Working out and gaining weight??? =(

Options
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
«1

Replies

  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Options
    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
    ChrisStoney Posts: 479 Member
    Options
    give it a month!!
  • MamaMaryC
    MamaMaryC Posts: 142 Member
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    RebelliousRibbons Posts: 391 Member
    Options
    First of all
    DO NOT WEIGH YOURSELF AT NIGHT.


    Second of all, active muscles retain water.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    Options
    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
    skinnygurl02 Posts: 176 Member
    Options
    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
    shosh413 Posts: 135 Member
    Options
    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
    LikesVeges Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    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
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    Options
    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
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    Options
    Probably water weight
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    Options
    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
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    Options
    You lost me at "almost a week"
    Give it time :) Please :)
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    Options
    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
    dixiech1ck Posts: 769 Member
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    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
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Options
    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. :wink:

    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.