Unexplained Weight Gain

3furballs

So I was on vacation at the beginning of August and went from 139 to 141. Then I came back and got back into cardio kickboxing and kettlebell training. Working out 6 days a week. A week later i was up a pound. Workout all week, 6-7 times plus biking and a week later I was up another pound. Went away for a weekend, came back and I've been working out and cut out ice cream and back to working out 6-7 times a week and I was up another pound. Set my goal for less calories, was under my goal all week other than yesterday and I'm still sitting at 144lbs.

What am i doing wrong? Some people have suggested it's muscle gain from kettlebell (3 times a week with kettlebell, 3 times cardio kickboxing and one night of hiit). I don't know what to do to get back to my usual 135-140.

HeidiCooksSupper

It could also be water retention from all that exercise. Here's a previous thread that might help explain it.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/584556-water-retention-from-exercise-trainers

skylark94

You should generally avoid the scale when making changes to your routine. You're definitely not gaining muscle that quickly, but you are most assuredly retaining water.

Take body measurements and track body fat instead of weight. I'm up 4 pounds since restarting P90X a couple of months ago, but my thighs and waist are smaller and I've lost 2% body fat. DO NOT UNDEREAT!

kgeyser

It's not muscle gain, no one can put on muscle that quickly. It's most likely water weight. You put on water weight from your vacation, eating and drinking all sorts of things and probably going over your calorie goal and sodium intake. Then you came home, got back into exercise hardcore trying to shave off those two pounds (which would have probably just gone away on their own after a few days), causing your glycogen stores to build up and leading to more water retention (glycogen needs water), then added more activity on top of that, causing the glycogen-related water increase again. Then away for another weekend of lots of eating, and ta-da, more water weight.

Do your normal exercise routine, eat your calorie goal, don't add in more exercise or start playing around with your diet, and just give it a week or two to flush out of your system. Drinking water also helps, especially if you are somewhat dehydrated from lots of alcohol on your trips or additional sodium.

Liftng4Lis

+1 on the water retention.

ladymiseryali

Definite water retention. We ladies don't gain muscle that quick, or at all if we're eating at a deficit. Don't drop your calories. In fact, with the activity you're doing, you should probably be eating more. I would figure out your TDEE, then eat cut like 250 calories from that number and eat at that level. Fuel that awesome looking body of yours!

salbunnylettuceleafyexley

i can put on upto 7 pounds with water retention during a period or during xmas when i eat a lot more rubbish, comes straight off when i eat properly again or when period is done

ana3067

Water weight or eating too much food. Muscle gain only happens in a surplus.

3furballs

Thanks so much! All this time working out and I didn't realize muscles would retain water for repair. I'll up my water intake and try and watch the sodium.

Question, What is TDEE?

ana3067

TDEE is total daily energy expenditure, aka how much energy your body burns with all activity (including exercise). If you use MFP method of eating back exercise cals though you don't really need to worry about calculating your TDEE< but it is more convenient for figuring out how to change the amount of food you eat when you're no longer meeting your goals.

3furballs

So I'm finally down from 144, but just barely. I'm wondering, since I'm still working out 6 times a week at least, if I should be putting my weight loss goal as something different. Right now it has me at 1200 calories a day. Would that be right?

mymodernbabylon

I would do TDEE method versus MFP - cause 1200 calories at 144 lb unless you are VERY short, for working out that much, is too little. Especially if you are trying to maintain. And even if you are trying to lose (you should be set at -.5 lb per week max).

3furballs

Thanks! I just used a TDEE calculator on iifym.com it says I should be getting 1,516 calories to lose weight since my TDEE is 2022. I wondered if the 1200 was too low. I'm going to try and follow the recommendations on it of 1 gram of protein per pound, .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight and the rest in carbs too. "try" being the operative word since I'm not so good and working out the mater sometimes!