Working out and gaining weight??? =(

amtimmons23

I've only been dieting and working out for almost 1 week. I am not going over 1200 calories and have been getting AT LEAST 30 minutes of exercise each night. I know i'm not suppose to but i snuck a peek on the scale while I was at the gym tonight and i've bained 2 lbs!!! I feel deflated...words of wisdom??? please

mfpcopine

I've only been dieting and working out for almost 1 week. I am not going over 1200 calories and have been getting AT LEAST 30 minutes of exercise each night. I know i'm not suppose to but i snuck a peek on the scale while I was at the gym tonight and i've bained 2 lbs!!! I feel deflated...words of wisdom??? please

You can weigh yourself as often as you please so long as you understand that there will be fluctuations. The two pounds you gained are probably from water weight. I suggest you weigh yourself no more than twice a week if too much info gets you down.

ChrisStoney

give it a month!!

MamaMaryC

The first week I gained 2 lbs. The next week I lost 4. It is muscle building which weighs more than fat. It took me 5 weeks to see a difference in my body since I started working out. Take measurements. You will be more rewarded with measurements than weight loss. At least that is my experience.

childofArtemis24

honey I have been doing Zumba for almost a year now ,and I have gained 19 pounds. My butt is totally firmer, and my sides are slimming down, and I am starting to form the top four abs. But I still have a long way to go. That is why I have only lost 6 pounds in like 2 months.

Nerdy_Rose

Your weight in the morning and your weight in the evening will be totally different on the same day. I can weight 6+ pounds more at night. This is natural. Your body fluctuates. Exercise causes your muscles to retain water. Be patient.

cutiepieinchi

I just started running a bit ago..I gained a couple of pounds one week and then lost them the next week. Weight changes throughout the day and the week. Good job on working out!

RebelliousRibbons

First of all

---

DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF AT NIGHT.


Second of all, active muscles retain water.

IronPlayground

This sounds to be water due to your new routine. Don't sweat it. Keep doing what your doing and wait a couple weeks before weighing again. I'd also take measurements and not let the scale be your only gauge of progress.

skinnygurl02

I weigh about 4-5 lbs more in the evening. Try not to weigh yourself but once a week... whenever I do more than that I usually get discouarged because of all the fluctations. You may want to up your calories too. I stalled for about 4 months on a 1200 calorie diet before I finally figured out you suppose to eat at least your bmr everyday...good luck:)

shosh413

I weigh about 4-5 lbs more in the evening. Try not to weigh yourself but once a week... whenever I do more than that I usually get discouarged because of all the fluctations. You may want to up your calories too. I stalled for about 4 months on a 1200 calorie diet before I finally figured out you suppose to eat at least your bmr everyday...good luck:)

When you say eat ur BMR does that include or disclude exercise calories?

LikesVeges

Everyone is different. It's tough. I think that when I exercise I don't lose as quickly at first, but, I agree with the comment above..... give it a month. Eat healthy, fresh and balanced. Exercise. Then really poke around MFP. There is a lot of dialog about folks improving their loss by eating more (Good food, not crap). That may be something to consider if your are below your recommended calorie intake.There are some good blogs that people have written about their journeys, as well.

I also cannot resist peeking at the scale daily, although I only record 1x/week. It really bumps around. Depends on water retention, your colon's activity (if you know what I mean), and hormones at any given time. Hang in there. We are going to live our lives over the next three months whether we continue eating w/o care and probably gain or if we give it thought and feed our bodies nutritious food and get our blood pumping with exercise. I hope to stick to the latter!

sweebum

It's water weight, you'll see a whoosh down in a week or so. Here's a good explanation: https://www.turbokick.com/wblog/?p=709

" The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and “unfamiliar” the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to
“protect and defend” the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen with fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated in those first couple of weeks become discouraged and quit!"

kiminikimkim

Probably water weight

ecw3780

This happens to me. Only weigh yourself once a week first thing in the morning (preferably a day or two since you have worked out), eat half your body weight in protein, and drink a gallon of water a day. Also, remember, you have to eat 3500 extra calories to gain a pound. Muscles swell and retain water- you are not getting fatter...I swear.

ExplorinLauren

You lost me at "almost a week"
Give it time Please

Lift_hard_eat_big

It's most likely water weight gain as a result of the stress from the training. Keep up the training and track your caloric intake. Try not to focus on the scale measurements, but focus on how your clothing feels, looks, etc.

dixiech1ck

You said that you are only sticking to 1200 calories, yet are working out. Meaning, you aren't eating back your exercise calories. So of course you will gain weight, because your body is going into starvation mode. Try eating back at least half of your exercise calories burned. This will help to speed up your metabolism and burn everything quicker. Seriously - limiting yourself to 1200 is only hurting your metabolism. You need to EAT to BURN and LOSE. Just like your car needs oil and gasoline to run, food is your oil and gasoline. My limit on here is 1400 but I rarely, if ever, eat less than 1650 a day. And I've lost 86 lbs. So it is obviously working.

amtimmons23

Thanks everyone! Your comments are the first thing I read this morning and i feel movitaed and much better. I'll start weighing myself only once a week and first thing in the morning. Also, i need to be more patient I know. I am only eating my 1200 per day and then working off about 400-800 calories almost every day. So maybe i should eat a bit more at night. I'll take all advice into consideration and again...I APPRECIATE IT!

2hobbit1

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Eat more! check out this link to see how to set you calorie targets for sustained weight loss.

LorinaLynn

I typically weigh 3 pounds more at night than I do in the morning. In the evening, you're weighing all the food and drink that's still in your guts.

PLUS, when you start an exercise routine (and sometimes even after you've been doing it a while), your muscles retain fluid to help them repair. Do you feel stiff or sore at all? That stiffness is inflammation, and inflammation is fluid retention, and fluid retention can mask a weight loss or even show as a weight gain. It's temporary and normal.

p0kers0ph

I just posted a thread earlier. I havent' gained or lost, but I have lost inches and changed my body shape.
Don't focus too much on the scale, take measurements and pics.

firstsip

You must be new.

polo571

Up your cals to 1500 and drink more water. See what happens. Also do you measure your inches?

angenjake

Don't get discouraged, certain times of the month are unforgiving:) Just keep doing what you have been doing, you are supposed to be taking in water equaled to half you body weight, some people think they are drinking enough, but they are not even coming close. You are doing great:)

Couponqueenren

Awe sweetie don't get discouraged. I gained 10 pounds when I first started working out. Your body just needs to adjust. Keep up the tracking and moving and in no time you will start seeing results. And take measurements. Those will be a better guide than the scale. Congrats on your new life changes

jmpetros

When nurses weigh their patients, it is usually first thing in the morning right after the patients use the bathroom. You may find that your weights are more accurate if you do this.


Secondly, like everyone else has said, you may be gaining muscle, you may be retaining water. Don't give up. It'll come off.

bblich02

patience my dear!! it'll come in time. and don't be fixated on the scale. take measurements! muscle is denser than fat, therefore taking up less space! so you might weigh more because of muscle, and you'll be able to fit in your clothes much better!

TrailRunner61

First of all, congrats on making a commitment to better health!
I wouldn't worry about a gain since it's only been one week. A lot of factors can reflect a gain. What is your sodium intake? Are you staying under your carbs macros? Were you sedentary before you started exercising?
Keep working on it, keep exercising, make sure you eat enough and that it's healthy food too. You'll get there, I promise!

racerscottw227

If you are going to weigh yourself daily, do so in the morning after you use the restroom and before you eat or drink anything. That way you can minimize any variables that might make your weight fluctuate unnaturally.

Also, for the first couple of weeks my weight fluctuated wildly. After my body got used to drinking water only, and eating right, and exercising things began to calm down.

checof

First of all

---

DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF AT NIGHT.

This is good advice, because it's true you're bound to weigh more in the evenings as compared to the morning. However, the key thing is to always weigh yourself at the same time of day as you did the week before. Weight fluctuates during the day, so it's not an accurate measurement if you weigh yourself at different times. Also, once a week weigh ins are less stressful than daily, and more accurate. Good luck!