Help! I'm GAINING weight!?!?!?

kmkizziar
kmkizziar Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been really sticking to my diet and excersize plan and consistanly coming in under my calorie goal (not to an unhealthy extent, I am not starving myself) and making sure to work out in oneway or another everday for the past 8 wks, even if I only have time to take the pup on a power walk to the mail box and back (.25 miles from the house) I get up and do it.

I lost 15 lbs in 6 wks, but now in the last 2 weeks I have gained 8 lbs back?? I started at 195, and went down to 180, now I am back to 188?!?!? I double checked on a friends scale just to make sure mine hadn't messed up in some way?!?

I have been working really hard and I don't understand the weight gain?? My jeans are loose and I feel better than I have in years, I am motivated. But # on the scale yesterday brought me to tears:sad:. What is the point if it keeps coming back? :mad:

Any suggestions or feedback??
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Replies

  • 97lking
    97lking Posts: 2
    You're gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so more muscle than fat means you'll weigh more.
  • nursemickey
    nursemickey Posts: 52 Member
    As long as you are seeing results in your clothes then you are still doing well. You are building lean muscle so you well see the wt go up some. Don't go so much by the scale.
  • UPrime
    UPrime Posts: 1
    I agree with 97lking. You're probably gaining muscle and that's a real good thing because your're burning more calories overall. It sounds like you've developed good habits. It's the size of that counts. Keep going. By the way, Hi- I'm new here.
  • wilson1024
    wilson1024 Posts: 126 Member
    I have same problem too but its just muscle or water retention. I've lost in inches more then anything so as long as I'm losing something I am satisfied. But I do understand and feel your pain of not seeing the scale go down and goes up instead! I gained almost 3 lbs back on Monday but then I weighed this morning and lost 2 lbs so its like a yoyo affect with the scale, I don't even pay attention to it anymore. I know that I am eating healthy and exercising everyday and that is a good thing so only good things will come out of it in the long run is the way I look at it. Good Luck! Keep Chin Up! :)
  • baxgilter
    baxgilter Posts: 246 Member
    You're gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so more muscle than fat means you'll weigh more.


    Muscle does not weigh more than fat! 1 lb is 1 lb whether it is a fat lb or a muscle lb!
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
    Muscle does not wiegh more than fat, a pound is a pound.

    Muscle is denser and takes up less space....

    No way to comment or help without seeing your diary.

    You can be building muscle and burning fat, try measuring to see if you are getting smaller.....

    Best of luck!!!
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    You're gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so more muscle than fat means you'll weigh more.


    Muscle does not weigh more than fat! 1 lb is 1 lb whether it is a fat lb or a muscle lb!

    This. Plus you don't gain 8lbs of muscle in 8 weeks. It's possibly water retention or maybe the way you ate in the 6 weeks was making you dehydrated, now you're normalizing. 8lbs in 8 weeks isn't so bad still. That's still a lb a week. With 52 weeks in a year, you'll have time to lose as much as you want.
  • Kiki829
    Kiki829 Posts: 60 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat! 1 lb is 1 lb whether it is a fat lb or a muscle lb!
    [/quote]

    ^^^This. It drives me nuts when people say muscle weighs more. It is true that muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less area, but 1 lb. is 1 lb. whether it is fat or muscle.
  • Aldabra2009
    Aldabra2009 Posts: 6 Member
    Dont be too discouraged. At least you are loosing inches.. that is a great indicator...::flowerforyou:
  • heatherurban
    heatherurban Posts: 13
    Definitely take measurements. It is a great way to gauge progress besides the scale.
  • VanessaGS
    VanessaGS Posts: 514 Member
    It's funny how this is a constant battle with people and the scale. If you're eating right and your clothes fit better than you ARE gaining muscle. That is a very good thing. Atleast you should be glad it's not fat that you're gaining back. Be PROUD! Keep on keeping on.
  • Fay84Vegan
    Fay84Vegan Posts: 225 Member
    Sorry for the disappointing weight gain.

    My first thought would be you're building muscle, but 8lbs is a lot!!

    Yesterday my scales said I have gained 3 lbs - i have no idea why aside from muscle gain but it can't just keep going up,

    Have a look through your diary and see if there is anything you could improve on, drink more water, make sure you have a decent amount of protein daily.and keep your salt intake low.
  • VanessaGS
    VanessaGS Posts: 514 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat! 1 lb is 1 lb whether it is a fat lb or a muscle lb!

    ^^^This. It drives me nuts when people say muscle weighs more. It is true that muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less area, but 1 lb. is 1 lb. whether it is fat or muscle.
    [/quote]

    I'm wondering if they take it in the context that 8 lbs of fat show alot more than 8 lbs of mucle. That's prolly why they say muscle weighs more than fat because you notice fat alot more.
  • sixisCHANGEDjk
    sixisCHANGEDjk Posts: 243
    Can I ask what you calorie goal is?

    Water retention is a big factor that might be getting you. Just a thought.
  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
    Don't worry. Scales lie, they aren't always the best way to judge your progress. You feel good, your clothes are looser- who cares about that number? It's just that, a number. If you look and feel better then you are a SUCCESS. Get a tape measure and track your progress that way and keep doing what you're doing! Congratulations!
  • vwrynn
    vwrynn Posts: 6
    If you consume too few calories, your body goes into starvation mode and you gain weight. Try bumping up your caloric intake a couple hundred a day for a couple weeks and see what happens. It worked for me.
  • Ding724
    Ding724 Posts: 791 Member
    You're gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so more muscle than fat means you'll weigh more.


    Muscle does not weigh more than fat! 1 lb is 1 lb whether it is a fat lb or a muscle lb!

    Sorry, I have to agree. One of my biggest pet peeves!

    1 lb = 1 lb

    ...the difference is that muscle takes up way less space. However, I don't think you could have possibly gained 8 lbs of muscle OR fat in 2 weeks. It's most likely water. How is your sodium intake? Sodium retains water!
  • Still_Fluffy
    Still_Fluffy Posts: 341 Member
    Check to see how accurate your calorie counting is. You may be giving yourself too many exercise calories and not enough on your food counts.

    The 8 pound lost and then reganed may have been water weight. I don't trust a weight until I've been at it for more then a couple of days.
  • Tourney3p0
    Tourney3p0 Posts: 290 Member
    You're gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so more muscle than fat means you'll weigh more.

    Sorry, but this is flat out wrong. It's alarming how many people think this is an acceptable answer, or even possible.

    A professional body builder could not gain 8 pounds of muscle in such a short period of time. And even if they could, it would be done by an extreme calorie surplus. If you're at a calorie deficit, you're not going to gain weight from either fat or muscle. That's simple thermodynamics.

    As a side note, anyone else annoyed by the "A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle!" puppets? If I said that a Chevy Silverado weighs more than a newborn kitten, only an idiot would say "That's not true! A pound of Chevy Silverado weighs the same as a pound of newborn kitten!" Come on.
  • 97lking
    97lking Posts: 2
    Ohh, I never realised. I just supposed. I played sports for years and gained weight, and I just figured that was why.
  • josol1971
    josol1971 Posts: 46 Member
    Measure, measure, measure! The scale is only one tool to verify weight loss. I'm a daily weigher (bad, bad!) and I have seen the scale move as much as 3 lbs in a single day. I agree it's hard to comment without seeing your diary, but stay away from processed foods, eat only whole foods, don't eat more cals than you need, drink water, and keep physically active. Your body WILL do the rest!. Good luck!
  • deejaycee114
    deejaycee114 Posts: 139 Member
    Muscle does not weigh more than fat! 1 lb is 1 lb whether it is a fat lb or a muscle lb!

    ^^^This. It drives me nuts when people say muscle weighs more. It is true that muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less area, but 1 lb. is 1 lb. whether it is fat or muscle.

    Thank you!! I see this all the time, and I'm like, a pound is a pound is a pound is a pound! A POUND of feathers weighs the same as a POUND of fat, as a POUND of muscle, a POUND of bricks! :tongue:

    http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/busting-the-muscle-weighs-more-than-fat-myth.aspx
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    15lbs is a lot in 6 weeks, I highly doubt that you have gained much muscle on the kind of calorie deficit that would be needed to lose so much.
    It takes a lot of weight training and eating the right foods at a calorie surplus to gain muscle, it doesnt just happen accidentally.

    The gain could be water retention from sodium or working out, or your body having a bit of a protest about losing so much so quickly. 7 in 6 weeks is a healthier level and is still a good loss.
    Make sure your goals are set to no more than 1.5lbs loss based on the amount you have left to lose, and stick to your cal goals including eating back exercise.
  • Shayztar
    Shayztar Posts: 415 Member
    Definitely take measurements. It is a great way to gauge progress besides the scale.

    ^^ This.

    I am consistantly losing weight, but whenever I do lots of cardio, or ramp up weight training, I am always up for a day or two. The only explaination is water retention in my muscles. But I also measure, so as long as I keep shrinking, I'm happier than if I am dropping weight.

    Right now, I am the same size as I was when I was 20 lbs lighter. I am more fit. But my scale tells me I am not. Stick with your plan and so long as you are truly eating at a calorie deficit, then it will work in the long run.

    Also, if you openend your diary, maybe people can give less general advice. You can lose weight eating only McDonalds, but there are other ways, and maybe you need food advice too. :)


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  • MrsRawwwr
    MrsRawwwr Posts: 166 Member
    Like others, I suspect water weight is to blame. Higher amounts of sodium could be the culprit. Your muscles could be retaining some water while they repair themselves. Or...is it close to your TOM? I typically gain 3-5 pounds during that time, starting a week before.

    And remember, if your pants are looser, you are doing something right. Sometimes the scale just isn't on board with the rest of our body :).
  • htolen
    htolen Posts: 28
    You're gaining muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so more muscle than fat means you'll weigh more.


    Muscle does not weigh more than fat! 1 lb is 1 lb whether it is a fat lb or a muscle lb!

    Also, a pound of feathers weighs the same as a pound of meat. But it sure takes a lot more feathers to fill the same space!!

    This is a brilliant observation. Thanks for the high-school level insight on weights and measures.

    What people are suggesting is that the OP is replacing fat (feathers) with muscle (meat). If she loses a pound of fat but it is replaced by muscle that is more dense (kinda like you...dense...), then she will see a weight increase because a heavier substance is filling the space that a lighter substance once filled. I dare you to empty your feather pillow out and replace it with steaks. Think it might weigh more than the feathers?

    Stupid comments aside, OP, weight gains due to muscle building should be relatively temporary. Once you have replaced a lot of fat with muscle, your metabolism should be higher and your body should burn calories more efficiently. SO, don't give up on the scale entirely. You should start to see that number drop again within a couple weeks. If it doesn't, you might need to assess if your calorie intake might be higher than you realize. Consider weighing your portions for a short time just to ensure that you are actually eating what you think you are eating. Also, you might find that you need to play a bit with your fat/carb/protein ratios. You might also consider tracking sugars and sodium in addition to the default things that MFP tracks (just go into your diary settings and add them). For me, if I stay within my calorie range but really load on carbs and sugars, I see the scale stall or even climb despite staying in calorie range. For myself, I have to focus on higher proteins and lower carbs (as well as lower sugars and sodium) to see success. Everyone's body is a little different so I'm not suggesting that you need to do what I do; it's just something for you to consider.

    Above all else, don't give up! You are making great choices for yourself...don't let the little number on the scale affect your determination to be as healthy as you can be!
  • ColleenRoss50
    ColleenRoss50 Posts: 199 Member
    You have definitely not gained eight lbs. of fat in two weeks. The only way this could have happened would be if you ate 28,000 calories over and about your maintenance calories (TDEE). That would be 2,000 extra calories a day above maintenance levels.

    My guess is a good percentage of this is water weight. This could be partly related to TOM or a variety of other things. Check your sodium intake in your diary to see if your daily average is high. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water.
  • kmkizziar
    kmkizziar Posts: 11
    Can I ask what you calorie goal is?

    Water retention is a big factor that might be getting you. Just a thought.

    My calorie goal is 1200, I have noticed looking back on my diary tho, that I have been lacking in protien, but that still wouldn't explain 8 lbs in two weeks.

    I drink 8-12 glasses of water a day. I am taking my measurements now, so I can see if there is a change there.

    I also don't weigh myself everyday, I did at first and was irrationally expecting to see immediate weight loss, now I try not to step on the scale but once a week if that, that is why i was so flabergasted at the gain!

    Thank you all for the encouragement though! It helps to know I am no in this alone
  • kmkizziar
    kmkizziar Posts: 11
    What is TOM?
  • ColleenRoss50
    ColleenRoss50 Posts: 199 Member
    What is TOM?

    Time of the month. :happy:

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