Water retention hiding my true gains or something else?

[bighead8181]

I’m new to lifting. Just completed my 4th week of 5 days a week of lifting of the bigger leaner stronger programme, mixed with some cardio and sauna. Im fully following BLS protocol with the one year challenge programme and measuring food so I know exactly what I’m eating. I’m using the cutting suggested diet percentages.

After 4 weeks, going by scales, I’ve put on 1.6 pounds on muscle and a bit more of fat, 2 pounds. My overall weight has increased. I do feel stronger, my lifting targets have been going up. I feel a change in my body and my clothes are looser. Ive been consistent with the food and number of days per week.

I know home scales are inaccurate but they should follow a trend. Might start at X% but with exercise that should decrease even if its not accurate. From some research this could be down to water retention but I’m about to start my fifth week. Should it have normalised by now so the scales match what I’m seeing in the mirror. How long does it take? There has to be a point where my body fat percentage starts to drop but I’m just see it going up. I know its not food calories as ive said im following the plan with precision. Could it be something else? I only weigh myself once a week so im not obsessed with weighing myself but its a nice pat on the back when it matches what you see.

 

[Yano]

Quickest way I know how to get water out of me is to put more in. I know that sounds counter productive but the body self regulates many systems for us when we fuck shit up so when you dont get enough water your body reacts by trying to hold to more of it ya follow ?

increase your water in , you will get more water out , your body says , oh shit basements flooding we need to get rid of some of this and it fires up the pumps.

Also diet and things like inflammation can cause you to hold more water , foods high in sodium , some folks will puff up from certain carbs , I know if I eat alot of bread Ill hold water and look puffier than normal.

Theres also visceral fat you could be losing you arent seeing , the fat being lost around our organs and some of the internal workings , and dont forget we are meat right just like any other animal , our muscle gets marbled like a good steak with fat as we work that out muscles tighten up get denser , thats not always going to show up on a scale day to day due to diet , bloating , inflammation and such.

Scales are assholes , plain and simple. Get a soft tape measure , keep a log of your measurements , trust your mirror and then check the scale now and then.

 

[Andrewgen_Receptors]

I saw you on another forum and commented already.

I’m using the cutting suggested diet percentages.

After 4 weeks, going by scales, I’ve put on 1.6 pounds on muscle and a bit more of fat, 2 pounds

If you're cutting and putting on weight - you aren't cutting. Also, as you and @Yano pointed out - your scale is not useful for BF% measurements.

I know home scales are inaccurate but they should follow a trend.

Yours is - and it's trending up. Either your calorie goal is wrong, or you're not accurately recording your macros. Doesn't really matter which tbh, but you are not in a deficit.

 

[snake]

Look in the mirror, how do you look? Smart by only weighing in once a week. Do that on the same day and as soon as your feet hit the floor.

How long have you been training?

 

[turkey_sandwich]

I do feel stronger

my lifting targets have been going up

I feel a change in my body and my clothes are looser.

congrats on your progress

Ive been consistent with the food and number of days per week.

way to stick to your program

I know home scales are inaccurate

but they should follow a trend

when you make a statement and then use the word "but" and make another statement you acknowledge you don't believe the first part of the statement.

If you KNOW the bio impedence portion of the scale is inaccurate, you must also KNOW there is no real data or trend to be obtained from said device.

Could it be something else?

Yes.

You are allowing yourself to obsess with minutiae and not enjoy the real progress you've made in the metrics that matter ie strength, fit of pants, how you look in a mirror.

so im not obsessed with weighing myself

I have determined this is a lie.

You have made a post on two different websites about the same thing that cannot matter because it is inaccurate.

How long does it take?

It has been my experience over the last seven years that this does not happen.

 

[jorge81]