Originally Posted by
Jughed
I'm talking eating as little as two small meals per day of just meat and veggies - nothing else. Along with 1.5-2 hour Z2 rides daily, and strength/core work in the mix. Any change to that, any added carbs, any high intensity work = weight gain.
I'm dropping the weight now so that when I start my high intensity training blocks my weight may stay +/- where I want it. I will not lose a pound in the high intensity phase, best I can ask for is to stay the same.
Some bodies stay naturally thin and can't gain weight, some body's can pack on the weight in a hurry or fight to hold on to every pound. These body types require different training and feeding methods.
Interesting that your high intensity training causes weight gain. I wonder what's going on there. Some speculation:
A. A high intensity session can increase blood volume -- I've noticed my body weight may rise by a pound or more overnight after a hard workout. But that gain is temporary (for me).
B. What about muscle mass gains from high intensity? That's definitely a thing, but muscle mass gains happen quite slowly.
C. Then there's the tendency for high intensity training to have shorter duration, so the calorie burn may be reduced.
If the weight gain is rapid, I'd guess "A. blood volume". If the gain is long-term, I'd guess "C. reduced calorie burn". In the end, weight gain/loss is primarily an energy balance.
That's all I got.