Working out but gained 20 POUNDS!

LoveKilz

So, I officially started my journey to weight loss on Monday. I'm 5 foot 9 inches (female) and Sunday night I weighed in at 200lbs. Not proud of that, but we've all got to start somewhere. Anyway, I've been going the gym consistently the past 3 days. Generally I do 25-30 minutes of cardio alternating between running full out and jogging. After that I'll do some core/leg/arm exercises just to get my body used to using those muscles again. I ran track for 4 years so, I'm trying to get back to that fitness level.

Anyway, just out of curiosity I weighed myself after dinner tonight, and the scale jumped up to 220!! Now I read some forums that say it's normal to gain 4-5 lbs once you start working out, but 20 seems almost abnormal. I use myfitnesspal to track my food (I try to track it down to the last grain of salt if I can) and according to the app I'm eating a significantly low amount of calories. Just to give you an idea I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast, chicken and maybe rice or beans and veggies for lunch, salmon and some veggies for dinner and I drink nothing but water.

So, my question is how is this even possible?? I'll admit my scale is very old, but it's not broken (at least I don't think it is). Even if I wasn't working out would it be normal to gain such a significant amount of weight in only 3 days? What am I doing wrong? I just want to drop some this fat around my belly/butt/thigh area. How can I get on the right track.

Thanks

hill8570

Either the 200 was bogus or the current weight is bogus. That big of a move is going to be mostly water weight, and 20 lbs is about 10 quarts (2 1/2 gallons) of water. Unless you've suddenly swelled like an inflatable toy, I can't see any way to retain that amount of water.

tarcotti

20 lbs in just a few days sound like an error, I'd check your scale for sure and make sure to take measurements for accurate results. That can be really important because muscle and fat weigh differently. Also make sure you weigh yourself at the same time every week. Its common practice here to do this in the morning before eating and after removing waste from your body. But yeah, I don't think 20 lbs is even possible. Sounds like your scale is messed up because even if you weigh yourself at different times of day after different types of meals, that is too much of a difference.

Chris_Pierce

If you weighed in the morning and then in huge evening, you won't be able to compare the weights. Always always weigh first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything and after you use the toilet. Weigh nude.

geekishgirl

I agree that's its more than likely a scale issue.

I do want to say, don't give up! I know how devastating it can be to work so hard and not see the results or even see the opposite. Don't let it get you down though. Keep up what you're doing and if you can, get a new scale. Then you can beat the old one with a bat if it makes you feel better Just consider it some extra cardio for the day!

Good luck!

vhuber

Go buy a NEW scale to weigh yourself and get a food scale to weigh what you eat! You can do this & I wish you the best!

yvonneangelgoh

Always always weigh first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything and after you use the toilet. Weigh nude.

I must agree with this. I swear by this method as well. Same time of the day, weight in nude

be_AL

Stop looking at the scale. Throw it away. Lift weights. Cut sugar, carbs, trans fats, and eating out. Eat protein, make that your priority food. Watch your body, not the scale. If you want something more objective, take your measurements and check in with them ONLY after a month. This is going to take time, a long time. Weight fluctuates for TONS of reasons, nothing about fitness is black and white. There are many variables.

Don't major in the minor. Smile, and enjoy the journey

dont_tap_my_aces

here's a fun test to see if your scale is worthless and should be tossed..... step on it and weigh yourself 5 times in a row.

how many different readings did you get?

if the answer is more than 1, get something better. i like this one for accuracy and price: http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Bathroom-Capacity-Technology/dp/B001KXZ808

diannethegeek

What time of day did you weigh yourself the first time? When you got on the scale after dinner it was measuring you and the food, water, and waste in your body from eating. It's like standing on the scale with your dinner plate in hand.

gary241069

You are burning more calories in your workout than you are eating meaning you have gained 20 lbs in muscle.
This is a good thing because weight loss is just a focus point. Health and Fitness is about what you can achieve in yourself, how strong you feel, and the feeling of immunity you feel towards many illnesses. Does it really matter how heavy you are if you feel that good?

KayJaMikel

If it is one of those antiquated scales, the thing on the bottom has to be adjusted very frequently, little circle thing to move the arrow back to 0. I had one and it would move 4 times a day or each time I stepped on it. Digital scale is the only way to go.

schelly81

You are burning more calories in your workout than you are eating meaning you have gained 20 lbs in muscle.
This is a good thing because weight loss is just a focus point. Health and Fitness is about what you can achieve in yourself, how strong you feel, and the feeling of immunity you feel towards many illnesses. Does it really matter how heavy you are if you feel that good?

She gained 20 pounds of muscle since Sunday?

gary241069

I take back what I said. I never read your letter properly. I didn't realise you lost that weight in 3 days. I don't think that is possible.
I think you had a dream that you stepped on that scale and it read 200 lbs and you were left with a false memory of that actually happening.
I know it sounds strange but I had a dream at 14 that I drove my dads car around our neighbourhood and it wasn't until my first driving lesson 4 years later before i realised that i didn't actually drive that car. Until then - I believed I did.

gary241069

I take it you liked what i said schelly.. It feels good to see what I said highlighted like that.:bigsmile:

maidentl

I take back what I said. I never read your letter properly. I didn't realise you lost that weight in 3 days. I don't think that is possible.
I think you had a dream that you stepped on that scale and it read 200 lbs and you were left with a false memory of that actually happening.
I know it sounds strange but I had a dream at 14 that I drove my dads car around our neighbourhood and it wasn't until my first driving lesson 4 years later before i realised that i didn't actually drive that car. Until then - I believed I did.

:huh:

Definitely not fat you gained, but ya might need a new scale!

RBXChas

here's a fun test to see if your scale is worthless and should be tossed..... step on it and weigh yourself 5 times in a row.

how many different readings did you get?

if the answer is more than 1, get something better. i like this one for accuracy and price: http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Bathroom-Capacity-Technology/dp/B001KXZ808

^This! I'm also almost certain it's your scale. I've been through several high-tech scales over the past 10 years, and they've always been inconsistent and became screwy after the first battery change. The one linked above has never given me problems, even after a battery change, and it's super consistent.

redpandora56

Always always weigh first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything and after you use the toilet. Weigh nude.

I must agree with this. I swear by this method as well. Same time of the day, weight in nude

another vote for this method. Also, i resist weighing more than once a week at most, as I know i fluctuate 1-2 lbs day to day.

don't underestimate using measurements either - again probably best not to measure more than once a week, but sometimes when my scale doesn't move, my jeans are still getting looser, and ultimately that is more important to me than the number on the scale.

LifeWithPie

You are burning more calories in your workout than you are eating meaning you have gained 20 lbs in muscle.
This is a good thing because weight loss is just a focus point. Health and Fitness is about what you can achieve in yourself, how strong you feel, and the feeling of immunity you feel towards many illnesses. Does it really matter how heavy you are if you feel that good?

Um, what? You don't gain muscle by eating at a deficit and doing cardio.

SingingSingleTracker

Stop looking at the scale. Throw it away. Lift weights. Cut sugar, carbs, trans fats, and eating out. Eat protein, make that your priority food. Watch your body, not the scale. If you want something more objective, take your measurements and check in with them ONLY after a month. This is going to take time, a long time. Weight fluctuates for TONS of reasons, nothing about fitness is black and white. There are many variables.

Wow! That may qualify as some of the worst advice I've seen on the message boards in 6 months!

To the OP - invest in a good digital scale that is reliably accurate. In dire contrast to the quoted poster, the scale can be an effective tool to use in weight loss, weight mainetenance, and a very important thing that many miss and overlook: making sure you are hydrating correctly for exercise and not losing to much in body water loss!

When doing longer cardio and exercise sessions - especially in the heat of summer, knowing what percentage of body water loss you experience during exercise is an important metric to follow to avoid problems. It's not hard to go out for a run in the heat and lose 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 pounds of body water which has implications that must be watched. Trainers for football teams follow this closely due to the amount of sweating and water loss at summer and fall practices. Cyclists and runners do the same as it is crucial and the scale - yes the scale - is the effective tool that helps monitor it all.



It's only been 3 days of working out for you, but the following read is an excellent primer worth reading as you prepare for you weight loss journey: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/blog/why-am-i-not-losing-weight/

ashenriver

The issue of the scale aside Did no one notice when the OP stated they are eating dangerously low. You should be entering a goal of 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. And eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories. Your calorie goal is just that a goal. You want to meet it, not be above it, and not be below it.

Anyway, just out of curiosity I weighed myself after dinner tonight, and the scale jumped up to 220!! Now I read some forums that say it's normal to gain 4-5 lbs once you start working out, but 20 seems almost abnormal. I use myfitnesspal to track my food (I try to track it down to the last grain of salt if I can) and according to the app I'm eating a significantly low amount of calories. Just to give you an idea I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast, chicken and maybe rice or beans and veggies for lunch, salmon and some veggies for dinner and I drink nothing but water.

So, my question is how is this even possible?? I'll admit my scale is very old, but it's not broken (at least I don't think it is). Even if I wasn't working out would it be normal to gain such a significant amount of weight in only 3 days? What am I doing wrong? I just want to drop some this fat around my belly/butt/thigh area. How can I get on the right track.

Thanks

hill8570

How do you get that she's eating dangerously low? Her diary isn't open, and nothing in her post says anything about quantity.

The issue of the scale aside Did no one notice when the OP stated they are eating dangerously low. You should be entering a goal of 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. And eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories. Your calorie goal is just that a goal. You want to meet it, not be above it, and not be below it.

Anyway, just out of curiosity I weighed myself after dinner tonight, and the scale jumped up to 220!! Now I read some forums that say it's normal to gain 4-5 lbs once you start working out, but 20 seems almost abnormal. I use myfitnesspal to track my food (I try to track it down to the last grain of salt if I can) and according to the app I'm eating a significantly low amount of calories. Just to give you an idea I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast, chicken and maybe rice or beans and veggies for lunch, salmon and some veggies for dinner and I drink nothing but water.

So, my question is how is this even possible?? I'll admit my scale is very old, but it's not broken (at least I don't think it is). Even if I wasn't working out would it be normal to gain such a significant amount of weight in only 3 days? What am I doing wrong? I just want to drop some this fat around my belly/butt/thigh area. How can I get on the right track.

Thanks

diannethegeek

How do you get that she's eating dangerously low? Her diary isn't open, and nothing in her post says anything about quantity.

The issue of the scale aside Did no one notice when the OP stated they are eating dangerously low. You should be entering a goal of 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. And eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories. Your calorie goal is just that a goal. You want to meet it, not be above it, and not be below it.

Anyway, just out of curiosity I weighed myself after dinner tonight, and the scale jumped up to 220!! Now I read some forums that say it's normal to gain 4-5 lbs once you start working out, but 20 seems almost abnormal. I use myfitnesspal to track my food (I try to track it down to the last grain of salt if I can) and according to the app I'm eating a significantly low amount of calories. Just to give you an idea I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast, chicken and maybe rice or beans and veggies for lunch, salmon and some veggies for dinner and I drink nothing but water.

So, my question is how is this even possible?? I'll admit my scale is very old, but it's not broken (at least I don't think it is). Even if I wasn't working out would it be normal to gain such a significant amount of weight in only 3 days? What am I doing wrong? I just want to drop some this fat around my belly/butt/thigh area. How can I get on the right track.

Thanks

and according to the app I'm eating a significantly low amount of calories.

I assume this is what they're talking about. We don't know what "significantly low" means in this context, though.

Unknown

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MissJay75

Likely a combination of all the things everyone has already said:

1) water retention from newly working out
2) body fluctuation from not weighing at the same time
3) scale fluctuation from old scale. Side note on this one, my scale weighs me 7 pounds lighter on linoleum than on carpet. Unfortunately the scale at the doctor's office is closer to the carpet than the linoleum.

You can also test your scale by weighing yourself, then weigh yourself holding something with known weight, like 2 gallons of milk, or a 25 pound bag of potatoes. The difference between the 2 should be the weight of the known item.

I would wait a week, weigh again at whatever time of day would be a good time to make regular weigh ins and go from there. I weigh every day, but only record once week. That way I can see what the fluctuations are doing, and if my weigh in day is really off from what the rest of the week has been it doesn't freak me out.

ironanimal

20lbs in 3 days? That's like 20k calories a day over maintenance. I think your scale is broken.

martinel2099

Time for a new scale, I think this one is broken. Also weigh yourself at the same time every week.

I can't account for 20 lbs in 3 days, that has to be an error.

anyways, after you get a new scale weigh yourself monday morning (or pick a day) then put the scale in the closet and do not touch it until the same time a week later. Track the weight over a 4-6 week period. The scale will zig zag like crazy up and down but you should notice a downward trend. If you don't, that means you are not eating at a calorie deficit.

Tips-
1. Buy a kitchen scale and weigh you food. Yes even peanut butter should be weighed on a scale, not a measuring cup. If it's a solid then weigh it, if it's a liquid measuring cup. I highly recommend a kitchen scale for home and work, I love mine and they were 15 bucks each.
2. Take calorie burn estimates with a grain of salt, especially MFP's estimates. Use cardio machines that have a heart rate monitor attached and allow you to input your age and weight, while still an estimate they will be closer. For weight training a heart monitor is not a good indictor of calories burnt, I just take MFP's estimate and cut it in half. The worst thing you can do is over-estimate how much calories you burn then eat them back.
3. Don't weigh daily, weekly and watch trends over 4-6 weeks. If still stalling or gaining, decrease calories 10% and try again. Do not go under 1,200 calories per day.

Cranquistador

:indifferent:

ashenriver

OP states that she gets feedback from MFP that they are eating "significantly low amount of calories". I would bold it but I cannot figure out how to do that.
Also the amount of food the OP listed doesn't sound like a lot. This does depend on the quantity though. This is what I calculated using values that seemed reasonable.

oatmeal (quaker instant packet, 130 cal), chicken (1 cup diced, 231 cal)and maybe rice or beans (kidney beans 0.5 cup, 100 cal) and veggies (50 cal) for lunch, salmon (100g, 116 cal)and some veggies(50 cal) = 700 cals approx

The issue of the scale aside Did no one notice when the OP stated they are eating dangerously low. You should be entering a goal of 1 to 1.5 pounds per week. And eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories. Your calorie goal is just that a goal. You want to meet it, not be above it, and not be below it.

I use myfitnesspal to track my food (I try to track it down to the last grain of salt if I can) and according to the app I'm eating a significantly low amount of calories. Just to give you an idea I usually eat oatmeal for breakfast, chicken and maybe rice or beans and veggies for lunch, salmon and some veggies for dinner and I drink nothing but water.

Thanks

Roxie_64

If have noticed that I weight two or three pounds more if I weigh at night. Our bodies fluctuate throughout the day. Don't sweat it to much.If you are eating right and exercising It's going to come off.

sassyjae21

Stop looking at the scale. Throw it away. Lift weights. Cut sugar, carbs, trans fats, and eating out. Eat protein, make that your priority food. Watch your body, not the scale. If you want something more objective, take your measurements and check in with them ONLY after a month. This is going to take time, a long time. Weight fluctuates for TONS of reasons, nothing about fitness is black and white. There are many variables.

Don't major in the minor. Smile, and enjoy the journey

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: