Stopped going to gym and lost weight??

dragonladey

I know this sounds odd but I posted before about how i started the gym and gained 5lbs. Well i havent been to the gym for 2 weeks and do Light to Moderate excersise at home along with cleaning and chasing kids and still stuck to the same cal count as before and lost 8lbs. So I lost the 5 I gained from the gym which i did cycling, arobics, and strength training and then I lost 3 more on top of that and I feel less bloated. Anyone know why that happened? I still have the muscle ton so Im not losing what I achived. I like what is going on and plan on keeping it up and maybe start back up at the gym with just cardio (treadmill or arobics).

dragonladey

I know this sounds odd but I posted before about how i started the gym and gained 5lbs. Well i havent been to the gym for 2 weeks and do Light to Moderate excersise at home along with cleaning and chasing kids and still stuck to the same cal count as before and lost 8lbs. So I lost the 5 I gained from the gym which i did cycling, arobics, and strength training and then I lost 3 more on top of that and I feel less bloated. Anyone know why that happened? I still have the muscle ton so Im not losing what I achived. I like what is going on and plan on keeping it up and maybe start back up at the gym with just cardio (treadmill or arobics).

gperry227

that is what I plan on doing for the first 25lbs I have to lose and then the second 25 lbs I plan on doing weight lifting and cardio.

Sparksfly

I actually haven't been going to the gym since I started mfp and have lost more weight than I did going to the gym 4x a week. I've been just trying to walk more and do more around the house. I think I eat less when I am not working out. Also, you might have been eating more calories when working out and that could have increased your weight. Remember there was obviously a time when gyms weren't around and people were just more active during their day and maintained a healthy weight. I say keep up what you are doing until something changes. Good luck!

FletcherChic

wow! your message is like a sign from God to me....i lost a bunch of weight a few years ago and then i started working out like a manaic (in order to tone up the now thin body i had)...well i started to gain weight (not just muscle weight - i could actually see fat pockets forming on my hips and thighs) ...so i started to work out even more...sometimes twice a day/7 days a week....i was quite the obsessed freak and i only gained more weight!....i have gained back 20 pounds and my spirit is crushed because i have OCD when it comes to counting cals and eating right, and i feel like i live at the gym....so last sunday i prayed and prayed for something - anything - and i came up with the idea that the only thing i haven't tweaked was my time at the gym...so i am giving myself a 2 week challenge (no gym for 2 weeks) - some people might think that would be really easy but it's VERY hard to NOT workout when it goes against everything that makes sense (sorta like eating more cals to lose weight - makes no sense but that's just how it is)...anyhow your post is the 2nd "sign" i've had this week that perhaps this was the right decision for me....i can't say i'll give up working out forever because it brings me joy and happiness, but maybe - just maybe i will start to lose all this weight that i should be losing....please - i really hope so!!!!!!!

zarllc73

You were replacing fat with muscle doing strength training. It's true muscle weighs more than fat. My husband is studying to be a certified personal trainer and will take his test next week. He has been a body builder for over 20 years. I am his first official guinea pig. I've lost 4 pounds in one week with diet and aerobic exercise (and guess what, I had to eat more, more often, but healthier food) He won't let me start doing weights/strength training until I've reached a plateau, which WILL happen eventually. Ever watch Biggest Loser and see they have amazing weight loss in the beginning and then about 4 weeks in......BLAH. Also, muscle burns more calories.....so you may add a pound or two or five of muscle, but you will maintain you're overall weight loss with good muscle tone vs. just being skinny. Being a nurse, I've seen plenty of skinny people not in shape at all.

Whatever you do, don't give up. Even if you can't see results on the scale, you're probably losing inches, gaining definition and strength - and seriously - you gotta feel better. I week ago it took most my energy to find the remote control to the TV!

skinnymel

yeah, been sick for nine days, couldn't exercise, so the scale looks great. stomach? not so good.

kerrilucko

ya... if you lost it that quickly, you're probably losing muscle, which isn't a good thing.

dragonladey

You were replacing fat with muscle doing strength training. It's true muscle weighs more than fat. My husband is studying to be a certified personal trainer and will take his test next week. He has been a body builder for over 20 years. I am his first official guinea pig. I've lost 4 pounds in one week with diet and aerobic exercise (and guess what, I had to eat more, more often, but healthier food) He won't let me start doing weights/strength training until I've reached a plateau, which WILL happen eventually. Ever watch Biggest Loser and see they have amazing weight loss in the beginning and then about 4 weeks in......BLAH. Also, muscle burns more calories.....so you may add a pound or two or five of muscle, but you will maintain you're overall weight loss with good muscle tone vs. just being skinny. Being a nurse, I've seen plenty of skinny people not in shape at all.

Whatever you do, don't give up. Even if you can't see results on the scale, you're probably losing inches, gaining definition and strength - and seriously - you gotta feel better. I week ago it took most my energy to find the remote control to the TV!

Im still working out and the funny thing is the personal trainier at Golds gym told me that fat weighs the same a muscle. 1lb of fat is still 1lb of muscle and so I told her that fat takes up more space and she said no so she had me confused. I am still working out but I am doing moderate walking running and stretching. I am eating healthy and have been since I started. The weirdest thing was that I tried not to measure my progress by weight but by inches but in the 4 months Ive been doing this my clothes are fitting better but everytime they measure me I measure the same? Same inches in hips and waist? so what that is telling me is Im losing it everywhere else except where I want to.

dragonladey

wow! your message is like a sign from God to me....i lost a bunch of weight a few years ago and then i started working out like a manaic (in order to tone up the now thin body i had)...well i started to gain weight (not just muscle weight - i could actually see fat pockets forming on my hips and thighs) ...so i started to work out even more...sometimes twice a day/7 days a week....i was quite the obsessed freak and i only gained more weight!....i have gained back 20 pounds and my spirit is crushed because i have OCD when it comes to counting cals and eating right, and i feel like i live at the gym....so last sunday i prayed and prayed for something - anything - and i came up with the idea that the only thing i haven't tweaked was my time at the gym...so i am giving myself a 2 week challenge (no gym for 2 weeks) - some people might think that would be really easy but it's VERY hard to NOT workout when it goes against everything that makes sense (sorta like eating more cals to lose weight - makes no sense but that's just how it is)...anyhow your post is the 2nd "sign" i've had this week that perhaps this was the right decision for me....i can't say i'll give up working out forever because it brings me joy and happiness, but maybe - just maybe i will start to lose all this weight that i should be losing....please - i really hope so!!!!!!!

I was gym obsessed there for the last month and a half and thats where I gained all my weight back. Hmmm Everything in moderation. I still walk/run a few days a week but nothing as strenuous as what I was doing at the gym. When I lose the weight then I will start the weight training again to get it all toned up.

hmo4

did you try mixing up your exercises and calorie amounts?? hang in there, i know you're frustration.:flowerforyou:

Living4Me

You were replacing fat with muscle doing strength training. It's true muscle weighs more than fat. My husband is studying to be a certified personal trainer and will take his test next week. He has been a body builder for over 20 years. I am his first official guinea pig. I've lost 4 pounds in one week with diet and aerobic exercise (and guess what, I had to eat more, more often, but healthier food) He won't let me start doing weights/strength training until I've reached a plateau, which WILL happen eventually. Ever watch Biggest Loser and see they have amazing weight loss in the beginning and then about 4 weeks in......BLAH. Also, muscle burns more calories.....so you may add a pound or two or five of muscle, but you will maintain you're overall weight loss with good muscle tone vs. just being skinny. Being a nurse, I've seen plenty of skinny people not in shape at all.

Whatever you do, don't give up. Even if you can't see results on the scale, you're probably losing inches, gaining definition and strength - and seriously - you gotta feel better. I week ago it took most my energy to find the remote control to the TV!

Im still working out and the funny thing is the personal trainier at Golds gym told me that fat weighs the same a muscle. 1lb of fat is still 1lb of muscle and so I told her that fat takes up more space and she said no so she had me confused. I am still working out but I am doing moderate walking running and stretching. I am eating healthy and have been since I started. The weirdest thing was that I tried not to measure my progress by weight but by inches but in the 4 months Ive been doing this my clothes are fitting better but everytime they measure me I measure the same? Same inches in hips and waist? so what that is telling me is Im losing it everywhere else except where I want to.

You are absolutely correct. A pound is still a pound irregardless of what it is. Muscle has more density by volume so 5lbs of fat is bigger in volume than 5lbs of muscle.

arewethereyet

http://www.straighttothebar.com/images/posts/071210_fatvsmuscle.jpg

a pound of fat DOES take up more room than a pound of muscle

If you go to this link you will see it side by side. muscle is dense and compact, while fat is fluffy and has air pockets

FletcherChic

ick! that image is soooo nasty!....when i started gaining weight i wasn't concerned with the pounds - i even through out my scale! the problem was that i was gaining size (and it wasn't nice and toned!)...my "fat" pants are now tight as can be and it breaks my heart because i think i am the only person in this worls who has actually gained weight by doing all the right things!....my 2 week challenge of not working out is just for 2 weeks...then i'll get back into it slowly...maybe just walking since that's all i did when i lost weight in the first place.....sometimes i just want to throw in the towel and pig out - i mean if i'm gonna gain weight anyways why not enjoy it, right??? we'll how the rest of this month goes

thejarviclan

When I started working again, my weight stayed the same for a few months. I was like, "HA! I don't have to work out and my weight is staying the same...even lost a few pounds at first!"

But it was muscle I was losing and fat that was replacing it. Avoiding the gym added 21 pounds of ugly fat to my frame and it's taken me 13 weeks of strenous work-outs to lose the weight and replace the muscle.

wildkat318

You were replacing fat with muscle doing strength training. It's true muscle weighs more than fat. My husband is studying to be a certified personal trainer and will take his test next week. He has been a body builder for over 20 years. I am his first official guinea pig. I've lost 4 pounds in one week with diet and aerobic exercise (and guess what, I had to eat more, more often, but healthier food) He won't let me start doing weights/strength training until I've reached a plateau, which WILL happen eventually. Ever watch Biggest Loser and see they have amazing weight loss in the beginning and then about 4 weeks in......BLAH. Also, muscle burns more calories.....so you may add a pound or two or five of muscle, but you will maintain you're overall weight loss with good muscle tone vs. just being skinny. Being a nurse, I've seen plenty of skinny people not in shape at all.

Whatever you do, don't give up. Even if you can't see results on the scale, you're probably losing inches, gaining definition and strength - and seriously - you gotta feel better. I week ago it took most my energy to find the remote control to the TV!

Im still working out and the funny thing is the personal trainier at Golds gym told me that fat weighs the same a muscle. 1lb of fat is still 1lb of muscle and so I told her that fat takes up more space and she said no so she had me confused. I am still working out but I am doing moderate walking running and stretching. I am eating healthy and have been since I started. The weirdest thing was that I tried not to measure my progress by weight but by inches but in the 4 months Ive been doing this my clothes are fitting better but everytime they measure me I measure the same? Same inches in hips and waist? so what that is telling me is Im losing it everywhere else except where I want to.

A pound is a pound...a pound of muscle takes up less room then a pound of fat. That's the difference. The number on the scale means less then how I feel, how my clothes fit, etc. We need to find other ways to see results! :grumble: :drinker: