Seriously, what the heck?!?!

I am so discouraged! I just finished week 2 of the Beach Body Turbo Jam program. Week 1 I lost 2 pounds, which was fantastic. And then at today's weigh in, The scale said i had gained 1.3 pounds! My calorie goal is 1330, which is my Bmr, and then I always eat back all my exercise calories, which is usually about 500 per day (so I'm still netting 1330) I've eaten completely healthy with no junk food whatsoever. How is this possible?! I use my wii fit scale first thing in the morning after using the bathroom with no clothes, so that's accurate, it can't be the scale making a difference.... There's no way I gained 1.3 pounds of muscle in one week, so that's not it, nowhere near TOM so its not water weight, but the numbers don't add up to make it even remotely possible for a weight gain. So what's going on??
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Replies

  • Perhaps you are gaining MUSCLE. Give it time. If you're eating healthy and moving your body...the scale WILL reflect those efforts.

    Are your clothes getting looser? That's one way to tell if you're getting healthier!
  • cominupmilhouse
    cominupmilhouse Posts: 257 Member
    Well it actually may be water weight, don't freak out yet! You're only in week 2, and when you start a new exercise regime your muscles have a tendency to retain water for repair.

    It sounds like you're doing really great, don't give up, it needs more time. You should also take your measurements TODAY and go by that as well as weight, measurements are an accurate portrayal of the physical effects of weight loss.

    Keep it up, good luck :)
  • Muscle does weight more then fat so it is poss for it to be just muscle you gained. also you are prob using muscles that have not been used for a while so they getting stronger x
  • GoddessG
    GoddessG Posts: 172 Member
    I'm no expert, but I'm confused. If you are eating your BMR plus you are eating your calories burned through exercise, why do you expect loss? You have to have a net loss in there somewhere. Also, unless you know your own actual BMR, remember that it's only an estimate. And sites often give GROSS calories burned during exercise rather than net. Try not eating back your exercise calories - at least not all of them.

    Also - make sure that you are taking in enough water. When you do that consistently, you will be less likely to retain water

    Also - PLEASE REMEMBER that women of child-bearing age have monthly weight fluctuations caused by water weight as a result of hormonal changes. Once you've been dieting for a few months, you will clearly see your pattern and be able to remember to NOT weight yourself during the predictable weight-gain times.
  • samantha1242
    samantha1242 Posts: 816 Member
    It can still be water weight even if you aren't around your TOM.

    Patience. :)
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    It's not muscle this fast and while eating at a deficit. But it has only been two weeks. Often you will see a good loss the first week, and then not the next - could be water weight, could be your body adjusting to new eating habits and calorie intake. Give it time. And yes, measurements are a great idea - often the scale will show no loss, but the tape measure will.

    Just keep at it and don't let the scale get ya down.
  • Wenlck
    Wenlck Posts: 1
    Keep up the great work, you WILL see and feel the differnce. :wink:
  • NyimaR
    NyimaR Posts: 108 Member
    I'm no expert, but I'm confused. If you are eating your BMR plus you are eating your calories burned through exercise, why do you expect loss? You have to have a net loss in there somewhere. Also, unless you know your own actual BMR, remember that it's only an estimate. And sites often give GROSS calories burned during exercise rather than net. Try not eating back your exercise calories - at least not all of them.

    Also - make sure that you are taking in enough water. When you do that consistently, you will be less likely to retain water

    Also - PLEASE REMEMBER that women of child-bearing age have monthly weight fluctuations caused by water weight as a result of hormonal changes. Once you've been dieting for a few months, you will clearly see your pattern and be able to remember to NOT weight yourself during the predictable weight-gain times.
    BMR is the minimum your body needs to live off. TDEE is what you actually use in a day. OP is right to be eating BMR + exercise cals as this still gives a deficit from TDEE.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
    Perhaps you are gaining MUSCLE. Give it time. If you're eating healthy and moving your body...the scale WILL reflect those efforts.

    Are your clothes getting looser? That's one way to tell if you're getting healthier!

    NO to the first sentence. You cannot GAIN 1.3lbs of muscle in a week,seriously. No.

    Second sentence,yes. Take measurements....your weight will fluctuate, inches are often a better indicator.
  • Don't get discouraged measure yourself you might be changing your body shape.
  • betsij
    betsij Posts: 299 Member
    I ran into this 2 weeks ago, You should be measuring as well, I had gain but lost inches.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    It's not muscle this fast and while eating at a deficit. But it has only been two weeks. Often you will see a good loss the first week, and then not the next - could be water weight, could be your body adjusting to new eating habits and calorie intake. Give it time. And yes, measurements are a great idea - often the scale will show no loss, but the tape measure will.

    Just keep at it and don't let the scale get ya down.
    ^This.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    She's not going to gain over a 1.3lb of muscle in 2 weeks whilst on a calorie deficit.

    It's just water weight from working out, drink lots of water and make sure you have a rest day at least once a week.
  • rainghirl
    rainghirl Posts: 203 Member
    If you are using the Wii check you have it on a level surface and check that the batteries are okay in the board. Mine were going the other day and it told me I'd gained 3lb (in one day?) I replaced them and my weight went back to what it had been the day before.

    Even if it's correct, you've still lost 0.7lb overall (she says trying to think positive) just give it time. What I found was that my weight seemed to go up and down during the period of about 2 weeks, but after about a month I would see a definite drop on the progress chart.
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
    I felt this way the week of Christmas! Gained .8 pound and I was really careful and continued regular exercise. I know it wasn't much of a gain but still upsetting.

    The next week, I lost 5.4 pounds! Did nothing different but our bodies like to do their own thing. Just keep going and don't let the weekly numbers upset you!

    You can do this!
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
    I agree with the others - water weight, not muscle. You can easily gain that much in water just with your muscles repairing themselves. Plus, if you had any high sodium days in there, that could do it too. It happens to me ALL THE TIME; I'm very prone to water gains. So try not to worry, just keep at it!
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    Its water retention. You are NOT building muscle this fast. It doesn't happen that fast - EVER.

    Stay off the scale, get a tape measure and when you hit the end of what ever you are doing weigh in. your body will fluctuate EVERY day, anywhere from 1 - 5+ pounds.
  • thecanface
    thecanface Posts: 1,180 Member
    MEASUREMENTS!!! can you check by a certain piece of clothing that used to fit tighter??
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Exercise swells the muscles, making them retain more water. It'll ease when they get used to it. As another member put it, your muscles are just "fluffy" right now. Keep on keepin' on and the scale will show the difference.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    Perhaps you are gaining MUSCLE. Give it time. If you're eating healthy and moving your body...the scale WILL reflect those efforts.

    Are your clothes getting looser? That's one way to tell if you're getting healthier!

    NO to the first sentence. You cannot GAIN 1.3lbs of muscle in a week,seriously. No.

    Second sentence,yes. Take measurements....your weight will fluctuate, inches are often a better indicator.

    ^ this.

    it's water weight. 1 gallon of water weighs about 8 lbs. there are several reasons that the OP may be holding onto water.

    obsessing about the number on the scale is the single worst thing that "dieters" do to derail their progress. forget the scale. weigh in once a month. stick to the program. the scale is a long term trend tool, that's all.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    You are doing everything precisely right except for one thing. Patience. From the sounds of your routine, you're taking all the correct steps. Stick to it, don't give up. This is a long game.
  • JillyCornwall
    JillyCornwall Posts: 376 Member
    One meal high in salt/sodium can cause a 2-3lb water retention. You are doing everything right, be patient, stick at it, the scales will eventually reflect your effort!
  • sunlover89
    sunlover89 Posts: 436 Member
    The scale means nothing, especially in the first month. Get a tape measure.
  • NightOwlMama
    NightOwlMama Posts: 6 Member
    you shouldn't worry so much about the scale and #'s. What's important is that your continuing your plan and keep up the good work. Check in next week and it could be quiet possible that you'll lose double the weight. Water weight is always possible but consider the way your clothes feel rather than what that scale tells you. Hang in there your doing great
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
    Yeah, everyone's saying it, but it's just so true. My weight fluctuates like crazy, whether it's TOM or not. And it can swing up to 5 pounds. So yeah, unfortunately it takes patience.
  • LCFulmer
    LCFulmer Posts: 183 Member
    Keep up the good work... weighing yourself every week can get discouraging because it will go up/down as your body adjust to workingout. Muscle DO NOT weigh more than FAT. A pound of muscle is exactly what it is... 1 pound just as a pound of fat is 1 pound. You wouldn't have picked up 1.3lbs of muscle in two weeks... so its more than likely water. Give it time.. check the way your cloths fit and stay off of the scale. I weigh in 1 a month... don't need to added stress of the scale. As for eating back my calories.. I usually only eat back 1/4 - 1/2 depending on when I workout and how much I burned.
  • sixpackdream
    sixpackdream Posts: 55 Member
    It's water, there are times of the month I can't lose weight and times the weight just falls off, and I'm a guy. Can't imagine what you women go through -lol.

    This should be a life change (sorry to use that cliched term), and if you continue to do well you will notice big changes after a couple of months. I think week two is always a strange week for most people because your body is wondering what you are doing to it and it tends to rebel a little.
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat, any more than a pound of concrete weighs more than a pound of feathers. A pound is a pound is a pound. Where the misunderstanding often comes in is that muscle is much more dense than fat, so that, by volume, it seems to weigh more. That is, a pound of muscle occupies less space than a pound of fat. In addition, because a pound of muscle burns more fat than a pound of fat, even at rest, by increasing your lean muscle tissue mass, you're helping your body burn more calories.

    But back to your question. If you only have a small amount of weight to lose, then you may feel like the weight training is not helping you move down on the scale. In fact, the number may even go up, but you will look thinner. This is due to an increase in lean body mass (muscle, bone, blood volume) and a decrease in body fat. In other words, even if the scale doesn't change much, you will probably see a difference in how your clothes fit.
  • x_pix_x
    x_pix_x Posts: 21
    I wouldn't let one week get you down, it's a long term process and its the general trend of weight going down that's the important thing. A weekly weigh is just a snapshot of one particular time during the week, the next morning you could be 1.5 lbs down, 2 up that evening etc. I weigh myself all the time (not saying that's what anyone else should do) because it actually makes me obsess over the numbers less! I take a note of it on a note on my phone with the date and time. It just helps me get a feel of what my body is doing, most mornings were showing a 2lb loss for the week but one randomly showed a 1lb gain, then the next day it dropped again. I can even put on up to 3lbs between a morning and evening weigh in depending on what I've eaten, whether I've been to the loo etc
  • V44V
    V44V Posts: 366 Member
    1.3lbs of muscle on a week? Perhaps water or not weighing in under the same conditions as before (time of the day, day of the week, pre/post ablution).