weight training and unwanted weight gain!

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MissInce26
MissInce26 Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi iv been doing the live fit 12 week challenge and the first 4 weeks are just weights no cardio this is meant to use all your calories for getting good muscle tone then you add cardio in the next stage but iv noticed a big weight gain in just 2 weeks about 5lbs iv been eating pretty well lots of protein and doing hard workouts so could this really be muscle weight?? Should I just add lots of cardio? Any advice be great please or anyone done the live fit challenge is this normal?
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Replies

  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    Time to take out the tape measure.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    You didn't gain 5 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks. But also weight fluctuations are normal.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    It may also be water weight. Muscles may retain water when repairing themselves after a workout.
  • ChangingAmanda
    ChangingAmanda Posts: 486 Member
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    When you start or intensify an exercise program, your muscles often retain water and glycogen to repair themselves. This leads to the "newbie gains" most everyone experience. It can last for a couple to several weeks. Best thing to do is also take body measurements, progress pictures, and observe how your clothes fit. If your weight goes up but you're losing inches and clothes are feeling looser, then you're doing ok.
  • TX_Aggie_Dad
    TX_Aggie_Dad Posts: 173
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    Water weight. Stick with the program.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Hi iv been doing the live fit 12 week challenge and the first 4 weeks are just weights no cardio this is meant to use all your calories for getting good muscle tone then you add cardio in the next stage but iv noticed a big weight gain in just 2 weeks about 5lbs iv been eating pretty well lots of protein and doing hard workouts so could this really be muscle weight?? Should I just add lots of cardio? Any advice be great please or anyone done the live fit challenge is this normal?

    Really scale weight is pretty meaningless, so stop overly fretting about it and use the mirror and other ways of measuring body comp instead
  • MissInce26
    MissInce26 Posts: 31 Member
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    Ok thanks thats made me feel a bit better hopefully it is just water weight I'll take some measurements and see how it goes I'm really enjoying the weights and kinda like the pain in my muscles a day later just want to look slim and toned and not like a female bodybuilder. The weight gain was a shock though when iv been sweating all week.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    Hi iv been doing the live fit 12 week challenge and the first 4 weeks are just weights no cardio this is meant to use all your calories for getting good muscle tone then you add cardio in the next stage but iv noticed a big weight gain in just 2 weeks about 5lbs iv been eating pretty well lots of protein and doing hard workouts so could this really be muscle weight?? Should I just add lots of cardio? Any advice be great please or anyone done the live fit challenge is this normal?

    Really scale weight is pretty meaningless, so stop overly fretting about it and use the mirror and other ways of measuring body comp instead




    Good god this! You look amazing so what if the scale is up 5lbs do you look 5 lbs bigger? Why is that stupid number so important? Guess what I am 200lbs well I was last time I checked and I am liking what I see in the mirror who cares what the scale says.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    just want to look slim and toned and not like a female bodybuilder.

    You know they work really, really hard to accomplish that look, right? They don't just end up jacked with 10% BF by popping into the gym a few times/week.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    This is why the scale sucks. Measurements, how clothes fit, and progress photos are much better ways to gauge your progress.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Your muscles are retaining fluid from a new exercise program. When you exercise, you are literally tearing your muscle fibers. That causes your muscles to hang on to water to help repair those tears. That causes the scale to go up. Also, being female, you will be susceptible to hormonal fluctuations that cause weight gain.

    I would suggest that you start taking measurements so you can see losses that aren't scale related. Log every single bite you take. Watch your sodium. Drink plenty of water and eat some bananas or other potassium rich foods. And then just apply some time and patience. The scale will go back down. You just need to wait a little bit.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
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    Sadly, achieving the body of a female bodybuilder does not happen overnight, nor a male one for that matter. I think you will be ok, just stay patient and consistent.

    Take measurements, take progress pics, and for the love of Pete, stay off of the scale. Read what LoraF83 and so many others are telling you up there about the retention of fluid for muscle repair and your normal hormonal weight gain.
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
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    When you start or intensify an exercise program, your muscles often retain water and glycogen to repair themselves. This leads to the "newbie gains" most everyone experience. It can last for a couple to several weeks. Best thing to do is also take body measurements, progress pictures, and observe how your clothes fit. If your weight goes up but you're losing inches and clothes are feeling looser, then you're doing ok.
    Its water... Muscle, surprisingly enough, is about 75% water. Muscle is fueled by glycogen. For every gram of glycogen your muscle holds it takes 3-4 grams of water to retain it in your muscle. Building muscle, especially in the early stages or after "refeed" retains glycogen which therefor retains water.
    Relax... Give it a few weeks.. Your body will lose the water and your metabolism will begin to speed up... All great things!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    ^^ Listen to these lovely ladies, Lora & Zoe.
  • jim9097
    jim9097 Posts: 341 Member
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    This string gives me hope. I don't know how many times I say stop looking at the scale. Many women put way to much into what the scale says. I am so glad there are so many women on here that know and understand this and even better are saying it to other women.

    When my wife first stated to exercise with me; she was so frustrated, in the first month I lost 20 lbs, she lost 6. Luckily it was our first time through P90X so we took before pictures and measurements. When we remeasured at 30 days she lost 13 inces compared to my 6. It was that moment that she discovered the scale don't mean a whole lot in the big scheme of things.
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
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    It's water weight from the lifting. Females can expect to gain 0.5-1lb of lean muscle PER MONTH naturally. The only way to be sure is to measure and check your body fat%.
  • MissInce26
    MissInce26 Posts: 31 Member
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    Of course I know that! And have alot of respect for bodybuilders I dont want to bulk up thats all
  • mousepaws22
    mousepaws22 Posts: 380 Member
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    I would suggest that you start taking measurements so you can see losses that aren't scale related. Log every single bite you take. Watch your sodium. Drink plenty of water and eat some bananas or other potassium rich foods. And then just apply some time and patience. The scale will go back down. You just need to wait a little bit.

    Genuine question- why the potassium? Does it help stop your muscles retaining water and glycogen?
  • MissInce26
    MissInce26 Posts: 31 Member
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    Your muscles are retaining fluid from a new exercise program. When you exercise, you are literally tearing your muscle fibers. That causes your muscles to hang on to water to help repair those tears. That causes the scale to go up. Also, being female, you will be susceptible to hormonal fluctuations that cause weight gain.

    I would suggest that you start taking measurements so you can see losses that aren't scale related. Log every single bite you take. Watch your sodium. Drink plenty of water and eat some bananas or other potassium rich foods. And then just apply some time and patience. The scale will go back down. You just need to wait a little bit.
    thank you for the advice
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
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    Ok thanks thats made me feel a bit better hopefully it is just water weight I'll take some measurements and see how it goes I'm really enjoying the weights and kinda like the pain in my muscles a day later just want to look slim and toned and not like a female bodybuilder. The weight gain was a shock though when iv been sweating all week.

    Female bodybuilders don't happen by accident--you would either have to take steroids or work specifically to attain that kind of look, or both.
    I bust my rear every week to put on muscle and lose body fat... After 19 months i am still at 20% body fat.

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