Probably is water. I go on 4 hours or more hikes on weekends and I still weigh a few more pounds when I get home, even if I'm not sore. It's only temporary so don't give up!

this happens to me too. I come home from running/hiking and feel so bloated...I actually measured yesterday after this happened and I think my abdomen had swollen a half inch! Don't worry just yet tho; in the long run I'm sure you'll see results. For me a week has always been too soon to notice results, anyway. Usually I start seeing them after about a month.

Yes! When I started this I did the elliptical every night for an hour. Result? Steady weight loss, slowing some over time, as is inevitable. Then this week I did a free trial of a gym, and thought I would try the treadmill. I ran 1.5 miles in 20 minutes the first day! I went home glowing with sweat and pride. The next day I gained a couple of pounds. No problem, I said. Well, first I freaked out, but I am trying to be very calm and nonobsessive with this, so let's pretend I took it calmly. So I went back to the gym and ran two miles! Man, I was HIGH! And my weight was still up the next day. That was the end of my free trial, so yesterday I just walked the dog and did nothing else. Result? Down to half a pound below the prerunning weight. So should I stop running? Heck no! It'll adjust, eventually, but I would rather panic and have thatoment of running triumph than be cool, collected, and unwilling to try to run longer.

Oh, and yes, drink more water. It can only help.

Yup its totally normal. Ive been working out for a while but I just recently started running outside and my weight goes up 1.5 lbs its a little discouraging but Im at my heaviest weight ever so Im determined not to give up. Your doing great and just keep up the good work and you will eventually see results

Is it true that sore muscles absorb more water to heal? This just really has me bugged. I was averaging about 2-3 pounds a week loss.

I am just trying to figure out what i am doing wrong cause i didnt think i was till i did my once a week weigh in today.

Yep, you muscles can definitely retain water while they're healing themselves. Plus, if this is a brand new routine, your body may be resisting the change. I doubt there's any scientific evidence to back that assumption up; just something I've noticed about myself. I'd keep at it for another week or so and see what happens.

I know for me, whenever I start working out after a few months of not doing much, or change from one type of work out to another, I always gain weight. In like, Feb or something, I started back working out after about 2 months of not working out. I had been maintaining my current WL at the time, then gained 6 lbs the week I started working out again. It was also that time of the month, and so I'm sure that helped. It took me about 2 weeks to lose those 6 lbs I gained, and then started losing again.

I do weight watchers and they always say to gain is NORMAL after starting to work out or changing routines. Drinking more water can't hurt and don't worry! the weight will come off! Also, muscle is denser than fat, so be sure to measure yourself and see if your clothes fit differently. You might be losing inches but not necessarily pounds. If you replaced 1lb fat with 1lb muscle, you'd weight the same, but be smaller.

I ramped up my exercise (decided to train for a 10k) 3 weeks ago. 2 weeks ago I was up. Last week I was STILL up!

It wasn't until today that I dropped it. So expect that as your body gets used to the extra exercise it won't retain as much.

Oh, and definitely drink lots of water to flush out the toxins, and so your body doesn't "panic" and try and retain all it can get.

I can't remember where I read this, but apparently putting your legs up when you are sitting/laying down can help reduce water weight from swollen muscles.

It is SO hard to see gains like that on the scale, I was just posting earlier about not seeing my loss fast enough on the scale, but it doesn't mean your body isn't changing. You may not lose the water weight in one day. I wouldn't be concerned unless it was around for a week or more... then I would start questioning my diet.