a higher amount of glucose than those specially selected for the approved food list which means our body is likely trying to bind it with fluids to replenish our glycogen stores. This causes more fluid to retain in the body and be seen as weight gain on the scales.
- Ferments: Most foods with higher sugar content may also be higher FODMAP which means they ferment in our guts and take longer to pass through our digestive system. Giving the illusion we've gained weight.
- Fat metabolism: As the products are supporting the body in burning stored Subcutaneous and Visceral fat, it is prioritising burning fats for energy. As the approved foods are all low fat (eating only natural lean animal fats present in animal products), if we eat a higher-fat food that's not approved our body will recognise this as an easy-to-cleave source of energy and will prioritise burning this exogenous fat and not our body fat first. Meaning that you're only metabolising what you're eating for energy and that normally results in no loss and sometimes a small gain.
- Inflammation: processed, sugary, high saturated fat foods are all pro-inflammatory foods. Even small amounts of these can cause low-grade inflammation in the gut and this can also be mistaken for weight gain.