Is it normal to gain inches? I remember I did this before too and it frustrated me so much I threw in the towel. I'm no where near that this time. And this time I have a feeling that's just the way I'm made. Someone told me I may add muscle faster than the average woman. I do make quick gains in fitness.

I've gained 2 inches in my thigh and 1 inch in my forearm since just last week. I've lost or maintained in other areas.

Normal?

Well if this is just from the past week... are you sore? Your muscles could be swelling up with water to repair themselves and stuff (yeah, very technical ) and making them bigger for now. I would keep it up and make sure I drink plenty of water!

Then again, if you had this problem before and it lasted significantly longer, or came on more gradually, I'm not sure what to tell you except I kinda wish I could gain muscle that fast... It would be interesting to get your body fat % measured and then do it again after another month or two.

Your muscles are retaining water no doubt. your legs have some of the biggest muscles in your body so they will visibly grow and your pants should feel tighter in the leg, loser in the waist, if you are losing fat. if you are ultimately outputting more than you are putting into your body you WILL lose weight. if you are that worried about it, increase your cardio, drink a ton of water, and give your body a day or two of rest. keep us updated!

Really? Pants tighter in the thighs, loser in the waist? Yep, that's me! How very interesting.

Yes, I'm sore and I know my muscles are repairing themselves and retaining water for that purpose. I've made my peace with the scale. I didn't know I needed to make peace with the tape measurer too. Everyone says "Ditch the scale and pull out the tape measurer." I guess it's just like the scale...it's the trend we're after.

Yup, if your food is good (ie not overeating) then I am going to say its water you are retaining. If you are overeating then you'll need to readjust your eating.

Nope, not overeating at all. 1200-1500 calories religiously.

Water retention. You will not be gaining muscle at 1200-1500 calories which is certainly not your above-maintenance calories.

This may not be the explanation for you, but how sure are you that you are measuring in exactly the same place? I ask because on me, at the thigh and forearm, tiny changes in the placement of the tape add up to an inch real quick. Neither my thigh nor forearm are at all straight up and down! Same thing (even worse) when trying to track my belly measurement.

Do you mean that in order to gain muscle we should eat more?

I DO struggle with this. But on my thigh I found a freckle to guide me. So I know that one is accurate. My forearm I second guess myself with. I need to find a freckle there too I guess. I second guess my waist because I unintentionally suck it in.

But basically I'm confident with the thigh and I gained a full two inches there.

I'm getting a not-normal-vibe. Maybe I need to just chill out and give it time.

Argh! I hate exercise! (Not true...I actually love it.) But I don't seem to respond to it the same way other people do.

I work out a lot - spin, weights, etc. I was getting frustrated with the scale going up and my waist size going down, and then my waist not matching my upper thigh size, and decided that my jeans are what tells me the truth.

I have the bigger jeans and the smaller jeans and I can almost button the smaller jeans.

Also, my trainer has been telling me that muscle comes from eating protein. Someone above said that on 1200 - 1500 calories you might not be developing much muscle from that. I think I would agree unless those are protein calories.

Wish we could be more helpful, but know that we are supporting your efforts, however it shows up on your thighs and on the scale

Eliana - you are normal!! Just keep doing what you are doing. You can gain muscle in a calorie deficit but you can't gain bulk in a calorie deficit. Also, gaining muscle is extremely difficult overall and takes lots of time and lots of weights. Whereas water retention happens at the blink of an eye