My scale went up after weight lifting weights.. HELP!

Fitness_Dharma

Great input! Thanks for sharing!

Kiloloser

"I am SO relieved to read this post!! I have been working harder than ever to stay on track. I have been doing GREAT on my eating, and working out HARD. I've been doing mostly weight lifting/muscle building training with a trainer three times a week, but doing loads of cardio on the other days. I have been doing this for 3 weeks and have been incredibly sore. My body is starting to feel more fit, but the scale!! :"( I lost almost two pounds the first week, and was happy with progress. THEN, I weighed the 2nd week and I was UP 2 pounds! I thought it HAD to be a fluke! There was just NO WAY! I waited over a week and now I am up ANOTHER 1.2 pounds this morning!! I could CRY. I haven't weighed this much in years, and I KNOW I'm doing the right things!! I even thought of giving up the muscle building. Maybe I should give it another week or two. It's just really freaking me out!"


I hear you ...same concern here. I have been using hand weights for strength training for 8 months now, as well as cardio (beach walking 4-5 times a week). A week ago I decided to up my weights to a 4 kg (almost 9 lb) after having enjoyed the 2.5 kg ( 5.5 lb) up till then. I have a circuit of 10 routines and do 10 reps per set. I have no idea if this is enough, as I'm self taught (with some hints from DVD's).
Unfortunately I'm guilty of "scale addiction" (I also have a set of body analyser scales) so to see a 2 kg (4.5) gain after my session 2 days ago freaked me out. I look dreadful - carrying a watermelon in my tummy and orange peel extraordinaire on my thighs. I truly wanted to give up all cardio for a month and return to my low carb plan (South Beach Phase 1). My goal is to maintain at 56 kg (125 lb) and I'm currently 58.1 kg, but it feels so uncomfortable. I have been maintaining 55-57 kg since 2005 with sensible eating and cardio mainly, but at age 62, I felt it was important to get into strength training to ward off 'ageing concerns'.

flab777

I know this post is years old, but it obviously still applies to lots of people, so Im chiming in with my sitch! Someone will read it...

I'm male, 38, 5'6", 50+ pounds overweight my entire adult life. I cut calories and did a lil cardio and went from 206 to 168. I lost 38 pounds from Sept. 2014 to July 2015. Then I started lifting weights and eating a lil more. Now Im at 185! ahhh! All my lost weight is coming back? Im averaging like more than 2000 cals a day, working all day, working out 5 days a week. Maybe I should be at 1600 cals a day like mfp says to lose 1.5 pounds a week? Well , after reading posts like this on every fitness website, Im not gonna change anything yet,....because here's the thing....at 206, I wore extra large and large clothes, my jeans were 38 inch waist and getting tight. At 168, I bought 32 inch jeans, and medium and small sized shirts. Now at 185, my small sized clothes fit the SAME. My waist is the same or a little smaller. So that 17 pounds I gained back doesnt show at all. I got muscles and veins popping out that I did not know I had, and every week Im lifting a little more weight than the week before. I guess that's called gains. I guess things are going awesome. But doubt can creep in after you been relying on the scale to see progress, so when it starts going up , not down, after starting a new routine, its easy to question what you are doing, even when you look and feel great! Im just gonna keep lifting weights and see where it leads.

CalorieCountChocula

Danny_Boy13 wrote: »

I say just throw out the scale and just use the mirror. What does it matter if one would weigh 130 or 140lbs if they like what they see in the mirror.

This is good advice for people who are already relatively fit already but it's bad advice for someone who has more than a few pounds to lose. I'm 229lbs. Should I throw out my scale? Probably not. I look almost the same now as I did at 239. Hell, I even wear the same pants I did when I was 249. Only my face looks smaller. The story is similar for a lot of people. You simply don't see big changes in the mirror when you have any significant amount of weight to lose.

adub119

You do if you lift and cut calories.

iammantistobbogan

Perfectly normal - for instance I always hit my legs super hard and as a result the scale always will be higher in the days after. Just work ur schedule so ur weighing in at the right time or if ur serious about weight lifting ditch the scale

ninerbuff

nirsky wrote: »

4lb. difference can be seen even when you weight yourself in the morning and in the evening. All the water and we food we take in.

Lifting weight will increase your metabolism and will make your body burn calories up to 48 hours after you finish working out even if you sit and do nothing.

The combination of weight lifting and cardio is the best combo you can get.
If you only do cardio, you will burn fat and muscles.

Body is always burning calories even without weight lifting. EPOC has been over exaggerated for decades by the fitness industry.
And no you don't only burn fat and muscles doing cardio. That's another myth.

One lifts weights to do a couple of main things: to get stronger or to improve current shape (hypertrophy or conditioning).

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

debrakgoogins

Many others have said it but if you have started a weight training program, don't worry about the scale. Take measurements instead. You can track your progress in the same part of MFP that you track weight. Your measurements will give the most accurate record of your success. And...take pictures of yourself ASAP. Take a front, back and side shot. Wear the least amount you are comfortable with then take pictures of yourself once a month. You'll see the changes in your body even if you don't see a change in the scale.

Angellaree

Don't stop lifting. As said previously, it will pay off. There are plenty of examples on MFP, among other places, if you need to remind or encourage yourself. Don't. Stop. Lifting.

Warchortle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg6hlKYQujc

Hornsby

It's already been stated, but your trainer is right. Just in to give more motivation to stay on track. The water weight will shed and you will see/feel the rewards. Guaranteed. Good luck.

GsKiki

That is completely normal. When I first started with the gym I gained weight as well, but my body looked much leaner. Eventually the scale went down as well. So keep up with your plan, and don't be too focused on the numbers. Good luck!