what happened?!?

2 weeks of rowing in the morning, and hard exercises in the evening. Averaging 7-9 worksouts a week.
started MFP, documenting every bite I eat,
Drinking more water than the Atlantic Ocean
Haven't even had bread in over a week
Only 1 beer at Thanksgiving
and I'm UP 3lbs.
Before I go shame eat and drown my tears in a Sausage McMuffin... could use some encouragement.
Where did I go wrong???
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Replies

  • Weightwatcher72
    Weightwatcher72 Posts: 95 Member
    Did you take any measurements before and after? It's possible you toned more weight off but the water weight is holding the scales higher (if that makes sense)
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  • cj_browning
    cj_browning Posts: 6 Member
    cutting back on carbs.... I love bread, loooooove bread, so I've cut it out for now, minus the sandwhich i had at lunch yesterday.

    @ Lauriehogg- No, I didn't take measurements, just going by what the scale said. But 3 pounds?!?! could be water?
  • Did you weigh yourself at the same time of day both times? I can easily fluctuate 5lbs between morning and end of day. Make sure you're using the same scale, and weighing at the same time. Generally first thing in the morning after a bathroom break and before you've eaten anything.

    Are you "eating back" your exercise calories? What are you using to measure your exercise calories? Most of us here on MFP have noticed that the database tends to overestimate calories burned, so be careful there.
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  • Winterlover123
    Winterlover123 Posts: 352 Member
    Muscle! It weighs more than fat! That's why measuring is important! :)
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Muscle! It weighs more than fat! That's why measuring is important! :)

    It's not muscle.
  • ljones27uk
    ljones27uk Posts: 177 Member
    how far below daily calorie intake are you eating?
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Do you use a food scale? If not, you are underestimating calories consumed.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    It's water weight. Give it time.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Muscle! It weighs more than fat! That's why measuring is important! :)

    It's also harder to gain muscle than many people think. Three pounds of muscle gained over two weeks would be pretty hard.

    What's more likely, especially if the exercise is new, is increased water weight. When you start a new exercise routine or increase the intensity of an old one the body has a tendency to flood the sore muscles with water to help cushion and repair them. This can cause a stall or slight gain on the scale (3-5 pounds would be well within the realm of possibility) and can give the muscles a "pumped" look, which many people mistake for new muscle growth.

    OP, it's either water weight or you're drastically underestimating your calories eaten/overestimating calories burned. Double-check the accuracy of your logging and give it another week or two to see if your body adjusts before making too many more changes.

  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    maidentl wrote: »
    Muscle! It weighs more than fat! That's why measuring is important! :)

    It's not muscle.

    +1

    Sounds like your doing it properly
    Check calories carefully, eat enough protein
    Takes time and pateince
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Would you be comfortable opening your diary so we can take a look? Without that, you're going to be getting some really generic advice.

    Keep in mind that nobody has an actual weight -- we have weight ranges, and 3 pounds can be well within your typical fluctuation pattern. You won't know whether that's normal for you or not until you've tracked your weight for a little while.
  • streamgirl
    streamgirl Posts: 207 Member
    My guess is water retention from increased exercise. Water weigh 8 pounds a gallon, so it doesn't take all that much to affect the scale. Look at this article:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/393797-water-retention-after-resistance-training/
  • horndave
    horndave Posts: 565
    maidentl wrote: »
    Muscle! It weighs more than fat! That's why measuring is important! :)

    It's not muscle.

    Absolutely not muscle. However, it could be simple water retention. I am assuming you had not worked out like you have these past two weeks before. It is typical for some to experience a gain when embarking on a new fitness regime. Muscles will hold onto water molecules to help repair themselves. 7-9 workouts in a week might actually be overtraining and hinder your progress. Are you going to sustain that?

    How much are you eating?

  • streamgirl
    streamgirl Posts: 207 Member
    And I know you didn't mention weight training, but if you are doing rowing or cardio enough that your muscles are sore, same thing.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    Mmmm... Sausage Mcmuffin with egg!! I haven't had one of those in who knows how long... now I'm craving one... :stuck_out_tongue:

    Btw, since you're doing a lot of exercise most likely you lost inches... you should measure yourself.
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    It's water weight. Give it time.
    ^^^^^^^^^THIS
    Keep doing what you're doing and as some have mentioned, take body measurements as well as tracking weight.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    weightloss_zps64ba6398.jpg?1413562073764&1413562074918
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    Are you sore? Did you poop lately?
    I agree with the reality of the chart above. Mine looks very very similar!
  • Cielazul
    Cielazul Posts: 77 Member
    When I started working out regularly, after about two months of solid weight loss through food logging on MFP, my weight loss stalled to nothing for almost 6 weeks. At the end of the six weeks I dropped about 10 pounds in two days. I think it was a combination of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which can cause water retention to aid in muscle healing, and increased muscle storage of glycogen (which is always stored with a generous amount of water). Your muscles use local glycogen for fuel, so when muscles are being used more, they start to amass larger glycogen/water stores, adding to one's total body weight. That is not a bad thing.
  • cj_browning
    cj_browning Posts: 6 Member
    Wow, thanks everyone :smiley:
    I've been working out regularly, but only in the past 2 weeks, have really been stepping up the activities!
    I will measure and keep track of inches!
    The food scale is a really great idea, I was just going by what MFP says the calories are.
    I have been weight training, as its part of the workout class at the gym. Enough that my muscles are good and sore the next day.
    My food diary is an open book if anyone actully wants to see it. At least I think it is...do I have to do something to make it open?
    -I have passed on the Egg McMuffin and had an apple instead.... almost just as good ;)
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
    dym123 wrote: »
    weightloss_zps64ba6398.jpg?1413562073764&1413562074918
    PURE TRUTH!

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Wow, thanks everyone :smiley:
    I've been working out regularly, but only in the past 2 weeks, have really been stepping up the activities!
    I will measure and keep track of inches!
    The food scale is a really great idea, I was just going by what MFP says the calories are.
    I have been weight training, as its part of the workout class at the gym. Enough that my muscles are good and sore the next day.
    My food diary is an open book if anyone actully wants to see it. At least I think it is...do I have to do something to make it open?
    -I have passed on the Egg McMuffin and had an apple instead.... almost just as good ;)

    You'll need to go here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings and set your diary to "Public" for any of us to see it.

    And do double-check the accuracy of your logging. If you haven't discovered it already, there are plenty of wildly inaccurate entries in the database. Be sure you're checking against your food labels or double-checking entries against a reputable source online.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

  • Dian1701
    Dian1701 Posts: 16
    edited October 2014
    dym123 wrote: »
    weightloss_zps64ba6398.jpg?1413562073764&1413562074918

    OMG this is SO TRUE! If I could show you my scale app you would see my chart looks exactly like this! I'm going to try and take a screenshot to show you. My point is, weight fluctuations are very normal. Give it time. Don't give you. You'll see a difference.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    2 weeks of rowing in the morning, and hard exercises in the evening. Averaging 7-9 worksouts a week.
    started MFP, documenting every bite I eat,
    Drinking more water than the Atlantic Ocean
    Haven't even had bread in over a week
    Only 1 beer at Thanksgiving
    and I'm UP 3lbs.
    Before I go shame eat and drown my tears in a Sausage McMuffin... could use some encouragement.
    Where did I go wrong???

    I think everyone else has pretty well covered the water weight angle.

    But, how has no one mentioned that working out 7-9 times a week may not be healthy or sustainable?

    Unless you're in training for something pretty serious and were already doing a ton of exercise before this, you are way over-training. Rest days are incredibly important for preventing injury.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Of course it could be water weight!

    Weighing solids and measuring liquids can't hurt!

    Healthy people do NOT drown sorrows in Egg McMuffins. Scratch that option off the list, event if you do gain. :)
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    Women your age can vary 3-5 pounds in a month due to hormonal changes that cause you to retain/lose water. I also agree with the comment about over-training.
  • aem91409
    aem91409 Posts: 137 Member
    dym123 wrote: »
    weightloss_zps64ba6398.jpg?1413562073764&1413562074918

    THIS^^^ B)
  • RavenLibra
    RavenLibra Posts: 1,737 Member
    what people suggest is water weight is actually glycogen... your body requires it to repair and build muscle fibers so... be patient with yourself.. a month is NOT enough time for your body to adjust to the new activity.. let alone 2 weeks...I suggest 12 weeks...weigh yourself today... and if weight is all you are measuring... keep up the good work... and hide the scale for 12 weeks...and for those 12 weeks make NSV's the primary metric... going farther, faster, longer, increase your physical abilities focus on those milestones.. THEN 12 weeks later.. step on a scale... Best of LUCK!!!