Hospital stay caused weight gain

by Pat
(Philadelphia)

help on a healthy diet and losing weight slowly and healthily

Went into hospital for 2 days for a virus and did not eat for a day in a half. Gained 3 pounds!

What is the deal with that?

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Pat,

Weight gain that occurs that quickly is usually a reflection of water weight gain, not fat gain. I'm guessing you were pumped full of IV fluids while you were in the hospital, so you probably left more hydrated that you started out.

One pound of body fat represents an excess of 3,500 calories. To have truly gained 3 pounds of body fat, you would have had to over eaten by 10,500 calories (3,500 x 3). That's clearly impossible if you didn't even eat a single morsel!!

Hopefully that water weight is long gone by now. I hope you are feeling better.