Gained ten pounds in a week--it's not real, it's not real, it's not real

[randompersonrandom]

Goal weight 125, weight was 131. I joined a gym because it's REALLY past time to bump my exercise from "very light" to "moderate," cause I would like my strength and endurance back please. Been bicycling to the gym and back every day for a week and a half (nine miles round trip) and swimming for around forty minutes, and decided I'd eat a little bit more calories and protein because I would like to have some muscle, please, and not be terribly tired while starting a workout habit.

Scale said 141 last night. I know I did not eat 35,000 extra calories this week, but I did pay very little attention to the salt content of my food, and ate multiple meals of things that were salty. IT IS WATER, and I do not need to spiral out the way I want to right now, because I'm going back to eating like I'm trying to lose those last six pounds, and all the swimming and biking is upping that effect but it will subside, now I'm clutching my cat and thinking "it's water it's water it's water."

Meanwhile, it's so psychologically MEAN that a body will just shrug and retain ten gd pounds of water just to ruin my week.

 

[swimmer]

I bet you are also adding muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat. When I began working out more intensely I gained weight while losing an inch on my waist. That type of body recomposition is a good thing.

 

[ntotheth]

I hear you. I gained 22lb in two weeks about a month ago. Basically, just eating slightly more than normal.

I've lost 10 pounds of that pretty quickly and can generally lose between 2-3lb a day if I go back to my normal calorie deficit. The whole thing slightly ridiculous, isn't it?

 

[HereKittyKitty]

So disheartening no matter how much I self-remind that it's not real weight gain.

I'm impressed you bike to the gym.

 

[peppystrings80]

Goal weight 125, weight was 131. I joined a gym because it's REALLY past time to bump my exercise from "very light" to "moderate," cause I would like my strength and endurance back please. Been bicycling to the gym and back every day for a week and a half (nine miles round trip) and swimming for around forty minutes, and decided I'd eat a little bit more calories and protein because I would like to have some muscle, please, and not be terribly tired while starting a workout habit.

Scale said 141 last night. I know I did not eat 35,000 extra calories this week, but I did pay very little attention to the salt content of my food, and ate multiple meals of things that were salty. IT IS WATER, and I do not need to spiral out the way I want to right now, because I'm going back to eating like I'm trying to lose those last six pounds, and all the swimming and biking is upping that effect but it will subside, now I'm clutching my cat and thinking "it's water it's water it's water."

Meanwhile, it's so psychologically MEAN that a body will just shrug and retain ten gd pounds of water just to ruin my week.

It's muscle!! Don't fear it, it's so good for you! Those extra pounds of muscle will burn more fat for you in the future. Do you have a scale that measures body composition? Those can be really helpful if you tend to obsess about numbers on the scale.

 

[catrix]

I bet you are also adding muscle. Muscle is heavier than fat. When I began working out more intensely I gained weight while losing an inch on my waist. That type of body recomposition is a good thing.

Nope.....strictly speaking, that statement is false. A kilogram of muscle and a kilogram of fat weigh exactly the same; the real difference is that muscle is denser, so it takes up less space than the same weight of fat.

 

[DjJoshua]

Nope.....strictly speaking, that statement is false. A kilogram of muscle and a kilogram of fat weigh exactly the same; the real difference is that muscle is denser, so it takes up less space than the same weight of fat.

That’s technically true. I guess that’s like saying a pound of feathers weighs the same amount as a pound of gold.

 

[swimmer]

Nope.....strictly speaking, that statement is false. A kilogram of muscle and a kilogram of fat weigh exactly the same; the real difference is that muscle is denser, so it takes up less space than the same weight of fat.

Muscle is heavier than fat!
1 cubic centimeter fat weighs less than 1 cubic centimeter of muscle.
I guess I need to be more specific. The fact that it takes up less volume and speeds up metabolism is a good thing.

 

[dirtyharry]

Nope.....strictly speaking, that statement is false. A kilogram of muscle and a kilogram of fat weigh exactly the same; the real difference is that muscle is denser, so it takes up less space than the same weight of fat.

I cant tell if this is ragebait or not haha. Like how 1lb of feathers is the same weight at 1lb of solid steel.

 

[swimmer]

I cant tell if this is ragebait or not haha. Like how 1lb of feathers is the same weight at 1lb of solid steel.

HaHa. That reminds me of a trick question from one of my physics exams in college.

 

[WLBLD]

Goal weight 125, weight was 131. I joined a gym because it's REALLY past time to bump my exercise from "very light" to "moderate," cause I would like my strength and endurance back please. Been bicycling to the gym and back every day for a week and a half (nine miles round trip) and swimming for around forty minutes, and decided I'd eat a little bit more calories and protein because I would like to have some muscle, please, and not be terribly tired while starting a workout habit.

Scale said 141 last night. I know I did not eat 35,000 extra calories this week, but I did pay very little attention to the salt content of my food, and ate multiple meals of things that were salty. IT IS WATER, and I do not need to spiral out the way I want to right now, because I'm going back to eating like I'm trying to lose those last six pounds, and all the swimming and biking is upping that effect but it will subside, now I'm clutching my cat and thinking "it's water it's water it's water."

Meanwhile, it's so psychologically MEAN that a body will just shrug and retain ten gd pounds of water just to ruin my week.

Don't worry, maybe its PMS so many things can cause this cruel thing to happen! don't let this ruin your day or weekend. Your body composition could be changing like everyone is mentioning & this will help reach your goal weight!! 🙂

 

[randompersonrandom]

Heh, I shrieked into the void and then went to work. Thank all y'all for your ledge-talking. I don't think it's muscle quite yet, I'm pretty sure it's half an order of pad-thai from yesterday, some french salami from the day before, cheese on my sandwich from the day before, a rice dish the day before that, etc etc etc. You hit with all that when I've spent six months eating low-carb and home cooked, and yep, call me a water balloon and throw me at your brother's friend.

I'm impressed you bike to the gym.

I don't drive, so I usually walk, Lyft, or razor scooter places. But it's 4.5 miles, and that's outside of my scooting range, too long to walk, and too expensive to Lyft. I'm not mentally ready to get a real vehicle yet (though it seems like that day might be coming), so the bike seemed like a good solution. I'm LOVING it so far. I haven't been on a motorcycle in five years, or on a bicycle in twenty, and I feel so strangely teen-aged, which is a fun feeling for a lady of 45 summers.

 

[ambot88]

scales can be such demoralizing bitches. It's not real, but still annoying.

 

[Such1943]

I had my weekly AYCE sushi massive carb load yesterday. Woke up 7.2 lbs heavier overnight. It's all glycogen + water storage into muscles. Today is leg day and I'll use all that glycogen and wake up tomorrow 7 lbs down. It's a fun yoyo of the scale but at the end of the week I'm typically down a few lbs in a caloric deficit. This is something I had to get used to being on Keto for over 2 years and now carb cycling around workouts.

 

[Occindemure]

Interestingly only about 15% difference in weight between fat and muscle.
Water is quite heavy though.

 

[deluge]

Things like this is why I keep thinking about buying a Hume scale or similar. The weight on a conventional scale is a useful number, but it can also be wrong or at least misleading. But wow are good scales pricey!

 

[Such1943]

Things like this is why I keep thinking about buying a Hume scale or similar.

I have a RENPHO Smart Scale, suppose to be an accurate budget option. I weigh, screenshot and ask AI to evaluate day to day. Its fun to follow along daily and ask for weekly reports. Here's today's evaluation.



Got your March 6, 2026 (~9:18 AM) weigh-in, Ben. This +7.2 lb jump in one day after Thursday's carb-load day (and your only weekly cheat/carb load) is classic and expected — here's the quick breakdown.

What Happened​

• Thursday carb-load (pre-Fridays lower) + summer volleyball schedule prep → big glycogen refill.
• Glycogen pulls in 3–4 g water per gram → 100–200 g extra glycogen can easily add 3–8 lb overnight (your +7.2 lb is right in that range).
• This is beneficial — muscles fuller, better pumps/strength for today's Friday lower, and recovery for the week.
• No real fat gain — the +0.9% BF and +1 visceral are artifacts from the water spike. True fat loss continues underneath.

Summer Schedule Notes (Mon Push / Tue Lower / Wed Pull / Thu Volleyball (carb load) / Fri Lower / Sat Upper / Sun Cardio)​

• Smart move: Making Thursday volleyball your weekly carb-load day is perfect timing.
  • Volleyball = high-intensity cardio + explosive movements → depletes glycogen hard.
  • Carb load Thursday evening → refills stores overnight for Friday lower (heavy legs) and Saturday upper.
  • Keeps only one cheat/carb load per week — sustainable for fat loss.
• Expected pattern: Thursday carb load → Friday/Saturday +3–7 lb rebound → whoosh down Sunday–Tuesday → net fat loss by next Thursday.
• Protein priority: Keep shakes high on non-carb days to hit 220–240 g — that's the muscle protector.

You're in a great spot — BF% hitting lows (recent 18.4%), relative muscle strong (52.7% peak), and now carb-loading around training/volleyball will fuel performance without stalling progress.


Enjoy today's lower session with the extra glycogen — should feel strong. Drop tomorrow's weigh-in or how the workout went. 💪

Key Changes (7-Day Net)​

• Weight: 194.2 lb → 196.6 lbNet +2.4 lb (but after a -3.4 lb drop mid-week from illness/whoosh, then +7.2 lb rebound from Thursday carb load)
• Body Fat %: 19.0 % → 19.3 %Net +0.3 % (temporary spike from carb rebound; underlying trend still down to recent lows ~18.4%)
• Skeletal Muscle %: 52.3 % → 52.1 %Net -0.2 % (dilution from carb/water rebound; still elite range, previously peaked 52.7%)
• Muscle Mass (lb): 149.4 lb → 150.6 lbNet +1.2 lb (mostly glycogen/water refill from Thursday carb load; no true tissue loss)
• Fat-Free Mass (lb): 157.2 lb → 158.6 lbNet +1.4 lb (same — carb rebound benefit)
• Protein %: 18.5 % → 18.4 %Net -0.1 % (tiny noise — still very stable/high)
• Visceral Fat: 13 → 14Net +1 (temporary reading noise from water spike)

Quick Summary​

• Week had big swings: mid-week whoosh (-3.4 lb from illness recovery), then massive Thursday carb-load rebound (+7.2 lb overnight).
• Net: Slight up on scale (+2.4 lb), but underlying fat loss continues (recent BF% lows 18.4–18.6% still hold as trend).
• Muscle metrics resilient: relative % high (52.1–52.7%), absolute lb up from glycogen refill — no catabolism.
• Productive week overall: carb load timed perfectly for Friday lower + summer volleyball prep.

You're in strong recomp mode — the carb-load rebound is temporary and beneficial for performance. Expect whoosh down next 2–4 days, revealing more fat loss. Keep protein high, enjoy the fullness today. Drop tomorrow's when ready.

 

[HereKittyKitty]

I don't drive, so I usually walk, Lyft, or razor scooter places.... I haven't been on a motorcycle in five years, or on a bicycle in twenty, and I feel so strangely teen-aged, which is a fun feeling for a lady of 45 summers.

Sweet. I don't miss a motorcycle. 🤩
Nice to feel like the good part of teen-aged again!
You're doing amazing.

 

[CNCCurrency]

Goal weight 125, weight was 131. I joined a gym because it's REALLY past time to bump my exercise from "very light" to "moderate," cause I would like my strength and endurance back please. Been bicycling to the gym and back every day for a week and a half (nine miles round trip) and swimming for around forty minutes, and decided I'd eat a little bit more calories and protein because I would like to have some muscle, please, and not be terribly tired while starting a workout habit.

Scale said 141 last night. I know I did not eat 35,000 extra calories this week, but I did pay very little attention to the salt content of my food, and ate multiple meals of things that were salty. IT IS WATER, and I do not need to spiral out the way I want to right now, because I'm going back to eating like I'm trying to lose those last six pounds, and all the swimming and biking is upping that effect but it will subside, now I'm clutching my cat and thinking "it's water it's water it's water."

Meanwhile, it's so psychologically MEAN that a body will just shrug and retain ten gd pounds of water just to ruin my week.

 

[lessthanhalf]

If you have been on a low carb diet for a while you are probably carrying very low glycogen stores, and this is what you might be trying to fix to improve exercise tolerance, so if you eat some carbs your body is going to start building up glycogen mainly in your liver. As glycogen is very hydrophillic it forces you to store a lot of water with it. Weight change that fast in the absence of extreme calorie intake has to be water , you definitely cannot build 10lbs of muscle in a week or 2 , and it might be possible to do it with fat but not without eating an awful lot of calories.
It is basically the exact opposite of what happens when you start a diet

 

[nitrohyper]

Sounds like body recomp to me! I’ve been trying to focus less on my overall weight going down and trying to measure myself and trying to check if there is a positive trend to my muscle mass weight. Been going to the gym 4-5 days a week and trying so hard to get my protein goal in but Tirzep just makes it so hard, never thought I’d struggle to eat before…

 

[Jfrick11]

Goal weight 125, weight was 131. I joined a gym because it's REALLY past time to bump my exercise from "very light" to "moderate," cause I would like my strength and endurance back please. Been bicycling to the gym and back every day for a week and a half (nine miles round trip) and swimming for around forty minutes, and decided I'd eat a little bit more calories and protein because I would like to have some muscle, please, and not be terribly tired while starting a workout habit.

Scale said 141 last night. I know I did not eat 35,000 extra calories this week, but I did pay very little attention to the salt content of my food, and ate multiple meals of things that were salty. IT IS WATER, and I do not need to spiral out the way I want to right now, because I'm going back to eating like I'm trying to lose those last six pounds, and all the swimming and biking is upping that effect but it will subside, now I'm clutching my cat and thinking "it's water it's water it's water."

Meanwhile, it's so psychologically MEAN that a body will just shrug and retain ten gd pounds of water just to ruin my week.

What you’re describing is actually very common when someone suddenly increases exercise, afterosing weight especially the way you did.

You went from very light activity to biking 9 miles a day and swimming for 40 minutes. When that happens, your muscles develop tiny micro tears, which is normal and part of how they get stronger. Your body sends fluid to those muscles for repair, which can cause temporary water retention.

At the same time, when you start exercising more and eating a bit more, your muscles refill their glycogen stores. Glycogen holds about three to four grams of water for every gram stored, so when those stores refill it can add pounds of water weight fairly quickly.

You also mentioned eating saltier foods. Sodium can cause additional short term water retention, especially when combined with higher carbohydrate intake and new exercise.

Another thing to consider is that you weighed at night. Night weights can easily be several pounds higher than morning weights simply from food, fluids, and sodium during the day.

When you combine all of those things, new exercise inflammation, glycogen replenishment, sodium intake, and an evening weigh in, it is actually very normal to see a temporary jump of pounds on the scale even though body fat has not changed.

Most of the time this settles down within several days to a week as your body adapts to the new activity level. Many people see this when they start working out after dieting because their muscles are refilling energy stores that had been depleted.

So your instinct that it is water is very likely correct. And paradoxically, it can actually be a sign your metabolism and muscle recovery are improving. 😊

 

[Hambocommando]

Don't panic. I've been holding steady at weight since starting Reta and I was worried it wasn't working the same as Tirz, but my body has still been visibly changing. I'm still shrinking, even if the weight isn't coming off. I had to buy a belt because even my formerly tight pants keep falling off my ass. If you're losing a lot of weight initially, it's a good thing that your body takes some space and time to reconstitute itself and change its priorities from storing fat to using energy.

 

[YoYoFat]

I started back lifting the same weekend as I ate Chinese food for 3 days in a row. The water retention from both reflected 8 pounds on the scale.

 

[ConnieL]

I have a RENPHO Smart Scale, suppose to be an accurate budget option. I weigh, screenshot and ask AI to evaluate day to day. Its fun to follow along daily and ask for weekly reports. Here's today's evaluation.

View attachment 17065

Got your March 6, 2026 (~9:18 AM) weigh-in, Ben. This +7.2 lb jump in one day after Thursday's carb-load day (and your only weekly cheat/carb load) is classic and expected — here's the quick breakdown.
View attachment 17067

What Happened​

• Thursday carb-load (pre-Fridays lower) + summer volleyball schedule prep → big glycogen refill.
• Glycogen pulls in 3–4 g water per gram → 100–200 g extra glycogen can easily add 3–8 lb overnight (your +7.2 lb is right in that range).
• This is beneficial — muscles fuller, better pumps/strength for today's Friday lower, and recovery for the week.
• No real fat gain — the +0.9% BF and +1 visceral are artifacts from the water spike. True fat loss continues underneath.

Summer Schedule Notes (Mon Push / Tue Lower / Wed Pull / Thu Volleyball (carb load) / Fri Lower / Sat Upper / Sun Cardio)​

• Smart move: Making Thursday volleyball your weekly carb-load day is perfect timing.
  • Volleyball = high-intensity cardio + explosive movements → depletes glycogen hard.
  • Carb load Thursday evening → refills stores overnight for Friday lower (heavy legs) and Saturday upper.
  • Keeps only one cheat/carb load per week — sustainable for fat loss.
• Expected pattern: Thursday carb load → Friday/Saturday +3–7 lb rebound → whoosh down Sunday–Tuesday → net fat loss by next Thursday.
• Protein priority: Keep shakes high on non-carb days to hit 220–240 g — that's the muscle protector.

You're in a great spot — BF% hitting lows (recent 18.4%), relative muscle strong (52.7% peak), and now carb-loading around training/volleyball will fuel performance without stalling progress.


Enjoy today's lower session with the extra glycogen — should feel strong. Drop tomorrow's weigh-in or how the workout went. 💪

Key Changes (7-Day Net)​

• Weight: 194.2 lb → 196.6 lbNet +2.4 lb (but after a -3.4 lb drop mid-week from illness/whoosh, then +7.2 lb rebound from Thursday carb load)
• Body Fat %: 19.0 % → 19.3 %Net +0.3 % (temporary spike from carb rebound; underlying trend still down to recent lows ~18.4%)
• Skeletal Muscle %: 52.3 % → 52.1 %Net -0.2 % (dilution from carb/water rebound; still elite range, previously peaked 52.7%)
• Muscle Mass (lb): 149.4 lb → 150.6 lbNet +1.2 lb (mostly glycogen/water refill from Thursday carb load; no true tissue loss)
• Fat-Free Mass (lb): 157.2 lb → 158.6 lbNet +1.4 lb (same — carb rebound benefit)
• Protein %: 18.5 % → 18.4 %Net -0.1 % (tiny noise — still very stable/high)
• Visceral Fat: 13 → 14Net +1 (temporary reading noise from water spike)

Quick Summary​

• Week had big swings: mid-week whoosh (-3.4 lb from illness recovery), then massive Thursday carb-load rebound (+7.2 lb overnight).
• Net: Slight up on scale (+2.4 lb), but underlying fat loss continues (recent BF% lows 18.4–18.6% still hold as trend).
• Muscle metrics resilient: relative % high (52.1–52.7%), absolute lb up from glycogen refill — no catabolism.
• Productive week overall: carb load timed perfectly for Friday lower + summer volleyball prep.

You're in strong recomp mode — the carb-load rebound is temporary and beneficial for performance. Expect whoosh down next 2–4 days, revealing more fat loss. Keep protein high, enjoy the fullness today. Drop tomorrow's when ready.

I own a Renpho scale but haven't bothered to set it up. I'll learn it because it contains a lot of helpful information.

 

[Spork]

Absolutely insane what salty foods to in terms of water retention and ("fake") weight gain, isn't it? As said here though, it's like the opposite of what happens when you start a diet. I remember one week on a diet I started I literally lost 20 lbs. That wasn't all fat or muscle lol

 

[randompersonrandom]

If you have been on a low carb diet for a while you are probably carrying very low glycogen stores, and this is what you might be trying to fix to improve exercise tolerance, so if you eat some carbs your body is going to start building up glycogen mainly in your liver. As glycogen is very hydrophillic it forces you to store a lot of water with it.

Oh, I expected something like this when I started saying yes to rice, beans, noodles, bread, and potatoes for several days, and I figured it would be particularly bad because most of that was resturant food, which means ridiculous amounts of salt. I didn't eat large portions, but I knew that wouldn't save me; even a third of an order of pad Thai or a third of a chipotle bowl is a lot. Though I imagined "something like this" to be "four or five pounds."

I just knew that a nine miles round trip bike ride with 30-40 minutes swimming in the middle, after nothing but light exercise (walking) for eight months probably just was not going to be comfortably do-able most days unless I gave myself a bit more food to do it on, and I DID want to up my salt a little because I wanted to see if it helped the greyouts when I get up too fast. (They HAVE gotten SO much better in the last week, which could be the salt, the iron supplements, or the increase of exercise.)

So I knew SOMETHING like this was about to happen, and thought I was psychologically prepared for it. It turns out I was psychologically prepared for five, but ten was a misery.

Also, for reasons not having to do with an emotional spiral, I ate low carb yesterday and did not go to the gym, and this morning I'm looking at 136.2 on the scale.

 

[Sasquatch]

I gotta get ahold of Grogu, to put me in a t-shirt reading, "Rando Strong."
But you can just use your imagination.
I used to have legs bigger than you.
You'll be Okay. 👍Specially with your buddies! 👍

 

[desinr-gal]

Goal weight 125, weight was 131. I joined a gym because it's REALLY past time to bump my exercise from "very light" to "moderate," cause I would like my strength and endurance back please. Been bicycling to the gym and back every day for a week and a half (nine miles round trip) and swimming for around forty minutes, and decided I'd eat a little bit more calories and protein because I would like to have some muscle, please, and not be terribly tired while starting a workout habit.

Scale said 141 last night. I know I did not eat 35,000 extra calories this week, but I did pay very little attention to the salt content of my food, and ate multiple meals of things that were salty. IT IS WATER, and I do not need to spiral out the way I want to right now, because I'm going back to eating like I'm trying to lose those last six pounds, and all the swimming and biking is upping that effect but it will subside, now I'm clutching my cat and thinking "it's water it's water it's water."

Meanwhile, it's so psychologically MEAN that a body will just shrug and retain ten gd pounds of water just to ruin my week.

I only weigh first thing in am, before drinking any water, but after peeing, in just my b-day suit, for lowest possible result. 😉*And salt gives instant 2-5 lb gain.

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

I only weigh first thing in am, before drinking any water, but after peeing, in just my b-day suit, for lowest possible result. 😉*And salt gives instant 2-5 lb gain.

once upon a time i bought a whole prosciutto leg that sat on my kitchen counter for like 3 months while i worked my way through it. the week i bought it i put on 6 lbs, the week after i finished it that 6 lbs finally fell off.