Why did I gain weight...?

sadiemartin6613

So I have gained 3 pounds this week and I had started walking 10k steps a day last Thursday 1/23/25 and today is 2/1/25 and I've only missed my goal of 10k one day out of the week I also have only eaten my calorie goal of max 1600 but on most days I ate less than that.. anyone know why this may be?

AnnPT77

Mostly, it's that a week isn't long enough to get a reasonable understanding of weight loss rate. For example, even though it's not the most common pattern, some women only see a new low weight once a month, at a particular point in their menstrual cycle. Hormonal water retention shifts can be that weird.

If the 10K steps is new, you can also have water retention to repair muscles because of the new exercise.

For those and other reasons, one week isn't enough to know. Usually, what's suggested here is a 4-6 week trial period, or one full menstrual cycle for women who have those. That long a time should give a pretty good idea of whether we're losing weight or not. Shorter time, not so much.

CourtneyKeeser

Hey there! Give it about 2 and a half weeks so your body can catch up to what you did! Trust me!

yirara

All of this. Also keep in mind that your body is so much more than body fat. So many things fluctuate: water weight due to hormonal cycle, new exercises, temperature, exercise, stress. Bowel movements. Hey, poop has weight. Drank a glass of water before going on the scale? The water is now in you and ads to the weight. Different clothes, etc. So many things can mask real fat loss. Thus relax, wait at least 1-2 menstrual cycles if you have any, but certainly 4 weeks to get a good idea of your actual fat loss.

tomcustombuilder

Re access in 4 weeks. That is the time it takes for you body to process everything