Yeah, that was me totally freaking out when I got on the scale this morning. I knew I had gained a couple of lbs. on vacation…you know, all the lying around on the beach, no exercise, eating more than usual. I had weighed a couple of days after I got back. No big deal, right? But when I weighed this morning, I had gained a total of SIX lbs. What the heck?
Okay, breathe, Lauralynn. This week I REALLY worked out with weights. I pushed myself more than usual. I walked on the treadmill at home every night but one, for 45-50 minutes (long enough to watch a show on Netflix). Remember a while back when I talked about how your muscles actually filled with water when you first start working out? Oh, how I hope that’s what happened. A weight gain that fast makes no sense, otherwise. I’ve exercised more this week than I have in YEARS. That’s got to be it, right? Can you tell I’m still freaking out?
I will NOT cry. I just need to keep exercising, keep eating like I should, and the weight should start coming off. My clothes don’t feel tighter, so that’s a relief. This, too, shall pass.
lauralynnelliott.com 
If your clothes don’t feel tighter, I wouldn’t fret too much. You are doing great – exercising and keeping healthy! BIG HUGS!
Thanks for the encouragement, Amber. Part of me wants to say, forget exercise, what’s the use? But I KNOW better. This is healthy for me, and it will help tremendously long-term. These little set-backs are just temporary.
It could actually be inflammation. As we age, there are a lot of foods (particularly given the nature of a lot of the food in our country being loaded with hidden crap) that activate our inflammatory response. If you’ve been drinking enough water and have mostly kept your calorie intake on par, any gain of that quantity is probably inflammation and will go down if you stop eating whatever it was that set you off.
That’s something to consider, Kait. I don’t think I’ve eaten anything out of the ordinary since I got back. But…while I was in Florida, I didn’t eat beef much at all and I actually started feeling better. When I got back, I did eat beef as well as fattier foods. I wonder….
I feel your pain. I too have been working out with weights a lot more and have been tempted to toss the scale across the room. I keep reminding myself that muscle weighs 3 times what fat does, so a number on a scale doesn’t accurately reflect your body composition. (A lot of bodybuilders would be considered ‘obese’ if you went by weight alone.) Also note that salt can cause your body to retain water–a lot of water. Could the extra weight be from Chinese takeout with all that soy sauce or some similar salty fare? I say…let’s hide the scale in the closest for the next week and keep on truckin’ with the exercise 🙂
I can’t blame the extra weight on building muscle yet, because it takes awhile for that muscle to fat ratio to change enough to affect weight. However, I DID have some pizza last night. I had to work really late to do computer updates, so my co-worker and I ordered pizza. And I know that’s really salty (I’ve never understood why a friend of mine puts EXTRA salt on her pizza). Maybe it’s a combination of several things, the salt, the water in the muscle cells, etc.
It’s just one week. A microcosm. It’s the end result that matters. Breathe and wait for next Friday, it’ll be all better. You’ll see.
A microcosm. I like that. 🙂 I look forward to Friday.
I’d say the fact that your clothes don’t feel tighter is a good sign, but I can see why you’re upset by this. It’s interesting to think it might be inflammation. I have heard about the stuff that’s in our foods, and I know those aren’t helping us be healthy. I’m inclined to think Kait might be right, but I can see the water thing being a possible culprit too.
I hope next Friday you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find on the scale. *fingers crossed*
I was comforted by the fact that my clothes felt the same. Jeans are a big indicator as to how your body is doing. LOL. I was intrigued by Kait’s comment about inflammation, and I’m wondering about the hormones and such in the beef I’m eating. I might go to our local grocery store today and get some organic beef. It’s more expensive, but worth it if it’s healthier.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Friday will be like. I haven’t slacked on my cardio or weights this week. 🙂