I've been doing zumba 5 days a week for 2 weeks but now I'm

estherguas

So 2 1/2 weeks ago I started taking Zumba classes.. I love it so much that I am now doing it 5 days a week, everything is going great and I am feeling great BUT when I stepped on the scale yesterday I it said I gained 3 pounds!!! now I know that muscle weighs more that fat and all that jazz and maybe I'm just being a little impatient or over dramatic it's just that when I started doing this I never expected to gain :frown: I havent changed my diet except tht now I eat a tad bit more to compensate for the calories I burn but I rarely eat more than 50% of what I burn each day.... HELP ME PLEASE!!!

Does this sound normal to anyone?

Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated. ♥♥

lilchino4af

Is it within a week of that TOM? if so, could be water weight from bloating.

Otherwise, it's possible your body is getting used to the workout and needs something different to get "shocked" into losing weight again. That or you need to eat more.

jlw02

I don't really have an answer for you but, when I workout it seems like I gain weight too. It is frustrating.

mamaturner

Don't concentrate on that stupid scale! I've been doing zumba and similar classes, like zumba toning (slower, using weights) and masala bhangra (think baliwood dance) for just over 3 weeks. I go 5 days a week, with 2 days being 1 1/2 hours instead of 1. I've only lost about 3 pounds, but I've lost over 5 inches! Do you take measurements? If you don't, I recommend it! Ariba! Keep with it!

coold

i feel the same way!!!!! i have been going (missed last week) FOR OVER a month now and actually gained weight. that is why i joined this site so that i can monitor my calories. I would like to slim down, tone up, AND lose weight....keep it up!!! cut back on a few calories, and drink plenty of water!

rach01234567

"It's true that many people either gain a little weight or don't see any change on the scale for as long as 4-6 weeks after making a significant change in their level of exercise. This is often explained as "gaining muscle while losing fat" but that isn't quite accurate. This extra weight is usually water.

When you start doing more exercise, your body begins storing more fuel in your muscle cells, where it can be used easily and quickly to fuel your workouts. The process of converting glucose (carbohydrates) into fuel that your muscles actually store and use (glycogen) requires three molecules of water for every molecule of glucose. As your muscles are building up glycogen stores, your body has to retain extra water for this purpose. That's what causes most of the initial weight gain or lack of weight loss. This is a good thing—not something to worry about.

However, despite what the scale says, you are actually losing fat during this time. The extra water retention will stop once your body has adjusted to its new activity level. At that point, the scale should start moving down. You'll end up with less fat, and muscles that can handle a larger amount of work."

Written by Dean Anderson, Certified Personal Trainer

phylliskboston

So yeah. I have been doing Zumba 3x a week for the last two months and have gained weight. About 5 pounds. I'm now carefully tracking everything I eat to make sure I eat enough.

Does anyone know what "enough" is? If I burn 400 calories, and have say 300 calories left over in my day.

bcroyal

Try tracking your measurements in addition to tracking your weight. It helps to see other markers of your success, like your waist, hips, and arms shrinking centimeter by centimeter each week!