Working Out and Gaining Weight?!?

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nemiredi3
nemiredi3 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey All,
I am so frustrated right now. I have been on my fitness pal for about 2 weeks now and I recently started exercising and have been gaining weight! I only lost a 1.2 lbs the first week and got down to 138.8 but after working out for about a week I am up to 142.2 ... that's 3.4lbs. I thought with adding in working out I would actually start dropping weight but it's the opposite.It makes me want to quit working out. I have been eating the same and not going over my calories, been drinking tons of water, and been doing the Jillian Michael's Videos and some other workouts as well. What am I doing wrong? Has this happened to anyone else? I want to lose about 20lbs and I feel like that's not happening. I am pretty short at 5"3 and I am petite my clothes aren't fitting better and I feel heavier. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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Replies

  • dwkelly
    dwkelly Posts: 2 Member
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    The same thing happened to me! I bought the fitbit, which integrates with this site, and then I spent 2 days helping a friend move and went to the gym the following day. Gained weight everyday after losing 10 pounds. It is very frustrating. I am thinking it is because of building more muscle which weighs more and according to a friend who is a nurse - the muscle pulling in water since it is not used to being used. I am guessing it is just temporary and I will be surprised by a few pound drop one day for no reason. :) I am not gong to give up!
  • shelleylynnb
    shelleylynnb Posts: 11
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    There could be a number of reasons for this weight gain you are having. You may actually be losing fat but building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. Give it about a month and keep working out and eating right and you should see the results you want (the number on the scale going down).

    I also suggest you see a medical doctor to get a CBC blood test. I recently went to the doctor and found my thyroid hormones are a little low. This, he told me, is why I have to work harder than the average person to lose weight. I have lost 31 pounds in a little over 8 months. Now I understand why I have been working so hard and having slower results than some other people. Even with my slower progress I can say I'm happier today than 8 months ago. But it has been a very difficult battle along the way for me. I understand your frustration.

    So, my advice is talk to your doctor to rule out any possible medical reason for your weight gain and slower than average weight loss. The thyroid hormones you want to be sure to check in the blood test are TSH & T4 Free. Also, when the body feels under stress, the liver naturally makes more sugar and higher blood sugar can lead to weight gain. All this can be checked with a simple blood test.

    I know these things because my niece is a physician's assistant and my son is a certified personal trainer. They tell me all kinds of good bits of information about health & nutrition. Best of luck to you.
  • bbaker172
    bbaker172 Posts: 93
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    DO NOT FLIP OUT!!! Apparently it's natural!!!

    You are putting your body through new things when you work out, and it's not used to it. From my understanding, you're body is retaining water around all the sore muscles to protect it...just keep doing what you're doing and your body will realize this is the "norm" and shed the water.

    Also, muscle weighs more than fat...so you'll gain a little more when you turn the fat into muscle, just make sure you measure your waist, hips and thighs and that's how you'll know you're loosing weight.

    Just don't give up!!!! I gained 7-9 lbs in 2 weeks, but it's now starting to come off....so do not give up!!!
  • sistahbigbone
    sistahbigbone Posts: 13 Member
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    Muscles do not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound. There could be many reasons why the scale isn't moving. For one, sometimes muscles will retain a lot of water, especially when you first start working out, thus causing the scale to go up. Also, with your increased activity, perhaps you may need to eat a little more? And I've also heard that sometimes it may take a few weeks, or maybe even a month for your loss to actually show up on the scale. In the meantime, a better gauge may be how do you feel. More energy? Clothes getting looser?
  • Garethkk
    Garethkk Posts: 21
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    Hi, you can verify your fat loss with a tape measure. Chances are you're putting on some good lean mass!
  • ZoobityBop
    ZoobityBop Posts: 22
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    Sorry to hear about your troubles, I've been there, too. The key is being patient, looking at long-term results, not giving up, and starting a program and sticking with it. I had most of my success with the Diet Solution Program by Isabel Des Los Rios, since it helped me lose most of my fat (and keep it off) in a relatively short amount of time. Highly recommend it for you. Here's a review on it of you want to learn more about it: http://fantasticfitnessreviews.com/the-diet-solution-program-review/

    Good luck and hope this helped!
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Calm down...You have been using muscles in a different way - they compensate for the stress and injury by holding on to water for repairs...It's normal...
    You did not gain muscle in a week...:sad:
    And muscle does not weigh more than fat...:sad:
    Its water retention, keep up with what you are doing, drink lost of water and stop panicking...
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Get the same thing happening to me, I put on a few pounds when I went from cycling to using the elliptical and treadmills, and yes, I must admit, I did find it offputting and went back to cycling more, but I still enjoy using the elliptical and feeling my muscles being worked with the interval training so I do both. I only hope the weight will settle down over time and that my bodyshape will change for the better which might make a few pounds gain worth it. Be sure to drink plenty of water and to eat enough to replenish, especially protein.
  • fueledbychange
    fueledbychange Posts: 132 Member
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    Muscles do not weigh more than fat. A pound is a pound. There could be many reasons why the scale isn't moving. For one, sometimes muscles will retain a lot of water, especially when you first start working out, thus causing the scale to go up. Also, with your increased activity, perhaps you may need to eat a little more? And I've also heard that sometimes it may take a few weeks, or maybe even a month for your loss to actually show up on the scale. In the meantime, a better gauge may be how do you feel. More energy? Clothes getting looser?

    Yeah a pound is a pound, but a bowling ball still weighs more than a feather. A pound of fat is bigger than a pound of muscle because muscle is more dense.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    Gaining weight in your first couple week of a work out routine is very typical. Your body is often storing water to help cushion and repair the muscles. Just keep at it and you'll see results. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
  • Redtango76
    Redtango76 Posts: 144
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    As long as you are noticing positive changes not worry about what the number on the scale says . Check out my blog from yesterday I talk in depth about this subject . keep at it ! Don't frett!
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
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    Yup, muscles retaining water. It's cool. Chill out. Weigh and measure less often. Bodies fluctuate.
    And no, muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, we all know that, but we also all know that people mean a pound of muscle has less mass than a pound of fat. It's annoying when people mislabel something, but it's also annoying when we're all pendants.
    ... so says the pendant. (Me.)
  • maddiek1127
    maddiek1127 Posts: 1
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    Dont feel bad its happening to me too!!! i hate it , but it happens
  • Katahna
    Katahna Posts: 326 Member
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    Hi, I reccommend that you measure yourself, not weigh!

    When you are excersising, you're body weight will be fluxuating about 5kg per day, just due to water, muscle, food you've eaten, etc

    Don't let the scales drive you crazy, it's the golden rule to staying sane =]

    Measure, not weigh!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,111 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/200544-why-do-you-sometimes-gain-weight-when-starting-a-new-exercis
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,522 Member
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    It's water retention and glycogen storage. It's common when you start working out or try a new workout you're not used to.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • likemeinvisible
    likemeinvisible Posts: 309
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    Muscles weigh about 18% more than fat for the same volume.
    Check your body fat percentage, it's more important than weight.
  • Charloo1990
    Charloo1990 Posts: 619 Member
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    Omg, this is completly my situation and i know how frustrating it is. We have pretty much the same stats too. Im also 5ft3 and im currently 144lbs. I do lots of Jillian Michaels stuff and plenty of cardio but it's slowed my weight loss down rapidly and has also made me gain on weeks where i have stuck ridgidly to my diet and exercise and it's made me gain. I'm talking a week away or 2 from being so hard core with the exercise espesh Jillian Michaels stuff and my plan is to just run this week for 30mins, 4 times. I wanna see what cardio only does. It's too disheartening doing all this working out and the scales going up :(
  • bodiva88
    bodiva88 Posts: 308 Member
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    A cubic foot of fat weighs much less than a cubic foot of muscle. Therefore, muscle weighs more than fat. No one is saying a pound of muscle is heavier than a pound of fat. But you knew that. You were just being "smart" instead of smart.

    http://www.phentermine.com/forum/my-experience-phentermine/7630-1-lb-fat-vs-1-lb-muscle-picture.html
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    When something like that happens to me, I take my measurements...usually they have changed.

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