3,100 calorie deficit and still gained a pound?...What gives

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p90xokc
p90xokc Posts: 66
in Health and Weight Loss
I did my weekly weigh in this morning. My calorie burn has been up on my workouts and I just calculated my calorie decficit since sunday. It's just under 3100. So how the heck am I up 1 pound? I'm eating a banana everyday among other things and drinking anywhere from 8 to 12 cups of water per day. Someone help because this has me really confused.
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Replies

  • gamecock
    gamecock Posts: 36
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    Don't know the answer to this...but I feel your pain. I have been working my butt off at the gym and I have not lost anything in the last two weeks:sad:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    If you're working out harder than you were before, your muscles could be holding water. Wait a couple more weeks of doing the same routine so your body can adjust and then you should see a drop.
  • JadeMonroe
    JadeMonroe Posts: 7
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    There's a good chance your body is holding on to fat because you're burning so much so fast. Are you eating your exercise calories? It's important to do that! I know that it's SCARY to add...400 extra calories in that you just burned off. But after reading about the importance of it on the sight-I read it, and forced myself to eat 1600 calories a day (when I was just eating 1200 and exercising) and I broke my plateau that I'd been at for MONTHS! Try "zig-zagging" for awhile. Eat whatever it is you're eating, then eat at least half of the calories you are burning in the gym the next day, then go back down. Your body will be kicked into starvation mode otherwise, and will hold on to weight for energy (I didn't believe it at first. But it works, I promise!)
  • geicko
    geicko Posts: 151
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    Weight can fluctuates by a few pounds every day for a number of reasons. Maybe if you jumped on the scale yesterday, you'd see a 2 pounds lost instead of a 1 pound gain. My point is don't focus too much on the number. and rather look for a trend.

    Keep pushing !
  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
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    Take your measurements !!!!!!! If your working out that much you might be gaining muscle which weighs more then fat. So if you gained a pound it might be because your now building muscle. I always take my measurements because i might not lose a pound but i might lose a few inches from working out. Don't let 1 pound let you down!!!! Keep doing what your doing and start taking your measurements so you can see all the results from your work
  • starheartbeam
    starheartbeam Posts: 1
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    Depends what kind of workout you are doing. You might be losing fat but gaining muscle. And muscle weights more then fat does. So that would explain the weight gain.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    Lot's of factors to look at as I have learned from the winners on this site. Muscle could be the extra lb. It's possible if you aren't eating a "balanced" diet your body is "storing" food to avoid starvation, or your scales could be off;) I look more at inches then the scale. Also, I eat my exercise calories, at the least, 2/3 of them. I also vary my calories usually. Not on purpose but one day I eat a little over(even 2 or 300 cals)and other days I will just come up short by 100 or more. Most often though I am sticking close to my bodies needs. I need 1200 calories that will burn up just laying in bed. If I burn 400 that makes only 800 left and if I don't fuel my body that extra 3-400 calories, I'm going to get in trouble, sooner or later.

    Hope this might help. I don't know what your food intake is like but if you are that active then you really need to fuel:):drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :flowerforyou:

    I did my weekly weigh in this morning. My calorie burn has been up on my workouts and I just calculated my calorie decficit since sunday. It's just under 3100. So how the heck am I up 1 pound? I'm eating a banana everyday among other things and drinking anywhere from 8 to 12 cups of water per day. Someone help because this has me really confused.
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
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    I wish I could help but I'm in the same situation. For MONTHS now my calorie deficit has been between 500 and 1000 calories a day with just a few days where I'm at maintance or a little over and I'm not losing or gaining. Or, to be more accurate, I lose and gain the same five pounds over and over.

    I've come to the conclusion that I must be miscalculating my food somewhere. I do have to eat out a lot for business. I find it hard to beleive that I'm off by that large amount but there simply isn't another explanation that I can find.
  • p90xokc
    p90xokc Posts: 66
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    Thank you for all the replies. However I do know for a fact that you can't gain a pound of muscle in a week with out taking loads of steroids and eating a 20 oz porter house for most of your meals. I hope to be gaining lbs. of muscle at some point, but I do want to burn the fat off and get down to 200 first. Jademonroe, I will try what you asked, sounds like it may work.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    I have to pay as much attention to what I am fueling my body with if I am going to lose fat. You may not be getting enough water and your meals may need to be tweaked. If you need help with meal planning let me know. I have gotten pretty good at it and I don't work out that much. I am more of a walker and physical labor type person. Only for the time being because I can't get any equipment, join a gym or swim right now;) :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :flowerforyou:

    Don't know the answer to this...but I feel your pain. I have been working my butt off at the gym and I have not lost anything in the last two weeks:sad:
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    I have a hard time calculating food I don't cook myself as well. You've lost 75 lbs and that is so awesome! Have you changed anything? Are you eating those exercise calories? I've heard of "plateaus" but not for 2 months. That could be it though. I don't know the answers but I just try to pass on what I have learned from the winners;):drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :flowerforyou:

    I wish I could help but I'm in the same situation. For MONTHS now my calorie deficit has been between 500 and 1000 calories a day with just a few days where I'm at maintance or a little over and I'm not losing or gaining. Or, to be more accurate, I lose and gain the same five pounds over and over.

    I've come to the conclusion that I must be miscalculating my food somewhere. I do have to eat out a lot for business. I find it hard to beleive that I'm off by that large amount but there simply isn't another explanation that I can find.
  • fxdl2k2
    fxdl2k2 Posts: 250 Member
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    I can't let this one go because I see it so very often. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same amount, a pound. Fat is less dense, so it takes up more room.

    It is possible that water is being retained as the muscles repair themselves from the increased workouts. Give it time. I bet you are in for a pleasant surprise in the next few days as the scale moves in the direction you want. :tongue:
  • leftyy2k4
    leftyy2k4 Posts: 71
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    The first thing you should do is make your diary public so we can see if it's something diet related. Like too high sodium.
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    Agreed:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
    I can't let this one go because I see it so very often. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same amount, a pound. Fat is less dense, so it takes up more room.

    It is possible that water is being retained as the muscles repair themselves from the increased workouts. Give it time. I bet you are in for a pleasant surprise in the next few days as the scale moves in the direction you want. :tongue:
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    I think I will do that. I know I am getting too much salt. In fact, I was shocked to see how much salt is in foods I didn't even think of as being salty!! Thanks, Denise;)
    The first thing you should do is make your diary public so we can see if it's something diet related. Like too high sodium.
  • candican
    candican Posts: 96
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    There are many factors and the least likely being that you gained a 1lb of muscle. You might weigh tomorrow and see that the scale tells you something totally different. You really can't go from just one reading. Your diet will answer a lot also. If you're not eating enough, or eating a lot of sodium, your body could be retaining water and/or be in starvation mode. When you exercise that much you need to make sure you are eating the right fuel to help build the muscle that's going to burn the fat. By the way, I lost 2 lbs in the last 3 days from increasing my protein, balancing my carbs and eating my exercise calories (or at least most of it)!!
  • NWCountryGal
    NWCountryGal Posts: 1,992 Member
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    I agree. I hope we all keep communicating here(sharing)because too many times, someone is suffering, struggling, depriving themselves of needed fuel(not speaking of the OP/original poster but anyone who might be). Starvation, dehydration. In my opinion it is because of the lies we are fed through different sources i.e., don't eat, lose weight, don't eat normal food, you'll get fat, or, you can't eat a donut or piece of pie ever again. Healthy should equal feeling good physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually in my opinion. You go girls and guys, and have a great day!! denise:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :flowerforyou:

    There are many factors and the least likely being that you gained a 1lb of muscle. You might weigh tomorrow and see that the scale tells you something totally different. You really can't go from just one reading. Your diet will answer a lot also. If you're not eating enough, or eating a lot of sodium, your body could be retaining water and/or be in starvation mode. When you exercise that much you need to make sure you are eating the right fuel to help build the muscle that's going to burn the fat. By the way, I lost 2 lbs in the last 3 days from increasing my protein, balancing my carbs and eating my exercise calories (or at least most of it)!!
  • candican
    candican Posts: 96
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    Oh, I meant to add that for about the last 3 weeks, I lost 3lbs. I lost 2lbs in 3 days doing something different. Before, I was eating 1200 calories and exercising about 3-5 days a week. In the last 3 days, I've lost 2lbs eating 1600-1800 calories a day and exercised 2 out of those 3 days. Big difference. My nutrition ratios before were 55% carbs and I dropped it to 40% carbs. All of this stuff matters, so unfortunately, we don't have enough information to see what your case may be. You probably just need to weigh in tomorrow. For instance, I will weigh in a 1lb heavy in the morning if I ate something heavy for dinner sometimes.
  • Stewie316
    Stewie316 Posts: 266 Member
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    I'm in the same situation, so I wish I could be of more help. I weighed myself this morning and I gained 1.3 pounds since last Friday. My calorie deficit for the week was 4680, so I should've lost at least a pound :(

    Before this week, I wasn't drinking more than 4 glasses of water a day and this week I've been drinking 8-9 a day. I've also been working out a lot more the past 2 weeks. Could I be retaining water? I took my measurements this morning, so hopefully I'll see progress this way.
  • sexyvirgo911
    sexyvirgo911 Posts: 29
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    Not for sure if i really believe that muscle weights more than fat. Got this info from the web.

    5 lbs. of fat is much bulkier than the 5 lbs. of muscle, but five pounds is still five pounds. Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

    Fat is bulky and lumpy so if you carry an extra five pounds of fat, you'll be lumpier than with five pounds more muscle. A five pound pile of fat will take up more space (volume) than a five pound pile of muscle; but five pounds is still five pounds. The correct way to state the muscle weighs more than fat scenario is, "Muscle is heavier by volume than fat."

    A woman weighing 150 pounds with 19% fat will look much smaller (and be much healthier) than a woman at 150 pounds with 35% fat. They weigh the same, yet the composition is different. Because muscle is more dense than fat the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller.

    This commonly cited gym cliché is somewhat misunderstood and misused. The rationale that muscle weighs more than fat is often cited as an explanation for why a person might find that they aren’t losing weight, or are gaining weight, when they kick off an exercise regimen. The idea seems to be that if you are exercising—and theoretically losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time—the effects cancel each other out. So, in theory, you won’t see desired weight loss as measured by pounds on the scale, even though you may be improving how you look.

    You certainly can improve your appearance with exercise without always seeing a change in your body weight—by becoming firmer, more sculpted and sometimes leaner. But that doesn’t mean that you are gaining massive amounts of muscle, or losing lots of fat.

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