A Question About Walking

[Bluesnow222]

For the last week I decided to walk home from work everyday (About 4 miles a day). With that and other exercise I walked 27 miles last week, and it really showed in weight loss. I lost 5 pounds last week! I was thrilled seeing such great results.

Over this past weekend I decided not to do any walking to let my muscles rest. (My arms and legs had been getting pretty sore.) I woke up this morning, and decided to weigh myself because I have a weigh in today. I'm the exact same weight I was before I started walking

Does walking lead to such great weight fluctuations? I've stayed well hydrated throughout so I wouldn't think I just lost water weight. I also didn't eat any more than usual over the weekend
I know muscle can weight more... but for it result in a net loss of zero pounds seems unrealistic.

I'm just so confused... and actually quite angry since after all that hard work I don't have a single thing to show for it. I'm tempted not to bother exercising at all if this is whats going to happen when I take a short break.

Does any one have any suggestions or ideas about how this could have happened?

[Kathy13118]

Exercise is one part of the equation but calories is the other. Have your calories changed? Have you been eating more sodium so that you could be retaining water?

[frenchhen3]

Call it a fluctuation. Can you think of any rational way you gained 5 pounds in less than 12 hours? Also, think in the other direction. Did you burn enough to actually lose 5 pounds in one week? it might have been a fluctuation in the other direction too! My weight fluctuates around 2-3 pounds a week, up one day, down the next. I weigh daily and usually record the "mode" weight for the week. (think back to math class with mean, median, and mode.) Try that, our bodies do fluctuate all over the place depending on many functions of living...

[Bluesnow222]

Originally Posted by Kathy13118

Exercise is one part of the equation but calories is the other. Have your calories changed? Have you been eating more sodium so that you could be retaining water?

I've been consistently in the 1,000-1,300 calorie range.
Don't really get that much sodium in my diet xD

Originally Posted by frenchhen3

Call it a fluctuation. Can you think of any rational way you gained 5 pounds in less than 12 hours? Also, think in the other direction. Did you burn enough to actually lose 5 pounds in one week? it might have been a fluctuation in the other direction too! My weight fluctuates around 2-3 pounds a week, up one day, down the next. I weigh daily and usually record the "mode" weight for the week. (think back to math class with mean, median, and mode.) Try that, our bodies do fluctuate all over the place depending on many functions of living...

I'm aware your body fluctuates on a regular basis. On a daily basis my weight typically fluctuate by about 2 pounds with my morning weight being the least.
So for the past two months... if I wake up with a weight of about
So for my morning weight on Monday to be 5 pounds greater than my morning weight on Saturday seems abnormal. I obviously do have a weekly upcurve sometimes... but its usually only maybe 2 pounds tops... and after having some vacation days and eating too much (a reason for the the upcurve).

[jwt708]

Don't know if this will make you feel better or not but my weight will easily go up or down five pounds as a regular fluctuation.

I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. With the addition of any exercise program to someone who doesn't normally exercise, there may be an initial weight gain. Also, it seems unlikely that you would have gained five pounds of lean muscle in 24 hours. You should really use things like how you feel, how you look in the mirror, and how your clothes fit. Obsessing over the scale will lead to more of the frustration you're feeling now. If you're maintaining a 1,000-1,300 calorie diet you'll be unable to add any signifigant mucle mass anyway. You need a caloric surplus to grow muscle.