Weight Gain From Exercise

cnnewman1
cnnewman1 Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been exercising an average of 4-5 days per week, doing a P90X style workout twice a week, bootcamp once a week and running 1.5- 2 miles 1-2 times per week for approximately 6 weeks. I have also been keeping a food journal ( when I remember) and trying to keep my caloric intake to around 1200 calories per day and drinking approximately 6-8 glasses of water per day ( I try to consume as much as I can but I am not a drinker of any type). I cannot say that I have eaten the perfect diet every day but I am making an effort which is much more than I was doing at the end of last year.

Now that you have my background, here's the problem/ question. Since I started working out, I have noticed weight gain and very little change to the appearance of my body. I have gone from 165 lbs to 174 lbs. My clothes are getting tighter and its really frustrating. My husband says that he can tell that parts of me feel more firm, but I need the weight to come off. I used to have no problems losing weight and ran religiously. I was diagnosed with some allergies several years ago and was placed on prednizone for 6 months resulting in 60+ lbs of weight gain. This fat is harder to get off of my body than anything before and I was hoping that someone might be able to offer some insight on how long it might take for the weight gain (I am assuming from muscle building) to become weight loss and any helpful tips to make the process easier.

Thanks!

Replies

  • ChrisLindsay9
    ChrisLindsay9 Posts: 837 Member
    You may want to open your diary so we can take a peek at your nutrition. Also provide your height, weight, age, as well?
  • MrsLg
    MrsLg Posts: 103 Member
    Are you only eating 1200 calories a day with all that exercise? That won't be enough. Read the road map thread to work out your calories and also log all your food properly.
  • cnnewman1
    cnnewman1 Posts: 6
    I am also making up for the calories burned during exercise. I am 5'3", 28 years old and the weight is listed in the original post (starting and gained)
  • cnnewman1
    cnnewman1 Posts: 6
    By making up, I mean eating extra for those calories. How do I open up my food journal?
  • gpizzy
    gpizzy Posts: 171
    You can open through the settings feature...
  • cnnewman1
    cnnewman1 Posts: 6
    I believe that my profile is now open. I mostly just write down my food in a personal, paper journal. My food diary is no where near daily but there are entries dating back to January and I have been trying to update it nightly the past couple of weeks based on my paper journal.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
    Something is off with your math. There's no way you could eat 1200 cal/day, exercise like you say, and gain that much weight. The primary suspect is your food tracking. I would suggest tracking and recording EVERYTHING you eat and drink for one full week on mfp.
  • cnnewman1
    cnnewman1 Posts: 6
    Well, I am. And I am a fairly skilled mathematician, so I am not seeing any errors there. I am not writing this to be funny. Its important to me to see myself get back to a healthy state and I am definitely not happy where I am now.
  • cnnewman1
    cnnewman1 Posts: 6
    Also, please feel free to look at my food tracker for this week. I have filled it in from Monday through my lunch today.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I don't see it, but from your OP, 6-8 glasses of water isn't close to what you should be taking in.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
    Well, I am. And I am a fairly skilled mathematician, so I am not seeing any errors there. I am not writing this to be funny. Its important to me to see myself get back to a healthy state and I am definitely not happy where I am now.

    If you're certain of that you are tracking food and liquid intake correctly then get a full blood workup done, looking for hormonal imbalances.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I have also been keeping a food journal ( when I remember) and trying to keep my caloric intake to around 1200 calories per day and drinking approximately 6-8 glasses of water per day ( I try to consume as much as I can but I am not a drinker of any type). I cannot say that I have eaten the perfect diet every day but I am making an effort which is much more than I was doing at the end of last year.

    I'm going to say that chances are, this is your problem. If you're not consistently logging, it is most probable that you also don't measure or weigh your ingredients/portion sizes, etc. Also, exercise does not always =/= calorie deficit. Two very common culprits right there. Doors and windows are currently wide open to calorie creep.
  • mkwongh
    mkwongh Posts: 279 Member
    If you figure it out, or hear something, I would love to know. I am in the same situation as you are. I will be 30 this year, work out twice a day and eat roughly 1200 cal as well (most days eating into my workout calorie burned as well) and i still gain, and have not been able to get it down.

    Keep at it.. I try not to think about the number on the scale, and keep pushing
  • Mr_Steve_V
    Mr_Steve_V Posts: 21
    Is 1200 what you are actually consuming, or is that the net intake after exercises. If you are doing that much exercise you need more calories. Your body is storing fat because you are not fueling it properly.

    Undereating
    Although undereating is never good for your body, undereating coupled with overtraining is a recipe for disaster. Boris Sapone, a certified personal trainer in Las Vegas, explains that diet makes up 60 percent of your results in the gym. The remaining 40 is split between effective workouts and optimal rest periods. With more than half of your efforts being trumped by nutrition, it is important to fuel your body properly. Between your routine daily activities, weight lifting, cardio and even neglected activities such as sleeping, your body needs enough energy to keep it running effectively. Denying your body of the proper amount of calories will ultimately lead to fat storage as well as strength and muscle loss. If your calorie intake drops too much, your body will go into starvation mode, saving the fat that you do have in order to protect your body



    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/415870-can-too-much-exercise-not-enough-calories-cause-weight-gain/#ixzz2MyynUGwm
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
    Is 1200 what you are actually consuming, or is that the net intake after exercises. If you are doing that much exercise you need more calories. Your body is storing fat because you are not fueling it properly.

    While I agree he needs to be eating more, not eating enough isn't the reason he's gaining weight. The so called "starvation mode" *may* slow down ones ability to shed weight efficiently but it's certainly not going to result in the kind of weight gain he's seeing.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Prednisone sucks. It wouldn't surprise me if it could have some long lasting detrimental effects on your metabolism. It certainly has other long lasting side effects.

    I would view MFP's calculation of your calories burned as approximations. You could try eating back half the calories that you burn. You can try changes to your diet, like more protein, fewer carbs, same calories.Also, check in with your doctor. Maybe you're hypothyroid. Whatever you do, do not give up.

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