Mystery Weight gain on C25K?

the_snappy_croc
the_snappy_croc Posts: 18 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Has anybody else on here experienced mystery weight gain after starting regular exericse (I'm doing the C25K plan). Just began week 4 today and weighed in this morning 1kg heavier than I did 4 days ago! I weighted myself EXACTLY the same way - before food, hadn't drunk anything tiolet etc etc.

Food hasn't changed either: I eat between 1900-2100 kcal as I'm not wanting to lose weight - just maintain - but last week I burned 1200 kcal in exercise on top of my normal food. So, why would I have gained 1kg in four days?! I am two days away from my 7 day pill-break (on Yasmin) but dont normally know or experience any weight fluctuations like this (maybe .4kg) . Is this normal for people when they begin running/intense exercise? I hope so! Help!

Replies

  • timeasterday
    timeasterday Posts: 1,368 Member
    Yeah, your muscles will retain some water as part of the repair process.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    Did you just begin exercising? Or did you switch from something else to this new regimen?
    If you just began exercising, and want to maintain, you should actually increase your calories to account for the extra calorie burn.

    Could be water retention around the muscles, could actually be a bit of muscle in your legs, or a combination of both. Have you taken measurements? Try weighing in on your rest day, see if the pound is still there...
  • lisaabenjamin
    lisaabenjamin Posts: 665 Member
    How are you recording your exercise cals? If you're using the estimates in the MFP database, you should be aware that these can be way off! Is it possible you might be overestimating the number of calories burnt, and then overeating?
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    Yeah, your muscles will retain some water as part of the repair process.

    ^^This. Explained in more detail here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/595473-why-the-scale-goes-up-with-a-new-workout-program-must-read
  • the_snappy_croc
    the_snappy_croc Posts: 18 Member
    "
  • the_snappy_croc
    the_snappy_croc Posts: 18 Member
    How are you recording your exercise cals? If you're using the estimates in the MFP database, you should be aware that these can be way off! Is it possible you might be overestimating the number of calories burnt, and then overeating?


    Thanks for your reply. I am recording my calories with a Polar HRM and deducting my resting calories too (i.e the amount I would have burned anyway if I wasn't exercising). It's possible that I have eaten maybe a little extra on one or two days but I would only have gone over by 100kcals or so, I thought to gain 2lb's (like the scale says) that I would have to consume 7000 kcals extra, right?! I defo haven't eaten that!!! Anything overt my normal food intake should, in theory, also be swallowed up by the exercise I am doing.
  • the_snappy_croc
    the_snappy_croc Posts: 18 Member
    Yeah, your muscles will retain some water as part of the repair process.

    ^^This. Explained in more detail here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/595473-why-the-scale-goes-up-with-a-new-workout-program-must-read

    Thanks, thats really interesting....and helpful :smile:

    What baffles me though, is when I weighed 4 days ago it was pretty normal, up by 300grams but nothing significant. Then I had a 2 days break from exercising to give my muscles a rest after 5 days on it, and then the scales shot up! Could it be the resting period that actually contributed to this phantom weight?

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