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Gaining Weight: WHY??

boxingmama85
boxingmama85 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I've recently started Crossfit (Aug 2016). I was 163 on September 4th, September 6th my weight shot up to 166, I got it back down to 164.2 but then on october 9th weigh in it was up to 168, again got it back down to 166.6 and on November 5th I was 170.. What gives? I do Crossfit 5x per week and run on day 6. I eat 1600-1800 a day! What gives everyone says water retention and muscle building but really that much? I'm 31 yrs old 5'7'.

Replies

  • boxingmama85
    boxingmama85 Posts: 2 Member
    Oh and todays weight was 171 (Nov 21st)
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    ^ These are key questions.

    I'll also add - are you only weighing yourself every couple of weeks or once a month? If so, you could actually be losing weight but not be able to see it or track it due to regular fluctuations.
  • Lesscookies1
    Lesscookies1 Posts: 250 Member
    I know my weight goes up pretty crazy when I have a large intake of sodium. Are you possibly eating a lot of salty food? Could it be water weight? Also since you're working out so much it could be muscle you're working out a lot!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    chicasayshi wrote: »
    I know my weight goes up pretty crazy when I have a large intake of sodium. Are you possibly eating a lot of salty food? Could it be water weight? Also since you're working out so much it could be muscle you're working out a lot!

    Very unlikely that it's water weight over 2.5-3 months
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    chicasayshi wrote: »
    I know my weight goes up pretty crazy when I have a large intake of sodium. Are you possibly eating a lot of salty food? Could it be water weight? Also since you're working out so much it could be muscle you're working out a lot!

    Very unlikely that it's water weight over 2.5-3 months

    I agree, but if the OP is weighing in sporadically, it is possible ... I think it would be bad luck, but if you only weigh in once a month or so, it is possible to weigh in on a high day due to sodium, carbs, TOM, etc. It's just not a lot of data to work with.

    Personally, I weigh daily and compare month to month.

  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    Are you pmsing or is your Tom coming up? I always get crazy weight gain like that a week or 2 before Tom attacks.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    3 or 4 pounds is not "weight shot up."

    1) that's 3 or 4 pints of water.
    2) that's well within the variability of most home scales. It doesn't matter if your scale shows you decimal points, most of them are only actually accurate to a pound or two.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Kimny72 has it right - your logging is infrequent and likely highly inaccurate. You're undoing all your work in the gym in the kitchen (I have this problem too unfortunately). Get your logging in check and you'll likely start seeing results. You're likely eating quite a bit more calories than you think you are.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,246 Member
    Usually people gain weight when they eat more than they need. So this is probably your case too.
    If you weigh all your food and log it diligently in a diary this won't happen. Well provided you eat at your limit.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    3 to 4 pounds of water retention from starting an exercise program from previously being somewhat sedentary is the norm and to be expected. It's nothing to fret over, just continue 6o do what you are doing and trust that if you move more and eat less it'll be good for you.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,246 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    3 to 4 pounds of water retention from starting an exercise program from previously being somewhat sedentary is the norm and to be expected. It's nothing to fret over, just continue 6o do what you are doing and trust that if you move more and eat less it'll be good for you.

    @Aaron_K123 She started in August. Her weight has been slowly increasing since then. I don't think it is water retention.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    Start logging ALL your food EVERY DAY, and use a digital food scale for accuracy.

    I have a feeling you are eating above maintenance. You may be putting on muscle since you are exercising so much, but this only happens if you are in a caloric surplus.

    If you increase exercise yet increase food intake you can still gain weight- this is how it works:

    Caloric surplus = weight gain
    Maintenance calories = weight stays the same
    Caloric deficit = weight loss

    (No matter what or how much exercise you do)

    If you are gaining weight over time you must be in a slight caloric surplus. With lots of intense exercise and running increasing your appetite, and not very accurate logging, I'm pretty sure you're just eating more than you think you are.

    Tighten it up, keep exercising, and get ready for some great results!
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    Echoing the others-you need to really tighten up your accuracy with tracking your calorie intake. If you're not already, start using a food scale, set to grams, for all your food. Start imputing that data into your food diary here, and then stay within the calorie parameters that MFP set for you. Exercise is nice, but it's not what really counts for weight loss-how many calories you're consuming is. Just adjust how you're doing things a bit and you'll be good to go :)
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    gebeziseva wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    3 to 4 pounds of water retention from starting an exercise program from previously being somewhat sedentary is the norm and to be expected. It's nothing to fret over, just continue 6o do what you are doing and trust that if you move more and eat less it'll be good for you.

    @Aaron_K123 She started in August. Her weight has been slowly increasing since then. I don't think it is water retention.

    Oh damn, reading comprehension fail. I read "recently started" but then neglected to notice the dates. OP I retract what I said, water retention from exercise influences your weight for like a week not for months, so that isn't the explanation. Only explanation then really is you are eating more than you think you are.
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    Your logging is pretty much non-existent over the last couple of months - especially on the weekends. You are likely eating way more than you think, and not burning as many calories as you think.
    Tighten up your logging 100% for a month and see how you do.
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited November 2016
    deluxmary2000 wrote: »
    Your logging is pretty much non-existent over the last couple of months - especially on the weekends. You are likely eating way more than you think, and not burning as many calories as you think.
    Tighten up your logging 100% for a month and see how you do.

    I agree.

    It can surprise even a seasoned dieter (it did me, and I started my first calorie-counting diet in 1978!) how much more you're eating than you think you're eating, especially if it's in little licks and bites, just a half-serving more of this or that, "forgetting" to count creamer, or whatever.

    I recently had the experience of having assumed the gelatin I add to my yogurt (for my skin) had pretty much no calories. Actually, it has 35 (oops). That's not a ton of calories and all by itself, won't push the scales over backward or anything, but added to other "little" oopses, such things can add up and they can surprise us.
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