I am disappointed with a 3 pound gain

Leo7777

Hya Guys,

I have been on my plan for 1 month, in the first 2.5 weeks or so I lost 8lbs which is great, and I also realise was a lot of water weight as I stopped cooking with salt.

I am due to log my results today and there is a 3 pound gain, I have actually also been stuck on the same weight for the last 10 days roughly.

I am 31 and 5,9 tall, mostly eat between 1500- 1700 cals apart from yesterday I ate less due to not feeling great. I am weightlifting every other day ( heavy for me ) and doing intense short bouts of cardio ( fast hill walking ) 5 times a week. Even if there had been a 0.5 pound loss, I would have been happy.
Now I know doing weights it could be muscle weight or water retention, but my gut feeling says you would have to have built a lot of muscle to have a gain surely?

I would love to know when a gain has randomly happened to anyone on their weight loss journey and how you dealt with it, and how long it took for the scales to start moving again? patience is the key but I really need some inspiration : ) thanks

cecesquats

When you first start doing any type of strength training, your muscles experience microtrauma, which causes inflammation, which is not the same as gaining actual muscles. The inflammation causes the scale to read that you've gained, but you probably haven't. When I first started working out it took over a week before the weight came off.

ETA: http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan
You can read about it here

maidentl

Now I know doing weights it could be muscle weight or water retention, but my gut feeling says you would have to have built a lot of muscle to have a gain surely?

Yes, and you'd also have to eat a LOT for it to be three pounds of fat. So it's water and there's nothing to be done but be patient. I regularly go 2-3 weeks with no loss and then have a big loss over a couple of days. It stinks, but it is what it is!

BombshellPhoenix

10 days is nothing. Why did you cut out sodium? Be careful because sodium is still important for your body.

No, you aren't going to gain much if any appreciable amount of muscle in a deficit, even strength training. Yes, there is a chance for minor gains but not even close to 3 lbs in a week or enough to stall losses (like women in a surplus eating about 1g per pound of lean body mass in protein and lifting would be lucky to get about 1 lb muscle gain a month). You can gain a good amount of strength from existing muscles and strength training will help retain your current muscle, which helps you look leaner at goal.

It's water retention. Your body holds on to water to repair itself. Or lack of bowel movements. Or TOM. It's only been a little over a week. That's a very small window. Keep swimming and don't sweat it. Evaluate in a few weeks and take measurements. If you still aren't losing, the first place I'd look is how your logging accuracy is.

Here's a good read and good luck!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

ana3067

You are eating below your maintenance needs. You have not gained any fat or muscle. You are retaining water, food, or poop. Or all.

shadow2soul

Weight – So many things can affect weight, because of this it shouldn’t be the only way you track your progress. Things to keep in mind:
:drinker: Always use the same scale – Different scales can show different weights. You will get the most accurate number for tracking when using the same scale.
:drinker: Don’t move the scale – Carpet, uneven flooring, different types of flooring…can all affect the weight on the scale. So when you weigh, you want it to be approximately the same spot for the most accurate number for tracking.
:drinker: 3500 calories – To gain 1lb of fat you need to be over maintenance by 3500 calories.
:drinker: Muscle Repair – Muscles will hold onto water to repair, because of this it is not uncommon to see a gain for a little while after a workout. This weight comes right back off when they are done repairing.
:drinker: Sodium – Can cause you to retain water. This can also be amplified if you don’t drink enough to flush it out of your system. This is also another reason for temporary weight gain.
:drinker: Water – Not drinking enough water can actually cause you to retain water. Recommended amount is 8 cups or 64oz. I drink 64 oz to 128 oz of water a day. It doesn’t have to be plain water either. I like to flavor mine with crystal light or tea.
:drinker: Time of day – Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day. So for the most accurate tracking, you want to weigh at around the same time.
:drinker: Frequency – This is up to you, but if small fluctuations bother you than only weigh once a week or less.
:drinker: Lightest Weight – Will be naked, first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom
:drinker: Multiple times a Day – Don’t Do It. As I said before, your weight will fluctuate throughout the day. What you eat, what you’re wearing, ect will all affect weight.
:drinker: Clothes – If you weigh with clothing on, keep in mind that the scale will show your weight plus the weight of your clothes. (Jeans are heavy)
:drinker: TOM - A lot of women will retain water around their TOM, but its just temporary and will go away.

This is a chart I made last year (using my own weigh ins) that shows day to day fluctuations. Notice how the overall trend is down:


Measurements are better for tracking progress.

joepage612

I have two scales, a mechanical scale and a digital scale. Both scales will give me a +/- of 3 pounds when i step on them, even if its seconds apart. I dont know why this is. the digital scale is especially wonkey and unreliable. If you are seriously only eating 1700 calories max Iand are 5'9, don't see how you could be gaining FAT.
Your scales are flakey like mine OR you are holding water OR you are gaining a bit of muscle.
:glasses: get one of those calibrators (pinch or electric) for measuring body FAT. :glasses:

danasings

It's hard to tell what your weight fluctuations will be after only a month. After a few more months you will probably notice a pattern, and as long as the scale is trending downward, you're doing fine.

chaos416

When you first start doing any type of strength training, your muscles experience microtrauma, which causes inflammation, which is not the same as gaining actual muscles. The inflammation causes the scale to read that you've gained, but you probably haven't. When I first started working out it took over a week before the weight came off.

ETA: http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan
You can read about it here

Thanks for the great link! I'm thinking of doing a teeny tiny bit of strength work and I would have been upset had I not seen the weight gain explained so well!

Kevalicious99

I gained 9 lbs in a day ... guess what, I didn't care, and you shouldn't either. It is just not healthy in the long term.

Your weight will fluctuate .. and is to be expected.

Oh .. btw, I have also lost 9 lbs overnight as well (wonderful how the human body works .. )

So .. honestly, it is just not important. I used to weigh every am and pm ... til I got smarter, I weigh once a week now and if you are emotionally connected to that scale .. then weighing yourself frequently could very well just bring lots of hardship.