Short-term: workouts = weight gain?

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gr34t
gr34t Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
First of all, I'm not that worried - I just want to get a better idea of what's going on.

I've been on a 750-1000kcal net deficit a day in the last three months and it worked considerably well (close to 1kg/2lbs loss per week). I lost this by eating less, with very little exercise in-between.

I started working out ten days ago and have done so on 7 of these days (6x C25K, 1x weights). I decided to give my body a little more energy and ended up at a 500-750kcal deficit per day only.

However, my weight has stopped going down further and actually increased by 1kg/2lbs in the last ten days. This makes close to 2kg/4lbs difference in what I should be weighing right now (which far exceeds the usual daily give-and-take difference).

I wonder... what might the reasons be? What does the body do if it encounters unusual exercise activity the first time? I surely didn't gain 2kg of muscles. Maybe 100g if I'm lucky, probably less due to the calorie deficit. Two litres of added water retention? I doubt it.

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  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    Starting a new workout program almost always results in short-term weight gain. It is, in fact, water retention most often. The only other variable would be if your estimate of calories burned and subsequent refeed were off substantially.
  • alienrite
    alienrite Posts: 314 Member
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    When I increase my workouts (intensity or volume), I find that I have a consistent 3 to 4 lb weight gain. It is generally described as your muscles holding on to water to assist in repairs. It always dissipates for me and takes about 3 days. It is so consistent that I have learned to expect it and almost feel comforted when I see the scale spike because it shows I understand my body.
  • gr34t
    gr34t Posts: 15
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    Thanks. I supposed a higher water retention but the apparent amount seemed being a little too much. As I've constantly been exhausting my muscles and it's a completely new experience for them (the last time I run was more than ten years ago), they probably try to retain as much as possible. I'll give it another week. After all, a constant calorie deficit generally rules out gaining fat/weight.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    Thanks. I was wondering why my weight was up today. I've been eating at or just below 1500 cal and did not eat my exercise calories. Had a lovely work out yesterday-an hour of cross country skiing-am a little sore today. Weight gain= water retention in muscles as they repair makes sense
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
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    I work out monday through friday. By friday I am two pounds heavier. After 2 recovery days...monday morning I am typically down 3 or even 4.

    Make sure you drink a lot of water. Especially on recovery days. The only way to reduce water retention is to drink more water.

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