Should I be gaining weight?

[TellerTuesday4EVA]

Admittedly I am an impatient person by nature but I'm struggling to not get disheartened.

I should start by saying I'm not overweight, my bmi is in the healthy range, I would like to loose half a stone but the main aim is to increase my fitness level.

I'm into my 4th week of really getting a grip on things. I've been going to the gym 3 times a week (all I can manage due to work & childcare) and I definitely feel better for it.

I got the Fitbit charge and set my weight goal. I've been logging food religiously & I've been under the calorie range each day except 3 days in range & 1 day that was over.

Stepped on the scales & I've put 4lb on making me heavier than I was before I started. I've googled and read a lot on muscle tears & retaining water which does make sense but I can't find an answer as to when that stops.

Has anybody an idea as to when this stage will pass?

It’s likely to be water retention. Does your gym have a boditrax machine? If so, use that to weigh yourself as it breaks down the weight into fat, muscle and water.

No unfortunately not hiding. Does the water retention pass over time then?

It should do. Drink more water and have a clear 3 days without the gym and that should make a difference.

Water retention, particularly if you haven't been doing much exercise wise before. It'll come off again but this is one of the reasons I favour a tape measure over scales!!

When I first started at the gym, I was logging all my food but subconsciously 'forgetting' about the little extra nibbles that I allowed myself "because I'd been to the gym and burned it off". Except I wasn't burning it off. My average gym workout now burns 500 calories - thats 45 minutes of weight and half an hour of cardio and I am dripping with sweat at the end. If I don't do the cardio I struggle to burn 300 calories. when I first started I suspect I was only burning 250-300 calories at the most but eating an extra 500-1000 of 'treats'! It was a complete shock to realise how little I actually burned in the gym. Its probably not what you're doing but it might be?.