Help me get past this muscle weighs more stage

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Seeyoubabyweight
Seeyoubabyweight Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss

I started MFP last month with a goal of 15lb loss (over 6months if need be), a dream of 30lb Either way not big numbers. For January I lost 10lbs and dropped a pant size (yay) using just my calorie intake counter, no additional exercise.

Since I know last month was exciting, but mostly water weight I bumped up February to include exercise. Nothing extreme, a 30-45min workout video each night.

I tell myself I'll weigh in every 2weeks, but I just can't help but check. The last few times I've stepped on the scale I'm up .5lbs :( Not gaining more, just stuck at 140.5lbs (my Feb. 1st weigh in was 140lbs). I can't see how I've plateaued, my eating habits are the same as last month and my MFP count is set for 1lb/week. Since my exercise is usually low impact I am not eating back the calories yet.

So how long until I start seeing the numbers go down again? I bumped in exercise to avoid messing up my body and losing muscle instead of fat, I'm even okay with the weight being muscle weight...just not yet. I still want that scale down to at least my initial goal (5 more lbs) before it climbs a bit.
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Replies

  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Are you weighing everything you eat?

    Muscle does not weight more than fat. If you are not losing weight, you are not in a deficit.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    You're not putting on muscle it takes heavy lifting and a calorie surplus and months of work to gain muscle. The most likely culprit is you're eating more than you think. Are you logging accurately weighing all solids and measuring liquids and picking accurate entries from the database? Without seeing your diary it's hard to be more specific. This thread may help you

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    You might be retaining water to deal with muscle repair from your new workout routine. Double check your logging is as accurate as you can make it (weighing & measuring with a food scale). Be patient. It's been, what, 9 days since you changed your exercise?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    possibly exercise induced water retention

    definitely not muscle gain .. oh if only it was that simple

    see advice above
  • lemonlionheart
    lemonlionheart Posts: 580 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Are you weighing everything you eat?

    Muscle does not weight more than fat. If you are not losing weight, you are not in a deficit.

    In equal volumes, muscle weighs more than fat, which I'm sure is what the OP and 99% of people who use that phrase are referring to. The issue here is that it is highly unlikely that she would be gaining muscle in a deficit. It's probably water weight.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    It's probably water retention in the muscles.

    If you are eating at a deficit then the weight will eventually start to come off. Just keep going. Give it a month and if there's still nothing happening then you are probably not eating at a deficit.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    When you begin to exercise, you cause tears in the muscle, which when repaired will result in stronger muscle. But these tears also cause your body to retain water while the repair is going on. In a few days, the water will go away. You will have additional muscle at that point, but probably not so much that you will notice.
  • MrCoolGrim
    MrCoolGrim Posts: 351 Member
    edited February 2015
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    _Zardoz_ wrote: »
    You're not putting on muscle it takes heavy lifting and a calorie surplus and months of work to gain muscle. The most likely culprit is you're eating more than you think. Are you logging accurately weighing all solids and measuring liquids and picking accurate entries from the database? Without seeing your diary it's hard to be more specific. This thread may help you

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

    ^^^This. You may also want to look at your macro ratio. If your eating more carbs then protein, this could cause further water retention.
  • Seeyoubabyweight
    Seeyoubabyweight Posts: 49 Member
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    Thank you, I'm learning more every day thanks to this. I am not weighing my food, but I know my intake is the same as last month so I'm not too concerned about it being me cutting corners yet.
    Hopefully it's just the water from repairs, I just have to stay off the scale until March and stick to my plan. .5 isint really something to worry about, but I'm terrified to see it start going up again whe I'm still motivayed.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    Seeyoubabyweight wrote: »
    Thank you, I'm learning more every day thanks to this. I am not weighing my food, but I know my intake is the same as last month so I'm not too concerned about it being me cutting corners yet.
    Hopefully it's just the water from repairs, I just have to stay off the scale until March and stick to my plan. .5 isint really something to worry about, but I'm terrified to see it start going up again whe I'm still motivayed.

    Unless you are eating entirely pre-packaged foods, if you're not weighing your food, you're likely eating a different amount each day. If you make your food diary public we can help you with some entries that could be canceling out your deficit.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    zyxst wrote: »
    You might be retaining water to deal with muscle repair from your new workout routine. Double check your logging is as accurate as you can make it (weighing & measuring with a food scale). Be patient. It's been, what, 9 days since you changed your exercise?

    this
    I am not weighing my food, but I know my intake is the same as last month

    so how do you know this then?

    get a food scale, get a food scale, get a food scale, I can't think of anyone ever coming on here and saying "man I regret ever using that food scale".....(with my luck someone is about to show up and say just that.....)

  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Seeyoubabyweight wrote: »
    Thank you, I'm learning more every day thanks to this. I am not weighing my food, but I know my intake is the same as last month so I'm not too concerned about it being me cutting corners yet.
    Hopefully it's just the water from repairs, I just have to stay off the scale until March and stick to my plan. .5 isint really something to worry about, but I'm terrified to see it start going up again whe I'm still motivayed.


    <sigh>

    heres-your-sign.jpg


    HINT: You know no such thing. You CAN'T know.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    I think someone can know that, at least within a reasonable margin of error. Sure, one apple may not have the same number of calories as another, or a pound of hamburger meat may have a little more or less fat in it than a pound of hamburger meat last month, but people generally have an idea of how much they are eating and whether it is more or less than usual.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I think someone can know that, at least within a reasonable margin of error. Sure, one apple may not have the same number of calories as another, or a pound of hamburger meat may have a little more or less fat in it than a pound of hamburger meat last month, but people generally have an idea of how much they are eating and whether it is more or less than usual.

    When those people complain about not making gains towards there goal then food scale is almost the number one comment.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
    edited February 2015
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    I found (before I started weighing my food) that I was underestimating my calories by a very small amount, but it was enough to stall my weight loss. And no, you aren't putting on muscle. I agree that it is more likely water retention. My suggestion: weigh/track your food, possibly increase protein intake, start lifting weights.
    Over the last year and half of lifting, I've gone from a size 8 to a 2. My weight is pretty much the same (b/c of the muscle weighs more than fat thing).
  • mom2ava07
    mom2ava07 Posts: 186 Member
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    I'm in a similar situation as you. I have a little but more to lose, but not a terrible amount. I'm 5'5 and started at 167. I wanted to get to 150 and go from there. I lost 12 pounds the first month, and my weight loss came to an absolute screeching halt two weeks ago. Any time I drop down right under 155, I immediately go back. As in I finally dropped weight after a week of it going slightly up, and I got to 154 even. Today, as expected, I was 155.2 today. The difference is, I do have a scale and I do weigh 98 percent of my food. I eat a lot of pre packaged food, which helps with counting, but comes with higher sodium. Many people will automatically say you are eating too much, and yes that could be true. However, I have a hard time believing that someone could be eating so much more that it causes them to gain. You would have to be way, way off and pretty much not logging at all in my opinion to gain.

    Like you, I am exercising. I have been the entire time I've been trying to lose, but was doing nothing prior. My guess with both of us is that it's slight water retention due to exercise and the fact that when you don't have much to lose it is much slower going.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I think someone can know that, at least within a reasonable margin of error. Sure, one apple may not have the same number of calories as another, or a pound of hamburger meat may have a little more or less fat in it than a pound of hamburger meat last month, but people generally have an idea of how much they are eating and whether it is more or less than usual.

    When those people complain about not making gains towards there goal then food scale is almost the number one comment.

    If someone ate at a level last month that resulted in weight loss, my point is that they have enough information to do it again this month without a food scale. Where a food scale is helpful is that some people don't have any idea of what a portion size should be, so by weighing it they are confronted with the fact that they are estimating wrong. But if they've been estimating well, a food scale adds little value.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    I think someone can know that, at least within a reasonable margin of error. Sure, one apple may not have the same number of calories as another, or a pound of hamburger meat may have a little more or less fat in it than a pound of hamburger meat last month, but people generally have an idea of how much they are eating and whether it is more or less than usual.

    When those people complain about not making gains towards there goal then food scale is almost the number one comment.

    If someone ate at a level last month that resulted in weight loss, my point is that they have enough information to do it again this month without a food scale. Where a food scale is helpful is that some people don't have any idea of what a portion size should be, so by weighing it they are confronted with the fact that they are estimating wrong. But if they've been estimating well, a food scale adds little value.

    Food scale adds little value. Lets see who can complete there goal first since we have the same to lose in our ticker. BTW I have a food scale. I will show how little value the food scale has. Also If I had my food scale when I start MFP in April I would already be at my goal and more likely on to a bulk phase.

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