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I started working out about 3 weeks ago and im starting to see a lil difference in my body. My shirts are feeling a lil tighter, stomach is tightening up, im starting to see alil definition on my arms and forearms, but somehow i feel fatter and i gained 4 lbs since then. Whats up with this? My appetite has increased dramatically too.
Well it depends. Are you overweight and exercising to lose weight, or are you lean already and trying to bulk up? Are you taking any supplements. Some of them (especially creatine) can make you hold water weight. I gained 10lbs of water weight while taking creatine even though I was still losing fat.
The 4lbs you gained can likely be attributed to muscle gain, water weight gain or maybe even both. You may not be getting "fatter" but just feeling that way because of what the scale said.
I'd recommend you get yourself a tape measure and take weekly measurements of yourself. Sometimes the scale can be misleading so having the measurements to fall back on is a good thing.
Im not overweight, im trying to get toned, fit and later on cut, you could see the difference in my arms and chest, i have been drinking alot of water, the only thing is i have to watch my diet, bacause of my increased appetite it seems im always hungry.
Im not overweight, im trying to get toned, fit and later on cut, you could see the difference in my arms and chest, i have been drinking alot of water, the only thing is i have to watch my diet, bacause of my increased appetite it seems im always hungry.
Ok, what you're likely feeling is just a bloated feeling from the extra water intake. I wouldn't worry about that, but go ahead and start taking some weekly measurements just to be safe.
Also, if you're hungry, go ahead and eat. Just stick to lean meats or protein shakes. Actually, you should already be taking protein shakes as it is.
I think a lot of this is that you're paying more attention to what you look like than before. This is dangerous as that's what causes eating disorders. You'll gain weight because muscle weighs more than fat. Look at people who are thin and sinewy. They weigh a lot more than you'd guess. Stay away from a scale, as you're actual weight is irrelevant. As mentioned by others, the tape measurement is all you need to gauge your progress.
You might even consider limiting the weigh-ins to once a month, or a couple of times a month at most. There can be a lot of fluctuation in weight in the short term, depending on what you've eaten the day before, your fluid intake, your fluid loss from working out, how your body goes about adjusting to changes in activity level, and probably a bunch of other factors.. B55David's right that you can drive yourself crazy getting too worked up over a few pounds of difference in either direction in the short term.
Come to think of it, you might cut down the weigh-ins, and the measurements for that matter, to only once every couple of months, just to check in and make sure the long-term trend is going in the right direction. Sometimes there is a lag between a change in habits and the time when you start seeing the effects. When that happens, checking your weight or measurements frequently will tell you nothing about the long-term benefits of the exercise you are doing today. Long-term improvement is all that matters. Sometimes it takes time to see this long-term trend. It's better to focus on getting good workouts and eating right. Maintain that focus, and let the pounds take care of themselves.
You might even consider limiting the weigh-ins to once a month, or a couple of times a month at most. There can be a lot of fluctuation in weight in the short term, depending on what you've eaten the day before, your fluid intake, your fluid loss from working out, how your body goes about adjusting to changes in activity level, and probably a bunch of other factors.. B55David's right that you can drive yourself crazy getting too worked up over a few pounds of difference in either direction in the short term.
Come to think of it, you might cut down the weigh-ins, and the measurements for that matter, to only once every couple of months, just to check in and make sure the long-term trend is going in the right direction. Sometimes there is a lag between a change in habits and the time when you start seeing the effects. When that happens, checking your weight or measurements frequently will tell you nothing about the long-term benefits of the exercise you are doing today. Long-term improvement is all that matters. Sometimes it takes time to see this long-term trend. It's better to focus on getting good workouts and eating right. Maintain that focus, and let the pounds take care of themselves.
I wouldn't cut back that far. The weekly weigh ins and measurements are needed to make sure he's going in the right direction.
i skipped going to the gym today, i worked some ot at work, so was pretty beat. Is it true that its essential to skip going to the gym sometimes to allow the muscles to grow?
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