Gaining weight

So I have done this diet for four days so far and stayed under my calorie count, even reduced my calorie count. I even played full court basketball for 3 hours this week and I somehow have gained four pounds. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • BellaFe
    BellaFe Posts: 323
    raise your calorie count
  • So eating less calories will make me gain weight? I do not understand.
  • Stick to the calorie count given to you and eat most of the calories back that you earn through exercise too... otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and starts storing the fat rather than burning it... I've just learnt this! I was doing great, started exercising more and suddenly stopped losing weight because I haven't been having enough calories just to function...
  • BellaFe
    BellaFe Posts: 323
    essentially yes, at the very least you need to eat at your BMR, to get the best results you need to figure out your TDEE and eat that at a small deficit, 15-20% less
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
    Reading your diary would be helpful to know how much/little you're eating, how much you're exercising. It's hard to help without the data.

    Fuel the body, exercise, and things will kick start.

    Also, guys retain water, too. Maybe keep trudging along and don't weigh yourself for a few days. See where you are after that.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    1. You ate something high in sodium within a couple of days of the weigh-in.
    2. You have not pooped recently or you ate more (by weight, not calories) than usual before your weigh-in.
    3. You are not used to so much physical activity, so your muscles are hoarding water.

    Four days is really too soon to have an accurate sense of whether MFP is giving you a good target. Body weight can easily fluctuate by five pounds in either direction on any given day, whereas most people should only be losing up to 2 lbs a week. Keep eating at your goal (the original one) for a month and see what happens.
  • Weighinginwithmy02
    Weighinginwithmy02 Posts: 369 Member
    not being smart here, but give it more than 4 days.
  • DeanBurrows
    DeanBurrows Posts: 116 Member
    DOMS = delayed onset muscle soreness and does not cause weight gain. However, weight lifting/sudden increase in exercise after a long period will cause your muscles to swell and retain water (with or without DOMS) which can cause weight gain.

    It's only week 1, i wouldn't even bother looking at the scales for another few weeks, you need to understand that scales are not the be all and end all of success/progress.

    Just have a look in the mirror or start checking your body part measurements or if you don't want to do that then simply just keep an eye on your clothe sizes

    You will start to notice a difference in time, don't fret :D
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,420 MFP Moderator
    So I have done this diet for four days so far and stayed under my calorie count, even reduced my calorie count. I even played full court basketball for 3 hours this week and I somehow have gained four pounds. Any suggestions?

    it's called water retention, it happens during exercise. Weight should be evaluated over a long period of time, not daily. Also, make sure you eat enough or you will end up losing just as much muscle as fat. Active men are generally eating 2200+ calories. What are you eating?
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
    there are a lot of things that could make your weight fluctuate that rapidly in four days.

    -you could be weighing yourself incorrectly. make sure you are weighing yourself at the same time in the same situation (the best way to do it is to pick a single day out of the week, i picked monday, and weigh yourself in the morning right after you wake up before you eat or drink anything, and you should not be wearing any clothing). The reason you want to do this is because your body fluctuates in weight during the day so stepping on the scale at different times can show you different weights. Sometimes my weight fluctuates as much as 3-5 pounds just from drinking water and not yet peeing.

    -water weight. This is probably self explanatory. your body could be clinging to water for different reasons (high sodium in your diet, high carbohydrates, or you could have weighed yourself after drinking a lot of water).

    there are others also but you get the point. just stick with what your diet is telling you, stay away from the scale until next week, and then in a few weeks i'm sure you will see a drop in weight as you expected (as long as you aren't overestimating exercise calories and underestimating your caloric intake, which alone or combined can destroy any calorie deficit you think you might have. measure everything you eat and don't go overboard with tracking your exercise calories.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Make sure you weigh and log everything correctly, you are not gaining fat on a high calorie deficit. Things like sodium and water retention can cause "gains" which are temporary. Under eating may stall any weight loss, it's amazing how many people put all their faith in MFP when it sets them at 1200 calories but completely disagree with the theory of starvation mode that MFP tells them about. Set your own calorie goal based on your TDEE and BMR
  • Danilynn1975
    Danilynn1975 Posts: 294 Member
    sometimes when you start a new exercise program your body will retain fluid, making it appear as if you gained weight.

    In all reality you have not gained weight, it is just the body holding on to fluid to cushion your muscles and try to repair damage or unaccustomed strain.

    drink your water, avoid salt like it carries bubonic plague.

    give it 2 weeks, I promise it will get better. Hang tough. Although do make sure you are eating enough food, set your goal weight loss lower and take it slower, you will be more grateful for it in the long run. I learned that the hard way.

    it's normal, relax and don't worry.
  • nylphia
    nylphia Posts: 16
    not being smart here, but give it more than 4 days.

    I agree. weighed one day and 2 days later the scale said I gained 1.2 pound. 3 days later and I lost 1.9 pounds. I then left the scale alone for a full week and found overall I lost 4 lbs. The weight fluctuates a lot from 1 day to the next so I now weigh once a week because seeing the weight loss is a motivaiton to keep pushing forward for me. Good Luck!
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    Give it more than four days, too. Depending on how drastic a change this has been, your body is likely still adapting. Your body's not like a bank account where it instantaneously gets smaller the moment you spend more than you take in.

    Edit: Dangit. That's what I get for pausing to have a conversation in mid-post. I end up finding out too late that people have already made the same basic comment while I was distracted.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    It's been 4 days. Likely it's water retention from exercise, but it could just as likely be regular fluctuations.

    Be Patient. Log your food consistently. Eat at a modest deficit. Be patient.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    not being smart here, but give it more than 4 days.

    Bingo!! We have a winner!!