Will I ever get the pay off?

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dajero1
dajero1 Posts: 78 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
background: obsessive personality, determined to lose 6 pounds by July 18 beach vaca and willing to do whatever to reach it.
Logged 1200 cal (healthy cals, balanced, lots of fruit and veggie)
Exercised like never before. Sweated buckets, drank buckets. Ate some exercise cals back but not all.

End result: GAINED WEIGHT

Okay so this is probably water weight or muscle gain.

My question is where to now. Don't want to repeat last week. Still want to lose. It has now turned into 9 lbs with the three gained.

When (specifically how soon) will I get the pay off of this past week. Will it ever pay off?

I know I need to be patient. Just wondering though when that new muscle starts to burn fat. Should I continue with strenuous exercise or scale back?

Thanks for any advice.

Replies

  • doubglass
    doubglass Posts: 314 Member
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    Who knows? if you don't post your diary no one knows what you are doing or how long you have been at it. Keep in mind there are other measurements of progress than weight. (waist to hips ratio, bp, resting pulse, etc.)
  • fatgirlslove
    fatgirlslove Posts: 614 Member
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    How's your sodium intake?
  • jhay
    jhay Posts: 1 Member
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    I have read that you actually gain weight when you exercise like you did because your muscles are somewhat congested from the activity. I guess it takes a couple of days for them to recover and then you go back to your normal weight or less.
  • ocukor1
    ocukor1 Posts: 66
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    How long have you been doing it? You can probably lose 6 pounds in 3-4 weeks just by eating healthy with no exercise, with exercise, you should be able to lose it sooner.
  • larkiedeek
    larkiedeek Posts: 203 Member
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    I'm in the same boat.

    I would rather take the weight gain. I lost weight before through just diet and can do it again.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
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    If you're concerned with looks for a beach vacation, I would focus more on measurements or BF% than the scale... the scale is just an indirect method of measuring what you're truly going for.

    - Going into a heavy new exercise routine can cause your muscles to retain some water as they heal, increasing weight.

    - Also as mentioned, watch your sodium intake... high sodium can add up to a couple of pounds in weight difference too.

    - If you started taking any supplements, be aware that many supplements/protein powders have creatine added unless you specifically look for pure proteins... which can also cause you to retain more water in your muscles.

    NONE of these things (well, except too much sodium) are really bad for you... Just decide whether your weight or how you look is more important for your beach vacation.

    Oh also, have fun on your trip! :)
  • dajero1
    dajero1 Posts: 78 Member
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    Who knows? if you don't post your diary no one knows what you are doing or how long you have been at it. Keep in mind there are other measurements of progress than weight. (waist to hips ratio, bp, resting pulse, etc.)
    [/quote

    Just posted it. Have been watching my bp amazing how quickly that got back to normal. three days of exercise all it took]
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    If you're just finishing the first week don't lose any sleep over a water weight gain (if you're really consuming 1200 cal / day it won't be fat and it's highly improbable your gaining any muscle mass while eating at a deficit) just be patient.
  • dajero1
    dajero1 Posts: 78 Member
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    How's your sodium intake?

    Just started looking at that. Mostly good I think, but some days quite high. Never knew cottage cheese was so high. That's one of my favorite diet foods. :(
  • dajero1
    dajero1 Posts: 78 Member
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    I have read that you actually gain weight when you exercise like you did because your muscles are somewhat congested from the activity. I guess it takes a couple of days for them to recover and then you go back to your normal weight or less.

    Thanks something to look forward to. Fingers crossed.
  • dajero1
    dajero1 Posts: 78 Member
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    How long have you been doing it? You can probably lose 6 pounds in 3-4 weeks just by eating healthy with no exercise, with exercise, you should be able to lose it sooner.

    Just over a week. Just didn't expect that weight gain.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Just over a week. Just didn't expect that weight gain.

    Keep doing what you know is the right thing to do and you'll see a payoff. Even if you don't hit your goal in 3-4 weeks is that the last time ever in your life you're going to need to put on a swimsuit? Focus on fitness goals and the image you want will happen automatically as a result of your progress. Maybe you want to do 10 push ups, or squat 150 lbs., or perhaps you want better looking shoulders. Make that your focus and of course eat good. One day you'll look in the mirror and think "Wow, looking pretty good."

    Water weight is typical especially if you're new to strength training or starting a new routine. Don't worry about it. You don't run and weigh yourself when you drink a couple glasses of water do you? It's no different and it's not fat that your body will hold onto. Stay hydrated and keep exercising.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    If your entire goal is scale weight, I would stop the exercise or at least drop it to walking or something non-strenuous. I don't know if you'll look better in 2 weeks than you would if you'd exercised but I bet the scale will read lower. I always get the long water(?) plateau from introducing a new or newly vigorous workout routine.
  • lisat28
    lisat28 Posts: 10
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    I know how you feel. I hadn't worked out regularly for a couple weeks and lost 3 lbs. Now that I'm back at it with the recumbent bike and total gym I gained the 3 back. However, looking in the mirror, I look better. My arms are gaining muscle and losing flab and the back fat is disappearing. That is totally worth the number on the scale.

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