Why Your Scale Might Be Going Up Despite Eating More Protein

First off, it’s great that you’re focusing on increasing your protein intake—it’s a key component in building muscle, feeling satiated, and supporting overall health.

But let’s talk about why the scale might be creeping up.

Calories Still Matter:

Even though protein is super important, it still contains calories—4 calories per gram.

If you’re eating more protein but not accounting for the additional calories in your daily intake, you might be consuming more calories than your body needs, leading to weight gain.

Muscle vs. Fat:

If you’ve recently started strength training or increased your protein intake, you might be building muscle.

Muscle weighs more than fat BY VOLUME, so it’s possible you’re gaining muscle, which is a good thing!

This might show up as an increase on the scale, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gaining fat.

Water Retention:

Protein helps repair muscles, and when you work out, your body retains water to help with the repair process.

This water retention can cause the scale to go up temporarily. It’s important to track your progress through other methods like how your clothes fit, measurements, and photos rather than just relying on the scale.

Gut Content:

Higher protein diets often come with more fiber or overall food volume.

More food volume means more content in your digestive system at any given time, which can temporarily add weight on the scale.

What to Do:

If you’re seeing the scale go up and it’s concerning you, here are a few steps you can take:

- Track your total calorie intake. Even though you’re prioritizing protein, make sure you’re not overeating in general.

- Monitor your progress with non-scale victories—think measurements, how your clothes fit, or your energy levels.

- Stay consistent. The scale can fluctuate for various reasons; what matters is your long-term trend and how you feel.

The scale is just one metric. Focus on the bigger picture and trust the process!