Weight Loss Anomoly
SaintChase
Posts: 9 Member
Hey all, so 15 days ago I started on my weight loss journey with the help of this app to help me track my daily intake, weight loss, and workout. Ive been going to the gym for about 3 hours each morning on average (7 days/week) and up until yesterday i was losing a consistant 1 pound per day. Leaving me 14 lbs lighter at my morning weigh in yesterday. However, upon weighing myself this morning, as i have been every morning; i found that i had gained 2 pounds. As far as i can tell, nothing has changed with my diet or workout within the last 15 days and i didnt cheat on my meal plan yesterday. If anyone could offer some insite into why i gained 2 lbs in such a short period of time when ive been consistently losing 1 lb per day for the last 2 weeks it would be greatly appreciated. Im not upset with the gain as my goal is to only lose 2.5 pounds per week but i am curious as to why this may be. Thanks again.
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Replies
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I would be more curious why your scale has showed a consistent daily loss of a whole pound? How much do you weigh? How much are you eating? Does the scale have fresh batteries?4
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kommodevaran wrote: »I would be more curious why your scale has showed a consistent daily loss of a whole pound? How much do you weigh? How much are you eating? Does the scale have fresh batteries?
That's what I would be curious about as well.0 -
Ive been using the scale at the rec center i go to to work-out. Its a wall plug in unit so theres no batteries. When i started eating clean and working out i weighed 250lbs and this morning i weighed in at 238lbs. I talked to a nutritionist on monday as i was concerned about the rapid weight loss and after showing him my daily intake/workout log over the period since i had started, he said that over a short period of time i shoulf be okay to continue the way i have been. Apparently the average adult male needs between 1300 and 1500 calories a day for proper body function. Over the last 2 weeks ive had an average daily intake of 2136 calories. So he said if i can keep my daily caloric intake above 2000 calories while keeping good macros i should be okay.0
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you are not going at this in a sustainable manner.
it is dangerous, stupid, and youre setting yourself up for failure.3 -
So im in no way starving myself. Im more often choking down food than i am feeling hungry. He also did warned me that my energy level in the gym while weight lifting will be minimal due to the caloric deficit. And that over a long period of time i would be at risk of losing lean muscle mass. However if i continue the weight lifting schedule i have been on, the muscle mass loss should be minimal.1
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First of all, why 3 hours/day for 2 weeks straight.... you need to give yourself a rest day.
Second, weightloss isn't linear, I'm also curious as to how you lose exactly 1lb every day?6 -
Congrats on the weight-loss! I disagree with the above poster, often for the first week or two of a new 'diet' or just counting calories people will lose very large amounts of weight. A pound a day is not unheard of just because of water weight loss or just the extra bulk leaving your digestive system.
A gain of two pounds could easily be a normal fluctuation, water or inflammation or a big meal. other people can chime in with more detail too. The key is that weight loss is not linear, fluctuations happen often but as long as the overall calorie deficit is right you will lose weight over time. So keep at it!1 -
SaintChase wrote: »So im in no way starving myself. Im more often choking down food than i am feeling hungry. He also did warned me that my energy level in the gym while weight lifting will be minimal due to the caloric deficit. And that over a long period of time i would be at risk of losing lean muscle mass. However if i continue the weight lifting schedule i have been on, the muscle mass loss should be minimal.
The initial weight loss was mostly water weight. That will start to even out now as you go along.
If you just started lifting weights, your muscles will retain water while they repair themselves.
That said - if you're eating on average 2136 calories per day and getting adequate nutrients, you will be fine. Two weeks is not long enough to be worried about weight fluctuation. Continue tracking for the next 6 weeks or so and look for a downward trend.
Also, if you're lifting weights 7 days a week for 3 hours a day, I agree that is way overkill. Your muscles need rest days.3 -
I understand that this isnt sustainable and i dont plan on it needing to be sustained. I booked myself for an appointment with the nutritionist because i was concerned about the health impact.1
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You've lost a ton of water over the first couple of weeks. This is common when starting a calorie deficit.
Now comes the portion that is often slower and less linear, losing fat.
Also, please consider working in rest days so you don't hurt yourself or burn out. Even if you decide to work out daily (I do), you need lighter days layered in there because your body needs a chance to repair. In fitness, recovery is super important.2 -
It does seem strange that you were losing a pound per day, but given that many people drop several pounds the first week anyway and there seems to have been a "correction" this morning, it can probably all be explained as normal fluctuations during weight loss, though somewhat aggressive.0
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callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »you are not going at this in a sustainable manner.
it is dangerous, stupid, and youre setting yourself up for failure.
Not really helpful.
@SaintChase The concern is that you are losing a lot faster than the recommended 2 lb per week. But as you are new to losing weight, you have probably lost a fair amount of water weight, and not fat.
Weight loss is not linear and your weight will go up and down, even if you are doing everything correct. It just will. Be ready for your weight to bump around as it goes down. As others have said, a consistent weight loss of 1 lb per day is very surprising. It just is not that consistent normally. What you saw was a fluke.
Be careful on how much you are eating versus how much you burn. It looks like you are being pretty aggressive at the gym, but be sure not to injure yourself1 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »SaintChase wrote: »So im in no way starving myself. Im more often choking down food than i am feeling hungry. He also did warned me that my energy level in the gym while weight lifting will be minimal due to the caloric deficit. And that over a long period of time i would be at risk of losing lean muscle mass. However if i continue the weight lifting schedule i have been on, the muscle mass loss should be minimal.
The initial weight loss was mostly water weight. That will start to even out now as you go along.
If you just started lifting weights, your muscles will retain water while they repair themselves.
That said - if you're eating on average 2136 calories per day and getting adequate nutrients, you will be fine. Two weeks is not long enough to be worried about weight fluctuation. Continue tracking for the next 6 weeks or so and look for a downward trend.
Also, if you're lifting weights 7 days a week for 3 hours a day, I agree that is way overkill. Your muscles need rest days.
I havent been weight lifting for 3 hours a day, ive been spending an average of 3 hours a day in the gym. Normally 1h 45m on cardio, 45 mins weight lifting and then stretching and so-on.0 -
Weight loss is not linear and you should expect to see higher losses earlier on when reducing intake. Like others, I'm surprised at the consistency so far of 1 lb. loss per day. It seems like that is too much, and you are starting to bounce back a bit. As you continue, you should expect to lose some days and gain other days. Over time, if you are doing everything right, you will settle out with an overall loss.0
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SaintChase wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »SaintChase wrote: »So im in no way starving myself. Im more often choking down food than i am feeling hungry. He also did warned me that my energy level in the gym while weight lifting will be minimal due to the caloric deficit. And that over a long period of time i would be at risk of losing lean muscle mass. However if i continue the weight lifting schedule i have been on, the muscle mass loss should be minimal.
The initial weight loss was mostly water weight. That will start to even out now as you go along.
If you just started lifting weights, your muscles will retain water while they repair themselves.
That said - if you're eating on average 2136 calories per day and getting adequate nutrients, you will be fine. Two weeks is not long enough to be worried about weight fluctuation. Continue tracking for the next 6 weeks or so and look for a downward trend.
Also, if you're lifting weights 7 days a week for 3 hours a day, I agree that is way overkill. Your muscles need rest days.
I havent been weight lifting for 3 hours a day, ive been spending an average of 3 hours a day in the gym. Normally 1h 45m on cardio, 45 mins weight lifting and then stretching and so-on.
That's still 3 hours/day without a rest day? Honestly, I'd reduce that and give yourself at least 1-2 rest days/week so you don't get injured.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »You've lost a ton of water over the first couple of weeks. This is common when starting a calorie deficit.
Now comes the portion that is often slower and less linear, losing fat.
Also, please consider working in rest days so you don't hurt yourself or burn out. Even if you decide to work out daily (I do), you need lighter days layered in there because your body needs a chance to repair. In fitness, recovery is super important.
I totally understand the rest days. The majority of my time spent in the gym is cardio. And with the weight lifting, ive been cycling through muscle groups per day so typically a specific muscle group will have 3 or more days of rest and recovery before i work on it again.1 -
SaintChase wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »SaintChase wrote: »So im in no way starving myself. Im more often choking down food than i am feeling hungry. He also did warned me that my energy level in the gym while weight lifting will be minimal due to the caloric deficit. And that over a long period of time i would be at risk of losing lean muscle mass. However if i continue the weight lifting schedule i have been on, the muscle mass loss should be minimal.
The initial weight loss was mostly water weight. That will start to even out now as you go along.
If you just started lifting weights, your muscles will retain water while they repair themselves.
That said - if you're eating on average 2136 calories per day and getting adequate nutrients, you will be fine. Two weeks is not long enough to be worried about weight fluctuation. Continue tracking for the next 6 weeks or so and look for a downward trend.
Also, if you're lifting weights 7 days a week for 3 hours a day, I agree that is way overkill. Your muscles need rest days.
I havent been weight lifting for 3 hours a day, ive been spending an average of 3 hours a day in the gym. Normally 1h 45m on cardio, 45 mins weight lifting and then stretching and so-on.
Your body needs a rest day or two. Rest days are when your body repairs the damage that exercise causes. I still go for walks on my rest days, but exercising 7 days per week is going to lead to an injury or burn out.6 -
SaintChase wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »You've lost a ton of water over the first couple of weeks. This is common when starting a calorie deficit.
Now comes the portion that is often slower and less linear, losing fat.
Also, please consider working in rest days so you don't hurt yourself or burn out. Even if you decide to work out daily (I do), you need lighter days layered in there because your body needs a chance to repair. In fitness, recovery is super important.
I totally understand the rest days. The majority of my time spent in the gym is cardio. And with the weight lifting, ive been cycling through muscle groups per day so typically a specific muscle group will have 3 or more days of rest and recovery before i work on it again.
Rest days are important for cardio as well.4 -
SaintChase wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »You've lost a ton of water over the first couple of weeks. This is common when starting a calorie deficit.
Now comes the portion that is often slower and less linear, losing fat.
Also, please consider working in rest days so you don't hurt yourself or burn out. Even if you decide to work out daily (I do), you need lighter days layered in there because your body needs a chance to repair. In fitness, recovery is super important.
I totally understand the rest days. The majority of my time spent in the gym is cardio. And with the weight lifting, ive been cycling through muscle groups per day so typically a specific muscle group will have 3 or more days of rest and recovery before i work on it again.
Rest days = days not actively exercising, to give you body time to recover and repair itself. Regardless of what you're doing you still need at least 1-2 rest days/week. If you want you can go for a walk or do yoga or something non-strenuous but please give youself at least 1-2 days out of the gym so you don't injure yourself!1 -
I started at 279. With an intake of ~2500 cals, I lost 10 lbs in the first week, 25 lbs in the first month. Given how often I was "going", the majority of that was water weight. After the first month, the weight loss settled down to a more reasonable/expected 1-2 lbs per week. So, given your starting point, I'm not at all surprised by your initial quick losses.
You said you are using the scale at the rec center. As you go forward, you are going to see more variations (up/down wiggles), as there will be dependencies on what you eaten, how much you've had to drink, etc. I suggest you get yourself a scale at home, and weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after you've "gone", while wearing the same clothes (or lack thereof), each time. That will take away a lot of variance in your weighing.1 -
Rest days from weight lifting is obvious because time is needed for tissue repair and so on. But with cardio, if my cardio is moderate intensity for example, and i dont physically feel sore from the cardio, why would i need a rest day? Not closed off from the idea, i just want to better understand. I often feel like i have way more energy throughout the days that i do more cardio rather than less. So if im not tearing muscle fibers during cardio, causing soreness and needing time for repair, and i dont feel drained of energy throughout the day due to the cardio... why would i need a rest day?
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I started at 279. With an intake of ~2500 cals, I lost 10 lbs in the first week, 25 lbs in the first month. Given how often I was "going", the majority of that was water weight. After the first month, the weight loss settled down to a more reasonable/expected 1-2 lbs per week. So, given your starting point, I'm not at all surprised by your initial quick losses.
You said you are using the scale at the rec center. As you go forward, you are going to see more variations (up/down wiggles), as there will be dependencies on what you eaten, how much you've had to drink, etc. I suggest you get yourself a scale at home, and weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after you've "gone", while wearing the same clothes (or lack thereof), each time. That will take away a lot of variance in your weighing.
I normally weigh myself first thing in the morning, first thing i do after getting changed at the gym. And normally i wash my workout clothes each night so its normally the same attire.1 -
That damn scale messes with people so much. I weigh once a week. No more. I don't stress if it doesn't say I've lost because- it's just a number. It doesn't define me. It doesn't take into account water retention, monthly cycle, muscle mass gained, pending bowel movements. Just keep doing what you're doing. It is normal for your weight loss to slow down, and go up and down like a rollercoaster. If a month goes by with little change, then it is time to look at what you're doing.1
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SaintChase wrote: »Rest days from weight lifting is obvious because time is needed for tissue repair and so on. But with cardio, if my cardio is moderate intensity for example, and i dont physically feel sore from the cardio, why would i need a rest day? Not closed off from the idea, i just want to better understand. I often feel like i have way more energy throughout the days that i do more cardio rather than less. So if im not tearing muscle fibers during cardio, causing soreness and needing time for repair, and i dont feel drained of energy throughout the day due to the cardio... why would i need a rest day?
Cardio causes microtrauma to the muscles and an increase in acidity in the muscle cells (natural byproduct of exercise, especially exercise that is intense or long duration). Not eating adequate protein or calories and not getting adequate rest will result in deterioration of the muscle cells. Lack of soreness does not mean the muscles were not used.2 -
your weight loss up to this point could have been water weight loss. now you are getting into the serious 'fat' loss. Also remember muscle weighs more than fat so if you are converting your muscle to fat you will actually gain weight. this is not always a bad thing.1
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your weight loss up to this point could have been water weight loss. now you are getting into the serious 'fat' loss. Also remember muscle weighs more than fat so if you are converting your muscle to fat you will actually gain weight. this is not always a bad thing.
Fat doesn't turn into muscle, I wish that was the way it happened. The OP will likely gain some muscle due to various factors, but even as a 21 year old male it wouldn't be more than a pound per month. That's definitely not fast enough to be gaining weight while still losing fat. Not to discourage him or anyone, but if long term weight (4+ weeks) trends up or remains the same then they need to consider improving calorie logging accuracy.1 -
Your weight can/will fluctuate daily due to all sorts of things, not related to actual fat gains/losses. Hormones, sodium intake, digestion periods, constipation, water retention due to exercise etc etc.
Your initial weight drop is going to be mostly water weight. Since it looks like that's wrapping up, start focusing on your monthly trends-that's where you're going to start seeing where you're actually at. I'd also recommend a weight trend app (Happy Scales for apple or Libra for android). Great tool to help you see the 'big' picture
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A rest day doesn't mean doing no exercise at all. It is actually better to do some exercise on a rest day, but instead of pushing yourself take a leisurely stroll, or ride a beach cruiser down to the local coffee shop.1
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your weight loss up to this point could have been water weight loss. now you are getting into the serious 'fat' loss. Also remember muscle weighs more than fat so if you are converting your muscle to fat you will actually gain weight. this is not always a bad thing.
I personally do not weigh every day because weight can fluctuate so much and become disheartening. I think a weight maybe every 3rd day or even once a week would be a better way to monitor your weight. I have seen people so intent on the numbers on the scale they don't realize the positive changes in their bodies. Ie a girlfriend of mine years ago was devastated that her weight went up 3 pounds, the fact that her clothes fit loose on her (she actually had to go buy smaller pants) and she felt healthier than ever meant nothing because the scale showed a gain. turned out to be lady reasons she gained the weight and it was fixed in a few days. Don't get into that rut!2 -
Holy crap an hour and 45 min of cardio at one time at the gym takes some mental discipline!
But like everyone says weight fluctuates. Sometimes you get on the scale and you seem to have lost 5 pounds, then the next day you gained two. You may be stagnant for two weeks and then eat a bunch of food and the next day the scale says you lost 2 pounds. That's why I prefer to weigh every day instead of just once weekly, you could catch yourself in a fluctuation. I track weight and just look for a general downward slope overall.1
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