Putting on weight

So how does this work, I joined a gym last week and went 3 times last week and have been 3 times this week and doing approx an hour each time.

Last Friday weigh in I STS, this week I've put on 3 lbs!!!!

I'm still cc and have tried my best to eat 1200 per day (which is good for me, considering I'm usually under). Admittedly I've not been eating all my exercise calories, but I'm still shocked by the 3 lb gain.

Ok, firstly, don't panic - the body can react surprisingly to new routines, and it can react in very different ways - sometimes it can shed a lot of weight, other times it can gain.

1. You say you haven't been eating all your exercise calories back - how many have you been eating back out of how many? When you say you're usually under 1200, by how much? If you've been eating a bit less than your body needs, it can start to cling on to the weight (which is why it's recommended to eat most of your exercise calories if you're exercising - take a look at Caroline_g's thread, it sums up why it's a good idea to try to eat them!).
2. How have you been calculating your calories burnt? Are your muscles sore after exercising? Sore muscles means swollen muscles which means muscles that are retaining water and weigh more
3. Although you have recently changed up your routine, it could still be a dietary issue. Have you been weighing all your food? Drinking lots of water? How's your sodium levels? Are you having lots of fibre? Are you "regular"? Could ToTM be on the way? All these things can contribute to superficial gains ^^

And to repeat, don't panic - you're doing brilliantly and well done for getting going at the gym! Please don't be discouraged, try to drink lots of water and watch your salt if you're not already, try eating a few more exercise cals and weigh in again in about 4 days (I read that it can take upto 3 days for sodium levels to normalise).

Hi, thanks Fattack, I'm not panicking yet, as ive just been to Zumba, but it's still a bit of a shock.

You know I've been struggling to eat 1200 calories per day and was usually netting around 1000-1100 per day and not totally eating my exercise calories. However, knowing I was upping my exercise level I've tried to eat 1200 per day and I even managed 1500 one day.

The bank holiday hasn't helped really, as I ate around 2,000 calories last Friday, but burnt 800 off exercising the next morning, but some of the others things I ate were probably high in sodium but still within calories, ie went to a BBQ on Sunday.

I do try and drink a bit of water, but maybe not enough.

I tend to eat pretty much the same at work, ie oat so simple and a simple salad with ham and fruit throughout the day, so i do think its not a weighing food issue. The only thing I've been eating differently is some homemade flap jacks things that someone has brought in, but thought these would be good to up my calories.

I suppose my muscles aren't as achy as I thought they would be, but I have felt very bloaty the past few days.

I know I haven't eaten enough to put on 3 lb and I've also read about the water retention thing, but I just wanted to know how common this sort of thing is and hopefully someone could give me hope that it will all disappear after a few weeks and take more with it hopefully.

"Sore muscles means swollen muscles which means muscles that are retaining water and weigh more " - well I never knew that. I'm now HAPPY that I don't ache after most exercise, even though my pals are usually in bits. It must be because my muscles aren't being mistreated, AND are used to being worked hard!

I've learnt to stay off the scales in the early stages of doing something different, through fear of demotivation and giving up. After a while it will balance out and if you haven't been on the scales in the first couple of weeks you will never see that gain. Just my way of doing it, but the scales are so tempting

I must admit Big H, I've decided not to go on the scales for the next couple of weeks as I really don't want it to de-motivate me and my general weekly losses aren't that great either as I'm only scheduled to lose a pound a week and I'm so enjoying going to the gym, which I never thought I'd say.

I've also done a little googling and the weight gain does seem to be quite normal when you've upped your exercise level, because of the reasons Fattack said and I was relieved to see this. So I'm going to chug loads of water as it's obviously what my body is in great need of.

Tol116 said:

I must admit Big H, I've decided not to go on the scales for the next couple of weeks as I really don't want it to de-motivate me and my general weekly losses aren't that great either as I'm only scheduled to lose a pound a week and I'm so enjoying going to the gym, which I never thought I'd say.

I've also done a little googling and the weight gain does seem to be quite normal when you've upped your exercise level, because of the reasons Fattack said and I was relieved to see this. So I'm going to chug loads of water as it's obviously what my body is in great need of.

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Sounds like a plan - good for you!! x