Not only hitting a plateau but starting to gain again...

WLeung

So..I started mid-April and I've loss approximately 12 pounds. It was a great start. I've lost inches while looking better and feeling better. However, this week has not been great. I still eat and work out as I normally do, even changing up my workouts. I didn't lose anything this week, instead I gained 4 pounds? What is this!?!

ChunkyMonkey207

water gain???

cat3nv

Is it your TOM??? I usually gain about 4-6 pounds during mine, but as soon as it is over the weight falls back off.

How is your sodium intake? You may be retaining water.

dayzeerock

Same here! I lost 9 in my first 3 weeks, then this week I gained 3 of it back....my diet is the same and I'm working out EVEN harder than I was before...I'd like to know people's advice as well!

JenUB

It's nearly impossible to gain 4 pounds in one week so don't panic. It's probably water weight gain. Maybe something you ate; otherwise, I recently read that strength training can cause fluid retention as well. Did you recently add weights to your workout?

kimberlyAjohnson

I could have written this myself.

SheilaSisco

Is your TOM close? That does it to a LOT of women. And if you just started any kind of intense new workout, that could do it too. When I started the 30 Day Shred, I gained 2 pounds that hung on for like 3 WEEKS before the scale started moving down again. Discouraging, yes, but if you stick with the plan and eat right it will change.

chevy88grl

Do you do strength training? If so, have you recently increased your reps or weight? It's possible that your muscles are retaining water - they do that as they heal themselves from working out. Usually takes a few days for the water to get flushed from your system. It could also be water retention. It is getting warmer outside, so it is possible you're retaining water from the heat.

It could also be that you need to re-evaluate the foods your eating or how much you're eating. Are you eating enough? Drinking enough water?

SenorToenails

Probably water weight, especially since you said your diet hasn't changed much. I know I can vary ~8 pounds of water (either that, or my scales are incredibly defective, which is unlikely). Monday morning I weighed myself after a workout and that was 7 pounds less than today while at work...and I know I didn't gain 7 pounds of anything but fluid between now and then, so don't worry. The scale isn't the only metric you can use to track progress!

whateverdamnit

I would stop eating back all the exercise calories, if that's what you're doing.

WLeung

Um.. my TOM is not until 2 weeks.. so i doubt its that. My sodium intake doesn't usually go over, maybe an exception of 1 day per week. After all my workouts, I at most eat back 1/3 of my calories. However, I am doing a lot of pilates lately (4-5/week). Probably building muscle and retaining water from that? I hope so...