Muscle = Weight gain on scales?

shinners007

hey guys

just two quick questions really, have been working out for about two weeks now and have noticed i have gained weight on the scales maybe 5or 6 Ilbs regardless to the fact i have excercised daily (eg cardio, weights, crunches, pilates, cycling, jogging, xtrainer min 40mins rotating each) Have also changed diet ( boiled egg ryvita, tuna brown bread sambo, veg stir fry (olive oil), and fruit to snack on).
Also im female, 5 ft 7 and i want to tone up and loose only a few pounds.

So my questions are

Is it normal to gain muscle from the excercises im doing and will it be reflected on the scales or is the weight increase due to something else diet wise?

The second question is i feel i have an increased appetite and hunger pangs more after working out (so i just snack on fruit) is this a result of raised metabolism and excecise or a mental thing?

Other than the two questions above, i feel great and i think i look more toned comfy in clothes etc and have more energy, just stepping on the scales and seeing an increase can be a bit of shock.

Thanks in advance.

peterk19

it sure will add weight on the scales as muscle weighs more than fat, ive actually put on a few pounds in the past few weeks and im eating very clean but ive changed my weights to be lifting a lot heavier than i had been for a few months previously

oh and maybe snack on protien rather than fruit after a workout

shinners007

Ok thank for that, can i ask why protein? I presumed fruit was a healthier option with less calories?

aye

Muscle is denser than fat, so yes the added weight may be that.
Please dont wory about the scales, its about how you feel after it.

Protein rebuilds muscle, which is what you need after training.
Fruit is also good becuse it releases anti-oxidants into your system, as you will have a build up of free radials from weight training.

you also need carbs to utilise the protein, otherwise the protein taken in will be used for energy and not the muscle building which is what you want it for.

beans on toast and a bit of fruit, yum.

peterk19

Theres nothing wrong with fruit but your body needs protien after a workout to repair your muscles, i ususally take a protien shake as its convenient.
also you can still have a portion of fruit as it helps to replenish glycogen

shinners007

brill thanks so much for the info guys feel better knowing that now and i will intake more protein along with fruit. i am going to avoid checking the scales also!

thanks
again

bwardrop

Hey shinners007 - there is absolutely no way you have gained 5 or 6 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks. This contradicts what most people have been saying to you...

Firstly - delighted to hear that you feel like you look more toned and that your clothes are fitting better. This is a much better gauge of your progress than your scales. Congratulations!

Did you weigh yourself on the same scales each time? Unless you are using certified medical scales there will be (small) discrepancies between scales.

Other things that will affect your weight day to day include:

Hydration - if you are dehydrated, you will weight less. 1 litre of water = 1 kg of weight. An average person can easily lose 1 - 2 liters of sweat during a workout. If this person did not drink during the workout they would be 1 - 2 kgs (2.2 - 4.4 pounds) lighter after the workout. The opposite is also true - if you drink loads you will weigh more.

Food / Bowel Movements - As above. Your weight will fluctuate according to your last meal and / or your last bowel movement.

Clothing - Were you wearing the same clothes / shoes etc? Were these wet (with sweat) or dry? These factors will also affect your weight.

People commonly weight themselves after a workout when they are dehydrated (to varying degrees). If you subsequently weighted yourself after drinking a lot, eating a meal and without going to the loo, you could easily be 5+ pounds (2.27kgs) heavier between weigh in's.

To establish a baseline weight, you should weigh yourself:

- first thing in the morning
- after going to the bathroom
- in the nude

Do this for 4 or 5 days and take the average result to establish your true baseline.

Also - I do not believe that there is any need for people to take protein supplements. A balanced & varied diet will provide more than enough micro and marco nutrients. Supplements are generally expensive urine, as your body excretes the excess (in the case of protein supplements, excess nitrogen is excreted).

Hanley

bwardrop wrote: »

Hey shinners007 - there is absolutely no way you have gained 5 or 6 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks. This contradicts what most people have been saying to you...

I was going to say much the saem. There's no way THAT much muscle has been put on in that short a period of time.

There could be a million a reasons as to why you weigh more now than you did at the start.

shinners007

I was actually weighing my self at different times eg after working out, various times during the day etc.. so i will do as suggested and weigh in the morning, nude ... and get an average of them. I used the same scales each time also i sometimes work out for an hour or hour and a half daily a min i do is 40 mins daily every day surely i have some muscle built up in two weeks as i can see it defining my shape and in my hips and tummy in particular. Maybe i should just forget the scales for a while and focus on my diet and excercise as i can see changes in the way i look. Also the clothes are the same clothes that i try on.

thanks for all the comments

aye

The lads are right, 5 or 6 pounds of muscle is a huge amount.
i wouldnt bother with the scales.
just keep exercising, and if your noticing the difference and feel better, what does a scale matter?

g'em

shinners007 wrote: »

Maybe i should just forget the scales for a while and focus on my diet and excercise as i can see changes in the way i look. Also the clothes are the same clothes that i try on.

Very good idea If your clothes are fitting better and your energy levels have risen that's all the evidence you need (for now) that things are going well. I'm a bit like you at the moment, I'm smaller than I've been in months but the weighing scales are telling me a different story. And just like you, I've decided to ignore them

You're right, it's entirely normal to feel an increase in your appetite after working out (straight afterwards you'll probably have no hunger at all because your body shuts down much of your digestive system when you exercise - when you've rested a little bit your appetite will return with a bang) and after exercising is also a really improtant time to provide your body with healthy foods that are easily digested but give you all the nutrients you need to recover.

There's nothing in a protein shake that food can't provide but it is a very convenient way to provide yourself with quality protein very soon after your work out (and post-workout liquid food is often the easiest on the tummy). You could also have a wholemeal sandwich with plenty of chicken or turkey or egg in it, or really any meal that has some quality protein and some carbs in it. Fruit is fine, but try and eat it alongside protein.

shinners007

excellent guys thanks a mill for taking the time to post and help me out.

much appreciated and i feel way better now.:)