Gaining weight and it's not muscle?

porscheMD
porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone! It's another one of those: "what am I doing wrong?" posts.

I'm 5'6, 129lbs. I'm eating 1400-1500 calories daily, and I measure/track everything. I do 60 minutes of cardio/weight training a day, but so far I've actually gained 3 pounds. It's not muscle because the weight training isn't that intense (and I haven't been doing it for that long) and I've noticed the actual weight gain. What am I doing wrong?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    You wouldn't be gaining muscle in a calorie deficit anyway.

    How long have you been counting calories, and how long has this gain been? If a week or two, it's probably just water retention. If longer, you may want to double check how accurate your logging is.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    How long have you been doing this? It's quite likely water retention from changing or increasing your exercise program. I would not be concerned unless you see no change in either the scale or the measuring tapes/progress photos in 4 weeks.
  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    You wouldn't be gaining muscle in a calorie deficit anyway.

    How long have you been counting calories, and how long has this gain been? If a week or two, it's probably just water retention. If longer, you may want to double check how accurate your logging is.

    Thanks for the reply! Why would I be retaining water? Sodium?
  • TN239
    TN239 Posts: 6 Member
    Hmm, when you say that you've noticed the weight gain, what do you mean? Noticed it on the scale, or in terms of how clothes fit?

    Are you weighing yourself at the same time every day? (If you weigh yourself in the evening, then it could vary based on the weight of your dinner, etc.)

    You could still be gaining a little muscle mass from doing cardio, since previously you were sedentary.

    Then the other thing that pops into mind, like the others said, is water. You could've been dehydrated until daily exercising caused you to start drinking more water.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Sodium could cause water retention, but most healthy people can get rid of excess sodium. Sore muscles retain water to help with the healing process.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,028 Member
    edited November 2014
    porscheMD wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    You wouldn't be gaining muscle in a calorie deficit anyway.

    How long have you been counting calories, and how long has this gain been? If a week or two, it's probably just water retention. If longer, you may want to double check how accurate your logging is.

    Thanks for the reply! Why would I be retaining water? Sodium?
    For the majority of people starting/restarting an exercise program, the gain is going to be from glycogen storage in the muscle (body anticipating using glycogen again to fuel physical exericse), and water from both glycogen storage and muscle repair.
    This is normal and usually takes a couple of weeks or so to balance out.

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  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    TN239 wrote: »
    Hmm, when you say that you've noticed the weight gain, what do you mean? Noticed it on the scale, or in terms of how clothes fit?

    Are you weighing yourself at the same time every day? (If you weigh yourself in the evening, then it could vary based on the weight of your dinner, etc.)

    You could still be gaining a little muscle mass from doing cardio, since previously you were sedentary.

    Then the other thing that pops into mind, like the others said, is water. You could've been dehydrated until daily exercising caused you to start drinking more water.

    The way close fit and the number on the scale. I weight myself each time exactly when I wake up. I'm not sure if I'm dehydrated, I drink 1.5 liters of water everyday.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Weight fluctuates. Just eliminating diet soda always made me lose about two pounds of water because my body wasn't having to fight excess sodium with water. Periods will crank it up several pounds. From morning until evening, I usually gain 1.5 - 3 pounds.

    When I begin any new exercise, I gain a pound or so. People laugh at me, but I swear that I can feeling the swelling when I use new muscles, lol.

    It could be a lot of things. Mid you keep gaining for a couple more weeks, then you obviously need to eat less, move more (or both) to lose some weight. But hang on a couple weeks and see how it goes. :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Water retention from your new exercise program. You will not be gaining muscle in a deficit, you will be retaining it.
  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Weight fluctuates. Just eliminating diet soda always made me lose about two pounds of water because my body wasn't having to fight excess sodium with water. Periods will crank it up several pounds. From morning until evening, I usually gain 1.5 - 3 pounds.

    When I begin any new exercise, I gain a pound or so. People laugh at me, but I swear that I can feeling the swelling when I use new muscles, lol.

    It could be a lot of things. Mid you keep gaining for a couple more weeks, then you obviously need to eat less, move more (or both) to lose some weight. But hang on a couple weeks and see how it goes. :)

    I don't drink any sodas (haha, I hate the bubbly feeling!). And I don't get periods anymore (lucky me right?).

    Perhaps it might just be starting a new exercise routine. It's odd because I did barre classes the beginning of the year and then I did Insanity over the summer and I've never really had this issue in the beginning. I've always had the pleasure of dropping instantly the minute I started dieting/exercising. The only difference from then and now is that I'm actually eating more sodium/carbs in my diet. I know this sounds ridiculous but I more or less eat the exact same thing everyday (because it's easy and I'm a college student with a tight schedule/budget). The workout is probably a happy medium between Insanity and barre classes.

    Let's hope I don't gain any more weight!
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  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    TN239 wrote: »

    You could still be gaining a little muscle mass from doing cardio, since previously you were sedentary.
    .

    Nope. Not in a few weeks, not with a 'light' routine according to the OP, and not in a deficit.
  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    happyfeetrebel1 wrote: »
    TN239 wrote: »

    You could still be gaining a little muscle mass from doing cardio, since previously you were sedentary.
    .

    Nope. Not in a few weeks, not with a 'light' routine according to the OP, and not in a deficit.

    Yeah it's pretty light. 5lb weights for the first 5-10minutes, and the rest is really barre/pilates/cardio.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    porscheMD wrote: »

    I don't drink any sodas (haha, I hate the bubbly feeling!). And I don't get periods anymore (lucky me right?).

    You're 22 and not getting your period anymore? Have you seen a doctor about this? Because that is NOT normal.

    As for the weight.... weight fluctuates ALL the time. There's so many different things that can cause it. In your case, I'd say the most likely culprit is from the exercise.
  • porscheMD
    porscheMD Posts: 26 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    porscheMD wrote: »

    I don't drink any sodas (haha, I hate the bubbly feeling!). And I don't get periods anymore (lucky me right?).

    You're 22 and not getting your period anymore? Have you seen a doctor about this? Because that is NOT normal.

    As for the weight.... weight fluctuates ALL the time. There's so many different things that can cause it. In your case, I'd say the most likely culprit is from the exercise.

    Yes I've seen the doctor about it :)
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