Gaining weight while dieting and exercise

danaph3681

I for one don't put too much thought into what the scale says. I quit weighing myself for months and just went by what I saw in the mirror and the changes in my body. I am on my first ever REAL cut where I am tracking every single morsel of food that goes in my mouth.

From day one of the cut I have weighed myself every single morning. I have learned that days I have more carbs or sodium is higher my weight will be up the next day or two. Give it time. This is a process that you have to trust will work as long as you are tracking everything.

pennyllayne

I think this happens to everyone. First, muscle weighs more than fat. So, when you build muscle and diet you may not loose weight and even gain weight. This is happening to me right now, too. I am a very rigorous workout schedule, P90x, so the workouts I do are constant. I can't work out any more than I do now! I can limit my portion size and cut back on calories, however. A great tip I use is to drink lots of water. If you drink a glass of water before you eat any meal or snack, it will clue your body in that you are full sooner. It is also very likely when you feel like snacking that your body is thirsty, but telling you to be hungry. So, basically, you can either increase your activity level or decrease your caloric intake to drop more weight. Maybe try another type of workout? Hang in there! You're doing great!

No. 1 lb of fat weighs the same as 1 lb of muscle. And muscle gains don't happen (or will be very small) in a calorie deficit. You might see a gain in water weight on starting to exercise (water + glycogen go the muscle to help repair it, and to fuel the next workout) but this will stabilize fairly quickly.

Yes 1lb is 1lb, but that's an oversimplification of the facts. Muscle is more dense than fat. If you look at what a1lb of fat or muscle looks like, you get much more fat in 1lb than you do in 1lb of muscle. Therefore, you only gain a small AMOUNT of muscle but the scale shows 1lb gain. However, you gain 1lb of fat and it's far more visible on the body. That's why you can lose 1lb of muscle and not look much slimmer, but lose 1lb of fat and you do.

I also don't know where you get the idea that you can't gain muscle whilst in a deficit. If you're doing muscle building exercise then you are building muscle, whether you are in a deficit or not. The only time muscle loss is likely to be significant in a calorie deficit is during starvation and the absence of any body fat. Muscle wasting occurs largely from inactivity and lack of protein.

bagge72

Have you recently upped your miles? It could be water weight from the extra load you are putting on your body, but you do sound like you are way under eating for that much cardio.

richardheath

The trainer in the gym told me yesterday that I am not eating enough to support all the exercise I do. He said that this is causing my body to cling to fat while not having enough energy to build muscle.

I'm not sure how this works though. He didn't give me any idea of how much more calories to consume. I am training for a marathon at the moment and my long runs are up to 20miles. I am afraid that I am destroying my metabolism by not eating enough but obviously weight gain is putting me off increasing my calories.

Starvation mode (body clinging onto fat) is a myth. See here: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

Are you consistently gaining, or was this 2 lb a one off thing? Has your routine changed recently? Has your diet changed recently? It could just be water weight, if you have recently added or upped your exercise or added more carbs to your diet or added extra salt... Don't worry about a single data point, look at the overall trend.

Are you sure your goal weight is a reasonable target? What is your current body fat%? Your ticker says you want to lose 17 lbs, but if that is you in your profile pic, you may not actually have that much to lose. Don't rely on BMI to set a goal weight (it is population based, and not exact for every individual).

konerusp

You know, it could be that your body may not be reacting properly to the foods you're giving it. Regardless of calories

I agree with this,If your body is not able to digest certain types of foods well it will store it as fat for later.Not many people agree with this,but that happens to me.I concentrate on foods that I can digest well ,of course provide enough nutrition to your body,if you are doing long runs,good carbohydrates and a balance of digestible protein and fat should do the trick.I'm eating near my maintenance and losing weight.

Watch for gas,bloating,diarrhea or constipation-any of these indicate your tummy isn't happy with the food you give it.Dark circles or deep eyes,ridges on your nails,feeling cold all the time-indicate not enough nutrition.

If you want to increase calories start with some easily digestible food,slowly by 100-200 calories per month,it won't hurt your weight loss,even if you see a 1-2 pound gain it will come back down by the end of the month and you can then add a few more calories based on your goal.Good luck!

sijomial

Ah...this may be where I am going wrong...I wasn't sure whether I should be eating back my exercise calories or not. I thought that it would just defeat the whole purpose..I am trying to learn how to fuel my body optimally for health and performance!

You already have a calorie deficit built into your goal. When you exercise you "earn" more calories.
Estimation can be an issue (especially for strength training) but for running there's loads of online calculators that will give you a reasonable idea of calories. A heart rate monitor is a useful cardio training aid and reasonable for CV calorie estimates.

I trained for a 100 mile cycle ride while losing weight and it's hard - but you simply have to fuel endurance cardio properly or you are likely to do more harm than good.

richardheath

I think this happens to everyone. First, muscle weighs more than fat. So, when you build muscle and diet you may not loose weight and even gain weight. This is happening to me right now, too. I am a very rigorous workout schedule, P90x, so the workouts I do are constant. I can't work out any more than I do now! I can limit my portion size and cut back on calories, however. A great tip I use is to drink lots of water. If you drink a glass of water before you eat any meal or snack, it will clue your body in that you are full sooner. It is also very likely when you feel like snacking that your body is thirsty, but telling you to be hungry. So, basically, you can either increase your activity level or decrease your caloric intake to drop more weight. Maybe try another type of workout? Hang in there! You're doing great!

No. 1 lb of fat weighs the same as 1 lb of muscle. And muscle gains don't happen (or will be very small) in a calorie deficit. You might see a gain in water weight on starting to exercise (water + glycogen go the muscle to help repair it, and to fuel the next workout) but this will stabilize fairly quickly.

Yes 1lb is 1lb, but that's an oversimplification of the facts. Muscle is more dense than fat. If you look at what a1lb of fat or muscle looks like, you get much more fat in 1lb than you do in 1lb of muscle. Therefore, you only gain a small AMOUNT of muscle but the scale shows 1lb gain. However, you gain 1lb of fat and it's far more visible on the body. That's why you can lose 1lb of muscle and not look much slimmer, but lose 1lb of fat and you do.

I also don't know where you get the idea that you can't gain muscle whilst in a deficit. If you're doing muscle building exercise then you are building muscle, whether you are in a deficit or not. The only time muscle loss is likely to be significant in a calorie deficit is during starvation and the absence of any body fat. Muscle wasting occurs largely from inactivity and lack of protein.

I agree with the first paragraph, but the second... not so much.

Strength training builds strength. You can certainly get stronger as neuromuscular adaptation occurs. There can even be some appearance of more muscle as glycogen and water go the muscle to give a "swole" appearance, but this is temporary. Myofibril hypertrophy - the actual laying down of new muscle fibers - take a progressive strength training routine, plenty of protein in the diet and a calorie surplus (unless you are obese or a returning weightlifter). It is very hard for the body to put on significant muscle mass in the absence of a surplus + training. It is possible to put on some muscle when eating around maintenance (recomposition) but this is a slow process (especially for a female). It takes years to put on a few pounds this way.

See Lyle McDonald for example (http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-gain-mistakes.html) :

The simple physiological fact is that, to gain muscle, you have to provide not only the proper training stimulus, but also the building blocks for the new tissue. This means not only sufficient protein (see below) but also sufficient calories and energy. While it’s wonderful to hope that the energy to build new muscle will be pulled out of fat cells, the reality is that this rarely happens (there are some odd exceptions such as folks beginning a program, and those returning from a layoff).

Loss of lean body mass (i.e. muscle) can occur during a period of extreme calorie reduction if you not eating enough protein and doing some form of resistance training. This is why it's important to add weights to any fitness program, especially when dieting (and not to have too big of a calorie deficiency).

deksgrl

You are putting a lot of stress on your body by restricting calories and training so hard. This causes excess Cortisol, a stress hormone. Cortisol can cause weight gain along with other symptoms.

Jess3028

I was about to say the same thing muscles weight more than fat

moju24

1st Actually you are losing fat but at the same point gaining pure lean muscles. 2ndly pure lean muscles are heavier than fat. 3rdly calculate your your body fat with fat caliper and at last calculate your goal as an athlete that how much an athlete shout be weighted according to your physique.

trogalicious

1st Actually you are losing fat but at the same point gaining pure lean muscles. 2ndly pure lean muscles are heavier than fat. 3rdly calculate your your body fat with fat caliper and at last calculate your goal as an athlete that how much an athlete shout be weighted according to your physique.

no.

pennyllayne

The trainer in the gym told me yesterday that I am not eating enough to support all the exercise I do. He said that this is causing my body to cling to fat while not having enough energy to build muscle.

I'm not sure how this works though. He didn't give me any idea of how much more calories to consume. I am training for a marathon at the moment and my long runs are up to 20miles. I am afraid that I am destroying my metabolism by not eating enough but obviously weight gain is putting me off increasing my calories.

Starvation mode (body clinging onto fat) is a myth. See here: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

Are you consistently gaining, or was this 2 lb a one off thing? Has your routine changed recently? Has your diet changed recently? It could just be water weight, if you have recently added or upped your exercise or added more carbs to your diet or added extra salt... Don't worry about a single data point, look at the overall trend.

Are you sure your goal weight is a reasonable target? What is your current body fat%? Your ticker says you want to lose 17 lbs, but if that is you in your profile pic, you may not actually have that much to lose. Don't rely on BMI to set a goal weight (it is population based, and not exact for every individual).

The myth is not that is exists, but how drastic the metabolic slow down is. Metabolism slows down after long periods of caloric restriction, but it doesn't stop completely. The body fights back - this is a natural survival response, especially when body fat is low enough but no it never completely stops.

pennyllayne

I think this happens to everyone. First, muscle weighs more than fat. So, when you build muscle and diet you may not loose weight and even gain weight. This is happening to me right now, too. I am a very rigorous workout schedule, P90x, so the workouts I do are constant. I can't work out any more than I do now! I can limit my portion size and cut back on calories, however. A great tip I use is to drink lots of water. If you drink a glass of water before you eat any meal or snack, it will clue your body in that you are full sooner. It is also very likely when you feel like snacking that your body is thirsty, but telling you to be hungry. So, basically, you can either increase your activity level or decrease your caloric intake to drop more weight. Maybe try another type of workout? Hang in there! You're doing great!

No. 1 lb of fat weighs the same as 1 lb of muscle. And muscle gains don't happen (or will be very small) in a calorie deficit. You might see a gain in water weight on starting to exercise (water + glycogen go the muscle to help repair it, and to fuel the next workout) but this will stabilize fairly quickly.

Yes 1lb is 1lb, but that's an oversimplification of the facts. Muscle is more dense than fat. If you look at what a1lb of fat or muscle looks like, you get much more fat in 1lb than you do in 1lb of muscle. Therefore, you only gain a small AMOUNT of muscle but the scale shows 1lb gain. However, you gain 1lb of fat and it's far more visible on the body. That's why you can lose 1lb of muscle and not look much slimmer, but lose 1lb of fat and you do.

I also don't know where you get the idea that you can't gain muscle whilst in a deficit. If you're doing muscle building exercise then you are building muscle, whether you are in a deficit or not. The only time muscle loss is likely to be significant in a calorie deficit is during starvation and the absence of any body fat. Muscle wasting occurs largely from inactivity and lack of protein.

I agree with the first paragraph, but the second... not so much.

Strength training builds strength. You can certainly get stronger as neuromuscular adaptation occurs. There can even be some appearance of more muscle as glycogen and water go the muscle to give a "swole" appearance, but this is temporary. Myofibril hypertrophy - the actual laying down of new muscle fibers - take a progressive strength training routine, plenty of protein in the diet and a calorie surplus (unless you are obese or a returning weightlifter). It is very hard for the body to put on significant muscle mass in the absence of a surplus + training. It is possible to put on some muscle when eating around maintenance (recomposition) but this is a slow process (especially for a female). It takes years to put on a few pounds this way.

See Lyle McDonald for example (http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-gain-mistakes.html) :

The simple physiological fact is that, to gain muscle, you have to provide not only the proper training stimulus, but also the building blocks for the new tissue. This means not only sufficient protein (see below) but also sufficient calories and energy. While it’s wonderful to hope that the energy to build new muscle will be pulled out of fat cells, the reality is that this rarely happens (there are some odd exceptions such as folks beginning a program, and those returning from a layoff).

Loss of lean body mass (i.e. muscle) can occur during a period of extreme calorie reduction if you not eating enough protein and doing some form of resistance training. This is why it's important to add weights to any fitness program, especially when dieting (and not to have too big of a calorie deficiency).

I did say that with a large deficit and insufficient protein muscle wasting will occur, but it's not impossible to gain muscle and be in a deficit. E.g. eat at maintenance whilst creating a deficit through exercise. See this: http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/.

richardheath

I did say that with a large deficit and insufficient protein muscle wasting will occur, but it's not impossible to gain muscle and be in a deficit. E.g. eat at maintenance whilst creating a deficit through exercise. See this: http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/.

For an obese beginner. For others (like the OP who looks neither obese, nor a beginner), the process is going to be MUCH slower. A female looking to build muscle will add AT MOST 0.5 lb every 2 weeks (if training and nutrition are spot on). Figure in a deficit, and that number is going to be lower. It certainly isn't going to mask fat loss by sending the scale upwards.

Bottom line is that when people in a calorie deficit say "I've put on 5 pounds in a few weeks, it must be muscle" they are, 99 times out of 100, wrong.

pennyllayne

I did say that with a large deficit and insufficient protein muscle wasting will occur, but it's not impossible to gain muscle and be in a deficit. E.g. eat at maintenance whilst creating a deficit through exercise. See this: http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/.

For an obese beginner. For others (like the OP who looks neither obese, nor a beginner), the process is going to be MUCH slower. A female looking to build muscle will add AT MOST 0.5 lb every 2 weeks (if training and nutrition are spot on). Figure in a deficit, and that number is going to be lower. It certainly isn't going to mask fat loss by sending the scale upwards.

Bottom line is that when people in a calorie deficit say "I've put on 5 pounds in a few weeks, it must be muscle" they are, 99 times out of 100, wrong.

Well yes, but still proved my point . I agree with what you say, just thought you were a bit simplistic initially.

richardheath

I did say that with a large deficit and insufficient protein muscle wasting will occur, but it's not impossible to gain muscle and be in a deficit. E.g. eat at maintenance whilst creating a deficit through exercise. See this: http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/.

For an obese beginner. For others (like the OP who looks neither obese, nor a beginner), the process is going to be MUCH slower. A female looking to build muscle will add AT MOST 0.5 lb every 2 weeks (if training and nutrition are spot on). Figure in a deficit, and that number is going to be lower. It certainly isn't going to mask fat loss by sending the scale upwards.

Bottom line is that when people in a calorie deficit say "I've put on 5 pounds in a few weeks, it must be muscle" they are, 99 times out of 100, wrong.

Well yes, but still proved my point . I agree with what you say, just thought you were a bit simplistic initially.

I'll agree I may have been overly simplistic. But, I did say "muscle gains don't happen (or will be very small) in a calorie deficit" in my first reply to you. So I wasn't ignoring the possibility.

I guess theoretically, it is possibly to turn the energy in one pound of fat (~ 3500 calories) into ~ two pounds of muscle (one pound of muscle ~ 1500 calories IIRC). But it will take a long time (>2 months for a female) to build 2 lbs of muscle even given optimal (surplus) nutrition. So, a very "best case" scenario would be if you only lost 1 lb of fat every 2 months, and converted all that energy towards myofibril synthesis, you could gain 1 lb of total weight. [Note, this is hypothetical, and the body isn't that efficient because of the whole anabolic vs catabolic pathways etc.] If you are actually in a bigger deficit than shooting for 1/8 of a pound a week loss (and most people probably are), fat loss will be faster, but physiology prevents muscle growth from being any more than that. So you will still lose weight on the scale.

In other words - it is probably all but impossible to be in a calorie deficit and gain weight (have the scale go up) due to muscle growth.

Hopefully, that isn't too simplistic anymore! :flowerforyou: