Exercising and Dieting and not losing weight?

I've seen this question pop up several times lately...........


Okay-so you’ve started watching your caloric intake, and you’ve gotten the motivation to start exercising! CONGRATS!!!

But you haven’t lost any weight?

Here’s why:

When you start exercising, your body starts retaining water. All of a sudden, muscles that have been trimmed by not having been used are forced to wake up and get bigger. I don’t know the exact measure, but for every part muscle you build, your body retains about two parts water.

In addition, you may be eating better. FINALLY! You are giving your body the fuel it needs!!!

Prior to appropriate calorie deficit and exercising, your body trimmed muscle and stored calories.

The process of muscle atrophy from not being used is called catabolism and is a NORMAL process. Thank evolution for this. Your body is getting rid of tissue it doesn’t need and doesn’t have to raise your metabolism to maintain.

See, your body is smarter than you are. When you don’t use all of your muscle ability, it starts getting rid of muscle tissue. Why carry the extra weight when you don’t need it? When you finally start fueling your body after yo-yo dieting and extreme caloric restriction, it stores those calories. Those of us who having been using MFP for a while call this “starvation mode.” Your body thinks that you are in a situation of “feast or famine,” and stores those “extra” calories during times of feast for times of famine. You have to get your body out of this mode and it takes time. I don’t know how much time. This varies on how much damage you’ve done to your metabolism, how long you’ve been doing it, and the exercise you’ve chosen.

When comparing identical volumes of fat and muscle, the muscle will weigh more. I gained ten pounds while training for a marathon. MFP inspired me to run it. Think this doesn’t have anything to do with you? Well, I was running 30-40 miles a week or more, and using this website to make sure I was eating enough calories. I came up in a deficit many times. So energy out was greater than energy in and I still gained weight. But I did not gain inches!

Your best measure of fitness is to measure yourself. The number on that scale is only important to you. Start getting familiar with that measuring tape. Use the log here on MFP for more than just how much you weigh. Use the other measurement boxes as well. That measuring tape will tell the true story. And have a professional measure your body fat percentage. This will shift more than just a number on the scale can show you.

There are other factors to consider, but give it time. You more than likely did not gain those pounds in a short period of time, don’t expect them to come off in a short period of time.

Don’t be discouraged by people who have immediate success. It happens. Your success is more important and you are not shallow enough to quit because someone lost more weight or lost it faster than you.

Even more importantly, learn from your trial and error on this website. Log your calories honestly. You will find out how to eat, what to eat, and how much. You get smarter than your body. But stick it out. You will succeed if you are honest and faithful to yourself.