Is it normal to gain weight doing weights?

PositiveOne8925

I'm frustrated I just started Jillian Michaels90 day challenge I am on day 5 & I have gained 4 pounds and I have been eating healthy and under my 1200 calories is this normal? I am very frustrated but I am NOT going to give up.

Wolfjam13

Muscle does weigh more than fat. You may find yourself gaining weight but shredding inches and re-defining your shape. Make sure you are measuring your neck, bust, waist and hips to see where you are losing inches instead of just focusing on the scale number. Another way to gage is how your clothes fit.

Branstin

Yes, it is normal for your body to hold onto water, especially when you first begin to exercise or use different muscles. It will pass.

More importantly, if your doctor or other health professionals didn't advise you to eat under 1200 calories, you should up those to compensate for your exercise.

PositiveOne8925

thanks for the input....I will keep at it and yes I did measure myselfso hopefully I will see the inches falling off soon

emilysinny

Muscle weight is good weight! Pay attention to how you look and feel more than what the scale says. I have a friend who weighs 190 and is skinnier than me (I'm 30 pounds lighter) because hers is all muscle weight.

rollng_thundr

$.02

You need to base your daily nutritional requirements on your basal metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories at rest or without moderate exercise). That may be 2700 calories/day, or whatever. You can do your research to find out what is normal for your age/weight/body type/activities.

Then you eat to maintain a slight deficit. If your basal metabolic rate is 2700 calories/day, and you exercise, you've just bumped up your basal metabolic rate, and if you're eating only 1200 calories/day, you may be under-nourishing your body and causing it to adapt and store nutrients, which is defeating what you are trying to accomplish, and that is for you to release fat stores to burn as fuel and reduce weight.

Some will argue that it's strictly a calories in/calories out thing.. but the body isn't a machine... it adapts to whatever environment you expose it to, but it does so to protect. Think about how the body deals with shock, etc. It protects the core.

So find a diet that puts you at a slight deficit, say 400-500 calories per day. 5-6 small (300-350 calories/meal), balanced proteins and carbs (complex, not sugars), and you should be fine.

Also, understand, as you lift weights, you are increasing your lean muscle mass. As stated before, muscles weigh more than fat, so while you may slightly gain overall weight, if your diet is sufficient, you will start losing size in time.

What ever you decide, or works, just stick with it, you might have to adjust to other plans or eliminate something, but don't give up.

wilmnoca

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat! However, 1 lb of muscle takes up MUCH less space that 1lb of fat. Also, it takes about a yr for a woman to gain roughly 5 lbs of muscle (give or take), and that's if the diet is in point and she consistently lifts HEAVY in the gym.

QuietBloom

Could be water weight from the workouts. Or you may be eating more than you think. Do you use a food scale?

shmerek

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat! However, 1 lb of muscle takes up MUCH less space that 1lb of fat. Also, it takes about a yr for a woman to gain roughly 5 lbs of muscle (give or take), and that's if the diet is in point and she consistently lifts HEAVY in the gym.

I wish there was a "like" button to agree with sensible posts like the one above.

rollng_thundr

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat! However, 1 lb of muscle takes up MUCH less space that 1lb of fat. Also, it takes about a yr for a woman to gain roughly 5 lbs of muscle (give or take), and that's if the diet is in point and she consistently lifts HEAVY in the gym.

That's the better way to say it.... a pound of muscle is much smaller in area that an pound of fat (more dense). I do think there's a lot more going on here than just lifting weights, but I was hoping to shed a little light on the possibilities. I didn't mean to insinuate that in 5 days she could put on 5 lbs of muscle... :happy:

eslcity

if you are doing weight training and you are not gaining weight your doing something wrong....^^

I found this information: Theoretically, it’s possible to gain about a pound of muscle per week -- at least during the initial phase of a strength training program. Many variables affect your ability to do so, however. If you decide to try a new eating and workout regimen, always consult a doctor before beginning.

fultimers

Exactly--I wish people didn't keep saying that muscle weighs more than fat.

fivethreeone

if you are doing weight training and you are not gaining weight your doing something wrong....^^

I found this information: Theoretically, it’s possible to gain about a pound of muscle per week -- at least during the initial phase of a strength training program. Many variables affect your ability to do so, however. If you decide to try a new eating and workout regimen, always consult a doctor before beginning.

OP is eating under 1200 calories.

It's not possible to gain appreciable muscle mass on a deficit, period. That information assumes a caloric surplus.

OP, the reason you are gaining weight is likely twofold: You're not eating enough and your muscles are retaining water to heal themselves. Eat more. Try this link to see how much you should be eating. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

chrisdavey

JM Dvd's are not structured resistance training.

If you are new to exercise, it is water weight NOT gaining muscle.

eslcity

if you are doing weight training and you are not gaining weight your doing something wrong....^^

I found this information: Theoretically, it’s possible to gain about a pound of muscle per week -- at least during the initial phase of a strength training program. Many variables affect your ability to do so, however. If you decide to try a new eating and workout regimen, always consult a doctor before beginning.

OP is eating under 1200 calories.

It's not possible to gain appreciable muscle mass on a deficit, period. That information assumes a caloric surplus.

OP, the reason you are gaining weight is likely twofold: You're not eating enough and your muscles are retaining water to heal themselves. Eat more. Try this link to see how much you should be eating. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

oops...didn't see the >1200...sorry.

LiftAllThePizzas

Exactly--I wish people didn't keep saying that muscle weighs more than fat.

I wish people would stop misreading it and inserting "one pound" on their own and acting like this is automatically the unit of comparison between two things. Especially when using "one pound" as a unit of comparison completely nullifies the whole point, so clearly that is not what is being compared.

If someone said "gold is more valuable than silver" would you tell them that $1 worth of gold is just as valuable as $1 worth of silver?

michybeans

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat! However, 1 lb of muscle takes up MUCH less space that 1lb of fat. Also, it takes about a yr for a woman to gain roughly 5 lbs of muscle (give or take), and that's if the diet is in point and she consistently lifts HEAVY in the gym.

I love this post. I guess it's too long to print on a t shirt. But really sums it all up.

rollng_thundr

Exactly--I wish people didn't keep saying that muscle weighs more than fat.

I wish people would stop misreading it and inserting "one pound" on their own and acting like this is automatically the unit of comparison between two things. Especially when using "one pound" as a unit of comparison completely nullifies the whole point, so clearly that is not what is being compared.

If someone said "gold is more valuable than silver" would you tell them that $1 worth of gold is just as valuable as $1 worth of silver?

I understand what the person who posted this was going after, and that is that the comparison isn't weight related, it's density related, which is quite different. So to say "muscle weighs more than fat" is not a true or accurate statement, without a relative comparison (volume/surface area). 1lb. of feathers weighs the same as 1lb. of metal, but the volume or surface area of each will be markedly different.

pepotchkiy

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat! However, 1 lb of muscle takes up MUCH less space that 1lb of fat. Also, it takes about a yr for a woman to gain roughly 5 lbs of muscle (give or take), and that's if the diet is in point and she consistently lifts HEAVY in the gym.

like. *thumbs up!

Sarauk2sf

if you are doing weight training and you are not gaining weight your doing something wrong....^^

I found this information: Theoretically, it’s possible to gain about a pound of muscle per week -- at least during the initial phase of a strength training program. Many variables affect your ability to do so, however. If you decide to try a new eating and workout regimen, always consult a doctor before beginning.

Not for a female, and new gains only last so long. Even guys, in optimal circumstances (overweight/eating at a surplus, new to training, doing a good progressive loading hypertrophy focused resistance training routine, genetically responds well to stimulus and high test) will not gain 1lb a week for long.

She is a female, at a deficit and not doing a progressive loading hypertrophy routine.

OP: its not because you are gaining muscle, its not because you are not eating enough (although I would suggest eating more as there are other issues with not eating enough), its because of glycogen/water weight from starting to exercise and it will settle down (assuming you are eating that many calories).

rollng_thundr

if you are doing weight training and you are not gaining weight your doing something wrong....^^

I found this information: Theoretically, it’s possible to gain about a pound of muscle per week -- at least during the initial phase of a strength training program. Many variables affect your ability to do so, however. If you decide to try a new eating and workout regimen, always consult a doctor before beginning.

Not for a female, and new gains only last so long. Even guys, in optimal circumstances (overweight/eating at a surplus, new to training, doing a good progressive loading hypertrophy focused resistance training routine, genetically responds well to stimulus and high test) will not gain 1lb a week for long.

She is a female, at a deficit and not doing a progressive loading hypertrophy routine.

OP: its not because you are gaining muscle, its not because you are not eating enough (although I would suggest eating more as there are other issues with not eating enough), its because of glycogen/water weight from starting to exercise and it will settle down (assuming you are eating that many calories).

Werd.....

LiftAllThePizzas

Exactly--I wish people didn't keep saying that muscle weighs more than fat.

I wish people would stop misreading it and inserting "one pound" on their own and acting like this is automatically the unit of comparison between two things. Especially when using "one pound" as a unit of comparison completely nullifies the whole point, so clearly that is not what is being compared.

If someone said "gold is more valuable than silver" would you tell them that $1 worth of gold is just as valuable as $1 worth of silver?

I understand what the person who posted this was going after, and that is that the comparison isn't weight related, it's density related, which is quite different. So to say "muscle weighs more than fat" is not a true or accurate statement, without a relative comparison (volume/surface area). 1lb. of feathers weighs the same as 1lb. of metal, but the volume or surface area of each will be markedly different.

There you go adding in the "1lb to 1lb" assumption again. It's not there, and there is absolutely no reason to add it in. It's just a strawman.

Since you're comparing the relative weights of two things that are not found in one pound increments or any standard unit increments, (you're not comparing "one muscle to one fat") it's pretty obvious that the only thing left to compare is by equal volumes. How else would anyone choose to compare fat and muscle? The other 99% of the world knows that "by volume" is the method of comparison, for the same reason that we know comparing the value of gold and silver is not "by the dollar."

MermaidChele

Replying to the 1 pound of muscle equals 1 pound of fat:

Of course 1 lb of muscle equals 1 lb of fat. They are both a pound. That is like saying what weighs more a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks? They both are a ton so they weigh the same. :huh: Perhaps a better way to put it is, if you take an amount that is a Baseball size of strictly Fat and a Baseball size of strictly Muscle which one is going to weigh more. The Baseball with the Muscle! So if you are gaining weight even though you are eating right and have started working out then I would say, yes, it is most likely muscle so don't give up. This happens to me too.

erinokelley116

Yes, because your different muscle groups are inflamed (sorry may be wrong word), but they are worked out they add more weight because you are earning more muscle. Sorry if I got this all wrong

PositiveOne8925

Thanks for telling me about that website ..have learned a lot from it already

gmove

MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT! 1 lb of muscle weighs the same as 1lb of fat! However, 1 lb of muscle takes up MUCH less space that 1lb of fat. Also, it takes about a yr for a woman to gain roughly 5 lbs of muscle (give or take), and that's if the diet is in point and she consistently lifts HEAVY in the gym.

Yes. A big pet peeve of mine! One pound is one pound.