gained weight back

christinaosanders

Hi All. I am on week 2 of starting to watch my calories and starting exercising. During my first week, I lost 4 pounds. I thought....FANTASTIC! I am still exercising and have increased the amount of exercise I am doing and still staying well under my daily calories but I have gained those 4 lbs back. I will say, however, that I am noticing that I am losing inches. I know in the long run, it is the inches that matter but when I step on that scale, it has become very discouraging.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

SezxyStef

I suspect the first 4lbs was water weight....then because you started an exercise program (probably for the first time) you are now experiencing water retention (which happens with any new exercise program)

Inches matter more then weight....

Take photos of yourself too, try not to weigh yourself too much...once a week max...

christinaosanders

Ok, thanks. I've been weighing myself if not every day....every other day

cafeaulait7

Don't be too impatient! Just know that if you are eating fewer calories and exercising more, then you are doing well. The early changes can be maddening, so just make sure to be doing what you should and trust the logic of it, lol.

AmyRhubarb

Inches off are far better than pounds off - no one can see your scale number, but they can see a slimmer you!

But -

increased the amount of exercise I am doing and still staying well under my daily calories

Don't sell yourself short with this one - increasing exercise while staying "well under" your daily calories can come back to bite ya. Your daily goal at MFP already has a deficit built into it - meaning you could eat to goal every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight. Exercising creates an even larger calorie deficit - too large, which can lead to problems with under eating and over training - this is why MFP adds your burned calories back into your daily goal. Food is fuel, and you are supposed to eat those exercise cals back, bringing your daily NET cals to be at or near your goal.

Keep that measuring tape handy, and take plenty of progress pics of yourself. That scale will mess with your head if you let it. I am a daily weigher - it's just habit - and I see my own numbers go up and down by as much as 4-5 pounds in a week (especially during certain times of the month). So many things can affect it - hormones, water retention after new exercise or too much sodium, etc, etc.

Eat well, exercise, drink water, take rest days, get good sleep, and have patience - it works!