Gaining after changing workout routine - how long?

ohpilot

Hey guys,

I've read a few posts on here about the initial gain after starting a new workout routine but I'm starting to get frustrated so I was hoping to get more stories for motivation


My story: I started at roughly 180 in June 2010. I got down to about 140 by December and then stalled due to a foot injury. By May I was roughly 135. After the foot incident I never really regained my love of the gym and floated between 135 and 140.

At Christmas I decided that enough was enough, and I was going to make it to my goal weight: 120. I started counting calories and before I knew it I was 137. I decided to hit the gym pretty hardcore - I do group fitness for about 6-10 hours per week. Most of it is cardio (i.e. cardiokickboxing, step) but there is a bit of strength incorporated in there as well.

Since increasing my gym time the scale has been stuck at 140. I'm starting to get frustrated. I feel like I'm not doing enough strength training to justify this much water retention, even though my whole body aches from the workouts.

How long has it taken you guys to see a drop in numbers after increasing the intensity of your workouts?

ohpilot

bump?

samatalma

I'd say to check your sodium levels. I'd like to help more, but I can't see your diary.

tigerblue

I'm right there with you. Can't wait to see the answers.

hiker282

I'd think that as long as you're not varying your routine too greatly, your body shouldn't take more than 2-4 weeks to adjust and for those newly worked muscles to get used to what you're doing. I think the problem may lay somewhere in what you are or aren't eating. Hard to say without taking a look or having some idea of what your height, weight, age, activity level, and calorie consumption is.

ronakcvr

I am not in the same boat as you are but i think what might be happening based on your description. You are possibly building your muscles with your intense work out which is adding weight. With time, you will reach a point when muscle building will slow down and burning calories from unwanted weight will increase leading to loss in weight.

Good luck, hope you reach your goals!

AnarchoGen

I'm in the same boat as you. I've been reading the same things (about 3 topics now) just tonight

1. watch your sodium intake

2. zigzag your calories. Eat high on your exercise days, low on your rest days.

3. rest, eat more, exercise less. I've been reading this over and over, but too afraid to try it. I have no other options though. gonna have to give it a go.

I've been working out 6 days a week, but I might take the next two days off. I've lost 37, then gained 4, then lost 1, gained 1, lost 1 gained 2, lost 1, lost another one, gained 2... frustrating!!

AnarchoGen

I am not in the same boat as you are but i think what might be happening based on your description. You are possibly building your muscles with your intense work out which is adding weight. With time, you will reach a point when muscle building will slow down and burning calories from unwanted weight will increase leading to loss in weight.

Good luck, hope you reach your goals!

I really hope this is the case. 30 days of logging and I've gained 2lbs. I've also increased my weights when I lift, but I don't care about the weight. I'm not getting any thinner either. 15% is where I wanna be.

photo_kyla

There are a ton of other possible factors too. Not enough water, not eating ENOUGH to make up for what you're burning now, etc. Seeing your diary would help.
In general, what I've been advised for getting off a plateau is some form of zigzagging calories. That way you aren't low on a consistent basis so your body doesn't think it's starving, but you still are in a deficit.
Here's a blog that someone wrote about how to zig-zag: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/still-considering-zig-zag-aka-calorie-cycling-166119

Devlyn_P

It really comes down to Calories in/out. I also can't stress how important macros are as well. When you start leaning out it becomes harder to lose so you must tweek your deficit and incorporate the appropriate macronutrients into your diet.

Key Elements:

1. Nutrition (macros and vitamins)
2. Calories for your BMR - (500cals) for your deficit. (500 is just a benchmark, you can go more but it turns into a health risk if you don't have alot of weight to lose.)
3. Change up your gym routines and confuse the body meaning don't let your body get used to the same stuff hence plateauing.
4. WATER and REST!

I could not see your diary so I can't pinpoint anything for you but it is fairly basic, no diet fads or magic pills needed. Just clean eating and living

xraychick77

sometimes too much exercise can be detrimental to your weight loss. i hight doubt its muscle..it takes a LOT of effort to put muscle on..believe me i've been purposely trying to do this. so just casually trying isnt going to make you gain lbs of muscle.

even though you arent doing a lot of strength training or any, any activity that stresses your muscles will cause water/fluid build up..especially if you dont rest. 6-10 hours of cardio is a lot per week. i dont understand your calories either..it seems to fluctuate. try re-calculating your T.E.E. i'd go with harris benedict formula..not mfps version. i consider myself lightly active. i dont do a lot of cardio, if any...i am 5'2" around 127 lbs and my T.E.E. is around 1800. i'd say you are close to that too. try keeping your calories pretty consistent. maybe lower them to around 1300 or so and stick with it, dont vary it. make sure you take a few days of breaks here and there to let your body recover.

ps..the activity level you choose should include the exercise you do..so its already calculated into your T.E.E. so there no reason to eat back any exercise calories. i dont even count mine.

ohpilot

For the record, I drink 8+ cups of water per day, I go over my sodium intake maybe once or twice a week and all the other days I'm way below. I try to eat back some, if not all, of my exercise calories but admittedly on extremely busy days I have been known to net only around 900 calories (rare, and even when this happens I've still eaten regularly throughout the day, I just haven't had time to sit down and have a full out meal).

I also rarely do the same workout two days in a row.

I don't really think it's a plateau because I really only just started back up again. I'm only at the tail-end of my second week of increased workouts, so I'm guessing my body just hasn't recovered enough to show a loss yet.

Thanks for all the input - I hope everyone else breaks out of this soon too!