Gaining weight but feel slimmer?

kabel4892

So i've noticed that since ive started eating healthier and working out a few times a week, the number on my scale has gone up. The scale I usually use, went from 150, to 152. And then I weighed myself at my dads the other day and his said 154. Its very frustrating. Shouldnt I be losing weight instead of gaining? I know my stomach is flatter and I fit my clothing a bit better, but the number keeps going up.

psuLemon

Its water weight. Just concentrate on eating adequate calories (should he aiming for 1/2 lb per week and 50% of your exercise calories) and weight training. This will improve fat loss. So you dont have to worry about weight. Its really meaningless. Go by how you look and feel.

RoadsterGirlie

I have been eating at maintenance, but I'm sick this week, so I wasn't able to work out like I normally am.

I lost two lbs, but my body doesn't feel quite as "firm" as it usually does.

Just keep at it!

JesterMFP

First of all, different scales weight differently, so try to only measure your loss/gain on one scale. Secondly, your weight fluctuates all the time anyway, regardless of whether or not you're trying to lose. It will fluctuate throughout the day and from day to day, depending on the different amounts of food and liquids you have consumed, and any water you are retaining.

You can retain water as a result of hormone fluctuations, eating more sodium than usual, eating more carbs than usual and changing or increasing the exercise you're doing. When you start a new exercise regime or increase intensity, your muscles will hold on to water as they repair themselves.

So, those few pounds are negligible really. Try to look at the overall trend over weeks and months. Also, if you can, use other ways to measure your progress such as body measurements, progress photos and how you feel your clothes are fitting.

If you're getting slimmer, then it's likely that you have lost some fat, but that this loss is being masked on the scale by other factors such as water retention.

ubermensch13

So i've noticed that since ive started eating healthier and working out a few times a week, the number on my scale has gone up. The scale I usually use, went from 150, to 152. And then I weighed myself at my dads the other day and his said 154. Its very frustrating. Shouldnt I be losing weight instead of gaining? I know my stomach is flatter and I fit my clothing a bit better, but the number keeps going up.

This post sums up pretty much everything wrong with our view on weight loss (by no means am I picking on the OP, just using it as the perfect example of what has been driving me nuts for months!). Imagine waking up and saying "I feel better, look better, but some number on a machine says something I don't like, so all the other empirical data CAN'T be correct"...Can't we ignore the scales from now on and focus on the overall picture??!!

MrsSWW

This year I've learned to go with how my body feels rather than what the scales tell me, if your clothes are looser and your stomach is flatter then focus on that. Scales can be useful indicators but they're not the be all and end all :drinker:

squishy2981

When you start working out, you also convert fat to muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale can be frustrating, but it's only a guideline, not the absolute for feeling healthy! I weigh 172 pounds, but most people think I weigh about 140. It's the muscle. This is a good thing, and you are on track for being healthy!! Keep up the good work!!

kabel4892

Thanks guys for your advice. I think im just going to try and not worry about the number and go by how I look and feel. It is frustrating, but as long as im being healthier and doing better for myself, thats what counts.

Crazy4Healthy

Muscle does not turn into fat, you lose fat and build muscle and muscle also doesn't weigh more (a lb is a lb), muscle is more dense and takes up less space. If you are building muscle and losing fat, you will appear more lean. You can actually weigh more and get smaller while building muscle.

What you may be seeing is some residual water weight. Our weight will fluctuate each and every day (especially during TOM). I would highly recommend taking measurements as well. You may find you are losing inches even when the scale won't budge. Sounds like that may be the case in your situation. Can never rely solely on the scale. I would also recommend taking pictures, they truly are worth a thousand words. I can see so much more difference when looking at pics.

Best of luck to you!

Edited for grammar

psuLemon

If you are a calorie deficit you did not gain muscle. So it doesnt matter which weighs more. If you just started working out, its water retention.

jesz124

When you start working out, you also convert fat to muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale can be frustrating, but it's only a guideline, not the absolute for feeling healthy! I weigh 172 pounds, but most people think I weigh about 140. It's the muscle. This is a good thing, and you are on track for being healthy!! Keep up the good work!!

Converting fat into muscle? Can you turn water into wine as well? :sad: it would be highly unlikely that the OP would gain 2 lbs of muscle in that time without strength training and also eating at a deficit.

MemphisKitten

Are you measuring as well? This is very common. You are losing inches!!

MemphisKitten

If you are a calorie deficit you did not gain muscle. So it does matter which weighs more. If you just started working out, its water retention.

:laugh: Yes Professor Eyebrow.

CupcakeCrusoe

So i've noticed that since ive started eating healthier and working out a few times a week, the number on my scale has gone up. The scale I usually use, went from 150, to 152. And then I weighed myself at my dads the other day and his said 154. Its very frustrating. Shouldnt I be losing weight instead of gaining? I know my stomach is flatter and I fit my clothing a bit better, but the number keeps going up.

This post sums up pretty much everything wrong with our view on weight loss (by no means am I picking on the OP, just using it as the perfect example of what has been driving me nuts for months!). Imagine waking up and saying "I feel better, look better, but some number on a machine says something I don't like, so all the other empirical data CAN'T be correct"...Can't we ignore the scales from now on and focus on the overall picture??!!

Amen.

sarahrbraun

When you start working out, you also convert fat to muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale can be frustrating, but it's only a guideline, not the absolute for feeling healthy! I weigh 172 pounds, but most people think I weigh about 140. It's the muscle. This is a good thing, and you are on track for being healthy!! Keep up the good work!!

Not entirely true. You cannot TURN fat into muscle, but you CAN lose fat and gain muscle.

I weigh 195lbs right now, but my measurements are similar to what they were when I weighed 175lbs. I am wearing clothes from that time in my life.

watfordjc

Scales, photos, clothes, measurements (including body fat), etc. are used by me for looking at trends.

The only thing I care about each week is calories consumed and calories expended. The other stuff fluctuates so I compare it to 4 weeks before, average it out (when it comes to numbers), and check I'm on course.

psuLemon

When you start working out, you also convert fat to muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale can be frustrating, but it's only a guideline, not the absolute for feeling healthy! I weigh 172 pounds, but most people think I weigh about 140. It's the muscle. This is a good thing, and you are on track for being healthy!! Keep up the good work!!

Not entirely true. You cannot TURN fat into muscle, but you CAN lose fat and gain muscle.

I weigh 195lbs right now, but my measurements are similar to what they were when I weighed 175lbs. I am wearing clothes from that time in my life.

Its almost impossible to gain muscle while cutting fat. One needs a surplus of calories and one needs a deficit. The more likely scenario is you cut fat making your muscles more visible... this makes people think they are gaining muscle.

Erikalynne18

Probably just water retention Also, weight can differ dependent on when you weight yourself throughout the day, as well as with different scales (might not be calibrated right). The BEST is to weight yourself first thing in the morning after you have gone to the bathroom, but before you eat or drink anything Also if it's your time of month, you will probably weight more due to water weight. Don't stress though And take measurements, they can show alot when the scale isn't budgeing! Good luck!