Weight Training for 4 months: Not losing inches

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schockemily9734
schockemily9734 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, so I have been weight training for 4 months now hoping to slim down and get lean. I have PCOS but I eat very healthy and don't eat gluten or dairy. Everyone says with weight training that you gain weight but lose fat and thats why the scale goes up.
I am feeling very frustrated because that is not the case for me. I am gaining muscle it seems underneath all the fat I had so my weight is going up and I am not losing inches anywhere. I am not sure what the problem is and if I should do more cardio? I currently do it maybe 1-2 times a week for a more extended period of time and randomly throughout the week for maybe 10 mins on my exercise bike.
Help! I was hoping to be slimmer and feel good about myself by now but it is the complete opposite.

Replies

  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Many people will see a jump on the scale when they start weight training as a result of water weight. If you are eating in a deficit, muscle gain, while not impossible for a beginner, will typically not be so significant to offset and mask fat loss on the scale.

    In order to lose weight you need to eat in a deficit.

    However if you haven't seen a drop in 4 months it sounds like you are not eating in a deficit. Eating healthy is great but it does not automatically lead to weight loss. Also gluten or dairy do not cause weight gain either (although if you feel better without them and it reduces your PCOS symptoms then that's great).

    Are you weighing all your food with a food scale?
  • RockingWithLJ
    RockingWithLJ Posts: 243 Member
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    Without knowing your diary...?
    Make sure you're at the right caloric intake. Your body weight multipled by 10-12. Adjust every 2-4 weeks.
    How much protein are you intaking? 0.7-1g per pound of body weight for weight training. Carbs and fat can be whatever.
    Getting good sleep? 7-9 hours at least...
    Re-examine your diet. Make sure youre weighing everything or over estimate (for example, 2 slices of bread on a label will have a weight in grams. More than likely it is heavier than that so log it as 1.2 servings instead).
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 630 Member
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    What weight training are you doing?
    Are you following a program?
    If not, you should follow a proven program.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    schockemily9734 wrote: »
    Okay, so I have been weight training for 4 months now hoping to slim down and get lean. I have PCOS but I eat very healthy and don't eat gluten or dairy. Everyone says with weight training that you gain weight but lose fat and thats why the scale goes up.
    I am feeling very frustrated because that is not the case for me. I am gaining muscle it seems underneath all the fat I had so my weight is going up and I am not losing inches anywhere. I am not sure what the problem is and if I should do more cardio? I currently do it maybe 1-2 times a week for a more extended period of time and randomly throughout the week for maybe 10 mins on my exercise bike.
    Help! I was hoping to be slimmer and feel good about myself by now but it is the complete opposite.

    Are you eating at maintenance or at a deficit? How careful is your food logging? How much weight have you gained in the 4 months?
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
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    It’s great that you’re eating healthily but healthy food doesn’t mean you will lose weight if you are eating in excess of your calorie needs. Put your numbers into mfp and it will give you a calorie amount. Weigh accurately everything that passes your lips and you will see a drop in weight. Make sure your protein intake is adequate to support muscle maintenance during this time of deficit.
  • GeneralSTpower
    GeneralSTpower Posts: 25 Member
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    If you havent dropped an inch in four months, it is highly likely that you are not eating in deficit. Do give your diet a check once more, see if your tracking is in order and make the necessary changes.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Weight training builds muscle. That's basically it.. Building muscle is good (keep it up), but it isn't going to make you lose the fat. As others have said, that comes down to how you balance your calories in and out... And if you're not paying attention, the common extra hunger after weight training (above what gets burned in the session) can easily impede that.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
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    You say that you're eating healthy but I don't see you saying that you're eating at a caloric deficit. There's an old saying that you can't outrun a bad diet, if you're eating at or above maintenance you're not going to lose fat no matter what type or how much you exercise. Caloric deficit for fat lose, exercise for health and fitness.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    edited July 2020
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    You do not lose fat by weight training. Assuming you are following a specific program, youi are gaining strength and slowly some muscle. If you are not losing weight, you need to cut back on calories. Whether these calories will be from a balanced diet or junk food, it affects your health, not your weight loss.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited July 2020
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    schockemily9734 wrote: »
    Okay, so I have been weight training for 4 months now hoping to slim down and get lean. I have PCOS but I eat very healthy and don't eat gluten or dairy. Everyone says with weight training that you gain weight but lose fat and thats why the scale goes up.
    I am feeling very frustrated because that is not the case for me. I am gaining muscle it seems underneath all the fat I had so my weight is going up and I am not losing inches anywhere. I am not sure what the problem is and if I should do more cardio? I currently do it maybe 1-2 times a week for a more extended period of time and randomly throughout the week for maybe 10 mins on my exercise bike.
    Help! I was hoping to be slimmer and feel good about myself by now but it is the complete opposite.

    No not everyone says that and 95% of info you are going to find in general searches or talking to people is going to be misleading. It's more complicated with variables based off the individual.

    Listing your training logs including method of measuring exertion and how you are overloading along with body weight trend for past couple months would be helpful info.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    edited July 2020
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    ritzvin wrote: »
    Weight training builds muscle. That's basically it.. Building muscle is good (keep it up), but it isn't going to make you lose the fat. As others have said, that comes down to how you balance your calories in and out... And if you're not paying attention, the common extra hunger after weight training (above what gets burned in the session) can easily impede that.
    Weight training "can" produce hypertrophy. Many factors are keys to if it does and how robustly.

    In this case with the info given, it would seem it would "retain" myscle at best, idk. Training doesn't add muscle by itself solely.

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