Confused....Why am I gaining weight?!!!!

OmiePooh

I've been on MFP consistently for a month now. I've lost a total of 10 lbs, but now my weight loss has stalled. I usually do cardio only, but decided to add weights to my work out this week. I typically burn 400 cals per workout and on most days I have 200 cals left over. My suggested calorie intake is 1200. I lose weight easier and faster when I consume 1200 cals a day w/o working out, but I prefer to do both. What am I doing wrong?!!!! 

Glitter_pumpkin

You could be gaining muscle, give it a week or two and see what happens.

mynameiscarrie

you're supposed to eat back the majority of your workout calories. the goal is to have your net calories at 1200, not your total intake for the day. if i do a hard workout and burn 800+ calories i usually only eat back about half of them, but if you burn 400 you need to eat those back, or at least get close make sure youre getting your water in as well

woegman

You're probably building muscle with the weights, and muscle weighs significantly more than fat does - hence, you're adding muscle weight. This is a good thing tho! Muscle burns calories at a much higher rate, and though you will experience some initial weight gain, it will not be fat gain, and will end up helping you burn calories more quickly and efficiently, and will make your overall health a lot better as well!

Don't despair, keep at it! Keep to your calorie intake, continue with the weights and exercise, and you should start seeing "measurement drops" as the weight drops slow down - clothes will start fitting better, you'll have a lot more energy.

Congrats on your progress so far!

michelleion

You need to eat back your exercise cals, you shouldn't have any left over at the end of the day, especially if you've been exercising, as your body could be going into 'starvation mode' and clinging onto your fat for dear life. Good luck for the rest of your journey

dd_salas

I stopped losing for 2 months solid - even gained a pound back! - until I ADDED more calories. I usually have a complex carb/protein snack after working out, even if I don't really feel hungry enough tto eat back all of my calories burned. Something like 1 tablespoon of PB on OroWheat Thins and an apple or a banana. As soon as I started doing this, I lost abother 7 lbs in 2 weeks.

BreezysMom

We all may tend to stall or gain. My personal trainer says it is because our body get complacent with our diet and activity. I was dong the same exercise routine for 4 weeks and going nowhere. Then she "shocked" my body with a few crazy workouts and sure enough I had a 4 lound loss.

I would shake up your diet, try new things, eat your exercise calories for sure but with wholesome foods, not empty calories. Don't let a plateau discourage you!!

BreezysMom

Tabata training...that is what my Personal trainer uses. 4 minutes of Hell at the end of my sessions! The first few times I thought I was going to vomit on her but now I almost look forward to it. It is crazy!

OmiePooh

Thank you all so much for your feedback. Losing weight is more than simply losing weight, it's a science! I work out in the evening so when i'm done, i'm not hungry. I make myself eat some of my exercise calories back but not all of them. But thanks to your responses, i'll eat more.