Weight loss stalled by exercise?

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Clawsal
Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!

I have been counting calories for almost two months (1500 kcal a day) and lost around 10 pounds in the first 5 weeks. Since then I haven't really lost any weight. It goes up and down one pound.

The first month I probably lost a lot of water weight and don't expect such a loss in the second month. I started exercising and my muscles are a bit sore some days. I wonder if (and hope) exercise has made me retain water that masks the weight loss? Has this happened to you and if so, how much water weight have you retained? For how long? When did your weight start going down again?

I am 5'5 and currently 152 pounds.

Replies

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,937 Member
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    Water retention generally hangs on for about 3 days.

    Are you logging your exercise? What kind of exercise are you doing? How much of your exercise calories are you eating back?
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Water retention generally hangs on for about 3 days.

    Are you logging your exercise? What kind of exercise are you doing? How much of your exercise calories are you eating back?
    this is key.


    It's important to note that you could be eating more than you think you are as well. I know plenty of women who maintain on less than 1800 per day. A few slip ups here and there and you could very well be eating at your maintenance.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,937 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Water retention generally hangs on for about 3 days.

    Are you logging your exercise? What kind of exercise are you doing? How much of your exercise calories are you eating back?
    this is key.


    It's important to note that you could be eating more than you think you are as well. I know plenty of women who maintain on less than 1800 per day. A few slip ups here and there and you could very well be eating at your maintenance.

    Yeah ... I'm one! :grin:

  • dykask
    dykask Posts: 800 Member
    edited September 2016
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    I went two years and gained 2kg, from 92 kg to 94 kg. I was working out pretty hard during those years. I did lose fat but my weight went up. It is completely possible for exercise to cause you to gain weight as your body composition changes. A lot of people here will claim that can only happen in a calorie surplus, but the body isn't that simple.
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
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    Thank you for the info.

    I am doing body weight exercises so that I can progress to proper strength training. Those leave me sore for 1-2 days. I do not log those and don't think I burn many calories.

    I also started running. For now only 30 minutes of running 4 times a week and I run very slowly. I have a fitbit and it estimates around 300kcal burned. I do not eat back those calories.

    I try to eat 1500 kcal a day regardless of exercise. I average 15 000 steps a day because I walk a lot.
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Water retention generally hangs on for about 3 days.

    Are you logging your exercise? What kind of exercise are you doing? How much of your exercise calories are you eating back?
    this is key.


    It's important to note that you could be eating more than you think you are as well. I know plenty of women who maintain on less than 1800 per day. A few slip ups here and there and you could very well be eating at your maintenance.

    Maintaining on 1800 kcal is depressing :(. I actually weigh all food and drinks and try to overestimate when I am not sure of the number of calories (when eating out). I really hope this is not what I get to eat at maintenance!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,937 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Clawsal wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Water retention generally hangs on for about 3 days.

    Are you logging your exercise? What kind of exercise are you doing? How much of your exercise calories are you eating back?
    this is key.


    It's important to note that you could be eating more than you think you are as well. I know plenty of women who maintain on less than 1800 per day. A few slip ups here and there and you could very well be eating at your maintenance.

    Maintaining on 1800 kcal is depressing :(. I actually weigh all food and drinks and try to overestimate when I am not sure of the number of calories (when eating out). I really hope this is not what I get to eat at maintenance!

    If you aren't losing, and haven't lost in a while, this could be it.

    I am 5'6" and a bit lighter than you. To get there, I had to net 1350 cal. As it happens, I appear to maintain at about 1600 cal. Sad but true.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Clawsal wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Water retention generally hangs on for about 3 days.

    Are you logging your exercise? What kind of exercise are you doing? How much of your exercise calories are you eating back?
    this is key.


    It's important to note that you could be eating more than you think you are as well. I know plenty of women who maintain on less than 1800 per day. A few slip ups here and there and you could very well be eating at your maintenance.

    Maintaining on 1800 kcal is depressing :(. I actually weigh all food and drinks and try to overestimate when I am not sure of the number of calories (when eating out). I really hope this is not what I get to eat at maintenance!

    it's taken me over 5 years to up my maintenance.

    when i first lost weight i was maintaining on 1,600 a day!

    I can now eat 2,000-ish before i start gaining, but this is after 5 years of consistent weight lifting and purposeful gaining. I'm 5'4, so take that with a grain of salt.

    You could certainly be retaining more water, you could be at a different point in your cycle (menstruation also causes gains) but if in a few weeks you're still not losing, i'd slowly lower your calorie intake by 100 calories or so each week (not dipping below 1,200) until you see a loss again. Try and stick to it for now, and see what happens.


    I really only consider if a "plateau" if you haven't lost anything for minimum of 6 weeks.
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
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    dykask wrote: »
    I went two years and gained 2kg, from 92 kg to 94 kg. I was working out pretty hard during those years. I did lose fat but my weight went up. It is completely possible for exercise to cause you to gain weight as your body composition changes. A lot of people here will claim that can only happen in a calorie surplus, but the body isn't that simple.

    Sadly, I just started exercising so I don't think I have gained muscle. But this week I had to punch a new hole in my belt so something is happening :)
  • maxphia32
    maxphia32 Posts: 99 Member
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    I found this article interesting, and it may give you perspective as to what is going on. http://www.coachcalorie.com/working-out-but-gaining-weight/
  • dykask
    dykask Posts: 800 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Clawsal wrote: »
    dykask wrote: »
    I went two years and gained 2kg, from 92 kg to 94 kg. I was working out pretty hard during those years. I did lose fat but my weight went up. It is completely possible for exercise to cause you to gain weight as your body composition changes. A lot of people here will claim that can only happen in a calorie surplus, but the body isn't that simple.

    Sadly, I just started exercising so I don't think I have gained muscle. But this week I had to punch a new hole in my belt so something is happening :)

    If your body is healing and building you are also probably storing more water in the muscles. It is really hard to guess these things. However my weight fluctuates and easy 2kg on days I workout. Sometimes I lose over 3kg in a workout, but that would be a really hard one were I sweated a great deal.
  • Clawsal
    Clawsal Posts: 255 Member
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    Update almost 4 weeks after my original post... I lost another 4 pounds with an average intake of 1600 calories a day (goal of 1500 calories but went a bit overboard some days).
    So good news 1600 kcal is NOT my maintenance :smile:.

    I still don't really know why I stalled though. I am sure this will happen again. I will read this post and try to be patient and not get discouraged.

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