Exercise putting weight on instead of helping to lose it

leeds230
leeds230 Posts: 46 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been attending Slimming World since 7 January. In that time I've lost 13 1/2 lb. I just wonder what everyone's thoughts are on exercise? I've started doing some exercise this week (30 mins on a mini exercise bike, "Russian" twists with an 8kg medicine ball, occasional squats & always trying to run up my stairs at home) however I've put 2lb on this week. Part of this I put down to my mindset - I was 1/2 lb off my first stone last week & was REALLY disappointed not to get it, but could part of this be due to beginning the exercise too?

A woman being weighed in front of me at group tonight had not long been to the gym & had put some weight on. The ladies recording weight entries did say about exercise helping to put weight on.

What does everyone think?

Replies

  • sarochka85
    sarochka85 Posts: 103 Member
    Normal fluctuations, love- dont feel disappointed. TOTM and exercise will both make you hold a bit of water. Keep at it. Sounds like you're doing fabulously!
  • WilsonFilson
    WilsonFilson Posts: 83 Member
    Water weight. Presuming you are eating at a deficit, you will burn fat. Building muscle will speed that process up a lot.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Sounds like water retention from starting new exercise, which is normal. Your muscles retain water to repair themselves. Anytime you start a new exercise or increase it, you will gain weight for muscle repair.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Any time you change up your exercise pattern you're going to get sore and put on some water weight. Once your body stops being sore, the water weight will drop off. Focus on the big picture (getting healthy), not the number on the scale.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,328 Member
    When a person starts a new workout program it stresses the muscles, that results in them holding water to help with the repair of the effect of that stress. It will go away in time. Drink lots of water to help with getting the water out of your system and give it time. This is very normal and yet another example of why the scale is probably one of the most frustrating and one of the less useful ways to measure progress losing fat.
  • blues4miles
    blues4miles Posts: 1,481 Member
    When you start a new exercise program, your muscles will hang on to extra water in order to repair themselves. That will show up as scale weight, but isn't fat.

    Do you weigh only once a week? I weigh every morning at the same time, same clothes, stomach empty and my weight will STILL fluctuate by 1-2 lbs day to day. Back up, back down, back up, back down. If I am losing weight, the general trend over several weeks is down. But if I picked two random days a week apart it could still look like I "gained" weight.

    Also, weight loss is not linear: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear

    In some cases, exercising can cause people to be hungrier and therefore eat more without realizing it if they aren't logging/monitoring their intake.
  • leeds230
    leeds230 Posts: 46 Member
    Thanks all. For the record it's not TOTM (hubby & I have been trying for baby number 2 for over a year now without success).

    I weigh myself once a week (Monday) after going to the loo & without clothes on but also monitor it at other times through the week too, though only log on Monday's (& obviously Thursday's after I've been to group).

    Thanks for the responses, very interesting to know xxx

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