WTF?!?

Ok so I have been working out and the soccer season has started (two weeks ago) and since that time, I have suddenly gained 23lbs!!!! I have been trying to watch what I eat.

Better watch harder.

muscle is heavier than fat.

Is it possible to gain 23lbs of fat or muscle in a little less then two weeks? And if it was fat wouldn't I notice a change in my pants size?

Can an electronic scale go out of calibration?

Grtechguy wrote: muscle is heavier than fat.

Denser. Muscle is denser.

Lucky you, i wish i could do that :/ even unlimited food at the college dorms last year didnt make me gain weight. but i mean different scales, one reporting high, other reporting low. Also your weight varies day by day easily by 5 pounds

Are you staying hydrated? Your body stores water when it doesn't get enough of it. Also, as stated, you are putting on muscle, likely faster than you are burning fat, so you have a little of both going on in the transitional period. Don't worry about the number, if you feel good and are active.

The only thing I can think of is that I have slipped from 1 diet soda to 2 because of stress at work...

you should switch to real soda, you will still get the fat but at least it just tastes better

more important than the weight is the size.. when I got back to riding my bike.. I did not lose any weight, but my pants got tighter in the thigh and looser in the waist

Switch from soda to gatorade g2?

failboat wrote: Switch from soda to chocolate milk?

ftfy...yum also great post workout recovery drink. also delicious

MG Bryan wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: muscle is heavier than fat.

Denser. Muscle is denser.

What does 5 lbs. of bacon look like?

DrBoost wrote: What does 5 lbs. of bacon look like?

Delicious

DrBoost wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: muscle is heavier than fat.

Denser. Muscle is denser.

What does 5 lbs. of bacon look like?

Depends on the bacon.

Expect to take a huge dump very soon.

I would be afraid of a 23 pound dump

My wife is an NP so I probably know more than I should about stuff like this, but in all seriousness, you might should be concerned. 23 lbs in a couple weeks is not fat, and it isn't muscle. It's something else. It could be something innocent, but it could also be a sign of something more serious. Anyway, more than likely it's fluid being retained in your body, which could be a matter of too much salt in your diet, or it could be as serious as a heart problem or a mass. Or are you taking steroids or "muscle enhancers"? Those sorts of things can reek havoc on your body and how it deals with fluids too.

The first thing to do is look for adema (fluid buildup in the body, commonly in the legs). Do your socks leave deep lines in your legs/ankles? If you press with your thumb into your leg next to your shin bone, does it leave an indentation? Those are signs of adema.

Next thing to do is go see your doc sooner than later.

I hope this helps (and doesn't unnecessarily scare you). Keep us posted.

In reply to darkbuddha:

I don't see any of the fluid buildup. And I am not using any steriods or the muscle enhancers.

I was thinking about it some more it has been more like a month ago since I started working out and that is when I last checked my weight.

Also there has been a lot of stress at work recently...

Drink plenty of water and use a properly calibrated scale. Chances are you didn't really gain that much weight. Stress would more likely make you lose weight. My bet is you gained a few lbs of muscle and used an improperly calibrated scale.

Then I suppose it could be muscle mass... IF you've been particularly hardcore about it and came from a initial starting point of very low tone. On the flip side, I've dropped as much as 30 lbs in a month, in a perfectly healthy way. Of course, when you're past the 4 bill mark, early weight loss happens really quickly. As I used to tell people... the first hundred wasn't all that tough... but the second hundred is a bitch.

BTW, do keep paying attention to it. If it doesn't stabilize, get vigilant.

Out-of-control diabetics can have funny things like that happen too. I mean, it may not be in your case, but a bit more paranoia can't hurt right?

Liking the paranoiacs here.

Have you been bitten or scratched by a furry humanoid/dog looking creature?

Did you remove your big belt buckle and gold chains before stepping on the scale?

Maybe your gut used to hang on the towel rack before while on the scale, and now you're smaller gut doesn't catch it anymore?

In all seriousness.. might be time for a checkup.