So much hard work, and all I got was a 2 pound weight gain

RGv2

I thought you couldn't build muscle on a deficit? Especially one as large as the OPs?

But surely I'm building SOME muscle with all the working out I'm doing, right?

Doubtful.

By your own admission, most of your exercise is cardio based which won't build muscle.

You can have some noob gains, but not much, surely not enough to stall the scale or make it go up especially being in such an extreme caloric deficit. Also with being a female putting on appreciable amount of muscle is even more difficult passed your noob gains.

nikkiclaire123

Thank you for all of this advice!

I'm totally willing to give it an honest go. I've lost and maintained a huge amount of weight over the last 10 years (I'm still down over 75% of my original loss) but this recent gain has been very hard. I quit smoking, I'm 36 now... Things just aren't working the way they used to!

I hope I haven't ruined my metabolism again.

And even though I packed 4 - I only ate one apple today. Ideas for alternative snacks to my typical apples?

pineapple, its a super food apparently. i like to buy tins then i dont feel under pressure to eat it before it goes off and its a go to snack

Viva_Karina

I thought you couldn't build muscle on a deficit? Especially one as large as the OPs?

But surely I'm building SOME muscle with all the working out I'm doing, right?

chosenusernametaken

Doubtful.

By your own admission, most of your exercise is cardio based which won't build muscle.

You can have some noob gains, but not much, surely not enough to stall the scale or make it go up especially being in such an extreme caloric deficit. Also with being a female putting on appreciable amount of muscle is even more difficult passed your noob gains.

Bootcamp and what I do on the Total Gym sure feel like strength training to me, but done at a cardio pace.

I did the TDEE calculator thing - I think I'm in a big, big deficit.

fleetzz

Agree w this dude:

open your diary

if you do not already, get a food scale and WEIGH every bite that passes your lips....eyeballing/measuring cups/just going by what the package says is a portion is not accurate

take progress photos

take measurements

you are not eating enough to fuel your workouts

figure out your TDEE and eat 20% below that

this is not a race

Viva_Karina

Doubtful.

By your own admission, most of your exercise is cardio based which won't build muscle.

You can have some noob gains, but not much, surely not enough to stall the scale or make it go up especially being in such an extreme caloric deficit. Also with being a female putting on appreciable amount of muscle is even more difficult passed your noob gains.

Bootcamp and what I do on the Total Gym sure feel like strength training to me, but done at a cardio pace.

I did the TDEE calculator thing - I think I'm in a big, big deficit.

BITEME_GRRR

DITTO. You are eating too little. Drink lots of water, Do more cardio and weight lifting. Over time you will see FAT BURN. which is more impt. than weight loss.

chosenusernametaken

Doubtful.

By your own admission, most of your exercise is cardio based which won't build muscle.

You can have some noob gains, but not much, surely not enough to stall the scale or make it go up especially being in such an extreme caloric deficit. Also with being a female putting on appreciable amount of muscle is even more difficult passed your noob gains.

Bootcamp and what I do on the Total Gym sure feel like strength training to me, but done at a cardio pace.

I did the TDEE calculator thing - I think I'm in a big, big deficit.

Awesome.

Alissakae

If you have sore muscles, you are probably retaining some water. That could account for the gain and will be only temporary.

And you should definitely eat more.

Hornsby

You can maintain the muscle your currently have when on a deficit I think, but you can't build muscle when you are on a deficit. So yes, you are strength training and you are probably getting stronger, but you are basically just maintaining what you already had.

I think that is the case anyway but could be wrong. Someone else will clarify I'm sure.

And ignore the posters who try to be funny. I am actually surprised that it took so long for them to join in. You have been pretty understanding and asking a lot of questions so the useless comments aren't necessary.

kokoforskinny

You feel satisfied cause your body is fueling off the muscle you have. You need to eat wait you burn or there is no point to what you are doing.

Dunsirn

Your body may be in starvation mode....please read this article.

http://trainingaspects.com/starvation-mode-deciphered

I thought we'd done this to death and decided it was a myth...??

Stavation mode doesn't exist until you're about to die (ie "actually starving") and even then, it's impossible to put weight on

niricava

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

Explains Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Thanks for this.
Bump!

qtgonewild

a whole free day?

chosenusernametaken

You can maintain the muscle your currently have when on a deficit I think, but you can't build muscle when you are on a deficit. So yes, you are strength training and you are probably getting stronger, but you are basically just maintaining what you already had.

I think that is the case anyway but could be wrong. Someone else will clarify I'm sure.

And ignore the posters who try to be funny. I am actually surprised that it took so long for them to join in. You have been pretty understanding and asking a lot of questions so the useless comments aren't necessary.

Thanks! I guess it's part of that whole fear of how can I possibly eat more and lose weight!?!?!? I'm sure you can imagine the amount of reading I intend to do this weekend!

I guess it's about adding the RIGHT things. Up my protein, cutting out 4-5 apples a day and substituting veggies... It seems like I used to have such a natural balance to the things I ate and my activities and working out - I dropped the weight and then it seems I maintained fairly easily.

Yeah, I'm a little older, but the only other difference is that I quit smoking. That shouldn't have it out of whack like this, should it?

chosenusernametaken

a whole free day?

Yeah, and when I dropped a bunch of weight years ago, the free day was the catalyst to significant drops. I was sort of stuck at 20 pounds lost till someone introduced me to Body for Life and Fit for Life.

It just doesn't seem to work that way anymore.

Hornsby

You can maintain the muscle your currently have when on a deficit I think, but you can't build muscle when you are on a deficit. So yes, you are strength training and you are probably getting stronger, but you are basically just maintaining what you already had.

I think that is the case anyway but could be wrong. Someone else will clarify I'm sure.

And ignore the posters who try to be funny. I am actually surprised that it took so long for them to join in. You have been pretty understanding and asking a lot of questions so the useless comments aren't necessary.

Thanks! I guess it's part of that whole fear of how can I possibly eat more and lose weight!?!?!? I'm sure you can imagine the amount of reading I intend to do this weekend!

I guess it's about adding the RIGHT things. Up my protein, cutting out 4-5 apples a day and substituting veggies... It seems like I used to have such a natural balance to the things I ate and my activities and working out - I dropped the weight and then it seems I maintained fairly easily.

Yeah, I'm a little older, but the only other difference is that I quit smoking. That shouldn't have it out of whack like this, should it?

I'm the same age as you basically (I'm 35) and I quit smoking just 3 months prior to getting fit (Jan 2013 quit smoking, and April 2013 started trying to get fit). Didn't play a role in weight loss in my opinion, but really I have no idea.

lilawolf

Wow. Lots of information and misinformation on here.

1. You are eating WAY too little. Is there a reason that you are trying to lose so quickly? I lost just over a pound a week at about 1650 cals with just a 20 minute walk a day. I'm 5'9 and started at 172lbs. No need to go crazy.

2. I don't know about you, but many people get constipated when they first start a diet. Does your belly feel hard and full for no reason? Any change to your bathroom habits? Try a laxative if so. This killed my loss for a couple of weeks until I got back on track.

3. You are not gaining muscle even if you are getting stronger. Only obese noobies lifting heavy (less than 10 reps to failure) will gain muscle. You can get stronger without gaining muscle.

4. Your muscles are probably retaining water. I gained 3-5lbs when I first started lifting. This is why pictures, measurements, and the way your clothes fit is key.

5. Your apples are fine! Yes they are sugar and it would be better if you could pair with fat or protein to keep your blood sugar levels more stable, but it isn't going to make you hold every ounce of fat. Your overall macros for the whole day are way more important than a single meal. Make sure you get enough protein.

6. I understand that you weighed a month ago on a single day and compared it to a single day today. Is that right? Who knows what your water weight, salt intake, TOM, bowel weight, etc was on these two days? Not weighing every day is a good idea, but it sometimes you are unlucky in which days you pick in the natural fluctuations.

7. Log your free day, and log your exercise. Use circuit training or something similar and the amount of time. You don't need to look at reps or anything else. Your weekly deficit is what matters, not any particular day so having a big calorie day is fine with your huge deficit other days. You just need to know where you are at and what your numbers are so that you can tweak from there.

8. Do your research. Read through this to learn what your BMR, TDEE, body fat, deficit, goal, etc are/should be:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

tigersword

It's the excessive apples. Sure, they're healthy, but packed with natural sugar-your trainer is right. Lay off the fruit basket. Plus, it could very well BE muscle. I always gain 2-5lbs when i start a diet, but my clothing fits better.

Um. No. Apples will not cause weight gain unless they put you over maintenance calories. You also do not build muscle on a calorie deficit, especially a large one.

Your weight gain is due to water retention, you certainly aren't putting on 2-5 pounds of muscle. That's extreme even for a man with 10 times more testosterone than you have.

skinnyinnotime

You're eating a low calorie daily allowance and doing mega long workouts on top of that, so your net is very low, making it hard for your body to lose any weight.

Increase you cals, or eat your workout cals or workout less.

BabyNurseJen

I'm about your height and a bit heavier than you. When I started, I ate around 1200 for a week or so just because I really wasn't hungry for more since I switched to healthier foods. I also worked out pretty hard, so I know I was retaining water too. After about a week I was not pleasant to be around. I increased to 1500-1600 calories/day and it's started to fall off. Of course this is only over the last 3 weeks so I can't give any long term info. Maybe it would have started to fall off if I had stayed at 1200, but also I might be single due to my husband refusing to be around me.

Mcgrawhaha

i dont think 1 free day per week will get you the results you desire. i had one of these days every other week... you more than likely maintained, and the 2 pound "gain" is merely sodium bloat / instinal waste / or natural weight fluctuation.