wow, even that in the context of this thread seems a big delta. Most I’ve conjured up is about 2lbs or a kilo.
Yeah, that was my first reaction. I have gone up a a pound or two and have been on the SSBHV plan, but I also haven’t been eating great and eating more. But I also felt it almost immediately. I can’t imagine packing on 20 lbs and not feeling it.
same here. Adding 9kgs and not noticing? I notice 1kg!
Hey super7, welcome to the Forums.
Every time I click on one of these threads I can generally predict the answers…
“I’ve done XYZ and never had this kind of issue?!?”
“You are eating more than you are burning!”
“It’s simple, just eat less!”
“It’s simple, eat better quality foods!”
“Have you calibrated your scale?”
“You already said it, you don’t count calories so there is the answer /thread”
It’s pretty much always the same set of responses, different thread. None of that advice is necessarily incorrect, I just don’t think enough info is known to really understand what is happening in your case before that advice is being offered.
Simply put, very few questions are being asked and a lot of advice is being given.
There are a lot of questions that I would ask you and stevemz hits on a few above.
But, one I’m shocked no one has asked before offering advice, how much do you weigh?
If you weight 220 and gained 20 lbs that’s much different than if you weigh 120 and have done the same.
Another, have you done any body composition measurements? DEXA, Scale, Calipers?
I will agree with you you probably haven’t taken in 1,250 calories per day extra every day for 8 weeks. It wouldn’t be impossible of course but it seems unlikely.
When you weighed in 8 weeks ago where were you on the scale of carb loading at that moment? Normal, low carb, carb loaded?
For example, if I do a long ride where I under fuel and then come home and rehydrate but don’t take in a lot of carbs, I could be down 4-6 pounds pretty easily. It sounds like a lot but if you burn 4,000 calories on a ride you could burn as much as 700-800 grams of glycogen depending on fueling choices made during (and before and after) the ride. For every gram of glycogen your body will retain let’s say roughly 3 grams of water with it (sources put it at a range but let’s use 3). So a post-ride carb depleted step on the scale, even if I’m rehydrated but not carb loaded could be 2,800 plus grams of total body weight (700 grams of glycogen plus 2,100 grams of water with it) “lost” at that moment. So depending on the state you were first in vs. the state you are currently in, it’s not unreasonable to say you could be +/- 6 lbs or even more, depending on your glycogen state when you initially tested.
Are you comparing a single data point to a previous single data point 8 weeks ago?
For body comp and weight loss tracking it is much better to use a moving average over 5-7 days to really dial in what you have gained/lost over a period of time. It will remove some of the variability along the way and give you numbers that are more reliable for adjusting your diet.
Finally, if your power numbers are way up, you are a much more powerful rider today than when you started if your W/Kg is the same. Is that a problem for you?
Would you be happier with a 400 watt FTP at 220 lbs or a 200 watt FTP at 110 lbs? At some point maybe you want to lose some weight but if you are banging out massive gains and not losing any W/Kg along the way I think that is a win. Many, not all, but many, people will tell you it’s easier to lose pounds than gain watts. You can always just keep cranking out the gains until your W/Kg begins to fall and not worry about your weight until then. The TR Podcast always speaks to “Fueling the ride” and it sounds like you are doing that and it is really working for you.
Of course all of the advice given by others above is generally solid info. If you are interested in weight loss then you do have to burn more than you take in. My questions I hope just add some additional things for you to think about and really reassess where you are and whether or not it should be of concern to you.
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Its all muscles…
Thats what i tell myself when i weight in the mornings after eating 20 oreos the day before.
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fair enough with the lack of questions, but being shocked at a forum? I think you are overreaching the role of a hobby forum for a lot of people 
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Yeah, totally.
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The maths on this is interesting, and undoubtedly explains a lot. I’m on a rest week and my body is wondering what the hell is happening to it. I guess that’s the same for us all to a certain extent!
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It’s actually quite shocking just how easy it is to consume an extra 1250 calories per day when your goal is to satiate exercise induced hunger. Fueling a workout is not the same as fueling an appetite.
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Focusing on the 1250 number is a bit myopic. Instead, take the total weight gain and cut it in half. Chalk up 10 lbs to water weight. Now all of a sudden, the caloric surplus is reduced to 625, and not only is this number possible, but it’s quite likely.
Thanks for all the replies, i was a little lacking in detail. I’ll be honest, the whole situation got me a bit down as i was literally about to hit 5wkg, and now im no where near.
I would say i’m (or was) fairly lean. i was about 150lbs at 5’11", would guess around 10% bf. Weekly TSS has been about 1000 over that time, which is about 15000 kcal per week i guess. My FTP has gone from around 340 to about 350 over that time. I have been eating a lot of high quality foods, but dried fruit, nuts and seeds, and the sourdough revolution has probably been my downfall in hindsight.
The other part of the issue is likely that i haven’t been properly fueling resulting in eating too much later in the day.
I would have thought i’d maybe gained 1-2kg of fat, and be fine with that.
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Why not chalk up all 20 lbs to water which is probably just about as accurate as 10 lbs in terms of our SWAG analysis. 
The more meaningful question is at what weight and body comp did an individual start with and finish with? If w/kg is stable but raw watts are “the biggest gains ever” then the question should be asked how has body comp changed? If the OP has added predominantly muscle over fat then perhaps there isn’t anything to be concerned about. If the OP has added 10 lbs of water weight as you suggest and another 8 lbs muscle (I made that up like you made up 10 pounds of water) then maybe 2 pounds of fat is nothing to be concerned about. Of course we wouldn’t know without more info. I’m not arguing the advice I’m suggesting maybe we don’t know enough based on the OP’s initial post.
My point is perhaps we should ask a few more questions to dial this in.
Here is a sample from my training history:
Beginning 172.2 weight 12.6% bf 150.4 lean mass
Ending 184.6 weight 13.3% bf 160 lean mass
Beginning FTP - 240
Ending FTP - 332 and counting
Should I be concerned about weight gain?
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Can you confirm this either with a scale, calipers or a DEXA scan?
Going from 150-170 is a big jump, it would be interesting to know more.
Nokia scale/caliper. Can visible see ab muscles etc so sounds realistic
So you were at 10% and you are still 10%, is that roughly accurate or has their been a significant change to your BF percentage?
Unless you are having issues with weight, like nothing fits anymore, your are getting more tired, or things of that nature, i would not worry about 20# specially if you are 5’11. 170 is still pretty lean. even if your bf went up 2%.
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I would have thought you would have to eat very large amounts to put on that much weight when doing 1000TSS a week . Last year on HV I couldn’t keep the weight up and it crashed to 58kg at which point I got pretty ill. This year I did MV plus some zone 2 as I was finding it impossible to eat enough after the 2 hour SS sessions in the evening. That said it was after work…if you are not working at present it’s possible but you really would have to be eating a lot post workout. Also I don’t see how you didn’t notice a weight gain of about 15%. Still easily solved - keep training hard - eat less food. Simples!
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Don’t know if you track your calories, but it’s worth tracking it for a week or so and see if you’ve been underestimating certain foods/meals. Get a scale (not just guessing the weight). Tracking calories isn’t necessary but in this case it could give some insights.
If your pants aren’t too tight now I might suspect a faulty scale. If I packed on 20 pounds I’d be puffy and my pants wouldn’t fit. It would be pretty obvious. Maybe you should get a new scale and weigh yourself at least once or twice per week.
I always try and weigh myself under the same condition - morning after 1st cup of espresso but before breakfast.
So a few weeks ago, you were a 5w/kg, P/1 level beanpole.
And you didn’t notice gaining 20 lbs until stepping on the scale?
Yea, we’re being trolled.
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I think it’s fantastic to increase your power. I wouldn’t worry too much with your weight right now. Just cause your at the same watt/kg, doesn’t mean you won’t be significantly stronger on flat sections. You can clean up the weight over time with eating higher quality foods. I wouldn’t diet on the bike, fuel your workouts. Especially with the high volume plan.
I think if you eat better foods and minimize alcohol, you will keep your power gains and stabilize your weight to something more normal for you. Also, an unnoticed 20 pounds would make me suspicious. Get a good quality scale, I use a smart scale every morning and chart your weight everyday. That way you can see if subtle changes in your diet are working through time. What gets measured gets managed, right. It’s just like your power. Once you started measuring you improved it.