One month in and PUT ON WEIGHT!!

happy_jax

I am starting to get really disheartened with my progress...I started MFP on the 17th March and am being pretty good. There are a few days I go over my calorie allowance (when I am working away or the occasional Friday night take out!) but 95% of the time I am the golden-girl! I exercise regulary, at least 4 times a week intensive workouts at the gym, but usually more - then a long bike ride at the weekend. I must admit - I really love exersise, and really love food - so if I know I'm going to eat something calorific, I make sure I stay in the gym for an extra hour or so! So surely, this should just balance out? It does on paper...
I have noticed my body is a little "tighter" (not smaller, I havent dropped a dress size or anything so wonderful!) but I just weighed myself and I've PUT ON 1/2 a kilo from when I first joined!!! What am I doing wrong?
I am not "overweight" as such, but I am the heaviest I have ever been. To be honest, I work for a fashion brand and am used to being the one they use to try the samples on in the office - but now I can only just squeeze into them! It's embarrasing. I am 175cm tall and 71kg.
Please help me! I just dont know what to try now!!!

Serenifly

I'm going with Muscle weight. As you say your body is tighter! Do you measure Body fat % as well as lbs? and Waterweight? I have a scale that measures all three, I know if I'm up 1 lbs and my water level is 5% higher! it's water weight ...

Don't be discouraged! keep doing what your doing! It will eventually fall off ... My first personal trainer said to me

"You'll feel discouraged at first, you'll put on 'weight' from muscle, the fat will drop' ... and he was right ... Muscle (as you k now) Weights double what fat does. So if you lose 1 lb of fat, and gain 2.5 lbs of muscle. Your scale is going to read up 1.5 lbs ...But probably drop in Body Fat %

I'd suggest judging your progress for the first few months on how your clothes fit!

dj_stevie_c

71kg?

I would say that Serenifly is right. It's probably lean muscle mass and water weight, at your size I would personally say dump the scales and worry about how you look, feel and how the clothes fit.

Don't fret over small changes. If you are still putting on 1kg in another 3 months then start to look at what you are doing

MegKat

Yep! Absolutely muscle weight, it sucks, but give it another month, and fat will start melting off. Its tough to keep going without seeing change but it will come.

You can't go by weight, better to measure yourself if you don't have a fancy scale.

I was working out 3+ hours a day and eating crazy healthy, But seeing nothing, patience grasshopper. Your body is sculpting itself

mictur

Try measuring your hips + thigh - both calves - wrist = body fat percentage If you measure and follow that formula you will get a body fat %. Then take your weight and multiply the body fat % to equal fat weight. Take your weight and subtract you fat weight to equal lean muscle mass. That is a better indication instead of the scale.:flowerforyou:

MomBo

Sad but true....Muscle weighs more than fat.....weights could be counter balancing themselves...keep it up...will all work to your advantage. I have heard of others who have said they thought they would drop weight with extra exercise...not always true..counting inches as suggested sounds like a good idea.

erickirb

Are you eating your calories earned through exercise? If not you may need to eat more to loose weight. What is your weekly weight loss goal set at, it may be too aggressive where you don't have much weight to loose.

happy_jax

Wow I didn't realise you'd all get back to me so quick!

Thanks so much for all the advice - it's a relief to hear I am in someway normal! I hadn't really considered the muscle weight...only that I wasn't "seeing any results" on the scales.

I'll keep at it, really need to get that beach body back!

LaTerri

Calories are not just the key here... What make up those calories can affect your water weight, puffiness, and ability to shed fat. Diet really is the key here. What makes up that diet is also key.

How much dairy are you eating? What is your salt intake? How much protein and carbs are you eating a day?

Look at what makes up your caloric intake and see where you can modify it.

Muscle does weigh more than fat, but if the clothes are still snug on you, I doubt that is the problem here.

I was always super thin, the thinnest, shortest, smallest girl... Then I had a baby. I lost all the baby weight in a year, but I was FAT. I weighed the same as before I had the baby, but I wore 2 sizes bigger because my mid section was just flab. So, the number on the scale may not mean a whole lot either in your case, as it did not in mine.

You can look at my food diary and see what I am eating... I dropped 6% body fat in 6 weeks. I am the type of person that wants it done fast so I can get on with things. I consulted a professional on how to drop it off, and he gave me guidlines and food lists to work from. I did not just make it up. It worked. It was hard, but it worked. Now, I am working on stacking back on the muscle that I clearly lost during pg or breastfeeding. I lost 5lbs and now fit into my pre pg clothes like I did before I was pg, weighing 5lbs less. That tells me that I lost around 5lbs of muscle somewhere...

Maybe the same thing has happened to you [minus the baby]... You just need to change up what makes up that weight you see on the scale. Diet is 80% of it and exercise is 20%. I only work out 1 hour 3x a week, and do a little cardio inbetween... like 20 min a day. You may need to put your love for food on hold for about 6wks, get hard core, so you can get ahead of yourself again with the food.

I hope this helps! Good luck!

JeremyM3476

DOnt worry about weight.. Its just a number that really doesnt mean anything.. Your real goal sould be inches.. Measure yourself and look for results like that.. I've Lost only 20 lbs but almost 5 inches in my stomach... So dont worry so much about how much you weight.. Also If your going to be eating something that has alot of fat in it.. Dont just think I'll make up for it in the gym and then pig out.. Moderation is the key to weight lose.. I dont follow any specific diet I eat pretty much what I want but try to eat small portions and try subing white bread with wheat and things such as that. Also another tip that has been very helpfull in my not over eating. I have been taking Lipo-6, you can get them fairly cheap at bodybuilding.com they also make a lipo-6 hers for women. It gives me energy and has really helped me shead body fat.. So dont get discuraged if you arent losing the wieght that u want bc you maybe losing inches and just dont realize it..