Eating better, Working out more, but gaining weight!?!?

ggillen412

Hi Everyone! I just got home from the gym and I am a bit confused. So I started my diet and fitness plan 3 weeks ago. I started at 258 lbs. The first week didn't eat great but it was an improvement (good: egg whites, chicken. Bad: ice cream, snacks). I started losing weight and got down to 250lbs. This week I started a 12 week lifting program in the gym and I became much more aware of what I was eating. I am about 1500-1800 calories a day. A big change is that I have almost double my protein intake. After work outs I eat a quest bar with 20 grams of protein and Isopure shake with 50 grams. I also started drinking another Isopure shake before bed to help with recovery and to help fight the last night cravings. So today was the end of week 1 of my fitness plan and I was shocked to see that I gained 4 lbs (254lbs). Not mad because honestly, I haven't felt better. I feel great but my goal is too add muscle AND lose the fat. So I thought I would post on here to get some advice. Am I eating too much protein, daily average 180 grams? What do you guys think?

tiptoethruthetulips

More likely fluid retention, it is muscle building in action. When you overwork muscles it creates tiny tears in the muscle fibre, your body will retain fluid to help repair the muscle.

Don't focus so much on the scales, use a tape measure and if you have access to a reliable method of body fat measurement use that too.

malibu927

Your body is holding onto water as you started a new workout routine, especially lifting, which is needed to repair muscles. Also, outside of newbie gains, you likely won't gain muscle and lose fat at the same time.

loulamb7

I agree with the others that this is probably water weight from the new lifting program. I would suggest you focus on weight/fat loss by making sure that your calorie count is accurate, using a scale to weigh all solids, including protein powders.

ggillen412

@loulamb7 @malibu927 @tiptoethruthetulips THANKS! That makes sense. I really like the idea of using a tape measure more than a scale. Thanks again!

misskarne

Water weight from lifting.

You won't add muscle in a caloric deficit.

Why is ice cream bad? Ice cream is good. VERY GOOD.

BekahC1980

Are you weighing your food, to accurately know how many calories you are eating?

Liftng4Lis

Water retention is totally normal when beginning a new exercise program. There are no "BAD" foods. All things in moderation.

rats2010

When I started lifting weights my weight loss went from 0.25 a day to gaining 1-2lbs and holding it a few days then losing it in a whoosh of 2-4 lbs a week. As people above said, lifting makes you hold water for muscle repair, but it does come back off. If you weigh daily, you will notice the pattern of hold and release. Keep weighing/logging and working, it will come off. Also a measuring tape will do you good! Sometimes when the scale doesn't shift, the tape gets smaller regardless!

ggillen412

@BekahC1980 just got a digital scale the other day from amazon. So I will be doing a better job with the meat but for everything else I use a measuring cup.

Francl27

misskarne wrote: »

Water weight from lifting.

You won't add muscle in a caloric deficit.

Why is ice cream bad? Ice cream is good. VERY GOOD.

This.

When it comes to losing weight, you're better off eating 1/2 cup of ice cream than 3 ounces of nuts, even if nuts are 'healthier'.

And whole eggs and snacks are great.

I suggest you browse the forums a bit to get rid of your outdated concepts of what's 'good' and what's 'bad'. What matters is how many calories you eat (but yes, more protein and fat will help with that). What matters is finding a diet YOU CAN STICK TO. There's no reason to cut anything out (in moderation). That will only lead to binging. Drinking two shakes and a protein bar a day? Not so great for the sustainable part. How about eating real food?

That being said

1) weigh your food. As I said above, if you eat too much of healthy foods, you'll gain weight just as fast.
2) water retention is normal when you start a new exercise program

Gizmo20783

Glad I saw these responses, now I know what to expect since I'm a weight lifting newbie
.

kshama2001

BekahC1980 wrote: »

Are you weighing your food, to accurately know how many calories you are eating?

This. All studies I've seen show that people generally underestimate how much they eat. Weighing all your solid foods on a digital food scale will help with this.

sinbadfxdl

Exactly what I needed to read. Happens to me a lot. I'm famous for retaining water because I do calisthenics and weight lift. It drove me nuts to see my weight shift like a rollercoaster. Thanks fot the topic.

valmaebel

Yep, I agree with all the above. I also rely on a tape measure and measure my arms, thighs, waist, hips, and neck every week. I only weight myself once a month because I was getting to frustrated. Plus my weight fluctuates constantly.

I also second that ice cream is good! Super good! That and, I've learned when I give foods a moral value, I tend to crave the "naughty ones". Food is not good or bad, it has not moral value. It's just food. Just focus on eating purposefully and slowly. Enjoy what you eat and make sure it serves a purpose. Getting enough routine, fiber, and such. If you want a great, savor it in small amounts and know that you can have it whenever you like so there's no reason to engorge. Best of luck!

loulamb7

ggillen412 wrote: »

@BekahC1980 just got a digital scale the other day from amazon. So I will be doing a better job with the meat but for everything else I use a measuring cup.

Great on the scale, but if it's a solid (powder, peanut butter, fruit....) weigh it. Cups and spoons only for liquids.

maidentl

ggillen412 wrote: »

@BekahC1980 just got a digital scale the other day from amazon. So I will be doing a better job with the meat but for everything else I use a measuring cup.

Why? You're getting the scale, just weigh everything. It's easier and more accurate.

ggillen412

maidentl wrote: »

ggillen412 wrote: »

@BekahC1980 just got a digital scale the other day from amazon. So I will be doing a better job with the meat but for everything else I use a measuring cup.

Why? You're getting the scale, just weigh everything. It's easier and more accurate.

Yes I understand. I was explaining what I was doing until my scale comes in the mail. Should be here today.