Doing everything right but gaining weight!
mitchiemo
Posts: 61 Member
I joined a Gym on 27th September so I've officially being going 4 to 5 times a week for the last 3 and a half weeks. I've made leaps and bounds with my cardio (interval training) and strength training BUT I've put on weight - 3 kg!!!!!!! My boyfriend thinks (he's unsure) it looks like I've lost weight and I am visibly starting to show definition in my arms. I still measure the same apart from my boobs aren't overflowing my bra any more so WHAT THE F**@ has happened? I haven't been keeping a log of what I eat on here but I have been constantly consciously aware of it and have been very careful to eat clean. Yesterday I logged an average day and came in well below my calorie target. I've researched this weight gain thing and the only advise I have found is related to water retention in the first week of strength training. I'm well past the first week. This is so frustrating. I don't feel unwell in any other respect and I'm not pregnant. Has anyone else experienced this? Any advise?
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Replies
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My honest guess, since you said you aren't logging, is that your eating more than you think. Even when eating clean it is possible to eat more than you need to.
I think you should log for at least a week. More importantly weigh your food out. It is very easy to think your eating a serving but actually be eating more like 2-3 servings.0 -
I did the same thing. Then, boom, started losing. I'm down two pant sizes and only about 12 lbs.0
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1.) Log everything you eat. Estimating or guessing leaves too much room for error. It's possible you're eating more than you think.
2.) You could be adding muscle and losing fat, where you may remain the same weight or possibly gain a small amount of weight at first. This could be determined better by taking measurements vs just weighing yourself on a scale.
As long as you're feeling better and your clothes are fitting better, I wouldn't worry too much what the scale says.0 -
If you're not logging you don't know how much you're eating. It's so easy to lose track and "forget" about that 300 calorie snack or drink. Start logging, I bet you'll be shocked at your actual intake vs your perception of it.0
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1.) Log everything you eat. Estimating or guessing leaves too much room for error. It's possible you're eating more than you think.
2.) You could be adding muscle and losing fat, where you may remain the same weight or possibly gain a small amount of weight at first. This could be determined better by taking measurements vs just weighing yourself on a scale.
As long as you're feeling better and your clothes are fitting better, I wouldn't worry too much what the scale says.
She is not gaining muscle at the same rate that she is losing fat. Muscle simply doesn't build that fast, especially for women.
OP, definitely log and weigh your food. It could still be water retention, especially if you're body hasn't had ample recovery time between workouts. If that is the case, it will come off eventually. In the mean time, log your food and weigh/measure your portions. It's the only way to truly be sure you aren't over eating.0 -
Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym. You are eating too much.0
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Weight loss happens in the kitchen, not the gym. You are eating too much.
I love this! :bigsmile:
Op, you are eating more than you think. Start logging all your calories consumed and calories burned to get a clear picture of what is going on with you.0 -
1.) Log everything you eat. Estimating or guessing leaves too much room for error. It's possible you're eating more than you think.
2.) You could be adding muscle and losing fat, where you may remain the same weight or possibly gain a small amount of weight at first. This could be determined better by taking measurements vs just weighing yourself on a scale.
As long as you're feeling better and your clothes are fitting better, I wouldn't worry too much what the scale says.
She is not gaining muscle at the same rate that she is losing fat. Muscle simply doesn't build that fast, especially for women.
OP, definitely log and weigh your food. It could still be water retention, especially if you're body hasn't had ample recovery time between workouts. If that is the case, it will come off eventually. In the mean time, log your food and weigh/measure your portions. It's the only way to truly be sure you aren't over eating.
If she's new to weight training I'm sure she's adding some muscle, albeit a small amount. Regardless, the most probable cause of weight gain is what I said in 1.)0 -
If you haven't been logging, you're probably eating more than you think. Log everything and weigh your portions for a couple of weeks and see what happens.0
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There is the water retention thing but you should be getting out of that windew about now if you are not constantly changing up your routine. You really need to start logging, thats really the best answer. You are probably overestimating your burns and underestimating your consuption.0
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It really, really is impossible to eyeball food. The hungrier you are, the smaller your portions look! :bigsmile:
Agree with the above posts, give logging a go for a couple of weeks and see if that makes a difference.
Nice work in the gym, btw, all the best x0 -
1.) Log everything you eat. Estimating or guessing leaves too much room for error. It's possible you're eating more than you think.
2.) You could be adding muscle and losing fat, where you may remain the same weight or possibly gain a small amount of weight at first. This could be determined better by taking measurements vs just weighing yourself on a scale.
As long as you're feeling better and your clothes are fitting better, I wouldn't worry too much what the scale says.
She is not gaining muscle at the same rate that she is losing fat. Muscle simply doesn't build that fast, especially for women.
OP, definitely log and weigh your food. It could still be water retention, especially if you're body hasn't had ample recovery time between workouts. If that is the case, it will come off eventually. In the mean time, log your food and weigh/measure your portions. It's the only way to truly be sure you aren't over eating.
^^^yepIf she's new to weight training I'm sure she's adding some muscle, albeit a small amount. Regardless, the most probable cause of weight gain is what I said in 1.)
It wouldn't be enough in 3.5 weeks to stall the scale out or increase it by over 6lbs.
OP, you said that you started the gym last month. Were you losing weight before? Are you eating back exercise cals, and if so how are you estimating those burns.
If your clothes are fitting better and you look like you're losing weight (getting smaller), it sounds a lot like water retention.0 -
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If your boobs are smaller, you've been losing fat.0
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More people need to read THIS^^^^^^^0 -
I joined a Gym on 27th September so I've officially being going 4 to 5 times a week for the last 3 and a half weeks. I've made leaps and bounds with my cardio (interval training) and strength training BUT I've put on weight - 3 kg!!!!!!! My boyfriend thinks (he's unsure) it looks like I've lost weight and I am visibly starting to show definition in my arms. I still measure the same apart from my boobs aren't overflowing my bra any more so WHAT THE F**@ has happened? I haven't been keeping a log of what I eat on here but I have been constantly consciously aware of it and have been very careful to eat clean. Yesterday I logged an average day and came in well below my calorie target. I've researched this weight gain thing and the only advise I have found is related to water retention in the first week of strength training. I'm well past the first week. This is so frustrating. I don't feel unwell in any other respect and I'm not pregnant. Has anyone else experienced this? Any advise?
You're eating too many calories.
Eat less.0 -
Log every single bite you take.
Every
Single
Bite
Do that for 6 weeks and then come back if you still aren't losing weight. You have to log everything and be consistent if you expect to see results (using MFP).0 -
If you were doing everything right you'd be logging your food. You're not doing the most important step in "doing everything right"0
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My honest guess, since you said you aren't logging, is that your eating more than you think. Even when eating clean it is possible to eat more than you need to.
I think you should log for at least a week. More importantly weigh your food out. It is very easy to think your eating a serving but actually be eating more like 2-3 servings.
This!0 -
More people need to read THIS^^^^^^^
I agree 100 percent. Calories in, calories expended.0 -
ANOTHER thread where someone starts exercising, stops logging, gains weight, and can't understand why.
:laugh:0 -
Oh gosh this place can be demoralising.
I understand how disheartening it is to think you are doing everything right and get no reward for it
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Logging might help - and getting a body composition done.
But I do encourage you not to stop, you are making healthy life choice, and they should continue regardless of what the scale says.
Chin up xoxo0 -
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^^ perfect. Its likely you are gaining muscle, if your breasts are "not overflowing your bra" anymore they are shrinking, it indicates fat loss, and with "good" genetics for muscle gain you can have such an initial muscle and "muscle preparedness" (glycogen + water storage) gain. But, if you don't log each and every thing, and you didn't actually take your measurements, and you don't standardize the time of day/distance from meals/last elimination before you weigh in, you cant be certain of anything exactly. Plus I can't see what you are doing, what you ate, how big you are, what your strength gains are, etc etc and at that point it becomes pointless to analyze until you do what the poster above pictured.
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The honest answer is simple. Muscle weighs more than fat. So you are toning, building lean muscle mass, and losing inches, but the scale won't start to tip noticeably for a another few weeks. Don't fret. The scale shouldn't be the judge, your eyes and the way your clothes fit is the best indication. I know it's frustrating to not see the scale move to the left, but if the button on your jeans is no longer digging into your stomach, and the ridge marks in your shoulders aren't as deep at the end of the day as they used to be then...count it all good.
I am someone who has had to struggle with the weight vs lean muscle mass issue my whole life. Even at a size 6 and perfectly tone, I weighed a 140 pounds so focus on how you look, how things fit and not the scale. Weighin yourself too much can derail the progress.
One last side note: I lost 35 pounds and the first 20 were EXTREMELY HARD FOUGHT...blood, sweat and tears...POUNDS!!! I'm sure people noticed but no one really said much. Then around month 3, the weigh just started dropping off like crazy and everyone kept commenting.."Have you lost weight?" I wanted to Scream.."where the hell have YOU been these past 3 months" But I realize that once that lean muscle mass was developed and my metabolism and eating habits had become more regulated...the workouts I was doing was melting the pounds like crazy!!!
Don't give up!!!0 -
The honest answer is simple. Muscle weighs more than fat. So you are toning, building lean muscle mass, and losing inches, but the scale won't start to tip noticeably for a another few weeks. Don't fret. The scale shouldn't be the judge, your eyes and the way your clothes fit is the best indication. I know it's frustrating to not see the scale move to the left, but if the button on jeans is no longer digging into your stomach, and the ridge marks in your shoulders are as deep at the end of the day...count it all good.
I am someone who has had to struggle with the weight vs lean muscle mass issue my whole life. Even at a size 6 and perfectly tone, I weighed a 140 pounds so focus on how you look, how things fit and not the scale. Weighin yourself too much can derail the progress.
One last side note: I lost 35 pounds and the first 20 were EXTREMELY HARD FOUGHT...blood, sweat and tears...POUNDS!!! I'm sure people noticed but no one really said much. Then around month 3, the weigh just started dropping off like crazy and everyone kept commenting.."Have you lost weight?" I wanted to Scream.."where the hell have YOU been these past 3 months" But I realize that once that lean muscle mass was developed and my metabolism and eating habits had become more regulated...the workouts I was doing was melting the pounds like crazy!!!
Don't give up!!!
Um, no. Telling someone who has gained 3 lbs in a few weeks to just keep doing everything the same to lose weight... no.0 -
3 lbs can also be due to your menstrual cycle plus water stored in your muscles... I suggest tracking your cycle along with your weight and measurements.0
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I haven't been keeping a log of what I eat on here.....
^^this is your issue0 -
You did not gain muscle in 3 weeks.0
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