Stronglifts 5x5 for Women

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Weight GAIN from SL5x5?

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sunshineallthetime4
sunshineallthetime4 Posts: 21 Member
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Hi all!

I'm just into my 4th week of Stronglifts. It is sooo different than the constant cardio I'm used to doing, but I'm enjoying it. However, I have definitely GAINED weight. I'm eating at a TDEE deficit and yet I'm up a few pounds. My jeans that fit before I started are now uncomfortably tight in the thighs and booty. :(

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it temporary, and if so when did you see the scale start sliding in the right direction?

Thanks!! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    Yes, it's totally normal. Your muscles are retaining water and glycogen. A good lifting program is a completely different beast then tons of cardio and it really takes a shift in mind set. You will want to pay more attention to your measurements and BF% rather than scale weight. It's also highly recommended to take progress photo's as those will really tell the true story. The results are worth it though....just keep going!
  • DaniH826
    DaniH826 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    Yea the first few months of heavy lifting are quite a mindbend so you're going to have to be patient. You're certainly not going to gain fat while lifting heavy and eating at a deficit!
  • chickenchaser78
    chickenchaser78 Posts: 89 Member
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    I'm a full week in and have seen a gain. I'm going to toss the scale out for a month. Currently I'm going off the way my clothes feel and despite seeing a slight gain I know I'm not gaining fat weight. Good luck!
  • sunshineallthetime4
    sunshineallthetime4 Posts: 21 Member
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    I'm learning to care less about the scale... but I am sad that my pants are getting too snug! I was hoping when I went shopping it would be to move down in sizing rather than up.. Did you all see the swelling go down in your thighs/rear in time, or is it the way the muscles are developing? I'm trying to stick to dresses and skirts for a bit to avoid shopping, haha. :laugh:
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
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    I'm learning to care less about the scale... but I am sad that my pants are getting too snug! I was hoping when I went shopping it would be to move down in sizing rather than up.. Did you all see the swelling go down in your thighs/rear in time, or is it the way the muscles are developing? I'm trying to stick to dresses and skirts for a bit to avoid shopping, haha. :laugh:

    i'm not strictly eating clean, so i'm not losing fat as quickly as i would like. but my thighs have not become smaller, yet my waist has. my butt is smaller and more firm. jeans out of the wash are definitely more tight in my thighs, but i kind of like it. i can see my muscles bulging through the jeans when i flex and it's hot.
  • DaniH826
    DaniH826 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    Keep your pants, and don't do anything drastic. It'll all settle itself in soon enough.

    If you're looking for the quick changes with strength training that you were seeing with cardio, it's not going to happen. Sorry.

    Your body is responding to the weight stress you're putting on it, and it is adapting like it was designed to, and beginning to turn into a strength machine. You're going to have to trust your body and let the pants fit how they're gonna because really, something amazing is happening to you right now, so enjoy it and keep up with the strength training. ::flowerforyou:

    I'm sure you look lovely in dresses and skirts, so just wear those for now. :smile:
  • kirabob
    kirabob Posts: 481 Member
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    My jeans are getting tight in the thighs and rear and loose in the waist (a whole new experience for me), but like ahvienda, I think it's hot to see those smokin' thighs - and my bootie is just moving up to where it's supposed to be.

    Small anecdote: in the last month, I've 'gained' almost 4 pounds according to the scale, but I've gone from a 14 to a 10 in my jeans. Try to ignore the scale and keep lifting!
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    IT kind of depends on what your shape was like before, IF you had a really big butt you might see shrinkage but if you had a kind of flat or small butt... its probably going to get bigger. Unless you also have a lot of fat to lose but judging from your picture you don't.

    What happened to me is that my hips on the side/front got leaner, but my butt got bigger/perkier (HURRAY!!! -- because I had a flat pancake butt before) so my measurements look the same but the shape of things changed. I find my pants fitting pretty much the same but on days when I'm really swollen from lifting (water/glycogen like Vegas said) they will be VERY snug in the thighs and on days when they aren't they will be loose in the thighs.

    My jeans fit differently, I lost in the waistband area (around the belly/upper hips) but the lower measurements didn't change as much.
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
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    I read an article about this, and it explained how in the first few months of lifting your clothes will be tighter, but then BAM you'll get slimmer and jeans will fit looser!

    So...we just have to keep up with it and enjoy the other amazing changes from lifting. in the meantime.
    Remind yourself that you are benefiting from it and willll continue to even more so in a few months, just keep it up! And..don't weigh yourself...ever :)

    Best of luck!

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