stopped exercising ... lost lbs. and inches????!!

jade3599

Now that I stopped working out everyday, My clothes are fitting again.
I was doing about an hour and a half cardio everyday... No weight training.. and was completely discouraged because my clothes were getting tighter.
So now I am sleeping more and doing less.. And my body is back to my starting weight ... WTH?
I also stopped the logging everything I eat. I just graze throughout the day.. I don't really sit down and have meals.
Doesn't this behavior go against all the "losing weight" rules>?
So confused.
I still desperately want to lose about 15 lbs. But since I started the MFP program I had gained 7lbs!

srp2011

Interesting - I've noticed something similar - I've been eating well and exercising seriously 5-6 times per week (running and weights, primarily), and while I have been losing weight very slowly (6 pounds over 4 months), I have not noticed any change in the way my clothes are fitting. I know the weight loss isn't water because it's a slow but steady decline over time that is pretty stable. I know muscle weighs more and can slow weight loss, but aren't you supposed to be losing inches??? Curious to know if other people have experienced this. Like you, I only have about 15 pounds to lose - I wonder if that factors in?

merrillfoster

Kinda feel the same way--I've been slacking on the exercise and being bad about eating for the last couple weeks, but apparently I've lost this week (so far)? So confused! I only have about 15 to lose too...

brianpride

It sounds like you're getting the rest you need and giving your body time to recover. With an hour and a half of cardio you may not have been eating enough to fuel your body.

Enjoy the break and when you get back to the exercise try a new strategy. You'll have to find out what works for you.

jenilla1

That's pretty bizarre. Were you starving yourself while exercising or did you eat your exercise calories back? I've followed all the rules on MFP - including making sure I eat enough and drink all my water - and it's been nothing but slow, steady weight loss for me. I don't have a good answer for you. Hope someone here can help you! Good luck!

gregdrea

Muscle gain can equal inches and weight gain for the first little bit - especially with as much exercise as you are doing. You will have muscles developing quickly in spots under the fat that is not disappearing as quickly as the muscles are growing. And muscles weigh more than fat. Give your body time to adjust. if you plan on continuing to exercise to that degree, great!, but if your long-term exercise plans are more moderate, maybe slow down a bit to help your body adjust. I had the same thing happen when I started going the the gym. I was working out an hour+ 5 days a week and gained a ton of weight right off the bat. When I slowed down to 3 days a week and started watching what I ate, I lost it over a couple of months and now I think I'm in a good place of balancing diet and exercise and life.

suzooz

Thank you for explaining this!

I had started to lose weight, and my jeans were starting to fit better. I added working out, and suddenly my jeans were tighter -- much tighter than they were 10 pounds earlier. :explode: I thought that I was building muscle since I was gaining slightly, but thought that my clothes should be fitting better, not worse.

The scale's now moving in the right direction, and the jeans are not as snug.

dodylynn76

What happens is that when you start working out, your body has to adjust to the changes. These changes cause cortisol release and for women that tends to make inches appear around the middle. Frustrating, yes. If you can get past this for a few weeks and continue drinking water, the adrenal glands will calm down and the kidneys will flush out the excess. You might have trained too hard too quickly. Maybe next time just ease into it. That way your body can adjust better. Weight training is better for overall loss of inches anyway. You shouldn't focus on weight because muscle is more dense. Focus on the inches. When you train cardio the benefits stop once you get off that treadmill. But with weights, your muscles have to repair themselves afterwards and this takes tremendous energy. This will keep your metabolic burn well after you stop lifting. Just experiment and see what works best for you. Every body is different. I gain weight with cardio, but lose inches, fat, and tone up with weights. Good Luck!