Weight Gain!!!! Under cals and Gym...

squatsandlipgloss

Hi Guys,

I realise it has only REALLY been since Sunday I started eating well and going to the Gym.
However... I weighed in this morning and despite going to the gym every day since sunday and eating well, I have actually put ON 2lb.

I know I shouldn't weigh mid-week, but my weigh in is on Saturday- I wanted to see if I was on the right track.

I wasn't really expecting weight LOSS, maybe a slight nudge. I was expecting to really stay the same- but I've actually put on 2lb in the past 5 days despite this.

Why has this happened? I should surely be staying the same or losing if I am using more calories than I am intaking?

I'm a little disheartened and confused...!

Maybe you should first tell us how you define "eating well"... How many calories are you eating?

squatsandlipgloss

Scratch what I said above. I looked at your diary: watch your sodium intake, it is very high! You seem to be eating a LOT (lot lot lot!) of ready-made meals. These contain a lot of sodium usually. Try cooking from scratch!

meeper123

dont panic everytime you gain 1-5 pounds it willgo away if you drink lots of water and keep the sodium low

SGSmallman

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

Read this and follow it, find out how many calories you should be eating stick with it and watch the weight fly off.

your weight can fluctuate by anything up to 6lbs a day from large meals, sodium intake, water retention form training muscles ...

I weigh in once a fortnight first thing friday morning after going to the bathroom and before i eat or drink but this is just for my eyes i prefer to use body fat % and measurements. WEight is going down steadily but inches are flying off and i'm getting stronger.

The goal is to be come fit and healthy we want to lose fat and build muscle.

Good luck and stick with it :P

libbymarshall127

I think your sodium is quite high, especially yesterday, that will make you retain water

chaoticgeek

Also get a flexible measuring tape and take measurements. I got a cheap sewing one from walmart and that is a great way to track progress.

RoseTears143

I agree with a few other posters - it's only been 4 or 5 days. My weight can fluctuate 4-6 lbs in either direction when I weigh daily. I only "officially" weigh in once a week, or about every 7-8 days and use that number. Especially when lifting weights and daily variation in nutrient intake, you can retain water. And if you eat a lot of prepackaged foods I bet your sodium or salt intake is on the high side. Try cooking more fresh foods to control what is in your meals.

Keep your head up, you are just getting started! :-)

kelbwjax

Hi Guys,

I realise it has only REALLY been since Sunday I started eating well and going to the Gym.
However... I weighed in this morning and despite going to the gym every day since sunday and eating well, I have actually put ON 2lb.

I know I shouldn't weigh mid-week, but my weigh in is on Saturday- I wanted to see if I was on the right track.

I wasn't really expecting weight LOSS, maybe a slight nudge. I was expecting to really stay the same- but I've actually put on 2lb in the past 5 days despite this.

Why has this happened? I should surely be staying the same or losing if I am using more calories than I am intaking?

I'm a little disheartened and confused...!

Your weight can possibly be fluctuating depending on food, water, ect in your stomach/body. Measuring inches instead of pounds is more accurate.

Biglossbiggerdreams

Hi Guys,

I realise it has only REALLY been since Sunday I started eating well and going to the Gym.
However... I weighed in this morning and despite going to the gym every day since sunday and eating well, I have actually put ON 2lb.

I know I shouldn't weigh mid-week, but my weigh in is on Saturday- I wanted to see if I was on the right track.

I wasn't really expecting weight LOSS, maybe a slight nudge. I was expecting to really stay the same- but I've actually put on 2lb in the past 5 days despite this.

Why has this happened? I should surely be staying the same or losing if I am using more calories than I am intaking?

I'm a little disheartened and confused...!

Keep at it, change won't happen over night. Also, in looking at your food diary it looks like you consume a HUGE amount of sodium. Cut back on that a lot and you'll probably retain less water.

SarahBrown1979

Hope you don't mind but I took a look at your Diary for this week and noticed 2 things that may play into the gain...
1. Sodium = water weight
2. Carbs - try staying around 150 in carbs.
Resently went to Dr's and showed them my MFP logging, I go to the gym at least 4-6 times a week, stay under cals and try not to go into my workout cals, she noticed that MFP was allotting me around 330 in carbs a day when I worked out. She said if I stayed around 150 in carbs and stay in the 2500 for sodium that I would see a difference. A week later after seeing .5-.7 lbs losses, I lost 2.2 lbs! My Husband lost 6! This morning I took a sneak peek (our weigh ins are on sat mornings ) and it said -2 lbs, so i'm hoping to see that or more this saturday since I have 2 more workouts before I weigh in offically. Good luck and I hope this helps!

hjcopeland

I agree with weighing in more frequently (if you choose to weigh in weekly or monthly or whatever, that's fine, no judgment here).

By frequently, I mean daily at most, at the same time of day (usually first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking).

You can learn a lot about your body by weighing in daily.

For example, after a strenuous workout (i.e. running or lifting), it is not uncommon to gain a couple of pounds in retained water. Sore muscles can and do retain water (this is not a myth).

Water weighs over 8 lbs per gallon, so how much you drink can play a huge role as well. Drink two quarts of water, and you just "gained" 4 pounds (temporarily anyway).

You definitely need to stay hydrated, but by better understanding how your body reacts to and retains water, you can relax a little bit about what the scale says and learn to think longer term.

So, ironically, by weighing in daily and better understanding your body's normal weight fluctations, you can learn to stress less about what the scale actually says, and instead think a little more about why it says what it says, and stay focused on your long term fitness goals.

And, like several other posters mentioned, your sodium intake plays a huge role in how much water you retain. I have gained several (3-5) pounds in a single day just by blowing it on sodium intake (pizza, wings, or whatever). You can set sodium as one of the nutrients you track on your home page diary in MFP by clicking on the "Food" tab above, then "Settings".

The good news is the water weight goes away failry quickly.

But only by monitoring your weight relative to your diet can you learn how your body react to these things.

Montarosa456

Ahhhh please don’t get down about your weight, what you are on is a long journey that sometimes speeds up and sometimes get’s stuck in traffic.
When I first changed my lifestyle back in 2008 I did not loose a pound for 3 weeks and then BOOM! (but I was very overweight).
Sometimes it’s hard when your trying not to feel disappointed but don’t do the following:
*Stress – It can cause bloating/comfort eating
*Give up - (So what if it takes time/you cheat)
*Beat yourself up - by reducing calories too low/skipping meals
*Freak out over water retention – It’s normal!

More than anything eat healthy as a way of life and make work outs fun because that way you’ll stick to it and keep weight off which is the hardest part.

Good luck and keep smiling!

Sunnyjb

Stop weighing yourself. Seriously, don't weigh yourself for two weeks. Please? Obsessing over that number is bad for your health!

kalea_kane

You've gotten a lot of great tips here. I am so new too. I just wanted to say that I'm glad you posted, because I am sure that your post will help a lot of others. And for more encouragement. My weight has gone up and down between showering. It is all weirdness. I only weight myself once a week now. I asked my husband to hide the scale so I don't freak out over it. He only takes it out for me once a week.

JoanB5

you have been to the gym 5 days in a row.... you should weigh after your rest day

Hello thank you for the reply.

Sorry to sound stupid- why should you weigh after a rest day? Is it something to do with using muscles at the Gym?

When you workout your muscle retain water to aid in recovery and to protect them from damage caused by exercise. Once you get use to the workouts or take a break your muscles will shed the unneeded water.

^This. Good advice. (And make sure you are eating back at least half of your exercise calories. New muscles need more energy to make more muscle to burn more calories!)

ladymiseryali

It's more than likely water retention due to sodium overconsumption, as well as water retention from your workouts. Give it a couple of days, watch the sodium, up your water intake and then weigh in again.

Sakura_Tree

it's probably just food/water weight