WTF is happening?!

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LittleLadyLisa
LittleLadyLisa Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello, this past year and half I have lost 70 lbs...well now 60lbs. I work out (I do insanity) and I have a pretty active life. I'm always on the go. I calculate calories I consume on this site everyday and never lie about how much I eat. Back in August I started my 3rd round of insanity. Insanity is a high cardio workout program, 60 days long. It's called insanity for a reason, NOT for the weak. Lol. I'll be done with my 3rd round next week. I even uped my work outs, doing two videos a day. I get through the videos pretty well, everytime I improve more and more. The last time I weighed myself I was 125 in August. Today, I decided to weigh myself bc I was getting curious. I feel more toned but clothes are not fitting any looser...so I was getting a little concerned because I thought I would of dropped a size by now. I am currently a size 4, some stores a size 6. So I hopped on the scale hoping to be atleast 120 by now...I was really hoping for a lower number but I figure I've put on some muscle weight. I looked down at the scale and it read 135!! I gained 10 lbs! That's HUGE. I'm only 4'11 so on my frame, it's a lot. I am at a loss for words, and lost so much confidence in seeing that number. I've been doing everything right, so why did I gain THAT much weight. Has this ever happen to anyone else on here? If so, how did you overcome it and get back on track with losing weight.
Thanks so much everyone.
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Replies

  • JohnMessmer
    JohnMessmer Posts: 536
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    When did you weigh compare to when you weighed last time? You should weigh yourself at the same time of the day each time as your weight fluctuates throughout the day.
  • LittleLadyLisa
    LittleLadyLisa Posts: 18
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    I always weigh myself in the morning. The morning weigh in are the most accurate.

    It's funny bc in August when I started my 3rd round of insanity, I weighed myself on a regular basis...about twice a week. Then I decided not to weigh myself until I got close to the end of the 60 days, plus I wanted to see how accurate this site is because based on what I've put in...calories consumed and calories burned...this site always said in about 5 weeks I should weigh about 112 lbs. Instead, I gained ten.
  • emmeylou
    emmeylou Posts: 175 Member
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    You said you have been really active and exercising a lot? How are your clothes fitting? If they are looser in the waist, but tighter in the shoulders/hips... then guess what? You gained muscle!! Did you ever take a body fat% measurement? If not, then I highly suggest you do (even if it isn't "accurate", if you use the same device you can still track the change)!! Something similar happened to me. I didn't lose anything for an entire month, but during that month my BF% went down by 4%, which is significant!
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    Same thing here. Not really relevant, but I'm also 4' 10 1/2", so I understand how that can make a huge difference.

    One thing I'd recommend is being super vigilant about logging. I think in my case some of the weight I gained back was due to inaccurate logging. For instance someone entered in the database a sandwich I often eat as having 272 calories. When I entered each item as a recipe, that same sandwich came out to 665 calories. For someone as small as me, that's a big deal. That can most certainly lead to a plateau and if done regularly, a gain. I'm losing again, partially due to the flu, but also trying my best to be super honest with my logging.
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
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    Personally, MFP is never correct for me when it says what I should weigh in 5 weeks. NEVER. No matter what I have my goal set to, I am never what they say in 5 weeks.

    I would say muscle or possibly water weight if you've had a lot. I've gained back 6lbs without really changing anything with no explanation. That's happened twice to me. I just figure if I lost it once, I can lose it again. I don't let it discourage me. If it lasts over 2 weeks (as in it isn't just a daily fluctuation due to some change), I change the weight on MFP up to what it is and just keep plugging away like I was never down.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    You said you have been really active and exercising a lot? How are your clothes fitting? If they are looser in the waist, but tighter in the shoulders/hips... then guess what? You gained muscle!! Did you ever take a body fat% measurement? If not, then I highly suggest you do (even if it isn't "accurate", if you use the same device you can still track the change)!! Something similar happened to me. I didn't lose anything for an entire month, but during that month my BF% went down by 4%, which is significant!
    It would be next to impossible to gain that much muscle weight in such a short period of time.
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
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    If you really are accurately tracking every single bite (weighing/measuring, not guesstimating), and you're using an HRM for calories burned (not MFP's calories), you may be retaining water. I know it seems like 10 pounds is a lot of water, but it could be at least part of the problem. I know that when I do more intensive cardio, or do it several days in a row, I gain. A cardio break and extra water consumption usually gets me back to where I want to be.
  • LittleLadyLisa
    LittleLadyLisa Posts: 18
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    Clothes are not fitting any different. I am a size xs-s in tops, and a size 4/6 in pants.

    I do feel more toned. I and do know that some of the weight gained is muscle but ten is way too much. I've been on this journey for a year and half now and this has never happened. I'm a nurse, and I studied nutrition a lot so I just don't know if I need to cut calories, add more work outs...even though I don't have much more time to work out. I already do insanity for 108 mins a day, along side daily activity.

    I'm searching the web hoping to find more answers, I might invest in a heart rate watch that calculates calories burned. I always calculated it myself. I check my heart rate through out the work outs, and find the average and then do the formula to figure out calories burned.

    I would just like to know what I am doing wrong. Ugh.
  • LMDelphia
    LMDelphia Posts: 19
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    I never trust the "In 5 Weeks, You Will Weigh" because it flat out lies to me.
    My weight changes, up and down, as I lose weight considerably.
    I don't know if it's just muscle gain/loss from varied workouts, I hold onto a LOT of water weight or I just change a lot because my body is confused as to where we're headed. Who knows? Not me, not myfitnesspal.
    I'm currently there where you speak of. I am 13 pounds bigger than I was a month ago but I've started lifting which is new and run 7-8 miles every day. What do I think happened? I gained muscle, but not 13 pounds. I added my exercise into myfitnesspal but lifting made me hungry so I ate back nearly all of my exercise calories consistently and sometimes a bit more. Mistake! MISTAKE.
    I've recently changed my settings. I am "very active" (I already was so maybe I was counting my activity twice) so I am just not going to add in my exercise via this app. I don't need to eat it back! I'm already "very active" and very displeased.
    Let's hope it was math and not my body spazzing out from increased calories and weights.
    I'll be reading to see what anyone else said that was already successful in overcoming this.
  • cgale8
    cgale8 Posts: 34 Member
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    Since you are that active, have you looked at the amount of calories that your activity level needs? Your body may be storing the calories hat you are eating because you are not fueling your body with enough considering your activity level.
  • LittleLadyLisa
    LittleLadyLisa Posts: 18
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    LMDelphia - That is a great idea not to plug in your work outs, I'm going to try that and see where it takes me. I can see gaining maybe up to 5 lbs in muscle but ten is just plain ridiculous plus I'm on the short side.

    I was also thinking when I start my 4th round of insanity (I'm hook to insanity, it soo much fun!!) I'm going to make my own work out program. With insanity the workout program is all laid out for you with a calendar telling you which video to do that day...pretty fool proof...which I love! Lol. I think I'm going to add in Jillian Michaels no more trouble zone with insanity. Do Jillian Michaels in the AM, and insanity in the PM. No more trouble zone is more strenght training and insanity is high intense cardio.

    Does anyone else use a heart rate monitor? I'm looking on amazon right now...which is the best and not too expensive?

    Btw, thanks for all the responses so far! ;)
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    Focus on body composition, girth measurements in addition to visual appearance and ignore the scale. Weight becomes irrelevant once you reach a certain leanness to which you are satisfied.

    Think about it for a minute: If you actually gained 10 lbs of fat, how would your physique look? Your general physique must have changed quite a bit for you to believe you dropped down to 120 lbs. The weight gain could be from a multitude of sources that are not related to fat gains.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    You said you have been really active and exercising a lot? How are your clothes fitting? If they are looser in the waist, but tighter in the shoulders/hips... then guess what? You gained muscle!! Did you ever take a body fat% measurement? If not, then I highly suggest you do (even if it isn't "accurate", if you use the same device you can still track the change)!! Something similar happened to me. I didn't lose anything for an entire month, but during that month my BF% went down by 4%, which is significant!
    It would be impossible to gain that much muscle weight in such a short period of time.

    Corrected for you :flowerforyou:
  • Mdin1029
    Mdin1029 Posts: 456 Member
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    Clothes are not fitting any different. I am a size xs-s in tops, and a size 4/6 in pants.



    If these are your sizes it sounds like you are at a healthy and attractive weight. Don't stress the scale too much.
  • Vini9
    Vini9 Posts: 343 Member
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    Ok so I am no expert but I think changing up your routine will help. Doing insanity that long is great but your body will also hit a mark where you won't lose, or see changes. Your mucles (which you know) is 80% water they need water and if your working hard you will gain it in water then see a great loss or inchs lost. It will take time though, usually more then 60days. Another thing I would try is to change your calories to higher for 2 weeks and see if anything happens if not change them again. MFP does the best it can but we are not all made up the same and we won't lose or gain the same. So play with the numbers till you start losing again. Good Luck!

    Polar FT60 is awsome I hear (never tried)

    Ps If you like insanity so much you should think about trying The Asalum or the Asalum 2, It's crazy!!!! Shan T is awsome.
  • LittleLadyLisa
    LittleLadyLisa Posts: 18
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    Normally I wouldn't stress too much about weight but ten just seemed too much in such a short amount of time. Ten pounds in a month and half. Luckily, I am the same size, and don't feel like I look "bigger" so I will try to focus on that for right now.
  • LittleLadyLisa
    LittleLadyLisa Posts: 18
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    Vini9 - Shawn T is the BEST! That man changed my life! :)

    I have been eyeing Asylum so I'll look into that.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    I couldn't disagree more with he person who said not to log exercise. Your activity level is without exercise--you're supposed to add it in. So if your daily life is sedentary aside from your workouts then change it and log your workout. I've gained a comparable amount f weight and I'm your height. My strength increased and stomach stayed pretty flat--I know I wasn't eating 500 EXTRA calories a day so some was surely water/inflammation from lifting.
  • LittleLadyLisa
    LittleLadyLisa Posts: 18
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    Has anyone here invested in a heart rate watch that calculates calories burned? If so, which one would you recommend?
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
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    How many calories are you eating and are you eating at a deficit?

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