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Original poster

Weight gain while weight lifting

32 replies

glassbottle55 · 31/01/2025 11:10

I'm 45 and since mid December I've been weight lifting x 2 times a week (5kg dumbells), walking loads more and trying to eat more protein. The weight seemed to be dropping by a couple of kilos but has gone back up. It's so disheartening - part of me is hoping it's muscle but don't know if I'm kidding myself! Any advice?

OP posts:
Original poster
glassbottle55 · 31/01/2025 17:47

Yeah I guess it's that i want to be fluctuating with the overall graph going down...!

OP posts:
MagpiePi · 31/01/2025 17:26

I'm about the same weight as you and a fluctuation of a couple of kilos is not uncommon. Could be water retention because you've eaten more carbs or salty food.

I'd go more on body measurements or how your clothes fit than worrying too much about the numbers on the scales.

Original poster
glassbottle55 · 31/01/2025 17:13

Thanks all, I guess I'm trying to reprogramme my entire system and it will be trial and error. Weight does seem to have gone on in a couple of days but it's so disheartening! I seem to just be yo yo ing between 70.5 and 72 kilos rather than going below 70 which is where I'm comfortable...at what point do you hold your hands up and give in to peri weight gain?!

OP posts:
woolflower · 31/01/2025 15:31

Whether it’s muscle will depend on the amount of gain, the amount of muscle gain you’d get in a month from 5kg won’t be huge.

Even if it’s not muscle that doesn’t mean it’s fat gain, it could be water weight and suddenly drop back off. I find I have periods of 1-2 weeks where my weight goes up and then suddenly drops back down, I’ve been told its likely water weight and linked to hormones.

Instead of weighing I try to take photos and measurements then compare that way.

MiddleAgedDread · 31/01/2025 15:28

muscle is more dense (not heavier!!) than fat so you can be heavier but smaller in size if you lift weights, and walking should help to burn fat. That said, it's very hard for women to build significant amounts of muscle and it's unlikely (read impossible) you've built 2kg of it from lifting twice a week for 6 weeks!! It could be fluid retention too.

Antebell · 31/01/2025 15:27

It’s best to also do your waist and hip measurements….if you aren’t overcompensating for exercise by eating surplus calories , then also measuring how your body shape changes is far better than relying on weight alone.

Lottapianos · 31/01/2025 15:15

I would say focus on your energy levels and how you feel in general, and ditch the scales. Remember to slowly build up the number of reps you can do with your weights. When you get to doing 10-12 reps fairly easily, you might want to increase the load you're lifting