HELP! I'm Gaining Instead of Losing... Why?

iamxdutchess
iamxdutchess Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
To start off, I have been doing Weight Watchers since January 20th. I started at 306.6 lbs. I made it to 284.4 2 weeks ago. I lose on average about 1-2 lbs a week. I never use my cheat points and I jog and walk daily. I've kept everything the same since I started but this week was slightly different. I introduced strength training for one day and became so sore from it, I haven't been able to return to it. Since I am new at it, I was allowing myself the chance to heal before trying again. I did A LOT of strength exercises so I was incredibly sore. My company also had a party at Busch Gardens which I attended and I walked a lot. I was unable to track what I ate out there because they did not provide any nutritional information. I even attempted to email them. No response from them. So I tried to eat as healthy as I possibly could considering it is a theme park. I thought since I never use my cheat points and because my weight didn't budge at all last week, I would eat something bad and it would maybe shock the body some and then when I worked out again it would help kick start. I had their rotissere chicken, a bread roll, 3 french fries, strawberries and 2 alcoholic drinks.

The next morning when I weighed, I gained 2 lbs. Now obviously I didn't eat 7,000 calories worth of food in one day to possibly gain 2 lbs. So I chopped it up to sodium intake from theme park food. I spent all of yesterday drinking water like crazy to assist in flushing and now this morning on my normal weigh in day, I've gain 0.6 lbs. So in total since my last weight in day with one cheat day in the middle and the introduction to strength training one day, I've gain 2.2 lbs. HOW?! I don't understand. Is it still water weight? What have i done to cause this? Everything was going smoothly. I was losing weight every week and now this week, for the exception of a little junk on one night and weight training on one day, I've some how gained 2.2 lbs. This is incredibly discouraging because I feel the good changes in my body but yet the scale is now going up all of a sudden. Help!!

Replies

  • S3r3knitty
    S3r3knitty Posts: 159 Member
    Probably water retention due to muscles soreness from strength training. In the week I started strength training I suddenly weighed 3lbs more and I was sore as hell. A week later it was gone and I lost even some more

    Anyway I would count +0.6lbs as gaining weight. Even if you weigh exactly at the same day at the same time every week there will always be minor fluctuations.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Welcome to the world of weight loss. Loss is not linear---it goes up and down, and frequently plateaus. Start doing a graph of your loss week by week, and you'll see over time that the trend is downward. Otherwise you will freak out everytime. You've been fortunate to be constantly losing so far, but that is not the norm and sooner or later you'll gain a pound or two. Don't panic, just keep going and the scale will go down. Best:smile:
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Welcome to the world of weight loss. Loss is not linear---it goes up and down, and frequently plateaus. Start doing a graph of your loss week by week, and you'll see over time that the trend is downward. Otherwise you will freak out everytime. You've been fortunate to be constantly losing so far, but that is not the norm and sooner or later you'll gain a pound or two. Don't panic, just keep going and the scale will go down.
    ^^^This.

    Take photos & measurements, and read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    it's water weight.

    ...or poop.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    it's water weight.

    ...or poop.

    +1

    My scale is up 5lbs today because of water weight since I "carbed out" this weekend.
  • iamxdutchess
    iamxdutchess Posts: 4
    Thank you for all your responses! :smile:
    I appreciate the help. I suppose it doesn't help that I put so much emphasis on that darn scale and weigh so much more than I should. Possibly this is more of a mental change than a physical change that I need to make. Learning just as you all said, that my weight will fluctuate and I will retain water at times. ...or poop :laugh:

    All of your responses are very helpful, Thanks so much for your help!
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Are you measuring yourself? In addition to water weight or poop, lol, you could be losing inches and gaining more muscle. If that is the case, the scale may not go down. Definitely, sodium sucks but I think you are doing great and should not worry about it unless it goes on for a long time.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Are you measuring yourself? In addition to water weight or poop, lol, you could be losing inches and gaining more muscle. If that is the case, the scale may not go down. Definitely, sodium sucks but I think you are doing great and should not worry about it unless it goes on for a long time.
    no. OP isn't gaining muscle.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
    this week was slightly different. I introduced strength training for one day ... I did A LOT of strength exercises so I was incredibly sore.
    So, you learned a lesson. Start off gradually with any exercise. Your muscles need to learn and remember the movements - call it muscle memory or developing pathways or something.

    When I start a new weight exercise, I start with 1 or 2 pound barbells for the first few days or week, just to learn the movement and how it feels. If I was an experienced weightlifter, I could start with more.

    You may notice a dramatic improvement in the first few week or month of weight training, then a plateau. You have not suddenly gotten stronger. Your muscles (well, the motor section of your brain) has learned the pattern of movements for the exercise and your muscles are not opposing each other in small ways. The REAL work begins after the first few weeks, after that sudden improvement.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Are you measuring yourself? In addition to water weight or poop, lol, you could be losing inches and gaining more muscle. If that is the case, the scale may not go down. Definitely, sodium sucks but I think you are doing great and should not worry about it unless it goes on for a long time.
    no. OP isn't gaining muscle.

    Oh, I was reading too fast. I guess it must be water of poop. LMAO!
  • iamxdutchess
    iamxdutchess Posts: 4
    Are you measuring yourself? In addition to water weight or poop, lol, you could be losing inches and gaining more muscle. If that is the case, the scale may not go down. Definitely, sodium sucks but I think you are doing great and should not worry about it unless it goes on for a long time.

    I am not measuring currently. I thought about doing this as well as taking pictures for comparison. I mainly thought about starting the measuring because how my clothes fit. I have a pair of jean/spandex pants that, when washed, shrink some and when i put them on they are a bit of a struggle and as the day goes on the spandex loosen and they fit much better. However, when I put them on recently after being washed the day before, there was no struggle. Which tells me that I am losing weight regardless of what the scale says.

    I think I will begin measuring to see where that takes me and possible with that, i will stop relying so much on what the scale says.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Are you measuring yourself? In addition to water weight or poop, lol, you could be losing inches and gaining more muscle. If that is the case, the scale may not go down. Definitely, sodium sucks but I think you are doing great and should not worry about it unless it goes on for a long time.
    no. OP isn't gaining muscle.

    Oh, I was reading too fast. I guess it must be water of poop. LMAO!
    It is very difficult to gain muscle on a deficit, and usually only likely in people who are very overweight and new to training, or people who used to have a lot of muscle and trained for a long time returning to training. That said, those gains are likely going to be far less than the gains seen by the OP, and they will often not outpace the weight loss. It is far more likely to be water weight due to sore muscles, replenishing glycogen stores, and the extra salt.
  • a_lindquist
    a_lindquist Posts: 27
    I would definitely start measuring yourself more and weighing yourself less! It will be a better indicator of where your body is at with getting toned! It won't be the up and down you're experiencing with weighing yourself because of all the factors involved. Seems to me like you are really focused and heading in the right direction! Keep going! What strength training routine are you doing? :)
  • iamxdutchess
    iamxdutchess Posts: 4
    I would definitely start measuring yourself more and weighing yourself less! It will be a better indicator of where your body is at with getting toned! It won't be the up and down you're experiencing with weighing yourself because of all the factors involved. Seems to me like you are really focused and heading in the right direction! Keep going! What strength training routine are you doing? :)

    I'd like to call it a routine, but i'm not quite there just yet. :wink:
    Basically, last Wednesday, I just got a bit bored with jogging so I decided to try out some strength moves to see if I was even capable of it. (I have some disk injuries in my spine) I ended up doing 2 sets of 15 bicep curls and the same with triceps. Planks 4 times. All with different time length but just to see how long I could hold out as Planks are new for me. I did squats with resistance bands and also some medicine ball exercises to work love handles and abs. I didn't focus on my legs since I jog and I wanted to start working on something else. It was more of an experimental session than a true routine as I was more or less trying to see what I was capable of and where my limits are. I was using a 10 lbs weight and a 6 lbs medicine ball. I apparently went too far. Lol

    I am extremely focused. I've been through so many diets and nothing as worked for me. This time has truly been different. Even with how discouraged I am this morning, I still cannot bring myself to give up. :smile:
  • imxnianne
    imxnianne Posts: 216 Member
    Thank you for all your responses! :smile:
    I appreciate the help. I suppose it doesn't help that I put so much emphasis on that darn scale and weigh so much more than I should. Possibly this is more of a mental change than a physical change that I need to make. Learning just as you all said, that my weight will fluctuate and I will retain water at times. ...or poop :laugh:

    All of your responses are very helpful, Thanks so much for your help!

    To help out cleanse your digestive system, try drinking a laxative tea. One of these slimming teas. Don't have to drink it everyday, but all of that heaviness will come out in th morning.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    Thank you for all your responses! :smile:
    I appreciate the help. I suppose it doesn't help that I put so much emphasis on that darn scale and weigh so much more than I should. Possibly this is more of a mental change than a physical change that I need to make. Learning just as you all said, that my weight will fluctuate and I will retain water at times. ...or poop :laugh:

    All of your responses are very helpful, Thanks so much for your help!

    To help out cleanse your digestive system, try drinking a laxative tea. One of these slimming teas. Don't have to drink it everyday, but all of that heaviness will come out in th morning.

    there's absolutely no need to start any harsh poop-teas for OP.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Thank you for all your responses! :smile:
    I appreciate the help. I suppose it doesn't help that I put so much emphasis on that darn scale and weigh so much more than I should. Possibly this is more of a mental change than a physical change that I need to make. Learning just as you all said, that my weight will fluctuate and I will retain water at times. ...or poop :laugh:

    All of your responses are very helpful, Thanks so much for your help!

    To help out cleanse your digestive system, try drinking a laxative tea. One of these slimming teas. Don't have to drink it everyday, but all of that heaviness will come out in th morning.

    Unless you are stopped up and can't poop, there is no reason to use a laxative. If the only reason is just to see a couple of pounds lighter on a scale, then get professional help.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Are you measuring yourself? In addition to water weight or poop, lol, you could be losing inches and gaining more muscle. If that is the case, the scale may not go down. Definitely, sodium sucks but I think you are doing great and should not worry about it unless it goes on for a long time.

    I am not measuring currently. I thought about doing this as well as taking pictures for comparison. I mainly thought about starting the measuring because how my clothes fit. I have a pair of jean/spandex pants that, when washed, shrink some and when i put them on they are a bit of a struggle and as the day goes on the spandex loosen and they fit much better. However, when I put them on recently after being washed the day before, there was no struggle. Which tells me that I am losing weight regardless of what the scale says.

    I think I will begin measuring to see where that takes me and possible with that, i will stop relying so much on what the scale says.

    I use the scale and measurements both. Once a week. same day, after swimming, and before eating or drinking anything (and after pooping). I have a journal and sometimes the scale is better--sometimes the measurements, and sometimes they are the same. i am close to goal--12 lbs to go and i'm used to nothing happening. This keeps one sane, because the ups and downs (especially for women) make it difficult to stay on an even keel. Don't get discouraged, just keep plugging away and you'll get where you want to be. If you quit you'll just stay where you are--or worse. Best. :smile:

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