Help me, ladies.

I started on a good weight loss program in the New Year - 3 days of exercise (45 mins of cardio followed by weight training) and 3 days of just movement (walking around the block etc). I am also on a restricted calorie diet and eat small meals through out the day instead of two large ones like I used to. I was starting to feel good about exercise, mainly because it helps me keep my depression under control. Well, today I got on the scale, thinking that I should have lost about 3 to 4 lbs... and was shocked to see that I had GAINED 3 lbs since I started the program. How can this be? I tried to zero the machine, then tried weighing myself after about 10 mins, then tried a different machine... nope, I've GAINED 5 lbs.

Needless to say, I'm shocked AND desperate. My clothes aren't any tighter ... but they aren't looser, either. I also look like I used to a month ago - don't LOOK as if I've gained or lost weight so I am speechless at what the scales are saying.

I am not eating hidden calories, and I don't think it's muscle mass because my weight training isn't that extensive that I could have built up muscles in just this month. What is happening?

Please, please, please advice. I'm getting frustrated.

-Gayatri

If you are doing weight training, that can definitely cause some water temporary water retention. New exercise programs usually will cause a gain for the first 1 to 2 weeks. This is normal as your body holds on to the water as you build muscles.

My advice is to stick to what you are doing, drink plenty of water and avoid sodium as much as possible.

What you are experiencing is normal. I promise the scale will catch up soon. Don't give up!

OK, the first thing to remember is that the scale weighs a LOT of things...not just fat. Water, food you've eaten, etc...those are all registered on the scale. And different scales weigh differently, too!

So - anything that might be affecting water retention? Big salty meal? Hormones? Muscle soreness? All of these can result in temporary scale uppage (a heavy lifting day or TOM will almost always raise me 5 lbs overnight, as well many other things...sodium, flying/travel...bodies can be fickle for sure).

Think of it this way...to gain 5 lbs of fat, you'd need to eat 17,500 calories beyond what your body requires. Have you done that since NYE? It's unlikely...that's over 800 calories a day! So it's unlikely that this is fat.

We have a wonderful thread stickied at the top of the Weight Loss Support forum all about the fickle scale and why it fluctuates like mad, so go take a look at that, and don't get discouraged. The numbers will start moving down soon enough!

You might also consider whether you're eating enough, and whether your goal is reasonable...not sure how tall you are, but the closer you are to a healthy weight for your height, the more you have to work for each pound...sad but true.

As for not feeling a difference yet, that's totally normal and doesn't mean a lack of progress.