Gaining muscle instead of losing fat!!

dhbisland

So I've been working out a lot I aim for two hours a day at the gym 90mins of cardio then the rest using weights but I'm realising that I'm not losing any weight if anything I've gained it!! I keep getting more muscle. My calves are 18inches and my thighs are 25 inches. I also do a lot of walking! I last weighed myself and I was 220lbs I'm tall and I don't look like I'd be that heavy compared to other people at this weight. What am I doing wrong? I eat a balanced diet and don't eat after 7pm.

itsbasschick

you don't mention how much your weight has gone up since you started working out a lot, but muscle weighs more than fat, so if you're putting on a lot of muscle, you could still be losing fat.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

It is impossible to gain muscle on a deficit (which is required for fat loss), so one of two things is happening here:

1. You are not really eating at a deficit. Log everything, and weigh all your food on a kitchen scale.
2. You are retaining water. Muscles do this when they are strained or damaged, often when you are new to a lifting routine.

I don't think you appreciate just how frustratingly hard it is to build muscle. It is a HUGE struggle, and very time consuming, and unless you eat a surplus of calories with enough protein, muscle gain ain't gonna happen. It's hard for everyone, no one is a special snowflake. So if you're complaining of muscle gaining too fast, chances are it's not muscle.

dhbisland

I've put on about 20lbs since I started to work out more. I think it's because of the elliptical I do weight loss program's on it. I used to be a highland dancer so my legs were already muscly. I'm sure it's muscle I've toned up a lot and it's hard to touch it's not flappy like before.