Do you know why?

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macymgc
macymgc Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is simply out of curiousity really. And to calm my frustrations.
A little over a week ago I began exercise. I had already lost about 30ish lbs and decided to get active. So I did. I started Jillian Michael's Beginner Shred program and have been walking about 45 min a day. I was super excited to step on the scale yesterday and then disappointed to find out I actually lost a lot less than I normally do (2lbs). I lost less than a lb this week. I drug this out a little too much, but I know nothing about fitness and a lot of you might know the reasoning behind this! Thank you for any responses :)

Replies

  • BonnieDundee78
    BonnieDundee78 Posts: 158 Member
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    Sudden increases in exercise can result in temporary water retention. If nothing else has changed (and it's not just normal fluctuations in your cycle), I imagine that's what it is.
  • GoldBikiniGoals
    GoldBikiniGoals Posts: 47 Member
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    Strenuous/new exercise patterns tend to cause you to hold onto water weight to help with muscle recovery. As your body adjusts, you're likely to have a "whoosh" and drop the water weight. Hang in there.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    When you start doing activities you don't normally do, it is common for your muscles to retain more fluid. If you keep at it, the fluid will eventually dissipate and you may even see a larger than expected weight loss sometime.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    When you start or increased exercises, your muscles hold on to water to repair themselves, which can mask weight loss. There are other reasons water weight can play a role as well (increased sodium or carb intake, hormones/TOM, stress).

    This thread is a great read: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    Yep, most likely water retention due to the new exercise and it will sort itself out soon :)
  • macymgc
    macymgc Posts: 9 Member
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    Thank you guys! I went a little crazy yesterday because the fam had pizza (and everyone loves pizza,right?) but hopefully it will sort itself out soon! I know the scale isn't the end all be all, but it's always nice to see those numbers go down.
  • macymgc
    macymgc Posts: 9 Member
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    @BonnieDundee78 @GoldBikiniGoals @TimothyFish @malibu927 @crzycatlady1 another question! Should I eat back any of my exercise calories? According to my Fitbit I'm burning around 600 a day between walking/JM. I'm on a 1,330 calorie a day diet and I've been trying not to eat any back.

  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    How many miles are you covering when you walk?
  • macymgc
    macymgc Posts: 9 Member
    edited March 2017
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    @fitmom4lifemfp generally about 4.5, it fluctuates some.
    Editing to say my walk is actually most of the time an hour. I'm not that fast. Hahaha.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    macymgc wrote: »
    @BonnieDundee78 @GoldBikiniGoals @TimothyFish @malibu927 @crzycatlady1 another question! Should I eat back any of my exercise calories? According to my Fitbit I'm burning around 600 a day between walking/JM. I'm on a 1,330 calorie a day diet and I've been trying not to eat any back.

    You should eat them back. Your calorie goal already includes the deficit you need to lose weight. Not eating them will result in some very unpleasant side effects. One day here and there won't matter but done continuously, you could end up sick, injured, or worse. Also you may lose your hair, nails and over time your hormones will tank and will affect your period. You'd also be eating away more of your muscle instead of just fat, and well, your heart is a muscle. That's why it's important to properly fuel yourself and your activity.
  • macymgc
    macymgc Posts: 9 Member
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    @Ninkyou thank you for the insight! Definitely makes sense. I tend to feel more guilty than anything when I eat them back. Like I just exercised for no reason and I messed it up.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    macymgc wrote: »
    @Ninkyou thank you for the insight! Definitely makes sense. I tend to feel more guilty than anything when I eat them back. Like I just exercised for no reason and I messed it up.

    I understand. It's hard to wrap your mind around that you can eat more and STILL lose weight.
  • BonnieDundee78
    BonnieDundee78 Posts: 158 Member
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    Yeah, eat your exercise calories back - but probably no more than 50-75% of them. Especially if you are using MFPs estimates of your calorie burn, which tend to be inflated for some reason. But essentially, yes, the more you exercise, the more you get to eat. Good, eh?

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