How long does DOMS weight gain from running last?

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nicola8989
nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all, I started a running programme at the end of June and it's great, I love it - even though I'm not very good yet I can feel myself getting better and it's fab.

I've lost inches - 2 from my stomach, 1 from my waist, 1 from my arms, 2 from my hips. But that scale is just not going down! Since I started running I have been logging every calorie religiously, weighing my food etc, so I'm reasonably confident that it's water retention in my muscles from starting a new fitness programme.

I weigh 236lb and I'm 26 so I've always felt that the first bit of weight should come off relatively easily - it has in the past when I've made an effort - but I'm just not experiencing that this time. Or am I just being silly expecting a loss so soon and it's not DOMS at all?

Sorry for rambling :)

Replies

  • KinoM
    KinoM Posts: 359 Member
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    You only started a week or two ago? Give your body some time to get used to the exercise routine. Keep tracking everything & with a sensible calorie deficit it'll start coming off soon enough. Anyway, to me personally losing the inches is far more important than a change on a scale.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
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    hun im the same!! started doing body combat from home 4 times a week - its a complete new exercise for me and in result im aching badly, this is my 2nd week doing this and i gained half a pound last week. im hoping i will ache less by saturday and ill see a little result from my hard work. i hate water retention - im praying its water, but ive been below cals!
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    thank you - I know I'm being impatient KinoM - it's just tough when you're putting the work in and not seeing the results - but I know a lot of you have been there!! And yes the inches are more important.

    My body really hangs onto water, I can gain 5lb overnight, so I've started weighing myself weekly - I was trying for monthly but I can't help hopping on the scales every now and then.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
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    yes i weigh myself weekly every satrurday morning im 222lbs, wanna be buddies?
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    added you :)
  • rightoncommander
    rightoncommander Posts: 114 Member
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    I never lose any weight the first week of a new exercise programme. This isn't DOMS, if you have DOMS you'll know about it because it hurts, but muscles do retain water to recover.

    Exercise is IMO the most important thing you can do for your health and ultimately for your weight, but it doesn't help you lose weight. What it will do is maybe help you keep within your calorie limits, and it definitely helps keep weight off. But this needs to be a lifelong habit, not a one-week quick fix.

    My advice is to look at your results after a couple of months, not after one week.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
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    i concur with that as i find that its alot easier sticking to my deficit with them extra few calories!
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    I definitely agree with what you're saying and I'm not looking for a quick fix :) I'm training for a 5k in September - I just wanted to see some results straight away because I'm impatient!!
  • KinoM
    KinoM Posts: 359 Member
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    If you want to help along your water weight loss then make sure to stay very well hydrated & minimise your salt intake, which can make the retention worse.

    Other than that keep doing what you're doing, and try to have patience. It's all in your current avatar!
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    thanks everyone - it's just nice to have the reassurance. I need to learn to be patient!!!
  • logicman69
    logicman69 Posts: 1,034 Member
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    ljones22903 wrote: »
    hun im the same!! started doing body combat from home 4 times a week - its a complete new exercise for me and in result im aching badly, this is my 2nd week doing this and i gained half a pound last week. im hoping i will ache less by saturday and ill see a little result from my hard work. i hate water retention - im praying its water, but ive been below cals!

    I'm in the same boat. I started Insanity Max 30 last week and dropped 5lbs the first week (most of it water weight, that I knew and expected). This week so far I am up 2lbs from last week. I can't get discouraged though because I see other things changing (clothes fitting better, more energy during the day, sleeping better at night). Just keep chugging along. And Kino had it right, Inches > LBS.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    KinoM wrote: »
    You only started a week or two ago? Give your body some time to get used to the exercise routine. Keep tracking everything & with a sensible calorie deficit it'll start coming off soon enough. Anyway, to me personally losing the inches is far more important than a change on a scale.

    This. I also think you may have some measurement error/inconsistency in there also. Those are big inch changes for a week or 2.

    Best of luck.
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    Packerjohn wrote: »
    KinoM wrote: »
    You only started a week or two ago? Give your body some time to get used to the exercise routine. Keep tracking everything & with a sensible calorie deficit it'll start coming off soon enough. Anyway, to me personally losing the inches is far more important than a change on a scale.

    This. I also think you may have some measurement error/inconsistency in there also. Those are big inch changes for a week or 2.

    Best of luck.

    Well I have been doing this (MFP) for 95 days now
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
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    logicman69 wrote: »
    ljones22903 wrote: »
    hun im the same!! started doing body combat from home 4 times a week - its a complete new exercise for me and in result im aching badly, this is my 2nd week doing this and i gained half a pound last week. im hoping i will ache less by saturday and ill see a little result from my hard work. i hate water retention - im praying its water, but ive been below cals!

    I'm in the same boat. I started Insanity Max 30 last week and dropped 5lbs the first week (most of it water weight, that I knew and expected). This week so far I am up 2lbs from last week. I can't get discouraged though because I see other things changing (clothes fitting better, more energy during the day, sleeping better at night). Just keep chugging along. And Kino had it right, Inches > LBS.

    how did you drop 5bs in your first week!!! im so jealous lol!! i gained half, before body combat i was walking alot so obviously nothing as intense as what im doing now - this has to be water weight surely, im well below cals, im weighing everything and logging accurately.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    I didn't lose on the scales when I started Insanity for about 6 weeks but my body changed dramatically, try not to stress about the scales too much. I'm in week 3 of T25 now and the same thing, a little gain, then back down and now it's period week so I've gained a little again but the inches keep going down. I just retain water really really easily so the scales aren't my primary concern, photos, the tape measure and how you feel are your best friends for tracking progress!
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
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    You can go up and down by 4 or 5 lbs easily depending on whether you're retaining water, or when you weigh yourself in relation to eating, drinking, and other bodily concerns.
  • pensierobello
    pensierobello Posts: 285 Member
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    demoiselle2014 wrote: »
    You can go up and down by 4 or 5 lbs easily depending on whether you're retaining water, or when you weigh yourself in relation to eating, drinking, and other bodily concerns.

    This.
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    thank you - I know I am terrible for water retention and it makes me feel better to know others didn't lose straight away. It's just that time of year I guess - log into facebook and see loads of people dropping weight, but if you lose 5lb in a week you'll gain it back in a week I suppose.
  • demoiselle2014
    demoiselle2014 Posts: 474 Member
    edited July 2015
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    nicola8989 wrote: »
    thank you - I know I am terrible for water retention and it makes me feel better to know others didn't lose straight away. It's just that time of year I guess - log into facebook and see loads of people dropping weight, but if you lose 5lb in a week you'll gain it back in a week I suppose.

    Most likely 5 lbs lost in one week is something other than fat, yes.

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