Why have I gained this week?

K8w83

Can anyone help me work out what's going on? I have been losing around 1lb a week for a number of weeks. Due to a health issue I've only been doing gentle exercise for a while (mainly walking), but this week I've been able to start doing a bit more so every day this week I've done the 30 day shred exercise DVD.

I've still been logging, my diet hasn't changed at all (same calorie intake and still weighing all my food), and I'm still doing the same 3 mile walk a day in addition to the dvd, but I've gained 4lb this week :-(

Literally the only difference is the added cardio/weights exercise. Please tell me there is a reason for this that means I haven't really gained 4lb and it's going to disappear again?

MikePTY

Did you eat 14000 calories over your maintenance levels the last week? If not, you didn't gain 4 pounds of fat. Body weight fluctuates due to water weight. There is a whole bunch of reasons water weight increases and decreases, and a sudden increase like that can happen due to many different factors. It is not fat gain and it will usually fluctuate back down within a few days.

smoofinator

If you started a more aggressive exercise program, your muscles are probably retaining water while in they're in "repair mode." Don't forget to include the calories you're burning with the new exercise regime in your intake.

Here's a great (and entertaining) article describing the potential reasons for scale fluctuations: http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

Panini911

because weight loss is not linear. it feels great to lose steadily EACh week but that is unlikely to happen weekly forever. there will be fluctuations and that's normal.

also
http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

ETA: someone beat me to the link!

NovusDies

The rule:

Unexpected rapid and large weight changes are always chiefly caused by water weight and food waste weight.

collectingblues

Is the exercise DVD new? That could be the culprit -- increasing exercise, or increasing intensity, can lead to increased water weight because the muscles need it as they repair and adapt. It'll eventually come off, but may take a few weeks.

cwolfman13

Pebblish wrote: »

Can anyone help me work out what's going on? I have been losing around 1lb a week for a number of weeks. Due to a health issue I've only been doing gentle exercise for a while (mainly walking), but this week I've been able to start doing a bit more so every day this week I've done the 30 day shred exercise DVD.

I've still been logging, my diet hasn't changed at all (same calorie intake and still weighing all my food), and I'm still doing the same 3 mile walk a day in addition to the dvd, but I've gained 4lb this week :-(

Literally the only difference is the added cardio/weights exercise. Please tell me there is a reason for this that means I haven't really gained 4lb and it's going to disappear again?

You started a new and more aggressive exercise program. This will cause water retention to aid in repair of broken down muscle and tissue.

4 Lbs of actual fat would equate to 14,000 calories over your maintenance calories, and I'm pretty sure you'd know it if you did that. It's pretty much mathematically impossible to put on 4 Lbs of actual fat in a week...you'd have to gorge yourself everyday. With my personal stats, I'd have to eat 5,000+ calories per day to do that, and I'd definitely feel that.

K8w83

Thank you all, my logical head was telling me I couldn't have put on 4lb. I will carry on and hope for a big drop once my muscles recover.