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

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?

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

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

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! :-)

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.

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.

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

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!)

it's probably just food/water weight