Scale says I'm gaining weight when I should be losing?

atiyarose
atiyarose Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've completely changed my diet - eating clean and watching my portions, I've adopted a vigorous gym schedule with lots of cardio & toning exercises. But the numbers on the scale keep going up! My boyfriend says that people gain weight before they lose it - is that true? If not, what is going on?

Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    Could be water weight or muscle gain. How do your clothes fit? Do your body measurements it may be a better way. Also if you are using different scales they may give you different weights.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
    Lot's of time exercise causes your body to retain more water than usually, especially lifting. However you don't give enough information to tell you anything other than that. Like, what is your daily calorie intake, how much exercise, how long you have been tracking, what ways are you tracking progress (besides the scale), etc.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    muscle gain.

    No... not if the OP is eating at a calorie deficit.

    OP, it could be due to water retention (from either monthly changes, sodium or the workouts you are doing). It could be just a normal fluctuation *(you will not lose every week when you are trying to lose weight). It could also be the scale you are using. If you used a idfferent one than before it can be a different weight. If your feet aren't properly on it, if the scale is not on a flat, hard level surface, if the feet of the scale are dirty, if the scale has been bumped/moved frequently, or if the battery is low ... all these things could cause a different reading on the scale.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I'm doing a muscle-building/fat-burning program through Bodybuilding.com, and it tells me the same thing as your husband said - I'm going to gain weight before I lose it.
  • Ashi69
    Ashi69 Posts: 2
    If you are doing heavy duty toning workouts, your are building muscle! Never mind weight, have you been taking measurements? they are a more accurate method of tracking fat loss, as the scale only shows total body weight, it does not distinguish between fat, muscle or water. For example, think of a body builder who weighs 260lbs... they are like all muscle and super low body fat, but they would weigh the same as a heavily obese person who is also 260lbs who has minimal muscle and lots of fat! :)
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
    If you are NOT in a calorie surplus, you are NOT building muscle. There is the possibility for some miniscule gain while at a deficit (close to your TDEE) if you are new to lifting, but they really won't show up on the scale for a pretty good while.
    the keyword of that last sentence is "miniscule".
    Again. You do not give enough information for anyone to truly help you. Posts of "you are gaining muscle!", while probably full of good intention, are misguided at best.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Do you know how much you are eating? It is possible to over eat healthy foods.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    If you are doing heavy duty toning workouts, your are building muscle!

    NO... you will not build any real amounts of muscle on a calorie deficit. You lose muscle at a deficit unless you are lifting heavy, have a small deficit and consume enough protein at which point you may be able to retain muscle. You will not build it.

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