Gained two weeks in a row! Help!

sbro32

I am starting my 5th week of MFP. First week I lost 5 lbs, second lost .2, third, gained1lb, 4rth gained 1.4. I am REALLY trying to stay positive here. I don't have a huge amount to lose in the first place. Shooting for 15 lbs or so. But I have been working really hard at this. Eating nutrient dense food. Counting every calorie.

I started my mini marathon training last week, and I also strength train 1 to 2 times a week. I am trying to keep my spirits up by saying this is an adjustment to my training.

So do you guys buy the whole "gaining muscle thing"? And if so, would that really cancel out me losing weight, since I'm at a calorie deficit?

I'm a really positive person, seriously. But it's hard not to get just a teeeennny bit pssed when I see the number go up instead down after a week's worth of work.

Appreciate your advice or thoughts!

jellybeanmusic

As your diary isn't open, it's hard to say. How many calories are you consuming and how many are you burning working out?

cedarghost

You didn't gain that much muscle in two weeks, but if you think about it, doesn't the weight gain pretty much line up with when you started strength training? It's pretty normal for weight loss to slow down when you start strength training. Your muscles will retain more water as they need to repair themselves.

Also, being that you have only a small amount to lose, you will want to eat close enough to your TDEE so that you lose only around 1/2 a pound to a pound a week maximum.

KenosFeoh

I don't think you gained significant muscle in two weeks. Are you sore? Sore = inflammation = extra fluid.

Plus scales are wacky! And they lie! Truly. A couple of weeks ago I was sick - couldn't keep anything down, running to the bathroom at least once per hour. And my weight went up 3 pounds. How do you explain that? It couldn't have been extra fluid (could it?); I was losing that from both ends.

(P.S. - I've tested my scales against my doctor's scales, and they usually agree within a few 10ths of a pound.)

Anyway, if you know you've been doing the right things, don't let a few bump ups in weight get you down. It happens, and we often don't know the reasons why.

babyshekamoo

Don't let the scale get you down. They can be wacky and not really accurate. How are your clothes fitting? Did you do your measurements? How are those?

As long as your doing what you should be working out, drinking water, eating a good amount of healthy food, getting good sleep you are doing right by your body.

Also different people's bodies react differently to different diets. For example low calorie doesn't really work for me but low carb does. So you may want to do some research on different diets and see what would work best for you. Good luck!

sbro32

All of this is encouraging and made me feel a lot better. Thanks so much!