Initial weight gain

mgmlap

So I have completed Stage 1 workouts 1 and 2. I start workout 3 tomorrow. I was 135 at 5'5' and 43. According to the book I am to eat 1930 on workout days and 1650 on non-workout days...but..I have gained 5 pounds in a week.

My question is..should I go down to fat loss calories..or stick it out with the maintenance. Its freaking me out that i am up so much..2 pounds I can handle..but 5!

PLEASE HELP!!

hull37

muscle weighs more the fat ur gaining muscle u will look learner drop inches so i wudnt worry to much about it

ruststar

It's probably water weight. Your muscles are storing water and glycogen as they repair. Have you been feeling significant muscle soreness after lifting? When I feel DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) I can guarantee my weight on the scale will be higher.

beckkotsch

My guess would be water weight also. After just two workouts, I highly doubt you've built extra muscle yet! haha I'd say, give it another week doing what you're doing and see how it goes from there!

gomisskellygo

I am in the same boat. I did Week 1, WO3 last night. I have decided not to weigh myself for a couple of weeks as I have gained as well. I am sure it is water and I know that lifting is exactly what I should be doing!
Good luck! We should lkeep in touch as we are at the same place on the program.

mgmlap

I know its not fat or muscle..hoping its water. I know I did go over on carbs a bit..being Insulin Resistant sucks big time...which may be another reason..I think I will drop the calories for this week..and see what happens..I am skinny fat..so doing the less calories wont be so bad....

bizco

The book also says that if you're trying to lose weight then eat 300 calories less than the chart shows.

I totally ignored the diet plan in the book and continued to use MFP as it's intended to work. Do not include dedicated exercise in your activity/lifestyle setting. Choose a moderate calorie deficit (for me that was to lose 0.5 lbs. per week), log your workouts in the Exercise tab, eat back your extra earned calories. I found this to be much easier and it's not that much different than the book, if you choose to eat 300 calories less as noted above.

I customized my macro %s to 45/30/25 carbs/protein/fat. On lifting days I didn't mind going over on protein.

After completing all 7 stages of NROL4W I gained about 6 lbs. total but I know from my measurements (and the mirror) that 4-5 lbs. of that is solid muscle. I lost inches every where and dropped down 2 clothing sizes. I substantially increased the amount of weight I can lift with each exercise. Hell, I can even do multiple sets of chin-ups now; something a lot of men can't do. I usually went over my MFP calorie limit because my appetite increased so much. My new muscles required fuel to grow! And you need fuel to increase the weights you're lifting.

I suggest taking your measurements once per month (I do it on the 1st) and logging them in MFP. Do this by going to My Home>>Check-In. You can add body parts or other measures such as Hip-to-Waist ratio.

The initial weight gain is likely temporary. If you're really pushing yourself to lift as heavy as you can while still maintaining ideal form, your body is going thru a transition and flooding your muscles with water to help in recovery. Re-read pages 68-71. Do not overreact to short term changes. Look beyond the scale. Develop a plan and stick with it for 4 weeks before making further adjustments. Best of luck!

For inspiration and a dose of reality, check out this story when you have time:

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

thankyou4thevenom

I had this when I first started. Do NOT worry. Seriously don't. In fact stop weighing yourself if you can until the end of the stage.

You need to be in a calorie surplus to gain muscle for starters, which is what you're trying to do.

Some of it is going to be water weight. When you start to rip and tear your muscles with weight training, you'll gain as the body tries to fix itself. It is nothing to worry about. It's part of the process.

It'll go away. I gained 1kg in a week and now 3 weeks later I've lost half of that and lost inches. Give it a month at the very least.

Cait_Sidhe

muscle weighs more the fat ur gaining muscle u will look learner drop inches so i wudnt worry to much about it

It's impossible to gain 5 lb of muscle in a week. 2.5 lb of muscle a month is the high end.

It's more likely that your muscles are retaining fluid and the 5 lb gain is nothing but water.

hull37

muscle weighs more the fat ur gaining muscle u will look learner drop inches so i wudnt worry to much about it

It's impossible to gain 5 lb of muscle in a week. 2.5 lb of muscle a month is the high end.

It's more likely that your muscles are retaining fluid and the 5 lb gain is nothing but water.

doh didnt read the post right feel a *kitten* now hahaha lol

mgmlap

Interestingly..I am down more weight today...So Monday I was 140.5...stayed there for 2 days...then dropped to 137..back to 137.8....and this morning..136.5...this is crazy stuff

jarrettd

Welcome to the wonderful world of lifting heavy!

Do your sanity a favor and throw the scales in the closet. Better yet, put 'em in a box marked "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS!"

BetterWithAge

Interestingly..I am down more weight today...So Monday I was 140.5...stayed there for 2 days...then dropped to 137..back to 137.8....and this morning..136.5...this is crazy stuff

This is why I only weigh once a week now. I measure my progress more on the measurements that I take once a month. Since Jan 2nd I have lost 1.2 pounds, an inch in my waist, hips and chest.

Edit: I am SO much stronger. I can feel and see my biceps, pecs, quads and glutes. I can't see my abs yet... I still have a lot of fat covering them.

samntha14

I also need to just throw my scale away for awhile. The initial water seriously messes with your mind. I was up only a lb and it twisted me. My measurements were down and I'm down 2 pant sizes in 2 months so it's all good. I do worry about eating more because I don't make the best choices when I have room to play. When I was eating 200 less calories I was forced to make better choices. But that's just me.Best of luck on your journey, and yes lock the scale away.

Cait_Sidhe

I'm wondering if maybe anyone knows the answer to this. How much on average can we expect to gain in the beginning in fluid retention?

The reason I'm asking is because I made the mistake of weighing myself and it was not a happy experience.

Logically, I'm not eating at an excess past my TDEE, so I should not gain fat. But tell my self esteem that.

It freaked me out, so I gave myself a 270 calorie deficit instead of eating at maintenance for the first month like the book said (I'm finishing out my 2nd week).