If your calories are on track and you're eating properly - forget the scale. The scale doesn't mean anything. Start measuring yourself and using clothes instead of the scale.
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Agreed, epecially if you are weight training, you can be adding muscle and losing fat at the same time, taking pictures of yourself is the best way to measure fatloss because you will actually be able to see your body transform.
From all that intense exercise, are you sore at all? Muscle soreness means the muscles have all that lactic acid buildup and the extra fluids could be impacting your body. Get some rest, listen to your body, and I'm sure you'll be down next week. (We always say the hard work this week won't show until next week.)
Not that it really matters, but I was just reading about this online yesterday. The lactic acid buildup only lasts a few minutes, while you are doing the exercise. The person who wrote it got into a lot of technical detail, and I'd put the source if I still had it. Apparently it's a very common misconception that lactic acid stays built up for a long time.
Anyway, I'm going with the water idea.
I would say that it's physically impossible to gain 5 pounds of fat with a calorie deficit, but I seem to be able to manage it myself for some reason. (Unless all my water weight collects in rolls around my belly and hips, and stays there forever.) It is impossible, but that doesn't always seem to matter, as far as I can tell.
__________________
Evelyn--5'2"--age 43
Starting weight: 157 lbs.-- June 23, 2010
Current weight: 149 lbs.
Mini-goal: 136 lbs.-- November 1, 2010
Target weight: 120 lbs.-- February 21, 2011
I was reminded today that muscle weighs more than fat. So I am wondering if your 5 lbs is from where your body converted ( or whatever the term is) fat into muscle and it isnt that you have actually gained weight ( if you are sticking to your chosen diet). Otherwise, as far as waterweight goes.. each week, It is nothing for me to gain 15 - 20 lbs of water weight and when i break down and take a diaretic, will drop those in a 6 hour period of time. So its possible that its either muscle or water.
I was reminded today that muscle weighs more than fat.
Muscle weighs more than fat by volume. Sorry I just felt I needed to clarify this. 1 lb of fat is the same as 1 lb of muscle. The only difference is the amount of space it takes up.
It's also the case that fat does not turn into muscle. You can gain muscle at the same time you're losing fat, but it's a completely different process. It's also slower than people think...if you are up a pound after a week and have been exercising, it's not likely that's a whole pound of muscle already. Water weight is more likely.
__________________ Cassie
"If you drop an egg, you don't say, 'Oh, shoot' and drop the other 11, do you?"
-Source unknown, but obviously brilliant
Reached goal 4/16/2010...but kind of afraid to look these days
If your calories are on track and you're eating properly - forget the scale. The scale doesn't mean anything. Start measuring yourself and using clothes instead of the scale.
Yes Yes Yes! Burn the scale! It is evil and will only try and discourage you. Go by how you look and feel.
I had a 5 lb. gain this week. I don't know why. This week, for my average, I'm at 1600 calories in, 2300 calories out. I was at the gym six days this week. My workouts vary, one day, I did over an hour of pretty intense cardio, three days I'm doing a calisthenics class that's focused on weight training, and the remaining two days I did average cardio. My food was all pretty decent, except two times, I went out for dinner. We had tickets to see two shows, so we did dinner before hand. Other than that, I've been really good about whole grains, low fat, lots of greens, fruit for snacks instead of crackers or cookies...
So, what am I doing wrong?? Any ideas?
WAY too much cardio. Don't focus on weight training, weight train properly. Some cardio if you must. Absolutely ditch the grains increase fats to 50%-60% of calories keep fruit to once or twice a week.
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