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Do a body fat composition test. Should have done one before you started working out to get a baseline, but if you do one now you'll at least see if you are above or below average. From my research I found that a DEXA scan is the most accurate measurement of body fat percentage. They aren't cheap but they are pretty accurate.
Are you saying a 1 pound gain in weight? The body is 60% water and fluctuates constantly. The mirror tells you the truth. If you are not looking fatter and are not looking more muscular, you probably are at your standard body composition. I wouldn't worry about the scale.
We don't even own one. I step on one occasionally at the gym. If for some reason I am looking smooth or fluffier than normal, it is time to tighten up things a bit until the fluffiness goes away.
It could be water weight, but a low-carb diet is diuretic, so unless you've been cheating lately with extra carbs, there shouldn't be a water-weight gain. I think 40 is too young for it to be "just being 40". Is this a new diet/exercise regime? Maybe there's been some initial muscle gain, then. How long have you been at this?
What you should notice over time (assuming you're getting extra protein, to support the building of lean muscle mass), is that you're getting trimmer; you're losing fat, balding muscle, which for women usually means getting slim and wiry. If you're only in the first few weeks of your regime, that may not be noticeable yet.
Are you saying a 1 pound gain in weight? The body is 60% water and fluctuates constantly. The mirror tells you the truth. If you are not looking fatter and are not looking more muscular, you probably are at your standard body composition. I wouldn't worry about the scale.
We don't even own one. I step on one occasionally at the gym. If for some reason I am looking smooth or fluffier than normal, it is time to tighten up things a bit until the fluffiness goes away.
I agree. My weight varies a lot more than 1 lb. from day to day. The only thing I'm really concerned about is my waist size. It is probably not a good idea to get on a scale everyday.
Im not fatter
Im not more muscular
No change in diet (i eat healthy … grilled chicken & green, no sweets, no carbs)
Exercise like a mad woman
So what is it?
I’m also 40. Maybe it’s just being 40?
I’m much older than you and I’m about 4 years into my exercise program and I don’t concentrate on what the scale says. How do your clothes feel? How is your strength? This is what I monitor.
When I first started, I realized after 6 months or so, my clothes had a better “drape.” My weight went up and down 1 to 3 lbs—I knew this only because I was weighed at my doctors’ appointments.
The past year, I’ve seen more of a change—I’ve only lost 5 lbs. or so, but the my clothes fit me as if I’m about 10 lbs. lighter, and I attribute that to the weight training and development.
Good luck, keep at it! It becomes a healthy habit!
Im not fatter
Im not more muscular
No change in diet (i eat healthy … grilled chicken & green, no sweets, no carbs)
Exercise like a mad woman
So what is it?
I’m also 40. Maybe it’s just being 40?
We can't build muscle that fast, so how long has this been? How do you look naked in the mirror? How do your tight clothes fit? Instead of using weight as your measurement, try using a tape measure.
Calipers are good for measuring body fat. Inexpensive, too. You measure your body fat as a baseline, then measure periodically to gauge whether your fat is increasing, staying the same, or decreasing. If your weight increases but your body fat stays the same or decreases, the add'l weight is due to water retention or increased muscle.
I have one of those little reading tools that you hold in front of you, and it gives a digital reading of body fat. It may or may not be accurate as to % of body fat, but if you use it consistently, you can compare your current reading % with prior ones to know if fat is the same, less, or more. Mine was inexpensive and I think it's a handy tool. My fat % did decrease a bit after starting to work out with weights. When I stopped, it went back up. So I think it's generally accurate enough for my purposes.
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