Gain weight with new exercise?

[Scruffyoak]

Hi. Since lockdown I have only been walking for exercise. I do have a very active job but that's been it. Last week I started couch to 5k. So I did 3x runs plus 2 days of weights class. I have tried to diet although my diet is still not amazing, but certainly not over eating at all. Today I have gained 4lbs. I wish I was not such a slave to my scales. I keep telling myself I am working for fitness not weightless, but I certainly do not want to gain.

It will most likely be temporary water retention in your muscles due to the new exercise.

Continue exercising, up your water intake and your body will release the extra fluid as it knows it will get it from you drinking more.

It's a blip. Ignore it.

Ditch the scales and go for a take measure.
Or a cleaver scale which can tell you fat free weight.

Thank you. I am doing it to be healthier (my Mum had a heart attack in her 40s etc) but I felt so deflated when I saw the scales.

oo clever scales is a good idea.

Weigh yourself at the same time once a week only. Or once a fortnight.

Muscle weighs more than fat in terms of volume, IYSWIM.

Might be an idea to log all your intake on My Fitness Pal and see exactly what you are consuming calorie wise, against how much they suggest for your height/lifestyle etc.

I use MFP and usually I have 1000cal a day but maybe 1300 on exercise days. :-)

As pp says, after exercise you retain some water to repair your muscles. So it’ll probably be that

BUT I see you are doing the calories burned by exercise thing....I wouldn’t. It’s really not how the body works. You don’t need to replace those calories. Just eat as normal on exercise days...that said 1000 calories is very low!

Thank you. I generally only eat more as I get hungry on those days :-) as a rule I tend to not eat a great deal if I quit snacks!