Weight Gain - Can anyone explain?

slimthingspecial

Hi all MPFers,

I've been following MPF for 5 weeks now and lost 8Ibs, things were going really well and I'm aware you tend to lose a greater amount when you begin, but I've suddenly gained 2Ibs back and they've stuck? My weigh day was Friday, but since I'd started to workout on wednesday I thought it would just be an unfortunate combination of water retention and swollen muscles (I've been doing 30DS alongside a bit of Zumba and Cardio everyday since wednesday) but it's now tuesday and I'm still 2Ibs up!

I can't deny this is getting me down.. My food diary is consistently +/- 50 on my 1200 goal so no starving myself or overeating.. I can't explain why I've gained? I can't have built a significant amount of muscle either?

Is this weight going to drop back off? I really need some old school advice here I'm just not sure of myself!

Thanks for reading

fmw123

There could be so many reasons..
Are you eating back your exercise calories?
You should make your diary public, we can give better advice if we know what you're eating.. Are you over/under calculating calories/weight for food/exercise?
Keep sticking at it, its a long term goal

jakejacobsen

your probably gaining muscle keep at it. do you do measurements? muscle takes up less space for the same weight.

ackeebee

maybe you need to eat abit more. i had a similar problem when i first started. i was on 1200 calories a day and lost weight for the first couple of weeks and then kept gaining and losing the same weight for weeks. i decided to revise my goal to 1 lb loss a week whereby i was allowed 1570 calories a day and have been losing weight consistently every week (apart from one when i totally pig out but there was no gain either).

also, i do eat at least half of my exercise calories

MoneySavingLisa

There could be a ton of reasons why, but it sounds like muscle gain. My body does the same thing.. lose for a few weeks, and then gain. But that's only if I workout as well. I can't complain though, I always end up losing a TON of inches before a new WHOOSH of weight loss happens.

When I get stuck like that, I try a few things to help burn more calories. Drink a mix of green/oonlong tea 3x daily, drink more water and not as much salt.

Sometimes it really is you need to eat more. I was super strict back in March 2010 and ate the same calories over and over. I then read about calorie cycling and that helped.

slimthingspecial

Thanks for replying guys

I've made my diary public now so you can take a look I do eat back my exercise calories (one exception being saturday when I burnt so many cycling a while 18 miles to the pub I couldn't eat them back!) I have taken measurements and have lost an inch from each thigh and one from my hips so I know I am toning up a bit at least.. It's just so disheartening to be gaining!!

MisterDubs303

It just happens. Over the course of 2011 my weight has increased a pound or two probably 20 times. I have a graph (not on MFP) that shows my weight loss and it looks like a saw blade. The thing is, though, the overall trend is downward. Trust the trend. It will happen, but just keep making the right food and exercise choices and you will see the results you want. Good luck.

gsager

Are you using a HRM to determine the calories that you are burning exercising? That would be something you could check to see if that is accurate. Your calorie intake looks good if your burned calories are right. I don't think it's muscle, that's a lot harder to put on than you would think. Best of luck to you!

Emagali74

Weight gain for women could be a number of things-time of the month is the normal culprit, too much salt. Not eating enough. I have lost weight week in week out since July but when I added 30DS to my normal work out-I think I started it on a Friday after my weekly weigh in-I was aching for like 3 or 4 days, I gained a pound. I think it is water retention around the muscles. It took me until the following Thursday to lose that pound and I had to increase my intake to do it.

When you are adding extra exercise you have to increase your intake in my experience until your body adjusts to the new regime. A few weeks ago I was over-tired and only did say 30 mins a day instead of 55 mins a day exercise and I dropped my intake back to 1200/1250 and I lost three pounds in a week. The following week I went back to nearly an hour a day but was struggling to get my intake over 1250 and plateaued for like 6 days.

Then I increased and I lost nearly two pounds. It sounds like you may need to up your intake slightly to me. This is just my opinion xx

Emagali74

Are you using a HRM to determine the calories that you are burning exercising? That would be something you could check to see if that is accurate. Your calorie intake looks good if your burned calories are right. I don't think it's muscle, that's a lot harder to put on than you would think. Best of luck to you!

Also this, yes. I recently got a Polar HRM and found I was burning more calories- (I mean like sometimess over 100 more) than MFP was estimating and therefore probably some days I was undereating without knowing it (I try and eat back my exercise calories so Im netting at least 1200). I find if I go lower then I plateau.

If you can afford it, they are well worth the money....... xx

Cleo200

Although under your calories you do tend to eat a bit of junk food, your breakfast cereal alone on two days almost took you to the max sugar for the day then you had a mars bar too. I find with my body, even if I'm still under my cals but if they have come from packaged food/refined sugars etc I don't tend to lose compared to the days I get my sugars from fruit and eat clean for lunch and dinner.

Your diet is not bad but I think possibly introducing healthier fats, so swap the mars bar for an apple and a handful of nuts post work out, and possibly swap the space invader crisps for snack a jack rice cake or slice of peanut butter on toast etc....

I don't believe in saying a "calorie is a calorie" if I ate 12 packets of crisps a day to meet my 1200 cal goal I'm pretty sure I wouldnt be losing any weight and I'm sure our bodies can't meet their nutritional requirements if 40% of the calories are from refined sugars etc. Try to maybe fill empty calories with healthier options, it will give your body more fuel and more energy when you work out, if you swapped the crunchy nut cluster cornflakes for the special k version you would be able to eat more fat and calories from other sources during the day.

Otherwise, your diet is good and your are doing a good job so far! Keep up the good work!

Cleo )

slimthingspecial

Wow everyone is just so helpful around here!

I don't have a HRM yet so I'm trying to slightly underestimate exercise and I usually overestimate food so maybe I am eating too little (which would be nice!) I'll try to change up the calorie intake a bit and start saving for that HRM, thanks so much for replying it's wonderful to have such a support network out there!

I'll try not to panic about the gain then and keep plugging on, thank you!

fmw123

I'm not sure whether you've forgotten to log how much water you've had but if you haven't you should try to drink more. Especially with the exercise you will get dehydrated. Try to drink 2 litres a day. I find carrying around a 1 litre bottle with me and filling it up again really helps. Be positive too. You can do this!

dad106

I can def. tell you that you are not building muscle because in order to do that, it takes a calorie surplus and lifting of heavy weights.. 30 DS, Zumba and Cardio won't cause you to put on muscle.

Like everyone else said, it could be a host of things. That time of the month, too much salt, not eating enough, and the list goes on.

Try upping your calories a bit and changing up what your eating and see if that helps.

rileysowner

First, don't obsess about 2 pounds. Your body weight just during the day with vary 4 or more pounds. Second, if it is exercise related from your new exercise program it can take a week or more for that to go away. If you are eating at a calorie deficit you did not put on 2 pound of fat or 2 pounds of muscle. It is water weight. Drink lots of water and keep at it, you are doing great.

slimthingspecial

Dear all lovely people, have just weighed in at 136, a 4Ib loss! Thanks so much for your advice! Best wishes and good luck to everyone!

ackeebee

Dear all lovely people, have just weighed in at 136, a 4Ib loss! Thanks so much for your advice! Best wishes and good luck to everyone!

Well done!