anyone else have this annoying problem?! please help

EricaCarmack

okay- i do a TON of cardio~ i have been for the past 3 or 4 months, also on a low carb diet..

i started lifting every monday wednesday and friday.
on tuesday and thursday i work abs.

i dont normally weigh myself~ i go off of measurement. in 3 weeks i lost an inch from my hip line, waist and thighs. also lost a half inch of fat on my arms..

i decided to weigh myself~ against my better judgement~ and magically have gained 15lbs!

wth?!

i know i know~ muscle is more dense than fat- losing fat and gaining muscle will do that~

but WOW it is very annoying!
anyone else having this problem when building?

LoraF83

You probably aren't building muscle - that's really hard to do when you are eating at a deficit (although people new to strength training may see a small amount develop - it definitely won't be 15lbs worth).

In all reality, your muscles are probably retaining water/fluid to repair themselves. If up until now, all you have been doing is cardio, your body adjusted to that, and the weight training is throwing it for a loop. Your muscles need fluid to heal. Take a rest day (or two) and weigh again. The scale should decrease a lot.

Leadfoot_Lewis

There's no way you've gained 15 lbs of muscle in the short amount of time you've been lifting. You're most likely retaining water.

Has anything else changed? What's your diet like?

EricaCarmack

You probably aren't building muscle - that's really hard to do when you are eating at a deficit (although people new to strength training may see a small amount develop - it definitely won't be 15lbs worth).

In all reality, your muscles are probably retaining water/fluid to repair themselves. If up until now, all you have been doing is cardio, your body adjusted to that, and the weight training is throwing it for a loop. Your muscles need fluid to heal. Take a rest day (or two) and weigh again. The scale should decrease a lot.

makes sense.. just totally confusing.
(^lol made no sense there!)

let's just say i cant wrap my mind around that. i can tell a difference in my arms, shoulders, and legs.

i take time off on the weekends- i dont do cardio or any thing on saturday or sunday...

EricaCarmack

i hadnt actually weighed myself since may..
so maybe i shouldnt go off of that~ right?

(now i feel dumb..)

i have lost about 3 pants sizes since i started diet change and exercising.
but i still weigh the same

LoraF83

i hadnt actually weighed myself since may..
so maybe i shouldnt go off of that~ right?

(now i feel dumb..)

i have lost about 3 pants sizes since i started diet change and exercising.
but i still weigh the same

If you haven't been on a scale since May, and you're up 15lbs, there's something else going on there.

EricaCarmack

like possibly gaining fat?

LoraF83

It could be a number of things:

1. Water retention in the muscles
2. Wherever you are on your monthly cycle
3. Too much sodium caused more water retention
4. Actual weight gain (fat)
5. Small amount of muscle gain
6. You need to go to the bathroom


These are all pretty common reasons for scale fluctuation. Only you know what's going on in your life and with your body, so you'll have to look at your tracking, exercise, and habits to figure out which one (or combination) applies. But I still say, take a rest day or two and weigh again, and the scale should drop at least some.

EricaCarmack

i know it cant be fat gain. the loss of inches kind of tells me that.
i have just recently upped my water intake
(was a soda junkie)
but is that possible to retain water and still measure out smaller?
or am i just a weightloss idiot?! lol

jetabear10

Your food diary is very inconsistent...1000 cals one day and double that another...

Plus you seem to be eating a lot of fat in your diet...

Just my 2 cents worth.

LoraF83

Your food diary is very inconsistent...1000 cals one day and double that another...

Plus you seem to be eating a lot of fat in your diet...

Just my 2 cents worth.

I agree that your diary is inconsistent. That's a problem. There's also a lot of processed foods, which could have a lot of sodium.

However, fat doesn't make you fat. Excess calories make you fat. So, overdoing it in one macro or another won't automatically lead to weight gain, unless you are also going over in your calories. However, you may need to re-examine your macro settings, food intake, and goals if you find yourself consistently going over in one macro, as that could lead to a deficiency in another. Just something to think about.

Ruthe8

That's a pretty big fluctuation. I'd guess there's something wrong with your scale, to be honest.

But it doesn't matter. As long as you're losing size, who cares about the weight?

ahamm002

As long as you're losing inches than it doesn't matter. However, you should definitely start weighing yourself every day. The problem with weighing yourself every 6 months is that you have no idea whether that weight is water. Whereas, if you weigh yourself every day, eventually you start to get a feel for how you weight changes with water retention.

EricaCarmack

That's a pretty big fluctuation. I'd guess there's something wrong with your scale, to be honest.

But it doesn't matter. As long as you're losing size, who cares about the weight?

good point. i have lost a lot mass wise.
and starting to tone quite a bit.
but as a woman it is easy to lose yourself in a number.
now after this whole post i am crazy discouraged!
i think i may be on the wrong site for my diet and goals..

EricaCarmack

As long as you're losing inches than it doesn't matter. However, you should definitely start weighing yourself every day. The problem with weighing yourself every 6 months is that you have no idea whether that weight is water. Whereas, if you weigh yourself every day, eventually you start to get a feel for how you weight changes with water retention.

the problem with that is~ i had an eating disorder years ago- all based on my scale.
the number scares the crap out of me
makes me want to go back to the quick unhealthy fix.
for my own peace of mind i steer clear..

LoraF83

As long as you're losing inches than it doesn't matter. However, you should definitely start weighing yourself every day. The problem with weighing yourself every 6 months is that you have no idea whether that weight is water. Whereas, if you weigh yourself every day, eventually you start to get a feel for how you weight changes with water retention.

the problem with that is~ i had an eating disorder years ago- all based on my scale.
the number scares the crap out of me
makes me want to go back to the quick unhealthy fix.
for my own peace of mind i steer clear..

So don't use the scale. Get rid of it. It's not a good indicator of your fitness or body anyway.

MFP doesn't have to be by the scale. It's a tool to use for weight loss, but you can use it to track your inches lost, fitness progress, nutrition, etc.

That said, if you feel uncomfortable or triggered, then it's not worth it.

astrampe

Throw away your scale - as long as you lose inches, everything is fine...
The number on the scale is not written on your forehead - the size pants you wear on the other hand, is there for everybody to see....:laugh:

Ruthe8

That's a pretty big fluctuation. I'd guess there's something wrong with your scale, to be honest.

But it doesn't matter. As long as you're losing size, who cares about the weight?

good point. i have lost a lot mass wise.
and starting to tone quite a bit.
but as a woman it is easy to lose yourself in a number.
now after this whole post i am crazy discouraged!
i think i may be on the wrong site for my diet and goals..

I'm a woman and I don't have a problem with the number. If you're going to fixate on the scale, stop weighing yourself. Would you be happy if you weighed 100 pounds but were a size 30? It does not matter what you weigh.