From 295 to 299.5 in one week, in the week I really started my program, ate carefully, and ran every dang day. I know muscle gain can happen, but I've only been running, not yet started my strength program.

Help? I'm putting the scale in the closet. This will not help me focus on what needs to be done.

Yeah it happens a lot, especially when you first start. When you exercise you cause microscopic muscle damage (thats good, the repair is what builds muscle) When the body sends stuff to the muscles to repair things it flows in on a river of water. That water hangs around for quite awhile. Some of it will go away, some of it will stay in active tissue as long as you are using it regularly. Active muscles need water.

Guarantee you that if I stopped exercising I would drop 2-3 lbs in less than a week, and gain it right back when I start exercising again.

A particularly strenuous workout for me (like a race) will cause me to put on 2-6 lbs in ONE DAY of water.

No worries, in the long run it will be good :-)

Yes to all of that, and, I'm not sure when you last measured, but if it was at the beg. of the month, break out the tape again. It's the mid-point of the month and you might see you've dropped another .5 inch or something. Or, see if some waistbands in pants you haven't worn for awhile are looser. Hang in there! And yes, banish the scale!

Here is a great post Demystifying the scale by wndranne that may help clear things up...