On track to Lose weight but Gained it instead? HELP!

brown1h
brown1h Posts: 5
in Motivation and Support
I worked SO hard this week, did everything that I was supposed to do, didn't "cheat" and exercised every day, ate healthy and logged every morsal of food that crossed my lips. I got a new workout DVD that worked my *kitten* hard 5 out of the 7 days...I was on track to lose 2 lbs this week (based on calorie loss over what I consumed) and instead I GAINED 3 lbs. I am so discouraged. My husband tells me it could be either muscle gain or a little baby growing in my belly...that would be 5 lbs of muscle or 5 lbs of baby. I don't know what to think, I'm just depressed. I know that when you first start working out you sometimes gain muscle and I am prepared to not lose as much as I predict every week and I know you sometimes plato but I just started a new routine and that is A LOT of muscle weight to gain so I can't see it being all muscle. If I knew WHY it happend I'd be fine with it but I have no logical explination so I'm depressed. Any ideas any of you have would be greatly appreciated, I'm driving myself crazy right now!!!

Replies

  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    First thing is to STOP obsessing about it. When i was losing lots of weight, I noticed two or three weeks might pass where I lost no weight, then the next week 3 or 4 lbs. My ticker says 48 lbs lost right now, but my arms and chest (and other muscles) are getting bigger and stronger, so i know more than 48lbs of fat are gone.

    RELAX. Don't use this as an excuse to quit. Don't be depressed, be glad it's Saturday, go out and enjoy, and stick with your plan.
  • Klem4
    Klem4 Posts: 399 Member
    Calm down and relax!! :) I can pretty much guarantee you did not gain 3lbs of fat, or muscle. If you have just start exercising from a break, or never have intensely before, etc... then it is probably water retention. It happens to me everytime I change up my routine or increase intensity, something like that. usually starts going back down in a week or two.
    However, another idea is how much are you eating? and this is the first week of your plan? or no?
    Anyways, it will be fine, don't worry!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Are you trying to get pregnant at the moment?

    It is probably the new workout schedule.... Give it time.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Breathe!!

    First off have a read
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/350212--why-scales-lie

    Second - when you first start exercising or increase intensity you will often retain water in your muscle due to glycogen. It is completely normal (it is also what people mistake for gaining muscle). It can mask small losses on the scale. When I started back, I gained a couple of pounds and then stayed the same for a whole month. I also took pictures and measurements, and I saw a difference in those, just not the scale. The scale is only a part of the picture. Don't allow yourself to be a slave to it.

    Ignore the 2 lbs a week prediction, weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you will lose, some you won't. You may even gain on other weeks. It balances out in the end. When you have gone 6 weeks without movement or move consistently upwards for several weeks, thats the time to start looking around.

    Also, 2 lbs as week is likely too high of a goal for you. Unless you have more than 50 lbs to lose, 1 lb a week is likely a more realistic one We all want to lose fast, but slow and steady is easier and better for us in the long run.
  • HammyStopHamming
    HammyStopHamming Posts: 20
    Water retention, I would guess. DRINK A LOT OF WATER. Sounds counter intuitive but drinking a lot of water will help flush out the retained water.

    Think about it this way if your body doesn't have water it is going to think "I need to keep the water I have because there is no steady supply of it coming in."

    Bodies really work that way.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Water retention, I would guess. DRINK A LOT OF WATER. Sounds counter intuitive but drinking a lot of water will help flush out the retained water.

    Think about it this way if your body doesn't have water it is going to think "I need to keep the water I have because there is no steady supply of it coming in."

    Bodies really work that way.

    If the water retention is due to too much sodium, then drinking water helps.
    If the water retention is due to dehydration, drinking water helps.
    If it has to do with glycogen stores, drinking lots of water won't help.
    Not saying don't drink lots of water, its good for you.
  • monimoni1979
    monimoni1979 Posts: 10 Member
    Yes, It can be water retention. Give up salt and sugar completely, and drink lots of water. I agree that you sometimes lose more weight, and sometimes less. And another piece of advice. Don't do your weigh in too often, it's too stressful and makes no sense at all. Women tend to have unstable weight a bit, I mean, the scale can show different results every day. It's partly connected with our cycle. Women sometimes weigh more when they are close to their period, for example.
  • brown1h
    brown1h Posts: 5
    Thanks. My husband dragged me out of bed where I was hiding and I realized I couldn't quit now when I'm 7 months in to this thing. I ended up exercising, then we went out and enjoyed the Saturday just as you have suggested.

    No, I am not trying to get pregnant, not right now, but there's a strong possibility I might be so I'll find out on Monday.

    I drink 2.6 L of water a day, I have a HydraCoach water bottle that calculates how much water you need to drink for your body weight and at 170 lbs right now that's how much I should be drinking. I stay plenty hydrated, but thank you for the tip!

    I am not just starting to lose weight, I'm down 15 lbs now and have been at it (steadily now) for the past 4 months. I've had ups and downs, this one just got to me because based on my calorie count for the week (I burned 6850 calories above and beyond what I ate over the week and you lose 1 lb for every 3500 calories you burn) I should have been down almost 2 lbs. I eat 1200 calories a day to answer your question.

    This new routine I switched to is a HIIT workout. I didn't know that retain water in your muscle due to glycogen! Thank you for that tip as well.

    Above all, thanks for telling me to breathe and relax. I think I just wigged out so bad because these 2 lbs (or even 1) would have dropped the scale to a place I hadn't seen it in years and I was pinning a lot of hopes on seeing it there when I stepped on this morning. Thanks for the advice and the support, I really appreciate it!:smile:
  • annacataldo
    annacataldo Posts: 872 Member
    Ive seen it go up 10 pounds in one day before after a high sodium low water day, but just drink some extra water for a few days, lower your sodium if youve had high sodium (try to stay under 2000mg) and also during different times of month, as a woman, you retain more water as well. when you exercise your body pulls in water to heal your broken cells (you break alot of cells during exercise), more drinking water will help your body recoop. Also, always have your measurments handy. Its good to take measurements so during those times you go up, or plateau, you can still see inches lost. Measurements are more of a monthly or so thing, not a daily or weekly though.

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