how much weight is regular to gain?

Options
Im sure with working out ill be gaining weight (muscle) but about how much? I used to be 189, im now 150 and pretty ok with my weight. But because my weight used to be so high im really strict on my weight. I check my weight everyday multiple times. Im expecting to lose and gain weight but im worried that ill be gaining 5lbs before i even notice a difference and i know if that happens id be extremely unhappy with my weight.

Replies

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    edited December 2017
    Options
    If you are eating at maintenance you won't gain any weight.

    (Building extra muscle is very slow for a woman. Under ideal conditions, diet and protein on point and following a proven progressive compound lifting programme, .5-1lbs a month can be gained. This can be done through recomp, slower, or a bulk where one purposely eats over maintenance)

    Cheers, h.
  • Ainadan
    Ainadan Posts: 158 Member
    Options
    At first you will gain about 2 to 5 pounds. This is because your body is holding more water. You've got to wait that out, but it should go away after a few days to weeks.
  • USAMcK
    USAMcK Posts: 80 Member
    Options
    You shouldn't weigh yourself that often. At MOST once in the morning, after you pee, before you eat/drink.

    5 lbs is super minute and if you know it's not fat, don't worry. Water gain goes away after a short time.

    Good luck!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,156 Member
    Options
    Maybe I'm just biologically weird, but it sure seems like when I start a progressive strength training program, aggressive enough to have mild muscle soreness/repair going on more or less continuously, I gain a couple of pounds and hang onto them until I stop strength training. When I stop, I drop that couple of pounds.

    (I strength train in rowing off season, and usually stop during rowing season because I'm undisciplined and fundamentally don't enjoy strength training. ;) I've gone through this cycle while tracking calories closely, but while maintaining weight.)

    OP, it's just water weight, not fat. It's part of healthy body functioning.

    Building muscle is a slow process. Because that process may cause you to weigh a little more at the same size (over the very long term, many months to years), or to be a little smaller at the same weight (because muscle is more compact), it would be a good idea to include regular, not too frequent (monthly or less, say), careful tape measurements at multiple body points to your tracking.

    And really, a few pounds of weight fluctuation from day to day is normal, and fluctuation within a day is inevitable. If you weigh yourself, then drink a pint of water, then weigh again, you'll weigh about a pound more. It's utterly meaningless.

    Weighing once a day is plenty. Don't make yourself crazy over water weight, digestive system contents yet to be excreted, etc.

  • FaithGonzalesss
    FaithGonzalesss Posts: 39 Member
    edited December 2017
    Options
    Well i went to the gym today. Im really discouraged now. There was alot of people there so i couldn't focus. there were the typical strong intimidating guys around the weight type stuff area. I wanted to do like 20 minutes on tradmill then find myself on a machine thing that affiliated with weights. But all the guys were over there and I've never used those types of things so i didn't wanna look stupid trying to figure them out. So instead i was on the treadmill for 30 minutes feeling stupid bc i was only at like a 3.6 and some others were full on running. I feel completely torn down. I had goals, i wanted to lose a little weight and gain muscle. Im planning on going back tomorrow but idk. it may seem stupid but little stuff like that is always extremely discouraging to me.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    Options
    If you can, book an intro to the gym with a trainer so you can find out what the machines are and what they do.

    Then, instead of just going in and using the weight machines, find a plan that works for you. You may like dumbbells as well as machines.

    Gyms quite often have slower and busier times. If you find working out around a lot of people upsetting, try going at different times until you find one that suits you.

    Cheers, h.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    Im sure with working out ill be gaining weight (muscle) but about how much? I used to be 189, im now 150 and pretty ok with my weight. But because my weight used to be so high im really strict on my weight. I check my weight everyday multiple times. Im expecting to lose and gain weight but im worried that ill be gaining 5lbs before i even notice a difference and i know if that happens id be extremely unhappy with my weight.

    You weigh multiple times a day, so when exactly do you think you'll not notice 5lbs?

    Maintenance should be a range not a single number anyway to stop you going crazy over normal fluctuations. You're not going to be the same weight all day as soon as you start eating and drinking and pooping etc
  • Muscleflex79
    Muscleflex79 Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    Im sure with working out ill be gaining weight (muscle) but about how much? I used to be 189, im now 150 and pretty ok with my weight. But because my weight used to be so high im really strict on my weight. I check my weight everyday multiple times. Im expecting to lose and gain weight but im worried that ill be gaining 5lbs before i even notice a difference and i know if that happens id be extremely unhappy with my weight.

    don't worry, you will not put on tons of muscle mass by accident...if you want to gain muscle, you should look into a structured program - it will be much better than trying to figure out the "machine thing affiliated with weights."