Working out and gaining weight

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czbusch1
czbusch1 Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been really committed to MFP and working out now for a little over 6 weeks, and this week I gained 2 lbs. Overall, this brings my total weight loss down to 3 lbs. I've been working out 5-6 days a week, including running 3-4 times a week training for a half marathon. I've also added strength training into my routine.

I know that with strength training and muscle building, I'll probably gain muscle mass along the way (and therefore gain weight). But it seems strange to me that in 6 weeks, I've only seen a 3 lb loss. This past week/weekend was full of celebrations, so I definitely ate more than I should have, but not so much that I would see a 2 lb gain! In the past few weeks, I had gone from losing almost 5 lbs to then gaining back 1.5, to then losing that again, and now I've gained 2 again.

I'm not sure what is going on or what I should be doing differently. I generally eat the calories that I work off because I get so damn hungry from running so much, and I try to make sure what I'm eating is a good balance of protein and carbs (both to help with weight loss and to fuel recovery). I also know that this is a long-term lifestyle change and that I shouldn't get caught up in the scale, but it's hard not to. I'm just extremely frustrated and would like to see steady progress rather than the ups and downs of the scale. It's like every week, I'm terrified to get on the scale, regardless of the work I've put in all week.

Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    You ate more than usual this weekend which means the gain is likely water retention from the cheat day.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    You've just upped your workout volume and type.

    You've eaten more for the last week.

    You've forced your muscles to uptake more glycogen, which in turn causes uptake of water. Plus there's water for tissue repair, etc.

    TL;DR: you've temp taken on glycogen/water. Don't worry. Keep a moderate calorie deficit, get plenty of protein, lose fat.

    Weightloss is irrelevant. Fat loss is what you are going for, I assume?
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I'm going to guess water weight - both from the strength training and from your recent indulgences. You will not gain muscle mass on a calorie deficit, although there are many other benefits to the strength traiing so keep it up.

    Just get back on track with your eating, drink lots of water this week and hopefully you'll see that 2 pounds gone again in no time.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    To add:

    use the tape measure, progress photos (same lighting, poses, underwear, etc) and the scale to track and give you a fuller picture.

    If you have a week where you weigh the same and your measurements/body comp has changed, then you've lost fat, but temp retained water. You've got to look at it in the round.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    Make this your screensaver:

    weightloss_zps64ba6398.jpg
  • czbusch1
    czbusch1 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks, everyone. Your posts helped to put things into perspective and also made me giggle (love that screensaver post). Yes, the goal here is to lose fat, tone my body overall, and also (hopefully!) lose some weight in the process. But overall, I just want to improve my health and make lifestyle changes now that will enable me to lead a full, long, physical life.

    I like the tape measure and progress photos idea. I actually JUST ordered a soft tape measure this morning and just started taking pictures this past Friday, and I think if I can see progress in other ways, I won't get so caught up with the scale. Thank you for all your input and suggestions!
  • He1loKitty
    He1loKitty Posts: 212 Member
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    Something similar happened to me last fall. It was extremely frustrating! I had joined the gym because I needed to lose the 11 pounds I gained after my wedding. I ended up gaining another 12 pounds in less than a month! I was doing some moderate lifting and a decent amount of running, but nothing crazy. You know what my mistake was? I was just eating too much. I completely failed to log my food, eat healthy, count calories, carbs, whatever. I thought I could out-exercise my bad diet, and I was in serious denial. Fast forward to March 2014, I rejoined MFP and started logging diligently. The excess 12 pounds melted off pretty quickly, and I've spent the last four months losing the 11 pounds I gained after my wedding, plus one for good measure. So my advice is to just log, log, log, and try not to overeat despite your increased appetite due to working out.
  • OnTheGround
    OnTheGround Posts: 78
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    I "gain" about 2-3lbs when I have a good fun cheat weekend. It usually comes down pretty quickly and is mostly bloating. ;)

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