Question! Freaking out!

autumnpennell

Hi guys!

So, my start weight was 138, and I slowly but surely have crept down to 133. I've been running/ jogging appx. 4 1/2 miles everyday. Whenever I can't run, I make sure to go for a long bike ride, or do some other form of exercise that will burn calories! A couple days ago I started squatting. Some days I'll go for longs walks. Etc. Etc. I watch my calories carefully! My daily goal is 1200 and of course I eat more when I burn more. So, now, my question. Yesterday and the day before I wasn't able to run (so I watched my calories even more carefully), but last night when I weighed myself I weighed 138 AGAIN!!! And this morning, 135!!! What, the, heck! Is this normal??? I was wondering if I possibly am building up muscle already? (I would say I've been running faithfully for a month now) I need some input cause I am seriously discouraged. I have not splurged at all.

mc322011

hi!

probably just a water balance shift . it happens to me all the time don't worry about it... avoid weighing yourself everyday once a week is enough otherwise you get obsessed with the changing numbers throughout the week!! :-)

GinnieC100

I have a similar question. I am determined to lose 12 lbs in 6 weeks. Rode 30 miles on my bicycle yesterday, was really spent, there was a stiff north wind to battle too. When I weighted myself this morning I gained a half of pound. I am taking the day off from exercise today because my body is still so tired. I don't understand the weight gain.

Ravenesque_

muscles need water to repair damage done to them.

Keep drinking, and stop going by numbers and go by how you feel.

Dauntlessness

Did you have a lot of sodium or sugar yesterday?

A rule of thumb for me is "most people don't lose that amount of weight overnight, doesn't it make sense you would gain it back that fast"?

I am almost positive its water weight. I can see someone gaining maybe 1 lbs, maybe 2 (and that's stretching it) if they binged but otherwise, your good. haha

Shweedog

Do not weigh at night. The food and water you take in each day weighs different amounts so you will have varying numbers. Always weigh first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything and after you use the restroom. This will be your most accurate number.

SPNLuver83

I'm sure it is just water retention.

However, with such minimal amounts to loose you really should be eating more than 1200 net calories. You'll loose just as fast if you up your calories but you will feel much better. go to fat2fitradio.com and find out what your BMR is and set it to that. It was also calculate how many calories you should be eating to be at your goal weight, and also tell you if your goal weight is realistic.

HLeAnn

It is physically impossible to gain any fat when eating at a defecit, and especially with all the exercise thrown in. It's water weight. You would have to consume your TDEE + 3500 calories on top of that to gain 1 lb of fat.

thetrishwarp

Either water retention or...are you close to your TOM? I sometimes gain 8-10lbs just from that

Kellybeth16

I'm so glad you asked this! I feel the same way. I lost 20 pounds fairly easily the first 2 months I started running and watching my calories, now it seems like I can't even lose a pound! I'm in month 3, and I was hoping to keep losing about 10 lbs a month, but it doesn't look like thats going to happen. Any advice would be great!

BlackLabLover

muscles need water to repair damage done to them.

Keep drinking, and stop going by numbers and go by how you feel.

Great answer! We need to listen to our bodies more...

tonyacoursey

I gain anywhere from 2-5lbs on any given day. Especially from am to pm. Just weigh yourself once a week in the am and you can see the difference.

jennifer52484

track your morning weight... weight fluctuated throughout the day. If you weigh in at the same time every time, you should get a more accurate reading.

alasin1derland

It is physically impossible to gain any fat when eating at a defecit, and especially with all the exercise thrown in. It's water weight. You would have to consume your TDEE + 3500 calories on top of that to gain "fat" weight.

this is exactly what i needed to hear, ty ty ty

phinphanbill26

People that are in good shape and have higher metabolisms will tend to see big weight shifts between bedtime and the time they get up in the morning even though you were only sleeping in between the two weigh-ins. Nothing to worry about. It means you may have a good rate of metabolism.

dani_1977

It is physically impossible to gain any fat when eating at a defecit, and especially with all the exercise thrown in. It's water weight. You would have to consume your TDEE + 3500 calories on top of that to gain "fat" weight.

+
We "gain" for some many reasons...

Sodium
Carb heavy meal or day
Muscles holding on to water while they repair
Constipation
Building muscles
Dehydration

So when I see a "gain" I give myself a few days of eatin cleaning and drinking lots of water

lala11975

You should weigh yourself at the same time 1 day a week, or you will drive yourself crazy. At night you may weigh more due to what you ate all day, and in the morning you didn't eat yet for the day so you weigh less. That's for me at least. That's why I weigh in in the morning. Plus you could be gaining muscle which will add weight. Another tip, I try not to eat my exercise calories. When I first started I was eating my daily calories plus my exercise calories and I wasn't losing anything. Now I'm down 7 pounds. I don't trust the exercise calories they say you burn, so I just try not to eat them, maybe a few if I need to, but not all of them.

logicman69

Probably has been said already, but you want to weigh yourself at the same time if you are stepping on the scale daily (something you shouldn't really do anyway, but I know alot of us do... me included). Weight can fluxuate up to 5lbs durring the day. So weighing yourself at the same time will help with keeping a consistant varriable.

Also, allong with weighing yourself (which should NOT be the be-all end-all number for fitness), try tracking measurements arround your body, and well as getting a Fat % test every so often to see how you are doing. I went through a period where I lost no weight for 6 weeks, but dropped a pants size.

soonersgurl

It is physically impossible to gain any fat when eating at a defecit, and especially with all the exercise thrown in. It's water weight. You would have to consume your TDEE + 3500 calories on top of that to gain "fat" weight.

+
We "gain" for some many reasons...

Sodium
Carb heavy meal or day
Muscles holding on to water while they repair
Constipation
Building muscles
Dehydration

So when I see a "gain" I give myself a few days of eatin cleaning and drinking lots of water

THIS ^^^^^

Ke3z

I have a similar question. I am determined to lose 12 lbs in 6 weeks. Rode 30 miles on my bicycle yesterday, was really spent, there was a stiff north wind to battle too. When I weighted myself this morning I gained a half of pound. I am taking the day off from exercise today because my body is still so tired. I don't understand the weight gain.

I've been doing MFP for a bit over 3 months, and my main form of exercise is cycling. What I've learned is that there is a time lag between when you burn the calories and when you see the result on the scale, due to the way the body processes/retains water. Of course, your calorie intake and other exercise factor in too, making it hard to draw a direct correlation between a specific individual activity and a specific change in weight. What works for me, psychologically, is just knowing that if I continually run a calorie deficit it will eventually have the desired effect (over 40 lbs so far); it's a long-term process. I weigh myself once a week, and even if my weight occasionally goes up a little during a week, sooner or later it will go down again... at least, it has so far!

wrecktechno

I don't agree with the whole 'muscle weighs more than fat'. Maybe if you're a body builder but to me, it's a load of rubbish told by people to make people who aren't losing weight feel good about themselves. Sure it might weigh more but it's not like an everyday human being has a whole lot of muscle they're building, especially considering they're losing fat.

DiannaMoorer

I am Very active like you and run 3 to 5 miles and circuit train 6 days a week. I also used to eat 1200 before exercise. After losing 17 pounds reached a plateau for two months. I Then increased my calories to around 1600 a day before exercise and started losing again right away....I figured I needed more fuel for my work outs so my body would quit hanging onto the fat. I was right.... Your gain is probably water but think about increasing your calories up to around 1600 a day before exercise. Very active people need to eat more even if they want to lose weight. Good luck!

lala11975

I don't agree with the whole 'muscle weighs more than fat'. Maybe if you're a body builder but to me, it's a load of rubbish told by people to make people who aren't losing weight feel good about themselves. Sure it might weigh more but it's not like an everyday human being has a whole lot of muscle they're building, especially considering they're losing fat.

I think people mispeak when they say muscle weights more than fat, becuase 5 pounds of fat weighs the same as 5 pounds of muscle. The difference is 5 pounds of fat takes up more space on your body than 5 pounds of muscle. Like 5 pounds of cotton looks bigger than a 5 pound bag of sugar.

DiannaMoorer

I don't agree with the whole 'muscle weighs more than fat'. Maybe if you're a body builder but to me, it's a load of rubbish told by people to make people who aren't losing weight feel good about themselves. Sure it might weigh more but it's not like an everyday human being has a whole lot of muscle they're building, especially considering they're losing fat.

Muscle does not weigh more than fat. Pound for pound it weighs the same it just takes up less room. The mass is less more dense. But when you are rebuilding those muscles they retain some fluids to make repairs. So you do have a little gain during body building. But it goes away. More muscle will increases your metabolism and burn more calories even while resting.

autumnpennell

I'm sure it is just water retention.

However, with such minimal amounts to loose you really should be eating more than 1200 net calories. You'll loose just as fast if you up your calories but you will feel much better. go to fat2fitradio.com and find out what your BMR is and set it to that. It was also calculate how many calories you should be eating to be at your goal weight, and also tell you if your goal weight is realistic.

thanks you!

tocara

I am interested in your source for muscle does not weigh more then fat. can you please provide it.

knockout3737

Watch your sodium intake, and if you do have a little more sodium than needed make sure to drink lots of water to flush it out. You would be surprised how much sodium is in products these days. Good luck

autumnpennell

Watch your sodium intake, and if you do have a little more sodium than needed make sure to drink lots of water to flush it out. You would be surprised how much sodium is in products these days. Good luck

thank you!!! what is a good number and a bad number of sodium intake???

erikatoth

I can only echo what others said here. Water and other "stuff" inside you can easily add up to - yes - 3 kilos! These days i am 55 kilos in the morning, and in the evening, with three meals and 3 litres of water later (of which only a percentage got peed out by then...), i can easily hit 58 kilos.

Don't weigh yourself every day, unless you are able to accept that your weight will fluctuate. I'd say weigh yourself every week. You will see progress without the scale, and if you weigh yourself every sunday morning, after you've been to the loo, you will see consistent and realistic numbers that go down nicely week by week.

Also ladies, if you're on or near your period, you weigh more. It's a fact. Partly water retention, partly other reasons - you just do, deal with it, dont weigh yourself, weigh on day 6 and you'll see that there was no reason to panic.

lil_bear0811

muscles need water to repair damage done to them.

Keep drinking, and stop going by numbers and go by how you feel.

Unfortunately that's the hardest concept for women to learn when it comes to weight loss.

BigDaddyBRC

For those of you that are more fit than most on this site...GET OFF THE WEIGHT NUMBER FOCUS and look at toning your body and lowering your Body Fat percentage. By adding muscle, you lower your BF%