[ahomco]

I usually work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday with work outs on the days in between sometimes, but not always. I keep my calories around 1200-1400 daily. This week I was out of town and unable to work out two of the three days, but I kept my calories in check and when I weighed myself this morning I was up 5 pounds?!

This isn't going to discourage me, but I am just really confused. I didn't expect to lose any weight but I certainly didn't expect to gain any!

Has anyone had anything similar happen to them?

[mandalinn82]

LOTS of things effect the scale - scales don't measure just fat, they also measure water, food, etc. that are in your body. So if you have a little extra sodium and are retaining some water, that shows on the scale. If you are hormonal and retaining a little extra water, that shows on the scale.

It would be impossible to gain 5 lbs of fat in a week without serious binging, and you kept your calories in check, so that's not the case. Drink a lot of water and it should go down in the next 3-5 days.

[Palestrina]

Don't be discouraged by a bit of gain. It's normal and healthy to fluctuate.

My advise is to up your calories, especially on the days you are working out. I know it sounds crazy but you've got to give your body the fuel it needs, like a car. If you have an SUV you can't expect it to go very far on a gallon of gas can you? Gradually decrease calories as you lose weight.