Gained my first week!

leopardlady1975
leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 16 in Motivation and Support
Hi. I got back into mfp last week and was doing 1300 calories and exercising every day. I gained 1.6 pounds which is absolutely ridiculous!! There's no way I should have gained after week 1. I just feel like starving myself.

Replies

  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    If you are new to exercise this could be related to DOMS. Make sure you are weighing everything you eat and are using correct entries to log everything you consume. You won't gain on 1300 calories so just stick to your plan or if you are feeling like you aren't eating enough then change your goal. Depending on how close you are to a healthy weight you can change to lose 1 pound a week and not feel like you are depriving yourself.
  • leopardlady1975
    leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks...What are DOMS? I have exercised before, but it's been a while. I feel satisfied with 1300. I don't have a food scale. I need to lose at least 30 pounds. What do you mean by correct entries?
  • change4char
    change4char Posts: 85 Member
    leopardlady1975 wrote: »
    Thanks...What are DOMS? I have exercised before, but it's been a while. I feel satisfied with 1300. I don't have a food scale. I need to lose at least 30 pounds. What do you mean by correct entries?

    "correct entries" meaning that you are weighing everything (not going by cups/tbs/etc) and making sure the entry you are using in the database is for the correct food, if not enter it manually and make your own. If you don't own a food scale you are probably over eating your calories because volume measurements are not accurate. Food scales are a very good (and relatively cheap) investment, if you are dedicated to losing weight. Good luck!
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Microtears in the muscles from new exercise cause fluid retention which can lead to temporary weight gain.
    Food scale is one of the most important weight loss tools you can own. It doesn't have to be expensive, but digital scale that weighs in grams and oz and has a tare/zero function is necessary.
    Correct entries are anything other than homemade or generic. Check the package and make sure it is similar to what you have chosen.
    If you have ~30 pounds to lose a weight loss goal of 1-1.5 pounds per week should be adequate. Are you eating back your exercise calories as well?
  • Scotty2HotPie
    Scotty2HotPie Posts: 146 Member
    One week is far too short a time to do any sort of analysis.

    My weight fluctuates 4-5 lbs daily.
  • change4char
    change4char Posts: 85 Member
    Here's an example video on why you should weigh your food vs. use measuring tools. Lots of videos out there showing the discrepancies!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfcB7GbLmIM
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    edited March 2017
    It can be a multitude of things causing you to gain water weight - sodium level in your food, hormones, dehydration, new or increased exercise schedule (mentioned already by @cathipa). It can take about 4 weeks before you see the scale move so don't panic.

    Weight loss isn't a linear thing, your body weight fluctuates constantly, I was 107.5kg yesterday, had a pizza yesterday which still put me under maintenance calorie intake and I am up to 108.5kg this morning but I know this is because the sodium level in the pizza will have caused me to retain a little more water than normal but that will disappear come Tuesday afternoon.

    I think the first few weeks weighing daily at the same time of day in the same dress state (I prefer morning, after using the bathroom and before eating or drinking) helps you understand the effects different things have on your body. I've been known to go up 2kg just before my period.

    Up your water intake and that will probably help.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Agree with the others, it is very likely temporary water retention from starting a daily exercise program.
  • anybeary
    anybeary Posts: 188 Member
    Sometimes a switch to a higher protein diet means a bit of constipation. Dry drinking a dieters tea with senna at nights before you go to bed. This will help.
  • leopardlady1975
    leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
    cathipa wrote: »
    DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Microtears in the muscles from new exercise cause fluid retention which can lead to temporary weight gain.
    Food scale is one of the most important weight loss tools you can own. It doesn't have to be expensive, but digital scale that weighs in grams and oz and has a tare/zero function is necessary.
    Correct entries are anything other than homemade or generic. Check the package and make sure it is similar to what you have chosen.
    If you have ~30 pounds to lose a weight loss goal of 1-1.5 pounds per week should be adequate. Are you eating back your exercise calories as well?
    cathipa wrote: »
    DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Microtears in the muscles from new exercise cause fluid retention which can lead to temporary weight gain.
    Food scale is one of the most important weight loss tools you can own. It doesn't have to be expensive, but digital scale that weighs in grams and oz and has a tare/zero function is necessary.
    Correct entries are anything other than homemade or generic. Check the package and make sure it is similar to what you have chosen.
    If you have ~30 pounds to lose a weight loss goal of 1-1.5 pounds per week should be adequate. Are you eating back your exercise calories as well?
    cathipa wrote: »
    DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Microtears in the muscles from new exercise cause fluid retention which can lead to temporary weight gain.
    Food scale is one of the most important weight loss tools you can own. It doesn't have to be expensive, but digital scale that weighs in grams and oz and has a tare/zero function is necessary.
    Correct entries are anything other than homemade or generic. Check the package and make sure it is similar to what you have chosen.
    If you have ~30 pounds to lose a weight loss goal of 1-1.5 pounds per week should be adequate. Are you eating back your exercise calories as well?
    cathipa wrote: »
    DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Microtears in the muscles from new exercise cause fluid retention which can lead to temporary weight gain.
    Food scale is one of the most important weight loss tools you can own. It doesn't have to be expensive, but digital scale that weighs in grams and oz and has a tare/zero function is necessary.
    Correct entries are anything other than homemade or generic. Check the package and make sure it is similar to what you have chosen.
    If you have ~30 pounds to lose a weight loss goal of 1-1.5 pounds per week should be adequate. Are you eating back your exercise calories as well?
    cathipa wrote: »
    DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Microtears in the muscles from new exercise cause fluid retention which can lead to temporary weight gain.
    Food scale is one of the most important weight loss tools you can own. It doesn't have to be expensive, but digital scale that weighs in grams and oz and has a tare/zero function is necessary.
    Correct entries are anything other than homemade or generic. Check the package and make sure it is similar to what you have chosen.
    If you have ~30 pounds to lose a weight loss goal of 1-1.5 pounds per week should be adequate. Are you eating back your exercise calories as well?

  • leopardlady1975
    leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
    edited March 2017
    I never had a food scale and lost weight before. No I do not eat my exercise calories. Sorry for the multiple things above, trying to figure out how to reply. Things are different from when I was on here last.
  • leopardlady1975
    leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
    Scotty2HotPie wrote: »
    One week is far too short a time to do any sort of analysis.

    My weight fluctuates 4-5 lbs daily.

  • leopardlady1975
    leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
    I have done diets before and have always lost after my first week. We should be losing water weight at first.
  • leopardlady1975
    leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    It can be a multitude of things causing you to gain water weight - sodium level in your food, hormones, dehydration, new or increased exercise schedule (mentioned already by @cathipa). It can take about 4 weeks before you see the scale move so don't panic.

    Weight loss isn't a linear thing, your body weight fluctuates constantly, I was 107.5kg yesterday, had a pizza yesterday which still put me under maintenance calorie intake and I am up to 108.5kg this morning but I know this is because the sodium level in the pizza will have caused me to retain a little more water than normal but that will disappear come Tuesday afternoon.

    I think the first few weeks weighing daily at the same time of day in the same dress state (I prefer morning, after using the bathroom and before eating or drinking) helps you understand the effects different things have on your body. I've been known to go up 2kg just before my period.

    Up your water intake and that will probably help.

  • leopardlady1975
    leopardlady1975 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks. I weigh myself weekly cuz if I did daily I would go nuts. Lol! Another problem I know I have is that I definitely do not drink enough water. I struggle with that.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    leopardlady1975 wrote: »
    I never had a food scale and lost weight before. No I do not eat my exercise calories. Sorry for the multiple things above, trying to figure out how to reply. Things are different from when I was on here last.

    If you're following MFP's goals, you should be eating back at least some of your exercise calories.

    If you can lose without a food scale, more power to you. Like others have said, you're retaining water from starting/increasing your workouts. You'll see water weight all the time for many reasons, so a week or two without a loss should not worry you. If it does go longer, however, then it's usually time to look into your logging and see what you can tighten up. Then a food scale would help you out. But if you lose fine without one, that's awesome for you.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    If you are not in a deficit you won't lose. Again DOMS will affect this and as you stated in your initial post you are exercising every day. If you just started new exercise you will have some water retention. True water weight is typically the first to go, but just because you didn't lose the first week doesn't mean week 2 will be the same.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    I wouldn't worry. Weight fluctuates so much. You might have been having a low day the day you weighed in. For example...every month I have a low day or week when I'm about a pound under where I maintain. It's usually a good 5 days before ovulation. If I had started my weight loss by weighing in that day, it'd look like I gained the first week as well...EVEN if I was in a deficit. That water weight would have come back regardless.
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