I think my metabolism stopped working...

HilB

Hello everyone. I just found this site yesterday and so far I love it. I'm a 24 year old mother of one and I've recently put on a few pounds and I dont like it one bit. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly for a couple weeks now, but have yet to lose weight. In fact, in the first week I was gaining weight. Everyone tells me it's muscle but I still find myself discouraged. So I'm trying my hardest not to weight myself more than once a week and just eat healthy and work out regularly.

HilB

Hello everyone. I just found this site yesterday and so far I love it. I'm a 24 year old mother of one and I've recently put on a few pounds and I dont like it one bit. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly for a couple weeks now, but have yet to lose weight. In fact, in the first week I was gaining weight. Everyone tells me it's muscle but I still find myself discouraged. So I'm trying my hardest not to weight myself more than once a week and just eat healthy and work out regularly.

TudorRose

Have you tried measuring yourself? You may well be gaining muscle at the same time as losing fat, which will show on the scales, especially if you're already at a fairly healthy weight, as muscle weighs about 6x more than fat. But you may very well be shedding inches, so get the tape measure out and try that way. Welsome

fullofjoy720

defiently tape measure is the way to go. Especially in the beginning I found.

Fitness_Chick

Hello everyone. I just found this site yesterday and so far I love it. I'm a 24 year old mother of one and I've recently put on a few pounds and I dont like it one bit. I've been going to the gym pretty regularly for a couple weeks now, but have yet to lose weight. In fact, in the first week I was gaining weight. Everyone tells me it's muscle but I still find myself discouraged. So I'm trying my hardest not to weight myself more than once a week and just eat healthy and work out regularly.

Welcome to MFP:flowerforyou: Probably not likely to be muscle in such a short time frame but more likely your body simple adjusting a bit to changes. Did you begin healthy eating 2 weeks back as well? Sometimes it takes our bodies time to adjust to changes we make. Some lose the first week, some it takes several weeks to show up. With healthy food changes and excercise it will catch up!:drinker:

Water is also an important thing to be sure you're getting plenty of especialy now that you've started working out you'll want to be sure you get plenty before, during and after your workouts:bigsmile:

I see several suggested a tape measure which is by far a much friendlier way of keeping track of your body's changes. Our weight can go up and down throughout a days period of time, but the tape measure is a great way to meausure progress so when we don't drop lbs. we may still see inches dropping off.

FC

schpinkle

Welcome to the site! I agree with Fitness Chick (FC) that it is likely not muscle....it takes very hard and diligent work just to gain 10 lbs of muscle in one year. :sad: As disappointing as that is to hear, if you really have been exercising for only two weeks then I have to go with what FC said: that your body is adjusting to your new habits. If you only have a few pounds to lose....say 10 or so, then it may require you to step up your exercise regime in order to lose. Those last 10 or so can be tricky. If you want some perspective on how much work you may need to put in in order to lose those last 10 lbs, pick up a copy of Jillian Michaels' book, Making the Cut (a book about losing those last 10). She outlines an entire workout program AND diet both of which are somewhat intense. (Are you counting calories daily? religiously? Do you have a daily goal caloric intake? ) Above all, don't undereat and ruin your metabolism. All current metabolic theories suggest that if we eat less than 1200 calories a day we run the risk of seriously slowing our metabolism. If you would like an extra boost of workout knowledge and general support, I would recommend listening to Jillian Michaels' radio show on Sundays from 9-12 PST on KFI 1640 AM. (Jillian Michaels if one of the trainers on the tv show The Biggest Loser.) Whatever you do, avoid falling into the trap of discouragment. Trust me when I say I know about discouragement and how it can eat away at your best laid plans. I gained 2 lbs in my first week of training and it was many weeks before I saw the first pound drop. We are all different metabolically and how we respond to exercise. Don't be 'afraid' to step up your routine, remembering that strength training is essential to building up your metabolism and cardio is a must for the weight loss. The two go hand in hand. Good luck, and believe in yourself no matter what!! Schpinkle

MOMOFTWO29

Hello and welcome to MFP. You will love this site if you don't already. I love this site, it is so motivational, supportive, helpful, and everyone is so nice, and friendly. I just wanted to tell you good luck on your weight loss journey. You can do this.