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I have no idea why this happens every time I start on a weight-loss program, but it's annoying as all hell.
Fortunately, by now I KNOW this is going to happen so I won't get as discouraged by it as I once did. It's still annoying.
I've cut out almost all sugar and most bread, ate more salads, exercised regularly, blah blah blah. It works. I lost 24 pounds last year. Kept it off, too, but because of my traveling and resumption of bread-eating and beer intake, lol, and lack of regular exercise, I didn't lose any more.
Decided to get back on the disciplined life two weeks ago. Back to recording on MFP, back to either the gym or walking 2 miles a day, salads, one glass of wine or a beer each night rather than several, all the good stuff.
Gained three pounds.
This happens EVERY TIME and I am mystified as to why. Eventually, I know, if I keep up, the weight will begin to go down, but what the hell is it with this initial weight gain? It used to discourage me so much that I would just quit.
Before anyone gets the urge to dash in waving their arms and shrieking about weight of muscle vs. fat, um NO. I am almost 60 years old. My 30-minute weight/cardio circuit at PF three times a week isn't bulking me up like a bodybuilder to the point where over two weeks I put on three pounds of muscle. That is just not a possibility. The only thing I can think of is that all those vegetables I'm consuming are stored somewhere in my intestines waiting to process themselves out. Soon, I hope.
It's weird. It's annoying, and it can be discouraging, but I will keep going because I know that sooner or later, the weight will begin to drop.
Yeah, this is a rant of frustration, but I figured if someone else has this happen to them, they might want to know it's only temporary.
I wouldn't stress over it. I know, easier said than done, but it's true. Just record your weight and see if there's a pattern of gain. Maybe you are full of crap ( ) when you last weighed yourself. Or it's water. I, too, don't believe gain is from muscle for most people because in order for that to happen, you'd have to follow a regimen of exercise and diet.
I wouldn't stress over it. I know, easier said than done, but it's true. Just record your weight and see if there's a pattern of gain. Maybe you are full of crap ( ) when you last weighed yourself. Or it's water. I, too, don't believe gain is from muscle for most people because in order for that to happen, you'd have to follow a regimen of exercise and diet.
Thanks, riaelise. It just gets on my nerves that here I am taking the time to chop, assemble, cook, and eat so many more vegetables, going back to the gym, walking endlessly--and, all weekend long I was gardening. Ripping out weeds, carrying said piles of weeds to the dumpster, bending, digging, cutting, watering until I was exhausted. And NO ice cream. Did you hear that? NO ICE CREAM AFTER BEING OUT IN THIS HEAT.
And yet I gain weight. It doesn't make any sense. I must be full of crap! Hehehe.
Thanks, riaelise. It just gets on my nerves that here I am taking the time to chop, assemble, cook, and eat so many more vegetables, going back to the gym, walking endlessly--and, all weekend long I was gardening. Ripping out weeds, carrying said piles of weeds to the dumpster, bending, digging, cutting, watering until I was exhausted. And NO ice cream. Did you hear that? NO ICE CREAM AFTER BEING OUT IN THIS HEAT.
And yet I gain weight. It doesn't make any sense. I must be full of crap! Hehehe.
You can look at it another way. You could see yourself as a winner - for being more active (which will only help you) and making healthier food choices (again, something that will help you). You can't lose doing either of those things, regardless of whether you gain or lose. "Gain" to me is something that happens over time, just like losing. And frankly, there's nothing wrong with giving yourself an ice cream treat. Why don't you give yourself a half cup? instead of learning how to do without it, why not learn how to live with it (if you like it that much) but learn to eat less?
the good thing about learning to eat things that you love (but less) is that you'll be free to eat in a variety of situations, eating a variety of foods without totally going off the rails.
You can look at it another way. You could see yourself as a winner - for being more active (which will only help you) and making healthier food choices (again, something that will help you). You can't lose doing either of those things, regardless of whether you gain or lose. "Gain" to me is something that happens over time, just like losing. And frankly, there's nothing wrong with giving yourself an ice cream treat. Why don't you give yourself a half cup? instead of learning how to do without it, why not learn how to live with it (if you like it that much) but learn to eat less?
the good thing about learning to eat things that you love (but less) is that you'll be free to eat in a variety of situations, eating a variety of foods without totally going off the rails.
Oh, I agree 100%. I feel better just restarting the exercise, and tracking my food really helps.
Re the ice cream, last year I'd posted about how my endocrinologist wanted to put me on both blood sugar and cholesterol meds, and I said, NOOOOO, I can fix that with lifestyle changes, and I did. Not only did I lost those 24 pounds, I got my cholesterol back down (it had NEVER in my life been high until I adopted a vegetarian diet--it was too much dairy, I believe, that did it) but my a1c, which worried me more than being a few cholesterol points over 200, went from 6.4 to 5.7.
I ate ice cream every day before that. so I knew it had to go. I have the most wonderful homemade family-owned ice cream place a mile from my home, and there were times when I went right there from the train station and ice cream was my first dinner.
I did not go there last summer until Labor Day weekend, when I allowed myself the treat.
The problem with your "why don't you give yourself a half cup?" is that I know of no store or ice cream shop that sells only half a cup of ice cream at a time. I will not be able to just eat half a cup of ice cream and put it back in the freezer. I know that. Best I don't buy it. If I do want some, I can have a little maybe when I visit my mother because it will stay in her freezer. At some point once I get going and lose a few more pounds, I certainly will go to my local place and get some. I'm not trying to be unrealistic here.
I actually had a little at a business dinner last night. The dessert consisted of a small ball of ice cream, a chocolate covered strawberry, and some sort of petit four-sized cakey type thing. I ate the strawberry, passed over the cakey thing, and took two spoonfuls of ice cream, but it was coffee-flavored and that is a flavor I really don't like, so temptation was abated.
Anyway. Yesterday I was very careful with what I ate (Oatmeal with skim and blueberries for breakfast, vegetable soup and a small salad for lunch, the business dinner was salmon, asparagus, and a small amount of couscous with mango, plus that bit of dessert); went to Planet Fitness and did the 30-minute circuit thing in the morning, walked more than a mile from the location of the dinner to Penn Station in NYC--and this morning I weigh a pound more than I did yesterday morning. This is what I am talking about. If I didn't know better, I would become discouraged and quit.
Interestingly, the presentation at the dinner was by Sam Schwartz, who is a traffic engineering expert and former NY Daily News columnist who coined the term "Gridlock" to describe the traffic jams in Manhattan. He was promoting his new book about driverless vehicles (short version--the technology exists to make them safe, but mass transit is a better option) but he finished the presentation with the statement that for urban areas, the best vehicle is shoes.
He cited some sobering facts about how much lazier we've gotten and how that has affected our health. In 1990, the state with the highest obesity rate was Mississippi at 15%. Colorado was lowest at 9%. Now the highest obesity rate is Virginia at 37%. Colorado is still lowest--but at 22%. Scary stuff. WALK.
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 06-20-2018 at 07:53 AM..
I'm certainly no expert but I think "restarting" exercise can cause some water retention in the muscles. I think anytime you stress your muscles in a new way, whether it be a new program, or just starting something you did before, I think the muscles/body tend to hold water for a bit. That's been my own experience. I'll sometimes creep up a few pounds if a start a walking regimen. That does go away after a week or two.
I'm certainly no expert but I think "restarting" exercise can cause some water retention in the muscles. I think anytime you stress your muscles in a new way, whether it be a new program, or just starting something you did before, I think the muscles/body tend to hold water for a bit. That's been my own experience. I'll sometimes creep up a few pounds if a start a walking regimen. That does go away after a week or two.
This
Anytime I add a different exercise in, I get a short term bump in weight as my muscles retain water as they adjust. If you are at all sore, your muscles are probably retaining water.
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In the past, it's lead to crushing disappointments and decidedly unhealthy "bad food" binges. This time around, I'm just not thinking about weight at all, and concentrating on eating healthy and getting into shape. When my pants start falling off and people comment on my reduced figure, I'll know I'm on the right track. Until then, I'm just not going to think about it.
In the past, it's lead to crushing disappointments and decidedly unhealthy "bad food" binges. This time around, I'm just not thinking about weight at all, and concentrating on eating healthy and getting into shape. When my pants start falling off and people comment on my reduced figure, I'll know I'm on the right track. Until then, I'm just not going to think about it.
That's probably the best thing to do.
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