How much weight gain is normal after starting exercise?

[Awcw1234]

Joined the gym around a month ago. Doing a mixture of cardio and weight training. Also eating healthier! Yet I’m 3lbs heavier!!!

I have been doing some weight training and I think there has been a little muscle growth.

I think it was 5lbs for me and I was only doing circuits not heavy lifting. i took a break for 2 weeks during which it came off and then when I started again the DOMS wasn’t as severe.

You’ll get some water retention around the muscle when you start but it would be unusual for a woman to gain more than a pound or so in pure muscle in one month even doing v heavy lifting. It’ll probably settle down in a while.

More calories in than expended = weight gain. It's that simple. But 3lb is nothing and can be fluctuations in water retention in the body.

It is that simple. Like painting like van Gogh is simple: you just brush some paint on a canvas.

The simplification of the way we gain and lose weight is at the heart of many people's problems with dieting.

The problem with this simplification is that it's very difficult to calculate how many kcal are expended, and it can change at the drop of a hat, so your workout may over perform one day, and underperform the next.

OP, 3lb on the scales might go on overnight and come off overnight, without any exercise or change in diet. Scales aren't 100% accurate, water levels in the body change, the dinner you ate last night weighs something as does what you put into the toilet this morning (did you weight those? They're variables, so if you're needing to be as scientific as 3lb accuracy, you ought to have done) etc etc. If you've made a change for the better regarding your diet and exercise, you'll be healthier. The more muscle you build, the more you elevate your kcal expenditure. Keep going. Take photos. Make a graph and put this weight measurement on it. Keep going. There will be ups and downs, and, over time, a general downward trend in your weight, and increased tone in your appearance. Your 3lb is the equivalent of 'I thought I could walk, but today I tripped. Is this normal??' It's just not a biggie.

Doesn't really matter what you weigh as you start to add muscle and lose fat, because a kg of muscle is much smaller than a kg of fat.

Two people who are the same weight can look very different, depending on the muscle and fat distribution. That's one of the joys of weightlifting: it stops you using the scales as an indicator of attractiveness.

mmmm. No. That never happened to me.

I honestly don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I shouldn’t be gaining weight. I’ve cut my calorie intake to 1500 calories per day (I’m 5’8” so this is below what I should be eating really!) and when I go the gym, I do at least an hour of intense cardio. Hopefully it is just water retention as my muscles are quite sore x

I had sooo much water retention for soo long OP. Like maybe 6-8 weeks after starting the gym. I was on and off bloated but it got better. Still happens though sometimes for a couple days after I've had a really tough session and I'm 15 months deep now.

I had gained about 5lbs! But I took measurements and my waist was 2 inch smaller after 1 month, thighs 3inch slimmer, you get the idea...

Then I started noticing weight loss on the scales. Apparently you can gain around 5lbs when you start exercising from nothing due to water retention in muscles etc. Also it hugely depends where I am in my cycle, I am 10lbs heavier on period week which is shocking (have endo)

I always weigh a bit more when my muscles are tired/ feeling DOMs.

A tape measure is a useful tool for monitoring progress, and less susceptible to random variations than scales.

Are you also taking creatine? That can really increase water retention.
If you're not, I'd highly recommend it as it increases your endurance and strength training significantly.

Even if you have gained a bit of fat, as long as you keep up with 'progressive overload', it will come off eventually.

I found whenever I over exherted, my weight shot up. It's water retention to protect the inflamed muscle. It settles down as you get stronger.

It will not be 3lb of muscle in a month, that's nigh on impossible for women, sorry.

It's also a very normal fluctuation even day to day with hormonal cycles, what we ate the day before etc....

Have you measured yourself OP? Have you lost any inches? Do you feel stronger?

Whatever the cause, your body is adapting to this new regime, but it's doing you good. If you are happy with the exercise then keep going and maybe just ignore the scales for a while.

Would you be happy losing weight on the scales if you stayed the same size and shape visually?

When I lost 30% body fat I lost 1kg net. I'd lost kgs of fat and put on kgs of muscle

I weight train in a slight calorie deficit (maintenance is 2300kcal and deficit of 2000kcal) and I never lose weight. I actually gained 3kg but lost 20cm on my body. I dont even bother weighing myself anymore I just measure.

You are eating too little. You must know this. It stresses the body and raises cortisol, and it affects muscle recovery. Unless you deliberately earned the right to train hard in a calorie deficit by training for a good length of time in maintenance or a slight surplus then you are under fuelling and hindering progress. Even if you had then you wouldn't be on those kind of calories unless you were entering a competition - that is severely low. Eating more will help with DOMS.