Ok, so after one month of lifting heavy

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halimaiqbal00
halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
edited December 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
3-4x a week, throwing in cardio and eating at a slight deficit, my weight has gone up by 1.4 pounds and up by 0.4% body fat. Trying not to be too upset about it but surely a month is enough time for body to adjust, no? I had a couple of days eating out this week and logged as accurately as I could but could've underestimated calories. Do you think I should tweak calories and reduce them a little or keep doing what I have been this past month, and see how I fare next month?
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  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    3-4x a week, throwing in cardio and eating at a slight deficit, my weight has gone up by 1.4 pounds and up by 0.4% body fat. Trying not to be too upset about it but surely a month is enough time for body to adjust, no? I had a couple of days eating out this week and logged as accurately as I could but could've underestimated calories. Do you think I should tweak calories and reduce them a little or keep doing what I have been this past month, and see how I fare next month?

    Have you taken measurements to compare? I'm also eating at a slight deficit (250) and lifting, my actual weight is up around 2lb on what it was at the beginning of last week (before my heaviest week of the lifting cycle), but in just over 2 weeks I've dropped 2.5cm from my waist and 1cm from my hips, so obviously have lost some fat. You need to remember that just the act of lifting is going to make you hold on to water as the muscles repair themselves, it takes me the whole weekend to drop the water from lifting in the week (last day thursday). Plus muscle is less dense than fat, meaning the same weight of muscle will take up less space than fat.

    At the very least I'd take measurements today (bust/chest, waist, hips), stick with it for a month and then remeasure and reassess. If your weight stays around the same but you're losing cm then congrats, you're recomping.
  • SammyDee2015
    SammyDee2015 Posts: 285 Member
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    Hmmm. Are you measuring body parts? That will tell the real story. And the scale won't tell you that :) Maybe also be conscious of calories and quality of calories... and when you are eating those carbs. But don't quit lifting!
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    Give it some more time. I would as if you can see a difference in how your clothes are fitting? I've seen a lot of times the people start lifting and go up in weight, but they actually start to lose inches in the process. Strength training is so good for long-term success, so keep at it!

    As for your calories, what is your current intake?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    Give it more time, from memory I was up a few pounds for a few months before it settled back down again.
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 441 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    3-4x a week, throwing in cardio and eating at a slight deficit, my weight has gone up by 1.4 pounds and up by 0.4% body fat. Trying not to be too upset about it but surely a month is enough time for body to adjust, no? I had a couple of days eating out this week and logged as accurately as I could but could've underestimated calories. Do you think I should tweak calories and reduce them a little or keep doing what I have been this past month, and see how I fare next month?

    How are your clothes fitting?
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
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    Give it a little more time. Also, there is no body fat measurement available (even a DEXA scan) that has an accuracy of +/-0.4%, so I wouldn't be overly concerned that you showed a slight increase with whatever measurement system you used.
  • red99ryder
    red99ryder Posts: 399 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    When I switched from bodyweight exercise to lifting, I was up 3 lbs after the first month, back down those three lbs after the second month, and then resumed normal weight loss.

    If you know your calories are on point, have faith in the process and keep going.

    As for your body fat percentage... there is no method of fat measurement that is accurate enough that a .4% change means anything.

    BIA - individual error rate 8-9%
    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-4-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-3-and-4-bod-pod-and-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/the-pitfalls-of-bodyfat-measurement-part-4-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/

    Hydrostatic - individual error rate 5-6%
    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-3-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-1-and-2/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-2/

    DEXA - Individual error rate 5% and up to 10% in studies
    http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-5-the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-parts-5-and-6-skinfolds-and-dual-energy-x-ray-absorptiometry-dexa/the-pitfalls-of-body-fat-measurement-part-6-dexa/

    If you know your calories are on point, have faith in the process and keep going.

    I REALLY liked this , Thanks

    good luck
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
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    My calories are 2000. I'm 32, female, 144 pounds. I workout 3-4x a week (lifting) and a day or cardio where i typically burn 5-600 calories.
    Clothes fit the same. I'll measure tomorrow morning.

    And it's so reassuring that some of you are saying your weight went up initially and then evened out. I won't be giving up on lifting...I love it!
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
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    Also, I'm doing a body composition scale. I know it's inaccurate in terms of the initial body fat reading it gives you but it's useful to measure a trend over time
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    Also, I'm doing a body composition scale. I know it's inaccurate in terms of the initial body fat reading it gives you but it's useful to measure a trend over time

    No, it's not. Read the article linked above.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited December 2016
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    How tall are you? I'm 5'9, 178 pounds and my maintenance is ~2200. You may be eating too many calories.

    ETA: But I also agree you could be holding water weight due to your new workout.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    My calories are 2000. I'm 32, female, 144 pounds. I workout 3-4x a week (lifting) and a day or cardio where i typically burn 5-600 calories.
    Clothes fit the same. I'll measure tomorrow morning.

    And it's so reassuring that some of you are saying your weight went up initially and then evened out. I won't be giving up on lifting...I love it!

    Are you eating 2000 or 2500-2600?
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    1.4 pounds could certainly be water retention, and no body fat measurement is accurate enough to tell you that you've "gained" 0.4%. I wouldn't make any adjustments for now.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    edited December 2016
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    2000 seems high for calories.

    Do you eat back exercise calories?

    I'm 5'4" 35 years old and exercise 5 times a week (lifting for 3) and do NOT eat back exercise calories and I have to be in the 1500s for my daily calories to see weight/fat loss.

    Also are you eating at least 100 grams of protein per day?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    3-4x a week, throwing in cardio and eating at a slight deficit, my weight has gone up by 1.4 pounds and up by 0.4% body fat. Trying not to be too upset about it but surely a month is enough time for body to adjust, no? I had a couple of days eating out this week and logged as accurately as I could but could've underestimated calories. Do you think I should tweak calories and reduce them a little or keep doing what I have been this past month, and see how I fare next month?

    There's no way you could accurately measure an increase of 0.4% BF...determining BF% is far to imprecise to be able to do that.

    As far as the weight gain goes, you're retaining more lean mass and you are retaining water in your muscles. Considering you are also new, you are likely experiencing some measure of newb gains as well.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited December 2016
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    Also, I'm doing a body composition scale. I know it's inaccurate in terms of the initial body fat reading it gives you but it's useful to measure a trend over time

    It still can't tell the difference between actual BF and water though...0.4% isn't a trend of anything...trend analysis requires more than a singular data point and really, a change of 0.4% is flat if anything...
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    Is your waist measurement smaller, larger, or the same as from a month ago?

    How tall are you?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    2000 could be fine depending on height. If she's 5'6" and 144,for example, it would be about a 200-300 deficit.

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