Slight weight gain despite calorie defecit when adding in 2 extra heavy lift days - sorry, long!
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3AAnn3
Posts: 3,055 Member
I've only been tracking my calories for 18 days. At day 13, I was down 3.4 pounds. I want to lose 12 more lbs. Today is day 19 and I was up 0.4 pounds. I am only weighing in about once every 5-7 days. I do a lot of exercise and have been weight training for almost a year and a half now. I also do cardio 6 days a week. 20 minutes cardio on weight days, and an hour on days I don't weight train. I only lift heavy 1 day per week (the only day it's possible for me to make it to the gym) and on the other days, I do a bunch of squats and lunges and arm exercises with light weights: 5-15 pound dumbbells. This week, I was able to make it to the gym for 3 very heavy weight training sessions at the gym (increased my weight on every exercise). And this week I gained 0.4 pounds. I have been at a caloric deficit, the same as since I started and tracking everything just the same. The only thing that has changed is the added in heavy weight days. I typically eat back about 1/3 of my calories burned at the gym. Is this weight fluctuation likely just water? Should I be drinking a lot more when I lift heavy? I actually see more muscle development just in the few pounds lost so far, but was pretty bummed to see that after the hard work put in, I'd gained .4 pounds in 6 days. Should I just keep on keepin' on and doing what I'm doing? Just curious if what I'm experiencing is normal.
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Replies
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If you increase your weight training, you can expect a temporary gain (not from fat). Your body retains water as you are building new muscle. Definitely judge based on the muscle development you are seeing as well as how your clothes fit vs. the scale as you increase your weight lifting activity. Totally normal! Don't get discouraged
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Are you about to get your period??? I always "gain weight" before my period...I don't weigh myself, maybe once a month...weight flunctuates...as long as clothes fit better you are losing weight, getting too hung up on details doesn't work:), it messes up with your head.0
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If you increase your weight training, you can expect a temporary gain (not from fat). Your body retains water as you are building new muscle. Definitely judge based on the muscle development you are seeing as well as how your clothes fit vs. the scale as you increase your weight lifting activity. Totally normal! Don't get discouraged
^^This.0 -
grandmothercharlie wrote: »If you increase your weight training, you can expect a temporary gain (not from fat). Your body retains water as you are building new muscle. Definitely judge based on the muscle development you are seeing as well as how your clothes fit vs. the scale as you increase your weight lifting activity. Totally normal! Don't get discouraged
^^This.
almost this... your body will store the water when changing intensity or workout to protect the muscles from damage, you don't have to be building muscle for this water retention to happen.0 -
It is perfectly normal to gain a little water weight after heavy days. I weigh myself every day and I see the scale go up the day after heavy lifting and it drops the day after my rest day. I find the fluctuations interesting and to see the reason for them makes the little gains that much more tolerable.0
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Yup.grandmothercharlie wrote: »If you increase your weight training, you can expect a temporary gain (not from fat). Your body retains water as you are building new muscle. Definitely judge based on the muscle development you are seeing as well as how your clothes fit vs. the scale as you increase your weight lifting activity. Totally normal! Don't get discouraged
^^This.
almost this... your body will store the water when changing intensity or workout to protect the muscles from damage, you don't have to be building muscle for this water retention to happen.
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Keep on keeping on. Since you are heavy lifting 3x a week now there is going to be a difference in how your body reacts to it. There will be more water retention, that is normal. Keep yourself well hydrated at all times. There are few more changes that your body is adjusting too. As you keep lifting heavy you are helping maintain your lean muscle mass. You will find that your scale will stop being your friend. It would be better to add a tape measure and photos to track you progress and success. Also, if you have not done so adjust your diet to add between 0.8g-1g of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. This will give your muscles the nutrients they need to repair themselves on your rest days.
Good Luck!0 -
Thanks for the replies! I appreciate the input. It's just so disheartening to see the number go up when I'm putting in a lot of effort to make it go down. Haha.0
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I had a heavy cardio session over two days intense running one day and mountain biking over a very tough route the next. The day before my cardio sessions I weighed 81.1kg the day after my cardio sessions I weighed 83.7kg I nearly *kitten* a brick when I saw the scales. However, two days later I now weigh 81.1kg again so this proves that heavy sessions on the muscles will increase temporary weight gain.
Like OP say go by the tape measure this will be more uplifting than seeing the scales go up and down.0 -
I had a heavy cardio session over two days intense running one day and mountain biking over a very tough route the next. The day before my cardio sessions I weighed 81.1kg the day after my cardio sessions I weighed 83.7kg I nearly *kitten* a brick when I saw the scales. However, two days later I now weigh 81.1kg again so this proves that heavy sessions on the muscles will increase temporary weight gain.
Like OP say go by the tape measure this will be more uplifting than seeing the scales go up and down.
Wow, that's a lot! Usually when I work out in the garden for an hour in 100+ degree weather, I lose about 2 pounds, so that's always uplifting!0 -
muscle weighs more than fat.
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I'd like to believe that I put on .4 pounds of muscle in 6 days, but I know that isn't the case.0
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In your normal week, you say you lift weights three times per week, but only one is essentially "heavy" lifting, the other two days you use lighter weights. Then you "heavy lifted" three times this one week (and saw your slight gain). So...reality is, is that you basically did three times as much heavy lifting that one week as you normally do. The two days that you do "lighter" weights (bodyweight squats/lunges, lighter-weight dumbbells) are NOT doing to your muscles what the heavier lifting does--they may be working your muscles to some extent, but they are not performing the function that heavy lifting does.
Progressively heavier lifting with fewer reps/heavier weights, go to failure between 3 - 8 reps per set...that's where your body experiences muscle breakdown and repair, and where your body retains water for that repair. You are not breaking down your muscles on your "lighter" days, hence the one week you heavy-lifted three times, it's a non-surprise that you retained more water than your other, regular weeks.
Progressively heavier weight-lifting and scales do NOT play together very well. They just don't. Too many fluctuations in water retention, muscle mass changes, etc. Decide if you're going to view progress based upon body measurements and how you feel v. what the scale says. Usually the scale loses because it's just not a good tool to use when establishing a heavy weight-lifting regime.
Continue to do what you're doing and relax.
Oh, and the "muscle weighs more than fat" comment....a pound of muscle equals a pound of fat. A pound is a pound. Muscle is just more dense, so that pound takes up less room on your body than a pound of fat.0 -
Take a good dump early in the morning than weigh yourself. The scale always fluctuates by a few pounds. I would not go nuts about it. It's all about inches and how you feel. A muscular person can weigh just as much as a fat guy. But would you still say he's obese or overweight. Heck no
don't be a slave to the scale. Your putting in solid work, if it ain't broke than don't fix it. 0 -
quintinmasonjr24 wrote: »Take a good dump early in the morning than weigh yourself. The scale always fluctuates by a few pounds. I would not go nuts about it. It's all about inches and how you feel. A muscular person can weigh just as much as a fat guy. But would you still say he's obese or overweight. Heck no don't be a slave to the scale. Your putting in solid work, if it ain't broke than don't fix it.
Haha, I always weigh after a bm.
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CarlydogsMom wrote: »In your normal week, you say you lift weights three times per week, but only one is essentially "heavy" lifting, the other two days you use lighter weights. Then you "heavy lifted" three times this one week (and saw your slight gain). So...reality is, is that you basically did three times as much heavy lifting that one week as you normally do. The two days that you do "lighter" weights (bodyweight squats/lunges, lighter-weight dumbbells) are NOT doing to your muscles what the heavier lifting does--they may be working your muscles to some extent, but they are not performing the function that heavy lifting does.
Progressively heavier lifting with fewer reps/heavier weights, go to failure between 3 - 8 reps per set...that's where your body experiences muscle breakdown and repair, and where your body retains water for that repair. You are not breaking down your muscles on your "lighter" days, hence the one week you heavy-lifted three times, it's a non-surprise that you retained more water than your other, regular weeks.
Progressively heavier weight-lifting and scales do NOT play together very well. They just don't. Too many fluctuations in water retention, muscle mass changes, etc. Decide if you're going to view progress based upon body measurements and how you feel v. what the scale says. Usually the scale loses because it's just not a good tool to use when establishing a heavy weight-lifting regime.
Continue to do what you're doing and relax.
Oh, and the "muscle weighs more than fat" comment....a pound of muscle equals a pound of fat. A pound is a pound. Muscle is just more dense, so that pound takes up less room on your body than a pound of fat.
You're right. That does make sense. I am trying not to obsess over the scale. I know I've put on some muscle in the last year and a half and my new "normal" weight may be a bit higher after dropping the fat stores - even though I may be more toned. But that darned number on the scale. I think it's just a psychological thing.0 -
DesertGunR wrote: »Keep on keeping on. Since you are heavy lifting 3x a week now there is going to be a difference in how your body reacts to it. There will be more water retention, that is normal. Keep yourself well hydrated at all times. There are few more changes that your body is adjusting too. As you keep lifting heavy you are helping maintain your lean muscle mass. You will find that your scale will stop being your friend. It would be better to add a tape measure and photos to track you progress and success. Also, if you have not done so adjust your diet to add between 0.8g-1g of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. This will give your muscles the nutrients they need to repair themselves on your rest days.
Good Luck!
I actually tend to eat more like 1g per pound of body weight. Is that overkill?0 -
grandmothercharlie wrote: »If you increase your weight training, you can expect a temporary gain (not from fat). Your body retains water as you are building new muscle. Definitely judge based on the muscle development you are seeing as well as how your clothes fit vs. the scale as you increase your weight lifting activity. Totally normal! Don't get discouraged
^^This.
almost this... your body will store the water when changing intensity or workout to protect the muscles from damage, you don't have to be building muscle for this water retention to happen.
How long should it take the body to adjust to a new workout routine/change in intensity?0 -
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