Exercise & Diet but GAINING weight....

Jenna_Thomps

Okay so I have been eating healthy and well and working out as much as possible for someone with a three month old and the scale seems to be climbing. I only weigh myself once a week and my husband says it looks like i'm slimming down. I feel a bit stronger and I have quad muscles and arm muscles which were something I haven't had in a LONG time. But the scale keeps climbing.

After I first had my daughter I was down to 165 then I went to 173-175 and now I am almost to 178-179. Any ideas what might be causing this.

PS: I don't drink as much water as I should but I'm also curious what exactly does water weight entail or mean?

PSS: WHY THE HELL are the advertisements of doughnuts the side panel of MFP. I think it might only be on mine because its for the city I live in but GOODNESS thats just cruel.

Any help and advice/motivation is greatly appreciated.
On the health and weight hahah not the ads with sugary treats.

MFPfriend

Well, I'm not exactly sure about your situation, but the ads take your IP address from your computer (which can tell them what city you live in... or at least close). Then they make ads tailored for you.

I have one constantly advertising donuts and candy for Fresno, California (a big town close to where I live).

AndriaLL

I am in Colorado and I have Krispy Kreme donuts on the side panel as well. It pisses me off too!

Anyway, I think it may be water as if you're not drinking enough your body hangs on to what little it gets from food, etc. That's been my experience anyway. Sorry if not that helpful, the donuts bother me, too!

sherrie8929

Muscle weighs more than fat, my dear. If you notice you're toning up and seeing muscle in places you didn't used to have so much muscle, that is why the scale is climbing. When just starting off with exercising, I've found it easier to pay attention to how things fit me, as opposed to what the scale says. Find that pair of skinny jeans that you want to fit into. I have a pair of jeans that I just love and when I finally fit back into them (sadly they aren't my skinny jeans, they're my in between jeans), I would notice how the way they fit would change and improve as I gained muscle but lost fat.

Does this help? You can also take your measurements and track your inches.

Garcialynne

Remember muscle weights heavier then fat, so if u are gaining muscle u may see a weight increase. Yes if u are not drinking enough water you will gain weight as your body will save what ever it gets. I get swollen feet when I retain water and with drinking more water I lose it and I don't get the fred flinstone feet as we call them

Jenna_Thomps

Hahah! That would make sense with the ads its for coupons of Boise and restraunts around town and what not. Blah. Yeah I need to drink much more water but am def. seeing the muscle I just need to not pay so much attention to the scale which can be very discouraging

Juan1999

My wife and I have experienced the same problem for years and the only solution for us was a calorie intake increas. We started with 50 calories a week until we reached the magic number that worked for us. Good luck.

angisnee

My guess is that you're gaining muscle and losing fat. A pound of muscle takes up much less space than a pound of fat. So if you gain 5 pounds of muscle and lose 3 pounds of fat, you're going to look thinner even though you gained a net of 2 pounds. All that new muscle is going to help you burn more calories, even at rest. You seem to be doing very well...keep it up!!!

Drinking enough water is very important for your body to function normally. When I used to complain to my doctor that I felt tired a lot, the first thing she would ask is if I was drinking enough water. It helps everything in your body work the way it should. I bought a 32-ounce water bottle and try to drink two full bottles a day (the recommended 8 cups). Drinking water also will help you feel full, so you may be less tempted to snack throughout the day as well!

irish204

Oh my gosh, there is a huge ad for donuts above my profile. Chicago - one day sale. I didn't even notice it until you mentioned donuts!!! sigh....

bellanean

Not to be mean, just trying to help you find a solution but if you havent lost any or much weight its probably not muscle. I think thats something a lot of people tell themselves and others when the scale doesnt move. It takes a lot and a good amount of time for muscle to build. I saw the satistics once but cant seem to remember them off the top of my head.

There has to be a reason your not losing weight, maybe open up your food diary and we can take a look and see if we can offer any suggestions.

aippolito1

Water retention is when your body holds water because a) it's dehydrated from caffeine, b) you ate too much sodium, c) you're not drinking enough, or d) other reasons. You are possibly building muscle and that's PART of the reason you're gaining. You should be doing MORE cardio so you can burn fat as well. (Try doing at least 30 minutes of cardio everyday if you're not). And, you could not be eating enough. How many calories do you burn per week? Are you getting enough fiber (25-30g per day) and protein (30% of your diet)?

Jenna_Thomps

Well I've been working out about 2-3 sometimes 4-5 times a week for about 30-45 mins at a time and I do NORMALLY drink tons of water I've just been busy these past like 2 weeks and didn't drink enough. I know that. Haha. Normally for breakfast I have a yogurt or watermelon juice and for lunch I have an avocado sandwich with no mayo or mustard or anything. Dinner tends to vary and I have a few snacks a day (yogurt, watermelon, cheese styx, etc)

Also just wanna say that I have lost 20 lbs since Isabelle was born just need to lose like another 30-40.

Precious_Nissa

muscle weighs more than fat is a myth...
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=8311&sc=128#Story

I think because you are not drinking water efficiently as you should, you are holding more water and not releasing what you should release daily.

smuehlbauer

My guess is that you're not eating enough.

foxxybrown

You haven't gained 14lbs of muscle that quick. You may need to open up your diary so people can really see what's going on.

Precious_Nissa

just remember...even on the biggest loser when people try to say, "oh i didnt gain that much because i gained muscle etc" even Bob and Jilian said it was denial because its just a myth that muscle weighs more than fat.....you can even research it and find the truth...

i do feel maybe you arent eating right, maybe its the wrong times you are eating....maybe its that you are eating more than you think and not proportioning correctly...it can be a number of things....id say, be honest and find an accountability partner.

Jenna_Thomps

Well I never said that muscle weighs more than fat or anything. I just said I FELT better and stronger since I've been working out and I've always ate healthy anyway (no caffeine or soda or high sugar things mostly just live food) Im just working on getting the baby weight off. My trainer suggested that I eat 1200 calories so thats what I'm aiming for. I haven't been eating my exercise calories because I'm not sure how that whole thing works out.

Motivation and help are welcome telling me that I'm not eating right or being honest is not. I eat very healthy food I just sometimes forget to eat frequent meals because I am very busy. I am doing the best I can and just looking for some help and motivation.

muth3rluvx2

Hey there Jenna... :-)

To those harping on the muscle vs. fat thing - it's a short way for lay-people to understand that muscle is denser and more compact and takes up less space than an equivalent amount of fat. 5 lbs of fat is still 5 lbs of something.. muscle is the same.. 5 lbs is 5 lbs is 5 lbs. It's how it sits on the body that people are referring to.

As for your lack of loss, can you give some more information like what your caloric intake is set at, do you eat your calories back, what's your BMI (not that's its very accurate but the more you have to lose per your mass the faster it goes - that's why the last 10 lbs is sooo hard!!!)? There could be any number of reason. I am personally finding that the minimum of 1200 calories is too much for me to get going (I know I'm going to get an earful for this), so I've dropped it to 1050, which is the same as skipping a snack. Big whoop. I know this because I've gone over and gained rather than seeing a sudden loss. So, your numbers may need to get played with a little as you progress. I like the one person's idea of going in increments of 50 until they found the right number. From the basic description of your diet, I'd suggest that maybe you're not getting enough cals too. In your shoes, I'd go up before trying going down. Give it at least a week for each change, maybe even 2.

Good luck!!!

Precious_Nissa

I am being motivating so Please do not take what I said wrong...I was referring to another person who said muscle weights more than fat...

In no way, shape or form, am i saying you arent eating right...i'm saying, just remain honest at all times about what you are eating and sometimes, double check your serving size etc.....I get extremely extremely disgusted on days that i weigh and i know i ate right and worked out all week and the scale didnt move...

i also know somtimes that i'll weigh and be the same and then i measure and inches have fallen off...

sorry if you got offended, didnt mean it in that way...i'm just sayin that accountability to someone i trust is my bestfriend....i dont knwo if i'm always doing it right...i dont know if my servings are accurate etc....

you can do it....and i would never never down anyone...look at my fat butt, i have 150 lbs to go.....so i'm sorry if you took offense to what i said...it ws taken wrong.

batty5

Feeling your pain as same thing keeps happening to me then suddenly weight comes off, only to seemingly return due to water retention ( mine is more difficult due to my meds). Does sound to me as if you are not eating often enough or drinking enough so even though you have a busy life you MUST eat regularly & drink your min 64 ounces. Try eating at least half of the exercise calories & DO NOT GIVE UP. Also as a new mum you may have a particular problem with water retention which should sort itself out naturally.GOOD LUCK.

Cytherea

muscle weighs more than fat is a myth...
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=8311&sc=128#Story

just remember...even on the biggest loser when people try to say, "oh i didnt gain that much because i gained muscle etc" even Bob and Jilian said it was denial because its just a myth that muscle weighs more than fat.....you can even research it and find the truth...

It is NOT a myth. **Nobody** is saying that the same exact amount of muscle weighs more than the same exact amount of fat. A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle, yes, a pound. But that is NOT what that cliche "muscle weighs more than fat" is referring to. I don't understand what is so hard. The same exact amount of muscle DOES weight more than the same exact amount of fat. So, if you put a pound of fat next to a pound of muscle, the muscle is MUCH SMALLER. If you were to cut the fat to equal the same proportion, the exact same size, as the pound of muscle, THE FAT WOULD WEIGH LESS.

bellanean

We are trying to help! It would really give us some good insight to how your eating :-)

shoegirl1

Hi, Jenna! Congratulations on your baby!

Like you, I have been frustrated with my efforts. I have done a lot of cardio and not seen results. I tried almost everything that others suggested. I used to be a workout fanatic, so I reviewed what DID work when I was successful with weight loss. The cardio that I currently was doing was the treadmill or elliptical, when my workouts used to be Tae Bo and other high intensity workouts. Plus, I used to do weights. Since I've added those workouts back to my routine, I have lost 7 pounds that have stayed off. Also, I am better at managing my foods again, by measuring servings and pre-packing lunches for the week. One day this week I did not bring lunch and got something to go - I went over my calories by 600 that day! Plus, while eating healthy, I was consuming more servings of fruit than I realized, so while I thought I was getting maybe 100 calories, I was actually getting much more! One of my favorite snacks is no sugar added fat free yogurt with a couple tablespoons of Grapenuts cereal. It's a very filling snack for 100 calories!

I agree with you on the calorie counter for exercise. I don't think it's a realistic measurement, but if I have burned even half of those calories I'm still doing well!

I have just joined but really like how MFP works. There is great advice out there from others, but for me, it was back to basics and remembering what worked for ME. And, like someone else suggested, stick to whatever change you make for at least a week to give it a reasonable chance to work. Good luck!

bellanean

muscle weighs more than fat is a myth...
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=8311&sc=128#Story

just remember...even on the biggest loser when people try to say, "oh i didnt gain that much because i gained muscle etc" even Bob and Jilian said it was denial because its just a myth that muscle weighs more than fat.....you can even research it and find the truth...

It is NOT a myth. **Nobody** is saying that the same exact amount of muscle weighs more than the same exact amount of fat. A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle, yes, a pound. But that is NOT what that cliche "muscle weighs more than fat" is referring to. I don't understand what is so hard. The same exact amount of muscle DOES weight more than the same exact amount of fat. So, if you put a pound of fat next to a pound of muscle, the muscle is MUCH SMALLER. If you were to cut the fat to equal the same proportion, the exact same size, as the pound of muscle, THE FAT WOULD WEIGH LESS.

but gaining the muscle takes a lot of work and I think people use the excuse "muscle weighs more then fat" when the scale isnt moving.

Cytherea

but gaining the muscle takes a lot of work and I think people use the excuse "muscle weighs more then fat" when the scale isnt moving.

Sure it does! But that doesn't make the claim a myth, it just means that people can use it incorrectly! You can be in denial and use it as an excuse, and YES, that is a bad thing for you to do to yourself... but that has NO bearing on the truth of the claim!!

BigVinney

When I first started on this program my wife signed us up, she set me up to gain 2 pounds per week instead of loosing the weight. This went on for a few days as I complained that I was eating a lot less than allotted, lol.
The program is based on science, but the measurement parameters are not really scientifically gathered. So,
check your intake.
Big Vinney

bellanean

but gaining the muscle takes a lot of work and I think people use the excuse "muscle weighs more then fat" when the scale isnt moving.

Sure it does! But that doesn't make the claim a myth, it just means that people can use it incorrectly! You can be in denial and use it as an excuse, and YES, that is a bad thing for you to do to yourself... but that has NO bearing on the truth of the claim!!

yes yes i agree :-)

sherrie8929

I realize that there is a lot of controversy over the fat/muscle weight debate, but here's the thing: it's the way it is said that people have the problem with, I think.

In theory, muscle DOES weigh more than fat. I get that a pound is a pound is a pound. But let's talk about volume and density here. If you take say, 5 square inches of muscle and 5 square inches of fat. Which will weigh more? The muscle, because in 5 square inches, more muscle is packed into that small space than in 5 square inches of fat. So it is true that technically, muscle weighs more than fat.

So let's say Jenna lost 20 sq in of fat. But she gained 20 sq in of muscle. She would weigh more. Simple. I don't know if this is the case or if you can even measure muscle/fat in sq inches, but it's the best example I have.

Hopefully this solves the argument of the muscle/fat debate.