Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 02-20-2009, 09:22 AM   #1  
Kae
. * . * . * . * . * . * .
Thread Starter
 
Kae's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,141

Default What the?! Is it muscle weight???

Ok chicks, I am baffled today...

For the past few weeks I have been staying within my calorie range and slowly but surely losing weight... this week I have been making a conscious effort to really go the extra mile and my weight loss has slowed down to a crawl! Yesterday I maintained my weight of 250.6 and today I was hoping all my extra effort would catch up to me and I would see 249.9... but 252?!? What?! How did I gain 1.4 lbs?

I have been so good... drinking more water (and peeing constantly), eating around my 1600 calories -more whole grains, less starch -more colorful, balanced meals, exercising 30-50 mins daily (where before it was rare if I exercised once a week!)

I am always one of those people saying 'don't worry about the number, focus on how you feel,' but I was really not expecting to see a gain. My sister says it is probably muscle and that you probably can't workout for a week straight and not gain muscle... what do you guys think?

I'm not going to let this derail my efforts today but it was so not how I wanted to start my morning...

Last edited by Kae; 02-20-2009 at 09:25 AM.
Kae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 09:27 AM   #2  
Hi From Canada, eh?
 
Trazey34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Canada, eh?
Posts: 2,370

S/C/G: check the ticker :)

Height: 5'8

Default

Actually, I think Bob on The Biggest Loser said one time that it takes quite a while for actual muscle mass to show up on the scales – it was only a tiny gain, I mean I weigh about the same as you and my weight can fluctuate 2 or 3 lbs. in a week (I’m a once a week weigher, but we got a cool new scale at work, very high tech! I can weigh 2 lbs. MORE in the afternoon!) so I wouldn’t let it worry you – our bodies are weird and fluctuations are normal. If you can put your head down and charge ahead as you’ve been doing, it’ll be reflected on that scale soon enough!
Trazey34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 09:32 AM   #3  
Long Time Member
 
Sandi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 6,125

Height: 5'6

Default

Yes, I would be surprised if it is muscle too. It might just be water retention. I believe I read somewhere that when you exercise more than usual, your muscle swell at first, so maybe since you upped your exercise, your feeling it.

Just keep at it and you'll see a whoosh on the scale soon!!!
Sandi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 09:43 AM   #4  
Kae
. * . * . * . * . * . * .
Thread Starter
 
Kae's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,141

Default

Thanks ladies! I thought it seemed a bit quick to be seeing muscle weight gain myself... but I hadn't been doing anything that should have me gaining weight. It could very well be water weight like you said.. that would make sense. I won't let it get to me... thanks again!

Last edited by Kae; 02-20-2009 at 09:43 AM.
Kae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 10:37 AM   #5  
Soul Cyster
 
beerab's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: California
Posts: 4,487

S/C/G: 235/seeticker/135

Height: 5'3"

Default

Also if your TOM is around the corner- that helps you go up a pound or two- it's so annoying lol.
beerab is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 11:14 AM   #6  
Senior Member
 
H8cake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 724

S/C/G: 265/132/150

Height: 5'5"

Default

I have noticed the same thing happening to me when I boost my exercise. If I'm sore I will usually not show a loss or even have a gain. It does seem to be true that your muscles might hold water after more exercise. The weight will drop soon after though, so keep up the good work!

Last edited by H8cake; 02-20-2009 at 12:47 PM.
H8cake is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 11:21 AM   #7  
Sandy....
 
mygritsconfessions's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 789

S/C/G: 270/207.8/155

Height: 5'5

Default

It is probably water weight. It messes me up everytime. Even if it isn't TOM, I have to rethink if I ate something with more sodium that day. Sodium in foods will mess me up everytime!
mygritsconfessions is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 12:03 PM   #8  
career counselor a-gogo
 
rodeogirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Washington, USA
Posts: 1,037

S/C/G: HW:~330 325/ticker/145

Height: 5'7

Default

Pretty much any time you're on plan and see a large change between one day and the next it's not going to be muscle or fat it's going to be water and the weight of the contents of your digestive system. In my experience these two things can vary up to 5lbs in a 24 hour period.

If you chart your daily weight on a graph it's easier to see the blips and understand them. What matters is the trend line.
rodeogirl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 01:31 PM   #9  
Member
 
Erin2tall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Kent, WA
Posts: 46

S/C/G: 328/273/170

Height: 6'2"

Default

I'm in the same boat this week. Monday I weighed in at 301 and then next day it was 302.8 then 304 I'm back down to 302.4 but its still frustrating, especially when I'm so close to getting under 300 finally. I've been trying to analyze my food, and I've actually been keeping my sodium levels closer to 2000 a day, but I'm not sure if that's still too much? The only other thing it could be is my excercise, been pushing myself a bit harder the last week with weights and so my legs and body has been pretty sore lol. I'm a daily weigher and I know things fluctuate, I think I'm just impatient lol.
Erin2tall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 04:16 PM   #10  
3 + years maintaining
 
rockinrobin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 12,070

S/C/G: 287/120's

Height: 5 foot nuthin'

Default

Yeah, it takes months and months and months of strength training to gain *some* muscle.

It's really hard for a body to stay the same weight day after day after day. We're made up of almost 60% water and that changes ALL the time. Don't let it get to you.

The only thing that rings out to be a little bit, is that you say you stay *around* 1600 calories. Just wondering how are you monitoring that? Are you sure you haven't gone waaay above that number? It's just sooo easy to overspend calories without even realizing it. Sounds like you have been pretty darn careful though.

STICK with you plan. Just stick with it, once that water moves on it, any fat that you lost will show up on that scale. STICK with your plan. There's no way you can't NOT lose.

Last edited by rockinrobin; 02-20-2009 at 04:19 PM.
rockinrobin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 04:31 PM   #11  
Member
 
zerocool's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: USA
Posts: 78

S/C/G: 270/ 248/ 165

Height: 5' 11"

Default

It sounds like water weight to me. But DON'T STOP DRINKING! Water weight is good. Water helps the body burn (use) fat. As fat is burned water will take its place then the water will be used and bye bye fat cell. (or something like that) Keep up on the lots of water and exercise and you'll see the loss you want.
zerocool is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 04:53 PM   #12  
Kae
. * . * . * . * . * . * .
Thread Starter
 
Kae's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,141

Default

[QUOTE=rockinrobin;2621884]
The only thing that rings out to be a little bit, is that you say you stay *around* 1600 calories. Just wondering how are you monitoring that? QUOTE]

I say "around" because I range from 1550-1650... 1671 is the amount that my Fitday figured. I track everything in Fitday so I think it is fairly accurate.
Kae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 04:54 PM   #13  
Kae
. * . * . * . * . * . * .
Thread Starter
 
Kae's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,141

Default

Thanks everyone for the replies! I really appreciate it!
I think you are right about the water weight and I will continue to drink lots of water, exercise, and track my calories... It's just one day in my journey.

Lots of love all. Thanks again!
Kae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 04:58 PM   #14  
NEVER EVER going back
 
cfmama's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,747

S/C/G: 377/240's/150

Height: 5 feet 5 inches

Default

Happened to me this morning.

Yesterday I was 297.2. This morning 298.

Coincidence that I ate a Lean Cuisine panini and roasted red pepper dip with flatbread last night? I think not

It's USUALLY sodium and the weight of your bowels. No poop for me this morning therefore... no loss!
cfmama is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-20-2009, 05:53 PM   #15  
FB
01.01.08
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,516

Default

I really and truly push myself with weightlifting, hard and heavy 6x per week. My new training partner is a competitive bodybuilder, so everything has been upped a notch.

With that, it has never effected my weight loss in a bad way. I've never experienced muscle gains that overpowered the balance of fat loss on the scale. As I get closer to goal weight (YAY!!!) things have slowed down, but I don't experience gains of muscle weight - everything holds steady.

What does mess with the scale, surprisingly - is mid cycle... ovulation time. That's when I get the biggest fluctuations. Crazy.

Don't let the blips get to you, it's going to happen countless times in the long haul. I highly recommend charting your weight on a graph if you like to weigh in daily. There are a bizillion free graphs on the net that offer averages rather than the daily picture. It really helps.
FB is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:24 PM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.