I’m gaining weight now that I’m exercising

[WellTidy]

I’ve lost a stone so far this year, another stone to lose before I’m in the middle of my BMI (which I should be - small frame, small boobs, not much muscle, short, mid 40s).

I lost the stone by cutting down on portion size and snacks, not eliminating anything, and also walking around 20 miles a week.

Ive stayed the same more or less for about 7 weeks, so I’ve now joined the gym to try and lose the extra stone. All forms of exercise are new to me so I’ve been doing what I’m comfortable with like walking at gradient, some rowing and some cross-trainer (which I find really hard). Also a bit of yoga and cycling, nothing exciting.

I’ve been on average every other day to the gym for a fortnight now and I am gaining weight. Only a few pounds but is this to be expected? And if so, how long might it last?!

Thank you for the replies, I really appreciate your input.

To answer some questions:

Ive gained 3.75lb in the two weeks since I started going to the gym. I was just inside the healthy BMI range and am now back in the overweight category. That 3.75lb had taken me nearly a month to lose.

I have logged everything I’ve eaten and drank each date on My Fitness Pal since January, and I’m completely honest in it. I definitely haven’t eaten any more since going to the gym for the last couple of weeks.

I am drinking more water because I’m feeling I need to when exercising, but I go to the loo loads in the couple of hours after I finish.

I dont measure myself. I did, once, and got so demoralised at my waist measurement that I stopped measuring. My middle is the biggest part of me, and it remains that way. I look the same as when I started going to the gym, but I accept that I’m unlikely to notice any changes after only a fortnight.

Its hard because I am primarily doing this to lose weight and fit into my clothes. I don’t want to have to keep buying new stuff to fit me. Being healthier is a nice by product, but it’s not a main motivator.

Hormones?

due on in the next week or so?
pregnant?

or do you need to lower your calorie intake?
are you definitely tracking everything, correct portion sizes, every little snack, or calorie filled drink. even at the weekend. and leaving yourself in a deficit of approx 3500 calories per week?

are you over estimating how many calories you’re burning in exercise?

there’s just no way you’re moving more, eating the same and gaining weight - as in fat rather than water retention.
and there’s absolutely no way you’re gaining that much muscle that quickly unless you have some sort of medical issue.

well done for being more active though op. Fingers crossed it comes back off for you

It takes weeks to build muscle. You are probably inflamed as a beginner and are retaining water for the repair. Exercise also brings metabolic changes and your body will store glycogen for you to use, and to store it, it needs water.

Do not eat the "lost gym calories" , focus on keeping the calories going in regardless of activity level. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods, so increase vegetables and decrease meats/fat.

How long are your sessions?

Thanks for all your input, I really appreciate it.

Period has come and gone in that time (pretty short periods now)

I don’t eat my exercise calories, I’m really disciplined about logging what I’m eating and my food intake hasn’t changed in the last four months. I eat around 1300-1400 calories daily, sometimes in the 1200s, sometimes in the 1400s.

Gym sessions are around an hour of activity. I did an hour walking at 6km/hour at 9 or 10 gradient on the treadmill today.

I am definitely drinking more water!

It is very common to see an increase in weight when you start a new exercise regime (or make drastic changes to an existing one). It's water retention. As long as you are sure you are not eating more, and there are no hormonal fluctuations to take into account, then it should settle back to where you expect it to be within the next couple of weeks. Hang in there.