Just starting out and GAINED weight

If you are being accurate with your calories consumed, as well as your calories burned, then I'd say it's probably just water retention; depending on your height, 4-8 lbs could all be water weight from your body adjusting to a new routine If you went from nothing to WHAM, weight lifting/cardio, your muscles are going to be retaining water until they become more acclimated to your exercise program.

To avoid it? Give your body time. Keep doing what you're doing, try upping water intake, make sure you're tracking more than calories (which is why MFP diary system is nice to have), as sodium, and even sugar and/or carbs, can contribute to bloating/water retention.

However, you've been on here for more than two years, and you're saying you "just started out"; were you perhaps having issues NOT tracking on here? Was there a lack of exercise? Was 1200 calories too steep a deficit to sustain?

Why are you eating that little? I doubt MFP or any of the alternative roadmaps suggested that. As firstsip suggests, it's probably water retention -- either due to the muscle work or perhaps you're eating too much sodium or not drinking enough fluids.

If you want to make a healthy lifestyle adjustment and maintain it long term, it's probably best to do it more gradually and not to make drastic, unsustainable changes.

At your weight and the exercise levels you describe, you are not eating nearly enough.

Here's a collection of advice and links to good posts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin/view/how-to-use-myfitnesspal-427993 Hope it helps!

I created the account 2 years ago when I first started working full time, but due to a job where I was working 80 hours a week I stopped tracking everything because it was too time consuming and after a year and a half there put on too much weight so I quit for health reasons. I am now trying to get back into shape so I can run a half marathon next fall. My height is 5'9 so I'm not sure how much that would impact water weight.

Well, depending on how tall you are can help us reading your story know what your weight means; a 5' woman who weighs 80 lbs is most likely not going to gain 4-8 lbs in water weight unless edema, or serious PMS, is involved. 5'9" at 230 makes more sense for bloat/water retention at that number (as opposed to actual weight gain in 1-2 weeks).

Just curious, do you know you're body fat % and what type of work do you do?

Just curious, do you know you're body fat % and what type of work do you do?

I would recommend going to a pharmacy where they usually have scales that will measure body fat levels and they are usually pretty accurate. You should be able to keep an eye on it.

Or try http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/ Might not be as acurate but it's an idea of where you are right now.

I personally doubt you would hit starvation mode so soon since it would take a few weeks for your body to go into "Survivor" mode, but still your body may not be happy with such a drastic change, make sure you log EVERYTHING. This is including any oil or sauces you may use, and drinks you may have etc to make sure you really are hitting your quota and if you feel comfortable enough try and higher them a little. Your BMR (Basic metabolic rate) should be the bare minimum of net calories you consume a day and mine is a little over 1400 so I make sure to never eat under. These calories are needed to keep all your organs ticking over such as heart, brain etc. They can't run on very little fuel.

Check your BMR here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator and remember, BMR Is the minimum you should be eating, I usually eat around 1600 to 1900 depending on how much I exercise and lose weight pretty well in this, but every body is different so can't swear to you that would work.

Sounds like you might not be consuming enough calories so your body has gone into starvation mode.
Remember you are now building muscle which weighs more than fat with the increase of exercise.
I would look at increasing your calorie intake with "real food" and go with measurements as another possible way of measuring your weight loss.

This is all pretty unlikely. Starvation mode is a long-term condition, that certainly would not cause weight gain in a week. Muscle gain never happens at the same time as starvation mode- muscle can't be made of thin air, and if you're starving the whole idea is that your body is prioritizing calories for essential body function and slowing down unnecessary functions to conserve calories- for sure NOT building new tissue. And under ideal muscle building conditions, the best that could be expected would be less than 1 lb in a week (likely a lot less), certainly never 4 lbs. Even with steroids 4 lbs would be unreasonable for a woman in a week.

It's either water or undigested food if her calorie tracking is accurate.

I agree with getting a tape measure to take other measurements to track progress though. In my first 6 weeks I didn't lose a single lb, but I lost several inches from my waist. Without knowing that, I might have erroneously fiddled around and cut my calories too low, messing with a plan that was actually working.

Quite in the same predicament, though I guess I've more or less been off and on here on MFP for a few months. Gained a lot of weight this year, and in the past few months my weight has fluctuated.

Definitely try to stay on track and consistent with updating your daily report and check your math. Don't feel like you have to restrict yourself to 1200 especially if you've started exercising! I find my weight fluctuated the most when I cut myself to 1200 (though I cheat a lot).

If you need a friend, add me! I've just started trying to be a part of the online community here, looking forward to it! Keep up the work outs!!!