Weight Gain and a New Exercise Routine

I've tried different weight loss plans in the past, and for the most part, they've worked.  I tried Weight Watchers, and that worked pretty well for me twice.  This is the first time I'm using a more tailored approach for my fitness goals.  See, Weight Watchers allows you to eat pretty much whatever you want within a certain "PointsPlus" range (which is based on Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Carbohydrate composition).  Essentially, that means you could even eat a high fat diet as long as you stayed within the points range, and you would probably still lose weight because of how the plan is set up.  However, for my goals, I really want to get FIT.  Not just thin.  So I'm trying to incorporate more protein than the average diet, and I'm working out more than I have in over a year.  In all of my past diets, I've almost exclusively used running as my means of exercise.  Now, I'm incorporating exercises that will lead to building lean muscle as well as cardio to burn calories.

Why am I telling you all of this?  Well, I have been making the mistake of weighing myself daily.  This is something that I do not recommend ANYONE do, ever, for the rest of their life, because, like me, you can become a little obsessed with it, and it can really get you discouraged when you really shouldn't be.  But here is what I have noticed has happened:

1. I have GAINED weight since my last post on Monday (more on this later)
2. I have been following my 1200-calorie goal religiously (I always eat AT LEAST 1200 calories, no more than 1300, every day)
3. I have been eating 35% protien, 35% carbs, 30% fat (goal was 30/50/20)
4. I have been drinking a TON of water (around 12 8-oz servings a day)
5. I went from being completely sedentary to working out an average of 70 minutes 5 times a week (and it will be even more once I finally start the boot camp)

How come I've gained weight?  While I can't be 100% sure that this is what's going on because I didn't take any starting measurements, I'm pretty certain it's because I'm building muscle (yay!) faster than I'm losing the weight equivalent of fat.  This is a very good thing, and something I'm willing to put up with, because lean muscle actually has a much higher metabolism (burns more calories) than the equivalent of fat does.  Another thing to consider is this:

http://www.meh.ro/2011/12/30/muscle-vs-fat/

But, like I said, I can't be sure I've lost any inches since started my journey because I didn't take any beginning measurements.  So, I'm going to start tracking my waist, hip, and body fat % measurements in addition to my weight and pants size.  Also, and this part is key, I'm only going to take these measurements once every 2 weeks.  I will put my scale away so I'm not tempted to jump on it just any old time.  I'm going to aim for weigh-in days to be Mondays.

Today's measurements:

Weight: 174.4

Waist: 35.75"

Hips: 47.5"

Body Fat %: 34.7%

Pants: 16

I almost feel like I'm starting all over again, but I know in reality that isn't true.  I know it because I feel better, I even feel a little bit more fit lately even though it's been such a short time.  It's pretty amazing how quickly regular exercise and a healthy diet can start to make you feel better!