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

[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 lb Net +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 lb Net +1.2 lb (mostly glycogen/water refill from Thursday carb load; no true tissue loss)

Fat-Free Mass (lb) : 157.2 lb → 158.6 lb Net +1.4 lb (same — carb rebound benefit)

Protein % : 18.5 % → 18.4 % Net -0.1 % (tiny noise — still very stable/high)

Visceral Fat : 13 → 14 Net +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.

 

[HereKittyKitty]

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.

Your Honor, I rest my case.

 

[lessthanhalf]

I was lucky enough to have 8 weights in a row all going down over a few months, and was not devastated but slightly disappointed to have it go up by half a kilo. Only losing 1-200g per week so I would expect random fluctuations to be larger than real changes. I would be horrified to see it go up by 5 kilos.