gutted....

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sheepy23
sheepy23 Posts: 22
in Motivation and Support
so i did my first weigh in after starting. it's been a week since i first weighed myself, I've been in or around my target calorie intake per day and have been exercising daily (alternating between cardio and upper body work) and yet my weight has gone up 2lbs from 213 to 215 and my BMI up to 29,1. needless to say i am rather upset about this and a bit confused also.

however weirdly enough, my body fat has taken a drop from 29.2% (28.2kg) to 27% (26.3kg).

has anyone got any idea why this sort of thing would happen? it's totally dismayed me and made me think i should be doing something different, but i don't know what.

thanks in advance,


Marc

Replies

  • grawrrrr
    grawrrrr Posts: 336
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    Your weight is going to fluctuate! Relax. Eat clean, try to keep sodium low and keep trucking. :)
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
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    It happens. Weight doesn't always go down. It could be what you are eating or the exercise you are doing.
  • trenley
    trenley Posts: 35 Member
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    This is a classic case of muscle gain! Gaining muscle will always add pounds onto the scale and it can be discouraging to see that number increase. But you're doing the right think in measuring your body fat. Also start taking measurements because those two things will really show you your progress from exercise. If the scale really starts to bother you, cut back to weighing yourself once a week or every other week. Increase your cardio to get more of that body fat off and maybe lift twice a week. As you get more comfortable with the number on the scale, you can increase your strength training to get those muscles really defined!

    Do NOT fret this! You're doing fantastic.
  • extraordinary_machine
    extraordinary_machine Posts: 3,028 Member
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    *whispers* um, gaining that much muscle in a week...doesn't really happen.

    It could be water weight...most likely is. Your weight will fluctuate a pound or two on any given day. Just keep at it, and maybe only weigh yourself every other week, or every month. You'll see bigger differences without freaking the phuck out over a measly 2 el-bees.
  • Hannah645
    Hannah645 Posts: 75 Member
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    Don't panic. It doesn't mean that you did anything wrong at all. Try tracking your measurements as well. Sore muscles retain extra fluid to heal, and that's probably where the scale weight came from. Paitence is key!
  • jcr85
    jcr85 Posts: 229
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    so i did my first weigh in after starting. it's been a week since i first weighed myself, I've been in or around my target calorie intake per day and have been exercising daily (alternating between cardio and upper body work) and yet my weight has gone up 2lbs from 213 to 215 and my BMI up to 29,1. needless to say i am rather upset about this and a bit confused also.

    however weirdly enough, my body fat has taken a drop from 29.2% (28.2kg) to 27% (26.3kg).

    has anyone got any idea why this sort of thing would happen? it's totally dismayed me and made me think i should be doing something different, but i don't know what.

    thanks in advance,


    Marc

    Body fat percentage is the only number that matters you should be happy to drop a percent in a week.
  • sheepy23
    sheepy23 Posts: 22
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    lol i didn't expect to have gained that much muscle in a week. it could possibly have been the fact that i had my lunch about an hour and a half before hand but even then i didn't eat 2lbs of food. i suppose i could just hang fire and see how things go. my intention, however is to weigh myself on a week by week basis and save the tickets that i get from the machine. that way i can look back and say "well you were this weight at x point, look at where you've gotten"

    thanks for all the support people :). puts a lot of things in perspective
  • Gwenski
    Gwenski Posts: 348 Member
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    Chin up Marc!
    Just keep at this.. I am almost at 100 pounds lost and only weighed in every 5 weeks. Even at that I still found that at one weigh in I'd have a big loss, and the next one, a small one ( like 12 pounds vs. 2 pounds). But over 10 weeks that was 14 pounds or 1.4 per week. Consistency really plays a part..just keep on trucking .along and do what you can each day..and, one day, the reward will be evident..on you, on the tape measur, and on the scale!
  • futurestarz
    futurestarz Posts: 510
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    I just weighed in yesterday, and I gained 2 lb also! But, then I did my measurements and realized that I lost over 5 inches between my chest, waist, and hips. It sounds like you are doing everything right!
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
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    This is a classic case of muscle gain! Gaining muscle will always add pounds onto the scale and it can be discouraging to see that number increase. But you're doing the right think in measuring your body fat. Also start taking measurements because those two things will really show you your progress from exercise. If the scale really starts to bother you, cut back to weighing yourself once a week or every other week. Increase your cardio to get more of that body fat off and maybe lift twice a week. As you get more comfortable with the number on the scale, you can increase your strength training to get those muscles really defined!

    Do NOT fret this! You're doing fantastic.

    He didn't gain 2 lbs of muscle in a week. If he did he is a wizard. It is more likely water retention & glycogen storage. The scale is but one tool. Keep working out & eat at a moderate deficit.
  • now_or_never12
    now_or_never12 Posts: 849 Member
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    This is a classic case of muscle gain! Gaining muscle will always add pounds onto the scale and it can be discouraging to see that number increase. But you're doing the right think in measuring your body fat. Also start taking measurements because those two things will really show you your progress from exercise. If the scale really starts to bother you, cut back to weighing yourself once a week or every other week. Increase your cardio to get more of that body fat off and maybe lift twice a week. As you get more comfortable with the number on the scale, you can increase your strength training to get those muscles really defined!

    Do NOT fret this! You're doing fantastic.

    Sorry but the OP didn't gain two lbs of muscle in a week eating at a deficit.

    It is a long process to gain any real amounts of muscle.

    The poster is most likely just experiencing the normal fluctuations when trying to lose weight. Weight loss isn't linear and weight will not always go down.

    I agree with starting to track measurements since the scale isn't the best way to view your progress.
  • sheepy23
    sheepy23 Posts: 22
    Options
    This is a classic case of muscle gain! Gaining muscle will always add pounds onto the scale and it can be discouraging to see that number increase. But you're doing the right think in measuring your body fat. Also start taking measurements because those two things will really show you your progress from exercise. If the scale really starts to bother you, cut back to weighing yourself once a week or every other week. Increase your cardio to get more of that body fat off and maybe lift twice a week. As you get more comfortable with the number on the scale, you can increase your strength training to get those muscles really defined!

    Do NOT fret this! You're doing fantastic.

    Sorry but the OP didn't gain two lbs of muscle in a week eating at a deficit.

    It is a long process to gain any real amounts of muscle.

    The poster is most likely just experiencing the normal fluctuations when trying to lose weight. Weight loss isn't linear and weight will not always go down.

    I agree with starting to track measurements since the scale isn't the best way to view your progress.


    this does seem like a good idea. i will have to purchase myself a tape measure :)
  • NaughtyForties
    NaughtyForties Posts: 69
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    It's definitely not muscle so scratch that, there's loads of threads on here stating how long muscle takes to develop so we can rule that one out. It's more likely water and the meal you had before (again loads of threads on those topics too).

    For me, if I weigh myself in the morning it's a totally different weight than after a meal and yes sometimes it's over 2 lbs difference even though all I had was a sandwich.

    I only weigh myself once every two weeks (longer if I'm tied up with stuff) this way you give your body a little time to adjust. I always weigh myself in the morning on an empty stomach so I can compare like for like. Go for consistency on your weigh in's to get an average.

    Expect fluctuations, eat clean and lift heavy, the scales will more downwards eventually. In my first two weeks the scale stayed the same for me. I adjusted my diet just slightly and the next time it moved. My conclusion: I was doing nothing wrong and was just to eager.

    HTH and good luck.
  • heatherluuu
    heatherluuu Posts: 58 Member
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    Marc - Same story... this is my first week, gained 2 pounds. I feel your pain.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,721 Member
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    how are you measuring your body fat? The scales are not accurate.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    If your muscles are sore (and especially if exercise is new to you), your muscles are retaining water. If you ate more sodium than usual in the last few days, you are retaining water.

    Body fat %age is more important than what the scale says.
  • bronnyd
    bronnyd Posts: 278 Member
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    lol i didn't expect to have gained that much muscle in a week. it could possibly have been the fact that i had my lunch about an hour and a half before hand but even then i didn't eat 2lbs of food. i suppose i could just hang fire and see how things go. my intention, however is to weigh myself on a week by week basis and save the tickets that i get from the machine. that way i can look back and say "well you were this weight at x point, look at where you've gotten"

    thanks for all the support people :). puts a lot of things in perspective

    I never weigh myself after I've put even one morsel of food in my mouth - always as soon as I wake up and then I go about my day. If you weighed yourself after lunch (even if you didn't eat 2lbs of food at lunch), you've also drank a bunch of water, eaten breakfast, etc. so you're not going to get an accurate reading of your weight.

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