PLATEAU! *Weight Training*

KristinArredondo

Trying to sum this up quick so someone might be able to help me!

I'm 5'0 and 163 pounds...chest is 33", waist is 30", hips 45" currently. According to BMI, I am obese and my healthy weight range should be between 94 - 128 lbs. That is nearly impossible for my hourglass body shape. I am a previous gymnast/competitive cheer, I'm used to HIIT training and P90X intense workouts after having 3 kids now.

Here's my problem...I got pregnant with 3rd child and stopped exercising. I got back into exercising in July 2016 doing a local boot camp that focuses on weight training only, rare bursts of cardio.. I do this 3-4x per week. I lost 10 pounds and 15 inches by November (4 months later). Ever since November, (now February 2017), I have hit a plateau...and even gained 5 pounds but no gain in body fat %. I have been eating between 1200 - 1700 calories per day, depending on workout days.

Could I be under eating? I'm stressed, fatigue, mood swings, have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep, when I get done working out I am FREEZING and stay cold throughout the day. I meal prep, eat high protein and carbs, eat 4-5 meals per day. Why am I gaining weight?? Heeeeelp!

sammyliftsandeats

Looking at your diary, weigh items such as blueberries, granola, bread, turkey slices, pasta, rolls, etc.

You may be overeating.

Water retention from weight training and muscle repair is a possibility as well.

lorrpb

Your diary looks like you are measuring or eyeballing your portions rather than weighing on a food scale. You could be eating 20-25% more calories than you think you are. Get a food scale and weigh your food before logging it.
How are you determining body fat %? It is highly unlikely that you gained 5 lbs in 3 months and none of it was fat. Body fat scales and hand held devices are not accurate, at all.

Finally, your hourglass shape does not prevent you from losing weight to a healthy BMI. You can still be an hourglass at a lower weight, but it's also quite likely the hourglass will shrink as you get to a normal BMI and body fat %.

Rusty740

You can't gain 5 lbs of muscle. I'm sorry to say, it's fat. You might be under eating, but I imagine the vast majority of folks will tell you that you probably aren't tracking your intake accurately enough. If you don't have a digital kitchen scale, it will help a lot. You might also want to eat less meals per day (I see you've got a morning and afternoon snack). It doesn't make a difference how many meals you have per day. I think it's time you tried to trick your body into feeling more full. Try eating a high protein breakfast like 1/2 cup egg whites and vegetables. This will keep you feeling full and you'll be less likely to overeat more in the day. Don't eat back the calories you gain from exercise, or only eat back 1/2 of them.

You don't need exercise to lose weight. You only need a calorie deficit. Exercise is just one of those things that is healthy, good for you, and can help, but sometimes hinder, your goals if you're hungry after exercising.

lemonychild

You're overeating for your activity level.

KristinArredondo

Thanks everyone!!! My trainer does all my measurements monthly using her scale and measuring tape. I need to get a kitchen scale. Maybe I am eating too much? And I never said it was a 5 pound gain of muscle, I just said that when I stepped on her scale my bf% has been the same since November. Not sure what the gain is..definitely not muscle, in my opinion too.

It's easy for me to lose weight and count calories when I'm not exercising. It's when I start working out, I have trouble knowing how many cals to eat vs calories burned. I have a Fitbit and those are not accurate to me. I don't know. We will see.

I'll buy a kitchen scale and start measuring exactly to see how far off I am. I'll post an update in about 3 weeks.

Thanks for all the advice.

quiksylver296

Yep. Get a food scale. You'll be amazed.

janejellyroll

KristinArredondo wrote: »

Thanks everyone!!! My trainer does all my measurements monthly using her scale and measuring tape. I need to get a kitchen scale. Maybe I am eating too much? And I never said it was a 5 pound gain of muscle, I just said that when I stepped on her scale my bf% has been the same since November. Not sure what the gain is..definitely not muscle, in my opinion too.

It's easy for me to lose weight and count calories when I'm not exercising. It's when I start working out, I have trouble knowing how many cals to eat vs calories burned. I have a Fitbit and those are not accurate to me. I don't know. We will see.

I'll buy a kitchen scale and start measuring exactly to see how far off I am. I'll post an update in about 3 weeks.

Thanks for all the advice.

The scales that claim to measure your body fat percentage are notoriously inaccurate -- people were clarifying that your gain could easily have been fat even if the scale said otherwise.

KristinArredondo

Thanks so much!